Published By: Corvus
Pages: 384
Released On: 21/03/2024
What if your soulmate could only ever be the love of your afterlife?
The first time Emery dies, she is only five years old…
Emery is born with a heart condition that means her heart could quite literally stop at any moment. The people around her know what to do – if they act quickly enough there will be no lasting damage, and Emery’s heart can be restarted. But when this happens, she is briefly technically dead.
Each time Emery’s heart stops, she meets Nick. His purpose is to help people adjust to the fact that they are dead, to help them say goodbye, before they move on entirely. He does not usually meet people more than once – but with Emery, he is able to make a connection, and he finds himself drawn to her.
As Emery’s life progresses, and she goes through ups and downs, she finds that a part of her is longing for those moments when her heart will stop – so that she can see Nick again.
This is the story of two fated lovers who long for each other, but are destined never to share more than a few fleeting moments – because if they were to be together, it would mean the end of Emery’s life.
*****
Thanks to NetGalley and Corvus for the advanced copy of this title in return for an honest review.
It’s not dramatic to say that Becky’s previous book – One Moment – helped save my life. I read it during a very dark time, and it really helped lift me out of the fog, and so I promised there and then that I would read everything she wrote. But there is always a worry that the second book won’t live up to the first. But I needn’t have worried.
I thought at first it was narrated by death, but it’s more complex than that, with multiple layers running through it. I won’t spoil it by confirming or denying this theory, but hopefully you’ll see what I mean. But the way she’s written it is great as we get to learn how Emery’s condition affects everyone she encounters.
It was such a fascinating premise, completely original – or, at least it’s original to me, I admit I haven’t read every single book premise in the world. But it’s such a simple premise. Sometimes this can be the downfall of a book because it’s not interesting enough. But executed properly, like this one is, it can be perfect, and that is how I would describe this story.
What I love about both of Becky’s books is this exploration of the afterlife. Of course we can’t know the truth until we get there ourselves and then it’s too late to tell anyone. But I’m sure everyone has their own imagination when it comes to what’s next, whatever your beliefs. But Becky has taken this idea of the unknown and run with it, and I found both books very comforting.
It’s such a tender book. But it’s also conflicting. Emery’s parents are so cautious about her, which makes sense given the circumstances. Her Mum wants her to live her life, but her Dad is wary and frightened. But all of this means her life is never really her own. And it really gives you food for thought. Because you’d do anything to keep your child safe, no matter their age, but is wrapping them in bubble wrap and stopping them from living, really keeping them safe, or is it just another form of death?
Like Emery, I fell in love. With an idea of thinking, with a want to live your life without being held a prisoner by your health. I fell in love with a want, a desire, a passion. And with a man. But it’s more about that that man represents I think, rather than him as a person. He was beautiful in many ways and I hope you think the same.
Becky’s books are unbelievably touching. She has this power that she weaves through her words that…it’s hard to explain, and definitely impossible to explain without sounding corny, but they’re life changing. This idea of mortality, and life and death, and limbo, and strength and weakness. They’re not just books for entertainment, although they are that; they have the power to create a sense of love and loss and passion and wonder and curiosity that I’ve rarely seen.
I have concluded that if she continues down this vein of story, they will always make me cry. And we’re not talking a cute tear that falls down my cheek every so often. We’re talking big, loud, breath-taking ugly sobs.
I’m sure it wasn’t necessarily the aim she had when writing it, but it almost took away the fear of dying. Personally, I’m not scared of death, but I am scared of the act of dying. And whilst I am aware this is a fictional book and so make-believe (we assume), I think it has really tackled some very big topics, and ends up being so powerful, but like a gentle power, a quiet power, that just takes your hand and roars.
The way Becky writes, the characters, the story, the sentence structure, the word choices, the emotions she’s woven into it, the meanings – it makes its way into your heart, into your very soul, and it sits there. It could potentially have been a downer of a story, but it’s anything but. It is really life affirming and positive and hopeful and, bizarrely, joyful.
I’ve done my best to describe this book, to explain what it’s like to read. But even though I earn my living through words, I don’t have the right ones for this. It’s a feeling, it’s a beauty. It’s something you need to sit with yourself and absorb. Everyone will get something completely different out of it from everyone else. And that’s what makes it pretty bloody special. Once again, I think Becky will end up on my best books of the year roundup at the end of 2024.
Books By Your Bedside 