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taylor_broek's review against another edition
4.0
This was an exceptional debut! Clover is 36 and a death doula in NYC. Death touched her early on in her life and it sprouted a fascination and great empathy with the dying process. But after her grandfather who raised her, unexpectedly died alone while she was traveling she has dedicated her life to giving people peaceful company in death by specifically not letting anyone die alone. When she’s not with the dying she is playing mahjong with her 87 year old neighbor Leo, chilling with her pets or watching her married neighbors through the window. Being about as reclusive as you can be in NYC she is naturally not happy that she is getting a new neighbor, especially a girl her age with a ton of extroverted energy. Sylvie helps her come out of her small dark apartment more just as she takes on a feisty new client Claudia, with a life long regret of letting the love of her life go. Clover keeps note book with the last words of her clients and categorizes them as “regrets” “Advice” & “confessions”. For the regrets notebook she does her best to fulfill that regret for them after they pass. For example trying painting. She is always willing to go out of her comfort zone in one of her clients memories but she never will for her self. She is not living for herself and is on track to die alone herself when sylvie, Claudia and Claudia’s grandson push clover into facing her own reality and decided what she reallly wants for her life while she’s alive.
Clover is pretty immature at times for being 36 and that is pretty frustrating at times because she’s not really coded as someone on the spectrum just someone who had a lot of childhood trauma that was retriggered when her grandpa died when she was traveling abroad in college. I am glad that the romance aspect didn’t go the way i thought it was going but i still don’t really think it was needed in the end. Sylvie was such an enneagram 7 and a fav character of mine, clover was so lucky with that neighbor. Leo was also a fav character of mine…tears…
Rep: Sylvie was in a good amount of the book and is Pansexual
Clover is pretty immature at times for being 36 and that is pretty frustrating at times because she’s not really coded as someone on the spectrum just someone who had a lot of childhood trauma that was retriggered when her grandpa died when she was traveling abroad in college. I am glad that the romance aspect didn’t go the way i thought it was going but i still don’t really think it was needed in the end. Sylvie was such an enneagram 7 and a fav character of mine, clover was so lucky with that neighbor. Leo was also a fav character of mine…tears…
Rep: Sylvie was in a good amount of the book and is Pansexual
clay1914's review against another edition
5.0
Can’t believe I picked this one up during my first Christmas without Dad, but damn. It was great.
anitaa's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
A beautiful book. Very well written. I listened to the audiobook and it was like listening to Clover, like I was there with her.
mimi_t22's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
inspiring
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
4.75
hbstrick's review against another edition
challenging
dark
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? Yes
3.75
briecullen98's review against another edition
5.0
I didn’t know how much I needed this book. Beautiful
booksinbreweries's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
slow-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
5.0
taylorbre's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
annemariewhelehan's review against another edition
4.0
This was pure joy.
I’d never heard of a death doula before, so the description of the novel feels a little grim at the start.
But the author brings us on a lovely journey of Clover, who is still grieving herself. Clover comes across as a loner, but not lonely, and we are brought through teenage emotions of making friends, having her first kiss etc as a 35 year old.
The ending is lovely, not quite textbook and I love that Brammer did this.
I’d never heard of a death doula before, so the description of the novel feels a little grim at the start.
But the author brings us on a lovely journey of Clover, who is still grieving herself. Clover comes across as a loner, but not lonely, and we are brought through teenage emotions of making friends, having her first kiss etc as a 35 year old.
The ending is lovely, not quite textbook and I love that Brammer did this.