Reviews

Dear NHS: 100 Stories to Say Thank You by Adam Kay

sophieroseobooks's review

3.0

An interesting compilation of stories from Celebrities about the NHS unfortunately it just didn’t hit the mark for me I found some of the stories interesting but many super boring and struggling to get through despite them only being a couple pages long. Saying that I’m not a huge fan of short stories to start with due to the start stop feel to them.

ruthlemon08's review

5.0

No words, just love. The NHS is and always will (should) be the institution Britain is proudest of.

robbie779's review

3.0

I've been meaning to read this one for over a year now but couldn't justify the £10.99 kindle price. And you know how they say something was worth the wait? Well this book definitely was NOT. I'm also probably being a bit generous with three stars but what the heck, it's for a worthy cause. There were a few funny stories, one or two tearjerkers, but the rest were a forgettable compilation of NHS experiences. No clap needed here.

btpbookclub's review

5.0

This was amazing and it raises money for the NHS too so double win. It is a new release to tie in with the pandemic we have all and are currently experiencing. Inside contains 100 short stories from our favourite authors, celebs, musicians, chefs and comedians. These range from hilarious out of this world stories, heart breaking stories, deaths, births and honest everyday stories. We get a full range and all contain a thank you message within. There are also some beautiful poems within too. It really is a beautiful read put together by Adam Kay.
The thing that stood out to me and was mentioned a lot of time in this book is the amazement of the NHS staff and how it is all free. Just makes you go wow doesn't it? The heart of the UK. The NHS. Highly recommend. A well deserved five stars from me I'd give more if I could and a huge thank you to everyone working in our NHS. Keep going soldiers.

darleebriar's review against another edition

emotional funny lighthearted reflective sad medium-paced

4.0

poppyjessica's review

5.0

Adam Kay has compiled this celebration of the NHS, a wonderful collection of letters, poems and stories about how this national institution has touched the lives of everyone in this country. The ultimate message of this book is joy, love and hope; I finished it feeling uplifted and proud of all the workers within the NHS who are striving to keep us safe in these awful times. Many entries are hilarious but counterbalanced with some quite hard-hitting stories. When you read about Graham Norton being stabbed as a student, Greg James almost dying as a baby, as told by his mum, and the multiple families ripped apart by cancer, the book really packs a punch. However, it makes some entries look a bit weak (here's looking at you Joanna Lumley). Regardless, the stories which engage the reader far outweigh the less convincing entries, making this book well worth a read.

Whether you take this book in all at once, or dip in and out of the different stories, depends on your capacity to handle the grief of the book's darkest moments. Some of the stories of ailing grandparents hit too close to home for me, particularly the descriptions of those at the end of their lives. Many entries repeatedly remind the reader of their own mortality, quite a heavy burden to ponder for too long at such a draining time. Kay has done a good job of sequencing the stories to bring light and new life to some of the more harrowing contributions.

All in all, this book is 109 chapters of admiration and celebration. Who knew you needed so many stories about childbirth, appendicitis and fingers being cut off in one place! If you love the NHS, read this book and enjoy sharing in the joy and grief it brings, remembering those amazing people who work tirelessly to keep us well. Thank you Adam Kay for such a lovely project.

billyk26's review

5.0

One of the most moving publications of this year, in a time when we’ve needed the NHS more than ever. This had me laughing (Chris O’Dowd, Jack Whitehall) and crying (Dawn French, Benjamin Zephaniah). We are so lucky to have such a wonderful healthcare system that - even with its flaws - is one of the most invaluable services we can ever have in the UK. It’s something that has sometimes been taken for granted or sometimes under-appreciated but we should feel immensely proud of all of those who work in the NHS. One I’ll be reading again and again.

stacevox's review

4.0

Aside from being for a wonderful cause, this book was very heartwarming. The book is a series of short anecdotes, messages, and poems dedicated to our beloved NHS from 100 famous people. If your eyes are rolling when I say famous people, just wait. What this book reveals is how much we in rely on the NHS, most of us are born in it, and most of us will die in it at the very least, and hearing that from the great and the good, rich and famous is a reminder that in the eyes of this wonderful institution and it’s workers, we are all the same. If this pandemic is not enough to stir up your love for the NHS, then this book might help, and together we can make sure than when we come through this we start to hold governments accountable for adequately funding and staffing the lifeblood of our country.

lennifer0112's review

informative medium-paced

5.0

ruth_power's review

emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad slow-paced

We are immensely lucky to have the NHS. It is always there for us, no matter who we are. I enjoyed the stories of how the NHS has been there for these celebrities - some were funny, some sad, some were just a big thank you. Recommend dipping into this book along with reading others as, although they're all vulnerable stories, it does begin to drag because there's so many