Read with Fern

“Why did I write such a personal book? I have always processed my life through writing. Hiding behind my fictional characters, I have always turned my own life into a narrative. It is my version of therapy, maybe. Writing is my happy place, and writing this book, although tough going at times, was immensely satisfying and therapeutic for me.”

What Does It Feel Like?, Sophie Kinsella

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Rating: 5 out of 5.

If you’ve followed me for any amount of time, you know how important Sophie Kinsella is to me. The first “adult” book I ever read was Confessions of a Shopaholic when I was in middle school. And I was hooked, consuming every Kinsella book I could get my hands on. Her books are fun, raw, and emotional all at once, and I’ve always seen a bit of myself in every main character. Recently, I got my mom hooked on the Shopaholic series as well, which has been a new level of fun, raging against Alicia Bitch Long Legs and moaning about Janice and Becky’s mom’s hijinks. 

When I learned about Kinsella’s diagnosis, I was heartbroken. I’d just read an advanced copy of The Burnout, and had loved every second of it. Realizing it might be Kinsella’s novel had brought me to tears. I hadn’t realized until that moment just how influential her many books had been to me, and how much of Becky Bloomwood especially that I’d taken to heart.

When I got this novella, I put off reading it for 2 months. When I finally picked it up, I was still telling myself it was a work of fiction. Then Eve described how she started writing her first book, and I started sobbing. I never stopped sobbing, honestly, but every scene with her family had me crying harder. 

This book was incredibly upbeat for being so heart-breaking, with Kinsella’s trademark wit on every page. It read like a love letter to her family, cherishing their moments together instead of focusing on the hardships of her recovery after surgery and during treatment. 

This is not a book I’d recommend you just pick up and read on a whim. But if you are looking for a short, thoughtful, and autobiographical account of someone’s journey with a brain tumor, this is a must-read. Just have a box of tissues nearby!

Thanks to Netgalley and The Dial Press for the free advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!