A review by areadingstan
Writers & Lovers by Lily King

emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

‘There’s a particular feeling in your body when something goes right after a long time of things going wrong. It feels warm and sweet and loose.’ 
 
I found in this book what I didn’t know I was seeking - a deep and realistic depiction of grief and its non-linear nature. A main character - a writer - whose experiences and struggles are all too relatable, but whose successes are worth waiting for. 
 
The captivating story of Casey as she goes through a challenging part of life, grieving the loss of her mother, but also grieving the she things she has longed for; to write and to love. 
 
We are with her as she goes to shift after shift at Iris, the restaurant she waitresses at, as she tries to feel at home in the small rented room she can just about afford, as she tries to finish the novel she has been writing for a long, long time. 
 
She meets two men who are very different, and begins to date, unhealed from her previous experiences. Slowly through the drudgery of everyday life, though the trials she continues to face, we get to witness Casey work through her pain, let herself feel what she has refused to for so long, and we have the joy of seeing her through to the other side of this, to success. 
 
But this book doesn’t feel like an inspirational story. It is simply the everyday, the struggle, the one foot in front of the other until the clouds start to clear. 
 
For anyone who writes, this is a book for you. But even if you don’t, if you’re looking for someone to fight for and follow through a difficult path, someone to be proud of - read this book. The language is rich and compelling, I felt entirely captivated and will definitely be turning to this again. 
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