Beautiful and heartbreaking
586623
Beautiful and heartbreaking, this is a story about two school friends, taking place in Germany during World War II.

Pilenz is one of a crowd of teenaged boys who like to hang out together at the beach, occasionally swimming out together to a partially submerged Polish minesweeper. Mahlke is just a kid who wants to belong.

But Mahlke is deeply flawed, Pilenz explains. He is independent, inventive, original and individual, at a time when it was deadly dangerous to deviate in any way from the crowd. With dread, the reader begins to understand that, in telling this story, the narrator is performing a kind of atonement, seeking to repent of an as-of-yet unnamed sin.

A profoundly moving book. You don't have to look far to find the enemy, says Grass. He is already there, inside you, waiting for just the right time to pounce.
2261749
I loved this book.  It was a beautiful story of loss and sorrow and of finding love and joy in unexpected places.
2523481
Sweet Fall is one of the most beautiful but heartbreaking books I have read. It tears to pieces. Breaks you down. And by the end, builds you back up. In my opinion, this is Tillie Coles best book to date. The writing. The emotion. The gut wrenching sadness that is in these pages. She did an amazing job putting Lexi and Austins story together.

Having read Sweet Home and Sweet Rome, I knew of Lexi and Austin. But I have to say. I had no clue what was going on in their lives while reading Rome and Mollys books. You just knew them as friends of the main characters. But wow. What they had going on in their own lives is astounding.

You read in the beginning about how Lexis story is based on Tillies experiences. And while I wish Tillie never went through the struggles and fight that Lexi went through, I don't think she could have written this book and made me feel the emotions I felt if she hadnt. You can tell this was more personal experience then research. You can feel every single word. Every single word.

Austins story is heartbreaking but at the same time uplifting because he was able to pull himself out and make a life for himself. He beat the odds. And not only did he beat the odds, he succeeded higher than most.

I always feel very vague on my reviews. Only because I want you to experience the book for yourself. And this is one book you will feel every up and every down. Tillie Cole did an amazing job telling their story. I don't know exactly how to describe it anyway. I could tell you but I couldn't give Tillies words justice. This is a book you need to experience on your own.

~Katie
3923307
This book is utterly stunning. There's so much that's hard to read about this one. It doesn't hold back in any way, and I walked away from this one pretty broken. But it also forced me to see some hard truths in the subject matter this one tackles, and admire not only the execution of it, but the impact as well. Ben completely breaks me. He's definitely a favorite character of mine, for all he goes through, all he does, how much he loves Ani despite happens, and how determined he is to fix her...even if maybe that's not enough. There are so many layers to this, many of them subtle. This is one of those books I want to push on everyone.
3510998
I am speechless and my heart is weeping. This novel is so beautiful, but so heartbreaking. It was hard for me to read it, because it hurt so much. It hurt to see injustice, the struggle, hopes being crushed. It doesn't matter, how much I will tell I loved this novel and how important it is to read it, because there are just no words to describe its raw beauty. This is novel, that everybody should read. And if your heart doesn't cry, there must be something wrong with you. "Lucky Boy" is a tell of unconditional love, of motherhood, of hopes, dreams.
I can't even tell how much I recommend this book.

Soli takes a long journey to cross illegally a border from Mexico to get to California and have a better life.
But only when she makes to her cousin's house, she realized she is expecting a baby.
Meanwhile Kavya and her husband are trying for a baby, but everything fails. They want to adopt a child.
When those two women are connected through Soli's child Ignacio, they both give all their love, but also fight for the right to Ignacio.
The novel deals with immigration system, adoption and privileged status in America.
Who has the right to keep a child? Undocumented, poor mother, or American family?
This book raises so many different questions. It provokes so many thoughts.
2630723
This is a heart-wrenchingly, beautiful story of one woman wading her way through the tragic loss of her husband and the subsequent grief that follows. The theme of the story is one I've read before: Widow loses husband, is now a single mother, finds new love that helps her through. However, what really made the story for me is the author's approach. She outlines which stage of grief, Liz, the main character/narrator is in, and follows each in order. The emotions are so strong I I felt each and every one of them. I FELT like this was MY loss. MY heart was shattered right along with Liz. I worked through the grief with Liz.

Well, obviously Liz is the one who loses her husband, Grady. He tragically dies of cancer after a hard fight, leaving behind Liz and their four young children. Understandably, she is a wreck. It is hard for her to go on. She is a stay at home mother and the every day things that were so simple, like getting get children to school on time, before Grady died is now monumentally difficult. She meets her new neighbor, Ben, on an especially difficult day, and at first finds him annoying. No reason, she's just moody, so she doesn't like him.

Ben knows the situation and slowly begins to help Liz. As she starts to accept his help, they forge a strong friendship and he becomes someone she trusts and relies on. Then feelings develop. Of course they are hard for Liz to accept. She is still mourning the loss of Grady and still loves him very much. And Ben...SIGH... He is so gentle and patient with her. He doesn't push, doesn't try to take Grady's place. He just wants her to make room for him. He makes this speech to her  Oh my heart! I think it is one of the most beautiful speeches and now my favorite out of all the books I've read!

There is so much I want to tell about this story, but I can't. No, I WON'T. This brilliantly written story HAS to be experienced first hand. The Five Stages of Falling in Love is the perfect example of what I'm looking for in books. Not just a story, but an experience. This book hit me on a level that only my most cherished stories have. It broke my heart and put the jagged pieces back together again. I was left with a bittersweet joy for the characters.
833643
Other Breakable Things absolutely wrecked me- its a beautiful and heartwrenching story about Evelyn and Luc. The book begins when Evelyn returns to town after leaving Arizona, where she and her mother lived with her mothers boyfriend. Her best friend, Luc, has not been great about staying in touch, but Evelyn is eager to see if they are/can still be friends. Luc is suffering after his heart transplant years ago- it seems his body is rejecting the heart. He feels that it would be easier on Evelyn if they weren't friends to save her the heartbreak when he dies.

Everything changes when Evelyn finds out her mother wants to go back to her boyfriend in Arizona. Evelyn feels like she finally got away, and since her mother always treats her like the second choice, Evelyn is not sure if her mother will believe her about what her boyfriend has been doing to Evelyn. Unsure of what else to do, she runs to Luc for comfort. Luc invites her on a roadtrip to Oregon that he had been considering- Oregon allows euthanasia. Luc is keeping his heart condition from Evelyn, though she knows that something is going on. Evelyn is a lover of origami and suggests that he fold a thousand paper cranes.

Their trip takes many unexpected and lovely turns as they both learn more about the other and what it means to be alive. This book was absolutely beautiful and I loved it. Both Evelyn and Luc were so real and incredibly well crafted. The alternating viewpoints between the two was a perfect way to tell this story of young love and life. I absolutely could not put it down and loved every second of this book- its such a poignant and beautiful story. Im not sure I can write how amazing this book is, but I highly recommend it.

There are some really big themes here- sexual assault, euthanasia/suicide, running away, etc.- and as a warning, it will absolutely make you feel some big emotions- heartbreak, sadness, happiness/joy. However, its really a fantastically well-crafted story and I wouldnt change a word of it. Please note that I received an ARC from the publisher through netgalley. All opinions are my own.
2598439
This book is so beautiful, in so many different ways. It's sad at times, will put tears in your eyes as you read about Fisher's struggle with PTSD and the problems Lucy and him have had because of it. It's a beautifully poignant journey to discover if Lucy and Fisher can overcome their problems and make their journey back together, where they have always belonged.
616944
The story begins with Maria, who is leaving her daughter, Sonja, and husband, Bojan. Forever. The images and sounds of the snow falling as she leaves her daughter are absolutely one of the finest passages I have read in a long time. I went back to it after I finished the book and it meant so much more. I could feel the snow and the despair of this family acutely the second time. Richard Flanagan takes us through present and past to tell this story, using prose that speaks like poetry. There were sentences I just read repeatedly because they were written so well. It is a sad book, beyond heartbreaking at times when we see how much hurt each member of this family has borne.  There were times when I hated Bojan as much as his daughter did, but when his full story is revealed, he must be understood and forgiven.
The book ends with hope and redemption, and it is believeable and welcome. This book, its characters, images, and symbolism in the writing, are unforgettable.
This is another example of a superior novel that begs to be read by a larger audience.
3506892
I can find no other way to describe `Sunspots' than it being a stunning piece of literature. It is a beautiful and heartbreaking story of a young woman Aurora who loses her husband Jake in a car accident and, during her battle to move on, is confronted with information showing her late husband wasn't as deserving as she believed.

This story took not only Aurora on a journey but also me as a reader. I felt myself connect so strongly to Aurora and her pain, feeling heartbroken at her grief and a strong desperation for her to find peace with herself at the sudden end of her marriage. Sunspots was so cleverly written and I applaud Karen Bell for taking me on such a journey through her writing that when I finished it I was shaking and sobbing, feeling as though I'd been going through the same trials as the characters.

I sometimes feel sad when I read books where we are made to dislike the main characters original love interest immediately, and then spend the rest of the book looking for her new one, so it was a wonderful and refreshing change to see the development of Aurora and Jake's relationship from the start, which makes us also in a way connect to Jake and feel hope that he too loved Aurora as much as she did him. This also made me more strongly connect to Aurora as a character, and grieve with her as she starts her new life without her husband.

What I really loved about this story was the glimpses of the past we were given throughout the novel. The switch from the present to the past was expertly done, and I greatly enjoyed how the two storylines unfolded. I was stunned by how cleverly the switches in time were placed within the story, as the chapters of Aurora and Jake's beautiful courtship and their obvious love for each other coincided with chapters set in the present where Aurora was grieving for the lost love that she thought was perfect, and then as Aurora began to realise that her life with Jake had some issues, the flashbacks to the past showed the less deserving side of Jake which had always slipped through Aurora's rose-tinted view of her husband. This was incredible storytelling, and helped lead to some brilliant character development.

The paranormal and spiritual side to `Sunspots' was wonderfully balanced and whilst being an important feature in the second half of the book, wasn't unrealistic in its role. It was instead a beautiful and poignant reminder that there is more to this world than we always realise, and didn't at all detract from Aurora's storyline of her finding acceptance. I loved the past-life elements that were infused within the story and there was some brilliant use of foreshadowing in the flashback chapters that all adds together in the final chapters.

I cannot recommend `Sunspots' enough, and if I could give it more than 5 stars, then I definitely would. It is a beautiful journey of love, loss, grief and acceptance, which portrayed a realistic and heartbreaking view of the world that we live in today.

5 Stars!
71302
This book is so gorgeous and sneaks up on you - there is lightness and beautiful imagery, but moments of heartbreak lurk in the lines. Modlin has a way of noticing, of taking in small moments that many of us might otherwise ignore. This book is haunting and so beautifully written, and I'd highly recommend it.
1608039
The poetry in this book is beautiful, heartbreaking, and makes you feel things the way art is supposed to make you feel things. I devoured every page.
3580335
This is a beautiful and heart-breakingly sad novel about loss, healing, friendship, and redemption. The book opens shortly after the death of an 11-year-old boy (he remains unnamed throughout the novel) who had been assisting 104-year-old Ona with household chores as a way to earn a merit badge. The boy has died of a rare (one-in-a-million) heart defect. He and Ona had become friends. The boys father, Quinn, who is divorced from his mother, commits to finishing the boys chores for Ona. Quinn was a distant father who felt he never connected with his son, who was a little bit different from other boys. Though the boy has already died when the book opens, the reader gets to know him through flashbacks of his interactions with Ona and his parents. He was so sweet and earnest, you really feel the terrible loss and unfairness of it. Quinn and Ona eventually form a bond and Quinn grows to know and love his son through this woman who connects them. Caring for Ona also allows Quinn to find his humanity. Though there is much grief in the book due to the underlying tragedy that leads to Onas reawakening and Quinn's redemption, the book is also life-affirming and full of warmth. There is a passage at the end of the book of the boys thoughts and feelings in his last moments and it is devastating, but it also tenderly shows that Quinns disconnect with the boy was not as strong as he believed; it is extremely affecting.
3567036
This is the one book this year to make me wonder when I'll read a book this good again. Heartbreaking and beautiful, this one had me shaking with emotion when I finished it.  Edgar Sawtelle, mute from birth (though not deaf), lives with his parents Gar and Trudy on a dog raising farm in Wisconsin.  The Sawtelle dogs are famous for their almost human qualities and people vie for their purchase. Edgar enjoys a special bond with the dog Almondine, who has guarded and loved him since he was in the womb, and with the first puppies he is granted charge of, from whelping through their first year training.  When Edgar's uncle Claude arrives on the scene (after a prison stint) and friction mounts between Claude and Gar, things begin to go awry.  One day while Edgar trains his pups, Gar dies suddenly of an apparent stroke, and Edgar is panicked when he cannot raise help fast enough - his mom is in town and Edgar's attempt on the phone with no voice is frantically fruitless.

 In their mutual grief, Edgar and Trudy turn to each other and are determined to keep the dog business going in Gar's honor. When Claude begins to insinuate himself into their lives again, Edgar becomes uneasy.  All too soon, it seems to Edgar, Trudy seems seduced by Claude's helpful charm.  If this begins to sound like Hamlet, it should. On a rainy night while Edgar has retreated to the barn for solace, he is visited by his father's ghost and shown a vision of `murder most foul' involving his uncle and deadly poison.  Edgar begins to plan some way of proving that what he's seen is true, but when that plan backfires horribly, Edgar is forced to take to the woods and forage for survival, with only three dogs at his side for help.

 The trials of Edgar and the dogs on the run are suspenseful, but also lyrical and lovely in the ongoing interplay between Edgar and the young dogs in the natural environment. After weeks of hiding and stealing and sleeping in the woods, Edgar meets a salt-of-the-earth loner named Henry who provides a temporary home and acceptance of the boy and his dogs. The sojourn with Henry is a lovely respite, but only a stopping place to gather courage and face the inevitable. Edgar must return home and make things right.  His love for his mother and his duty to his father turn the young man back to the farm for a final showdown with Claude.

 This is an amazing first novel, and one that will make a hardened reader cry. I can't say enough about Wroblewski's feat here, in infusing a story of Shakespearean depth with new grace and energy. Edgar's story stands with the best coming of age tales in modern literature, but it's also a story about familial love, about love between humans and dogs, and about striving to do the right thing.
4052028
I could not put this book down. It was heartbreaking and beautiful, a real glimpse into the life of a kid forced to grow up too soon because of a terrible disease. I would recommend this book to anyone and everyone.
1984919
This is a brilliantly written story that is told so well and really puts your heart through the emotional ringer. It is just heartbreakingly beautiful. You cant help but love the beautifully flawed Austin Wright.

This tells the story of 2 damaged souls who only find the way to heal with each other. They are both damaged in different ways but aren't really living until they give each other a chance, they just have to not damage it beyond repair.

This books deals with some heavy subjects such as alcohol abuse, domestic abuse and addiction but it is done in such a cleverly and sensitive way. You heart will be broken for them but it will be put back together as these 2 learnt to live again.

Cant wait to see what K.A Linde does next, the Wright's journey can't be over yet.
1678018
I will warn you now have the tissues handy because this book had me ugly crying. It's so heartbreaklingly beautiful. Some parts are just so sad that it rips my heart and the tears just start flowing. Then you have such beautiful moments that just melted my heart. Alexander when he talks about what happened to him I had to pause because it's so tough to read through and I had tears blurring my eyes. It's amazing that he even functions, but when Gwen and her kids come into his life it's a truly beautiful thing. What he also brings to that little family is so beautiful. Lives are forever changed because of a snowstorm. The epilogue is just perfect because how far everyone comes and what they to go through they deserve that ending.  Prepare for one emotional ride, but one so worth the read!