A truly beautiful book.
Sadness. Heartbreak. Grief. Hopelessness.
But then,
Creativity. Humour. Happiness. Hope. Love.
I raced through this book, could not get enough. I loved the insight into the world through the eyes of Alice, her day-to-day struggles, and hopes for the future. I can’t imagine how it must be to lose your ‘spoons’ so quickly, through the simplest of activities (to others) then be utterly drained, have the mental fog, and the ‘floating’ for hours or days after. Even with all this in her life, Alice remains positive, puts on a brave face for her parents and friend Cecelia.
Then Rowan comes along and allows Alice to live a Life. To make some choices. Have different experiences. The love that grows between them is so precious. Rowan has things going on in his life that he feels he cannot share, and Alice sees this and wants to support him. Their love story is beautiful but tragic.
By the end, I had tears in my eyes and my heart leaping out of my chest. Whilst the resolution to their stories is realistic, in my head, I have pictured further into the future for the two of them and where their story may lead.
Thank you to Penguin Random House for the proof copy.

Publishing 4th March. Penguin Random House. Author Sarah Ann Juckes.