Published By: Avon
Pages: 384
Released On: 09/05/2024
Nell has always known her expiry day.
After a psychic predicted her death date twenty years ago, she has lived life accepting she would never see forty – embracing adventure and travelling the world, choosing fun over commitment and laying down roots.
So, when the fateful day comes, Nell feels ready. She posts five excruciatingly honest confessions to her sister, parents and past loves, knowing she won’t be around to face the consequences. Then, with her heart laid bare, all that’s left to do is check into a glamorous hotel and wait for the inevitable…
But when Nell unexpectedly wakes up the next morning broke, single and very much alive, she must figure out exactly how to seize this second chance at life. And then it also hits her:
What on earth happens now that everyone knows exactly how she really feels?
*****
Thanks to Avon for the gifted copy of this title in return for an honest review.
I have only read one of Charlotte’s books before – You Get That From Me – and I loved it instantly, and so was thrilled when an opportunity came up to read her newest one.
I normally write my review as I read, putting thoughts down that can be made into a full review by the end of it, but I was so engrossed with this that when it came to writing this review, I had hardly anything written down.
There are a lot of characters but there are a few key players I want to talk about.
We first have Nell, our protagonist. I really loved Nell, right from the start. She just felt so real. She wasn’t perfect, she had flaws, she had a past that she was sometimes proud of, sometimes not. But for me, she is one of the best created characters in fiction I’ve read recently. It can be difficult to write an “everyday” person, rather than the superhero or villain. It can be quite dull to read a character who, for all intents and purposes, is like you are. But Charlotte has managed to make her relatable and human and “everyday” but keep her interesting and entertaining.
We also have her mother Jenny and sister Polly, who for reasons I won’t spoil here, she has not seen for quite some time, and so when we’re first introduced to them, they’re a bit aloof, and you’re unsure whether there’s going to be a happy ending with the three of them or not. We also have Nell’s dad Tony and his family, who aren’t in it for that long but they’re entertaining when they are.
We also get Greg, Nell’s teenage boyfriend (by that I mean he was her boyfriend when they were teenagers, not that he’s her current boyfriend who happens to be a teenager). He is lovely but has been caught up in the rat race, putting work before everything, he seems very…vanilla, shall we put it. Sticks to the rules, he’s neat, he’s organised, and it was an interesting contrast to Nell who is the complete opposite.
And finally we have Tom and Juno, both new friends for Nell. Tom comes into her life prior to her death day, and at first we assume he will be a passing character but he does have a bigger role as the book goes on, and he was delightful. But for me, Juno had to be my favourite. Even more so than Nell. She’s an old lady, clearly suffering with some health issues, but she lives for the moment. I mean, she wears a tiara to the library! She’s very much one for not saving things for special occasions, and she was just a delight.
I have never been one to want a gap year. I like the idea of travelling the world and visiting other countries, but I hate the actual travelling part, and so it’s never been something I considered. And I know Nell’s trips weren’t always positive, she does make it sound absolutely fabulous.
It was funnier than I was expecting. I mean, it is a morbid humour at times, a dark humour event, but it is funny. Even if you’re laughing at the awkwardness of it all, you will find yourself laughing.
It is an uplifting, feel-good book, but it does pose some big questions, the biggest being: how would you spend your time if you knew the exact date you would die? Would you spend it panicking, or would you throw caution to the wind and do everything you always wanted to do because you know there’d be no repercussions? Would you fill your life with joy and fun, or would you be more careful?
It does also contain some difficult topics, such as affairs, separation, divorce, single parenthood, death, grief, unemployment, the idea of feeling lost and like you don’t belong – but it’s never too much.
I hope she doesn’t mind me mentioning this, but in her acknowledgements, Charlotte talks about her father who became ill whilst she was writing, and she talks about how he made the most of his time doing the things he loved with the people he loved. I lost my dad 7 years ago and just reading that reminded me of him and the others I’ve lost, and how we never really know what’s coming. I’m not saying I’m about to jump on a plane to the Far East or anything, but it does give food for thought.
It’s a fun book. It’s funny, loving, carefree, uplifting, optimistic, and joyful, but it’s also sad, worrying, angry, nostalgic, scary. But overall it was just a really lovely book to sit and lose myself in. I read it in less than a day; not wanting to leave without knowing the end of Nell’s story.
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