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lisettemarie's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief
Moderate: Cancer, Death, Gun violence, Terminal illness, Kidnapping, Death of parent, and Murder
extraaardvark's review
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
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
3.75
Content Warnings
Moderate: Cancer, Death, Gun violence, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, and Murder
sassyykassie's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
slow-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
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Kidnapping, Grief, and Death of parent
thebookwormkatie's review against another edition
emotional
funny
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Grief
karyan1's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cancer, Death, Gun violence, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, and Murder
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts
astifelreads's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
A Quiet Life ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
By Ethan Joella
“Maybe that is love. Maybe loving someone so deeply means accepting the fact that they occupy a specific, clear place in you. You accept that there will be a hole if you lose them - the same way a painting or a photograph will leave its shadow on the wall after it’s gone, the way a tree will leave a crater where the roots and stump were.”
Ethan Joella does it again. After reading his ‘A Little Hope’ this was going to be an instant buy. This book follows three different individuals dealing with grief in their lives. Chuck Ayer is an older gentleman who just lost his wife to cancer and deciding how to live his life without his wife. Ella Burke’s daughter is missing and she’s just trying to hold the pieces of her life together while waiting for news. Kirsten Bonato is a young woman trying to cope with the loss of her father. She’s working at an animal rescue and has given up her dreams of being a vet while dealing with the feeling of being lost without her dad.
“Happy New Year, he thinks, because he is lost, and he hopes he finds something this year that will stop the hurting.”
Ethan Joella captured grief so beautifully and authentically in this book. By the end it had me in tears as I connected with the characters and their ups and downs so much. Having lost my mom nearly a year ago I connected to the characters quite a lot. And while this book dealt with loss and grief there was also hope in it. It was a balm to my soul as I go through my own grieving process. I would recommend this book if you’re looking for a quick read with a hopeful ending.
“Be someone’s cardinal.”
Content Warnings
Graphic: Kidnapping and Death of parent
Moderate: Cancer, Death, Gun violence, and Grief
lovelymisanthrope's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I selected this as a Book of the Month pick and was excited to indulge in a cozy contemporary during these colder months.
"A Quiet Life" follows three characters as they try to move on in their lives and move past their immense grief. Chuck, an elderly man, has recently lost his wife, Cat, and he is struggling to find the will to keep moving forward without her. He used to look forward to their annual trip to Hilton Head every year, but now the thought of being in their happy place without Cat is too much for him to bear. Ella is a struggling young mother who works multiple jobs to fill her time as she anxiously waits to hear any news about her missing daughter. Kirsten put her own dreams on hold following the death of her father. Now, she works in an animal shelter and is plagued with thoughts of what she wants to do next.
Despite these three characters living independent lives, with their own tragic stories, the novel feels very cohesive, and you can see how their stories and grief overlap. Every person on the planet is going through their own hardships, but we are all still human. It is our humanity that connects us, and even during the darkest of hours, it is the connection to other people that keeps us moving forward. I also really appreciated that all three characters are at three different points in life. Their differences in age and life experiences again highlights that despite differences, we are all connected.
I felt most heartbroken for Chuck, but Ella's story really kept the novel moving forward. The mystery around who took her daughter, why they kidnapped her, and where she is was just the right amount of intrigue to bring hope to this humbling story.
Hope is the big message and key takeaway for all of these characters. Life is not perfect, and we will all inevitably face hardship, but life can and does get better, if you never lose hope.
I highly recommend this story, and I am excited to pick up more from the author in the future.
"A Quiet Life" follows three characters as they try to move on in their lives and move past their immense grief. Chuck, an elderly man, has recently lost his wife, Cat, and he is struggling to find the will to keep moving forward without her. He used to look forward to their annual trip to Hilton Head every year, but now the thought of being in their happy place without Cat is too much for him to bear. Ella is a struggling young mother who works multiple jobs to fill her time as she anxiously waits to hear any news about her missing daughter. Kirsten put her own dreams on hold following the death of her father. Now, she works in an animal shelter and is plagued with thoughts of what she wants to do next.
Despite these three characters living independent lives, with their own tragic stories, the novel feels very cohesive, and you can see how their stories and grief overlap. Every person on the planet is going through their own hardships, but we are all still human. It is our humanity that connects us, and even during the darkest of hours, it is the connection to other people that keeps us moving forward. I also really appreciated that all three characters are at three different points in life. Their differences in age and life experiences again highlights that despite differences, we are all connected.
I felt most heartbroken for Chuck, but Ella's story really kept the novel moving forward. The mystery around who took her daughter, why they kidnapped her, and where she is was just the right amount of intrigue to bring hope to this humbling story.
Hope is the big message and key takeaway for all of these characters. Life is not perfect, and we will all inevitably face hardship, but life can and does get better, if you never lose hope.
I highly recommend this story, and I am excited to pick up more from the author in the future.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Toxic relationship and Grief
Moderate: Death, Terminal illness, Kidnapping, and Death of parent
mtnest's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
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? No
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Cancer, Death, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, and Alcohol
Minor: War
TLNIVserendipitysbooks's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
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? No
4.5
A Quiet Life is an uplifting, warm-hearted hug of a book emphasising the importance of love, kindness and the difference that one person can make in the life of another. The three main characters, Chuck, Ella, and Kirsten, are all suffering from loss and grief - the death of a wife, the kidnapping of a daughter, the death of a father - and are all stuck, struggling in various ways. Their paths intersect, sometimes in slightly contrived ways, and they knowingly or unknowingly, offer support to each other. This had the potential to be too sentimental for me, but either Joella kept on the right side of the line and/or I picked it up at the right time because it hit just right for me. A much needed reminder that there is still good to be found in the world,and a welcome balance to the heavy books I often gravitate towards.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief
Moderate: Cancer, Kidnapping, and Death of parent
velsbooknook's review against another edition
emotional
inspiring
reflective
sad
4.0
This book follows the story of three people who recently lost a loved one. We have Chuck who lost the love of his life, Kirsten whose father was murdered and Ella who is looking for her daughter.
I think I was the fastest invested in Kirsten's storyline but I very much enjoyed all POV's. I found all characters very likeable and even though the story sounds pretty heavy it didn't feel that way while reading. It left me feeling all warm inside, ending the book with a smile.
I loved that the main characters' paths cross at some point in the story and I also very much enjoyed the slight romantic aspect of the book.
I'm very glad I read this book and I feel like it's one I will go back to at some point. I even think it is a book which could help people who recently lost a loved one, to find beauty and a little happiness in life again, since the story is very beautifully told. I'm sure this won't be my last read by the author!
Thank you to Ethan Joella, Muswell Press and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for my honest opinion.
I think I was the fastest invested in Kirsten's storyline but I very much enjoyed all POV's. I found all characters very likeable and even though the story sounds pretty heavy it didn't feel that way while reading. It left me feeling all warm inside, ending the book with a smile.
I loved that the main characters' paths cross at some point in the story and I also very much enjoyed the slight romantic aspect of the book.
I'm very glad I read this book and I feel like it's one I will go back to at some point. I even think it is a book which could help people who recently lost a loved one, to find beauty and a little happiness in life again, since the story is very beautifully told. I'm sure this won't be my last read by the author!
Thank you to Ethan Joella, Muswell Press and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for my honest opinion.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gun violence, Grief, and Death of parent