Reviews with content warning for Suicidal thoughts - Something to Live For

Don't let the cartoon cover fool you, How Not to Die Alone by Richard Roper is a pretty heavy read. To be clear, How Not to Die Alone is the original title in the U.S. However, the title was changed to Something to Live For back in 2020, which was also the original title of the book in the U.K.

Reading this book reminded me a lot of an undergrad course I took as a psychology major called "Death and Dying." Typically, death and dying are subjects we shy away from and don't find particularly comfortable to contemplate. It can be argued though, that doing just that - confronting death and dying - can be a healthy, comforting, and healing thing to do. There's a lot more I could say here about this, but it's the general gist that I think Richard Roper is on in this book. Dark and heavy subject matter doesn't necessarily make it bad or unhealthy.

Some of the other big themes in this book include honesty (both with yourself and others), moving on after the loss of a loved one, coping with anxiety, and asking for and accepting help when you need it. All big topics to tackle in and of themselves! And while this book is very sad in a lot of ways, it's also hopeful. The ending leaves the reader with warm feelings and looking towards a better future, if not the fairy tale happy ending we often see in romance novels. Yes, there is a romantic plotline. And yes, it has funny moments. I laughed out loud a few times. But it's also contemplative, heart wrenching, and quite frustrating sometimes.

I think picking up this book when you're in the right frame of mind or mood and knowing what to expect is important if you're going to really enjoy it. Based on the blurb and the cover, I was expecting a cute romcom with some living life to the fullest vibes. What I got was completely different. And at first I was disappointed and considered not even writing a review. But in retrospect, I think this was just the wrong book at the time for me. Or I wasn't in the right headspace for this book this week. Had I been in the right headspace or had the timing been better, I might have rave reviews. So this is definitely a read with awareness kind of book.

This wasn't one of my personal favorites, but it may be yours. If you loved The Midnight Library by Matt Haig, Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman, or Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom, I think you'll really enjoy How Not to Die Alone (aka Something to Live For).

Content warnings: death, attempted suicide, hoarding, alcoholism, panic attacks, loss of a loved one, pornography, cancer, stalking, and brief harm to an animal.

Content Warnings

gkelley's review against another edition

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emotional reflective sad slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.25

Content Warnings

cafereads's review against another edition

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hopeful reflective sad slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

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menomica's review against another edition

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emotional funny hopeful sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

This book was so sweet and beautiful. I love Andrew so much and was rooting for him the whole time. I really love how it talks about grief and isolation.

I also love how him and Peggy stayed friends. I don’t know, it was really nice.

Also the ppl from the train sub, I love them all very much. Carl, however, is the biggest bitch baby there is. I literally had to put the book down several times to rant abt how much he sucked. But I appreciate he was there, because that showed the spectrum of grief.

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readingtheother's review against another edition

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dark emotional sad 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

4.0

Content Warnings

_inge_'s review against another edition

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emotional hopeful reflective medium-paced

Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.75

As a person who is living on her own without friends close by, there were moments when this hit a bit close to home. But there are many hopeful messages in this book and it's funny as well. I'll be thinking about this one for a while to come.

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