Published by Gallery Books Genres: Contempory, Fiction, Romance, Women's Fiction
Format: ARC, eBook
“Our scars are simply the marks of our stories. They show we’ve lived a great life, and most of all that we have survived it. Don’t hide your story away in the shadows.”
Alice Gunnersley and Alfie Mack have both been horribly injured and are long term residents of St. Francis’s Hospital. They are extremely near yet separated by a curtain. Alice does not want to be bothered but Alfie is social and a big talker, eventually he wears her down and the two begin talking. There are there for each other (really, where else can they be, they are in beds next to each other), They confide in each other, provide encouragement, and even share some laughs.
A friendship blooms…and keeps blooming. But will they continue their friendship outside of the hospital?????
This is a charming book but deals with real issues such as grief, loss of friends, survivors’ guilt, embarrassment, pain, healing, fear of leaving the hospital, and looking at the beauty within someone. I thought it was touching how they held hands to support each other with dealing with painful issues as well as physical pain. I loved that the liked each other without even seeing each other. This is beneficial to both as both have a lot of healing to do both physically and emotionally.
“So you want to pretend to be happy for other people? To get friends? Popularity? At the end of the day, it doesn’t matter what other people think of you if you’re cut up and bleeding on the inside.”
The book is told through Alice and Alfie’s alternating POV chapters. Both were likeable characters. Alice was guarded and distant in the beginning but who could blame her? Not me. Alfie is instantly likeable with is wit and personality. I enjoyed watching both interact and often had a smile on my face while reading. When not smiling, I felt them as the struggled with recovering, moving on and leaving the hospital where they felt safe.
This book was a nice and refreshing change of pace. It drew me in, and I enjoyed spending time with these two characters. This was an enjoyable debut novel by Houghton. I thought she did a tremendous job showing what each character was going through. I found this book to be thought provoking, charming and hopeful.
Thank you to Gallery Books and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.