A Beautiful, Well-Written, Unputdownable Book
Just reading the description of this book had me hooked in, so I started reading it the moment I finished my current read.
So, we follow Ailsa for through the year after her surgery. Ailsa was born with heart complications. Now, in her twenties, Ailsa is recovering from a heart transplant and finally feels like she can start living her life. However, she's battling with her mother about wanting to live alone, she's curious about her real father who walked away, and she misses Lennox, her best friend and first boyfriend, passed away a year ago when he didn't get the organ donation he needed.
First, let's talk about the characters. I wasn't sure if I was going to connect with Ailsa at first because of everything she's been through in terms of her medical history and recovery. However, I instantly clicked with Ailsa and was routing for her from page one. Maybe it's because we are of a similar age and, although she's had very different and difficult life experiences compared to me, we share similar traits and thought processes.
It's always great when you can connect with a main character and feel excited for the journey ahead.
Then we have Sebastian, who was another immediate favourite for me. He gave Ailsa a new outlook on life and gave her the chance to try new things, such as taking a trip to London. I adored the interactions between the two of them and I could easily read another 400 page book of their emails.
There are some brilliantly written characters in this book, including Lennox and Ailsa's mother. The characters are not all perfect. They are flawed and real, and despite the differences between them and the reader, they are relatable.
I also loved that the setting played such a big part in this book, with the talk of the festival, the accents and general lifestyle. It made me want to take a trip there myself.
The storyline - as previously mentioned - follows Ailsa over the course of a year following her surgery. This plot is not just a tale of her recovery though. It's at the centre of everything happening in her life, as it would be, but there are so many other factors woven in.
It all leads back to her heart and how she finally wants to start living her life in a way that so many of us take for granted.
There are issues with her mother, about her moving out and Ailsa wanting to find her biological father, and there is a big focus on this mother-daughter relationship. There's also the mention of friendships and a romantic aspect as well, as we are introduced to Lennox through flashbacks to the previous year.
Speaking of flashbacks, I have to mention how much I loved the writing style and layout of this book.
I adored the format of this novel. It's one of my favourite things about it. The way it is set out like a diary, with the dated chapter headings, is genius. It made me more invested in the story and it felt so personal.
The use of media, such as news articles and emails, was one of my favourite features.
The personal touches continued throughout the book, with the emails shared between Ailsa and Sebastian, the news articles that Ailsa searched for when looking Sebastian up online, and - my overall favourite - the use of blog posts. The fact that Ailsa had a blog and was recording her journey through recovery was fantastic. Also, what a unique idea to include public polls within her blog to help her make decisions! As a reader and a blogger, it not only made me feel closer to her but it simply made me smile that something like this can be woven into a story like this.
This is a book that I will be recommending to everyone.
It's been a while since I've read a book that's made me feel this much.
It's simply fantastic and it has everything I look for in a contemporary novel.
It's addictive, touching and brilliantly written.
I feel like I am going to be raving about this book for quite some time.
Have I just found a new favourite book? I think so.
It's definitely in my top ten reads of 2018 so far (out of 25 books, and yes it's only April but I'm certain it will still be in my top ten by the end of the year!)
So, we follow Ailsa for through the year after her surgery. Ailsa was born with heart complications. Now, in her twenties, Ailsa is recovering from a heart transplant and finally feels like she can start living her life. However, she's battling with her mother about wanting to live alone, she's curious about her real father who walked away, and she misses Lennox, her best friend and first boyfriend, passed away a year ago when he didn't get the organ donation he needed.
First, let's talk about the characters. I wasn't sure if I was going to connect with Ailsa at first because of everything she's been through in terms of her medical history and recovery. However, I instantly clicked with Ailsa and was routing for her from page one. Maybe it's because we are of a similar age and, although she's had very different and difficult life experiences compared to me, we share similar traits and thought processes.
It's always great when you can connect with a main character and feel excited for the journey ahead.
Then we have Sebastian, who was another immediate favourite for me. He gave Ailsa a new outlook on life and gave her the chance to try new things, such as taking a trip to London. I adored the interactions between the two of them and I could easily read another 400 page book of their emails.
There are some brilliantly written characters in this book, including Lennox and Ailsa's mother. The characters are not all perfect. They are flawed and real, and despite the differences between them and the reader, they are relatable.
I also loved that the setting played such a big part in this book, with the talk of the festival, the accents and general lifestyle. It made me want to take a trip there myself.
The storyline - as previously mentioned - follows Ailsa over the course of a year following her surgery. This plot is not just a tale of her recovery though. It's at the centre of everything happening in her life, as it would be, but there are so many other factors woven in.
It all leads back to her heart and how she finally wants to start living her life in a way that so many of us take for granted.
There are issues with her mother, about her moving out and Ailsa wanting to find her biological father, and there is a big focus on this mother-daughter relationship. There's also the mention of friendships and a romantic aspect as well, as we are introduced to Lennox through flashbacks to the previous year.
Speaking of flashbacks, I have to mention how much I loved the writing style and layout of this book.
I adored the format of this novel. It's one of my favourite things about it. The way it is set out like a diary, with the dated chapter headings, is genius. It made me more invested in the story and it felt so personal.
The use of media, such as news articles and emails, was one of my favourite features.
The personal touches continued throughout the book, with the emails shared between Ailsa and Sebastian, the news articles that Ailsa searched for when looking Sebastian up online, and - my overall favourite - the use of blog posts. The fact that Ailsa had a blog and was recording her journey through recovery was fantastic. Also, what a unique idea to include public polls within her blog to help her make decisions! As a reader and a blogger, it not only made me feel closer to her but it simply made me smile that something like this can be woven into a story like this.
This is a book that I will be recommending to everyone.
It's been a while since I've read a book that's made me feel this much.
It's simply fantastic and it has everything I look for in a contemporary novel.
It's addictive, touching and brilliantly written.
I feel like I am going to be raving about this book for quite some time.
Have I just found a new favourite book? I think so.
It's definitely in my top ten reads of 2018 so far (out of 25 books, and yes it's only April but I'm certain it will still be in my top ten by the end of the year!)