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maeverose's review against another edition
4.0
TL;DR: A fun escape, with a simple but important message, even if that message comes with an assumed level of privilege.
I expected it to be a little more focused on Clover’s job, we only actually see three of her clients, most of the book is focused on her own life. But I didn’t mind. I do think the overall message - live life to it’s fullest - was pretty simple and repeated a lot, but it is an important reminder. I didn’t know death doulas were a real thing until I looked it up after discovering this book, and it was really interesting to learn about it. I think thats a really beautiful service to exist, and I might try to learn more about it now. Hugo 2.0 was a little too comically perfect, though I still liked him.
I related a little too much to Clover. On one hand, it’s nice to read stories like this where people in similar situations to me finally meet people and get to live their life, because (much like Clover) I can live vicariously through them, on the other hand, it often simplifies things in an unrealistic (privileged) way. I wish it were that easy to just force yourself to socialize and then bam you have friends but when you’re multiply disabled (especially in ways that directly affect socializing) it’s much harder. This isn’t a complaint about the book, just some thoughts that I have after reading it. I feel like, as depressing as it is, it’s important to include the fact that not everyone is able to ‘live their life to it’s fullest’, for reasons that are out of their control. It’s a privilege to be able to do that. A lot of the time you need money (for therapy if you have social anxiety, for food/drinks/events where you’d be going to socialize, to travel and try new things), free time, a job to make said money, a mode of transportation, etc. Most stories like this ignore that. As an escape it was a good book, as a piece of advice it’s unfortunately not something I can easily apply to my life, which leaves me feeling a bit :/
I related a little too much to Clover. On one hand, it’s nice to read stories like this where people in similar situations to me finally meet people and get to live their life, because (much like Clover) I can live vicariously through them, on the other hand, it often simplifies things in an unrealistic (privileged) way. I wish it were that easy to just force yourself to socialize and then bam you have friends but when you’re multiply disabled (especially in ways that directly affect socializing) it’s much harder. This isn’t a complaint about the book, just some thoughts that I have after reading it. I feel like, as depressing as it is, it’s important to include the fact that not everyone is able to ‘live their life to it’s fullest’, for reasons that are out of their control. It’s a privilege to be able to do that. A lot of the time you need money (for therapy if you have social anxiety, for food/drinks/events where you’d be going to socialize, to travel and try new things), free time, a job to make said money, a mode of transportation, etc. Most stories like this ignore that. As an escape it was a good book, as a piece of advice it’s unfortunately not something I can easily apply to my life, which leaves me feeling a bit :/
Also I found it incredibly uncomfortable that Clover spied on her neighbor’s in their homes with binoculars… Like Sylvie didn’t even seem creeped out by that. It was so weird.
Quotes:
“I liked to feel the icy breeze nibbling at my cheeks as I walked, to watch the cloud materialize then vanish with each of my breaths — confirmations that I was still here, still living.”
“It frustrated me that society was so determined to quantify grief, as if time could erase the potency of love. Or, on the other hand, how it dictated that grief for someone you knew fleetingly should be equally as fleeting.”
“An incongruous tug of war between the need for solitude and the craving for emotional connection— I didn’t want company, but I didn’t want to feel alone.”
“- the secret to a beautiful death is to live a beautiful life. Putting your heart out there. Letting it get broken. Taking chances. Making mistakes.”
Quotes:
“I liked to feel the icy breeze nibbling at my cheeks as I walked, to watch the cloud materialize then vanish with each of my breaths — confirmations that I was still here, still living.”
“It frustrated me that society was so determined to quantify grief, as if time could erase the potency of love. Or, on the other hand, how it dictated that grief for someone you knew fleetingly should be equally as fleeting.”
“An incongruous tug of war between the need for solitude and the craving for emotional connection— I didn’t want company, but I didn’t want to feel alone.”
“- the secret to a beautiful death is to live a beautiful life. Putting your heart out there. Letting it get broken. Taking chances. Making mistakes.”
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cancer, Death, Death of parent, Grief, and Terminal illness
Moderate: Bullying, Medical content, Excrement, and Stalking
Minor: Alcoholism, Child death, Fatphobia, Miscarriage, Misogyny, and Toxic relationship
Alzheimers mentionmichaelion's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
a somber comfort like when an empty feeling is so cold its actually warm and the world makes sense in the emptiness like floating with no tether but you're not worried about falling or drowning or anything really it's just lovely in a way that there is beauty in the sad nothingness of existence. very, to borrow from everything everywhere all at once, nothing matters but i choose to love anyway. and in that choice to love, i choose to love the sadness too.this book would've ruined me when i was 12.
also at one point clover describes having moths in her stomach and not butterflies and i think that's such an excellent detail. there's creative layers to that genius writing.i had to take points off for leo dying though! i knew it was gonna happen but i didn't want it to!
also at one point clover describes having moths in her stomach and not butterflies and i think that's such an excellent detail. there's creative layers to that genius writing.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief and Death
Moderate: Death of parent
Minor: Stalking, Alcoholism, and Abandonment
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