Reviews with content warning for Grief - Sandwich

This book was healing. I want to press it into the hands of every woman I know, mother or not, and tell them this will help them to understand their lives. And it will make them laugh while they reckon. Somehow it is perfect even when nothing ever is.

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vireogirl's review against another edition

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emotional reflective sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

She has a knack for saying things the rest of us might think but don't say. I laughed several times.

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leahgustafson's review against another edition

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emotional funny hopeful reflective fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

While I LOVE complex family stories, I was initially hesitant about this one. I think it’s great that there are currently so many more middle-aged main characters, but I worried about my ability to connect with Rocky, a middle-aged woman with adult children and aging parents. Fortunately, this could not have been farther from the truth!
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I absolutely devoured this book, and there were moments it spoke directly to my soul. I was able to connect with Rocky as a mother in a way that I didn’t expect and honestly, didn’t even know I needed. Her experiences, though fictional, feel real and incredibly validating.
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I love the learning Rocky continues to do as she works to support her adult children in a healthy way. I also really appreciate the strong sense of duality throughout this story—both in Rocky’s present day and as she reflects on her past experiences. Two things can always be true, and it’s such a valuable life lesson.
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I have read critiques about the portrayal of menopause in this book. While this is something I personally cannot speak to, I think a lot of Rocky’s behavior and emotional state is also due to the unresolved/unprocessed trauma that she’s just beginning to unpack over the course of this week at the beach with her family. To expect this not to have an impact or to be resolved by the end of the book is absolutely unrealistic.
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The setting and readability of this story lends itself well to being the perfect summer read, though, you could really enjoy this book anytime of the year. It’s important to note that there are some BIG trigger warnings (many of which I was not aware of) so be sure to check those out before picking this one up!
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Check out what I'm reading next on Instagram @LeahsLitReview!

Content Warnings

giselley's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful reflective sad slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

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katieg1015's review against another edition

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emotional funny reflective sad fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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adreaminaqua's review against another edition

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challenging emotional funny reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

This was good! It reads like a long internal monologue and the plot never resolves but that’s kinda the point? I don’t mean that in a bad way. It’s like a memoir, I guess but on fictional characters. The cape cod trip was what initially drew me in because I can deff relate to those parallels. The content is a bit heavy at times so please check the content warnings if you’re looking to avoid certain topics like pregnancy, pregnancy loss, etc. There were a few moments that made me laugh out loud and reminded me of the marvelous Mrs maisel traveling with her parents to camp in New York. A good quick read!

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