Themes:
Love, loss, grief, acceptance and purpose.
Synopsis:
Lydia and Freddie have loved each other for over ten years. Thinking of marriage and planning a future together, Lydia has never thought of life without Freddie. But on her 28th birthday Freddie dies in a car accident. Lydia can't bear to exist in this world, where Freddie's absence in inescapable. But deep down she knows he would want her to live a full life, so she tries life again with help from Freddie's best friend, Jonah, and her sister, Elle.
But then, she finds a way back to Freddie, she finds a place where he exists and a second chance for them to be together. The line between magical realism is blurred and Lydia is emotionally drained, living two lives at once. Is there someone in her new life, her real life, that can make her stay?
Review:
Reading the blurb of this book I knew it would be an emotional rollercoaster. I also knew what to expect from the story itself, nonetheless, this didn't take anything away from my reading experience and it was still an incredible book. I wasn't quiet ready for the degree of pain and grief expressed in this story. It's very touching in it's depth and rawness of describing sadness. The words and writing are so impactful, expressive and captivating - I found myself re-reading paragraphs and phrases purely because of their intensity and lyricism.
Lydia is a brilliant character, likeable, realistic and relatable. There are two storylines outlined by her state of mind, which is what creates the 'two lives.' I thought this was an interesting concept and I was surprised to see how the personalities' of the same characters were different in both lives. The transition between both worlds is clear-cut and easy to follow with the main focus being on Lydia's real life.
This is not a typical romance novel, if anything it's a book about dealing with loss, shaping oneself around grief and rebuilding life. I loved the escapism element of this book, the idea of mentally creating an alternate world, a preferred world, instead of dealing with real life was incredibly clever. It was sad to see how real this world was for Lydia, how she mourns Freddie so deeply and feels guilty to be alive. But it goes to show the extent of her feelings for Freddie, her desire to be with him and mostly how resilient the heart can be. We don't see Lydia and Freddie together in the real world, so it was insightful to experience their relationship in Lydia's 'dream world.' To witness the good and the bad; far from the perfect romance I had envisioned between them.
The supporting characters were just as likeable as Lydia, particularly Jonah, my heart broke for him so many times! Without giving too much away, there is a painful complex between the two. Through all the difficulties Lydia faces, she has a solid and supportive family unit which was warming and uplifting to see, making things a little easier to get through. I loved how Lydia's story ends on a positive note, completely opposite to the opening of the book.
The magic of this book was hypnotizing. I was completely immersed in the two lives of Lydia Bird. An easy read with an interesting plot and unexpected love. If you're looking for something different for this year's holiday read I would definitely recommend this, especially for fans of P.S. I love you and Things We Never Said.
Rating:
5/5
Favourite Quotes:
'Billions of humans, all of us scurrying around the planet, falling in and out of love with each other for no reason explicable by logic or numbers or common sense. How unaccountably strange we are.'
'The human brain is wired to cope with grief. It knows even as we fall into unfathomably dark places, there will be light again, and if we just keep moving forward in one straight line, however slowly, we'll find our way back again.'
'Most of life's defining moments happen unexpectedly; sometimes they slide past you completely unnoticed until afterward, if at all.'
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