All's Well is 100% a book I can see being adapted into an insane A24 film, because this book is nothing else than a massive trip.

I love books jam-packed full of suspense, and All's Well is no exception. I was anxious for the characters, I was anxious for the ending, and I was anxious about the play! While I'm no actor, I think this might perfectly depict the chaos of what happens before the first showing.

On paper this doesn't sound like a book I'd pick up, but Monda Awad's writing was incredible and really fun to read. One of my favorites of 2021 for sure, recommend to those who want other strange suspense novels like Leave The World Behind. Thanks Netgalley and Simon & Schuster

This book is certainly a unique reading experience. The first third gives us Miranda Fitch suffering from chronic pain. She's so debilitated by her pain that she uses pills and alcohol to cope nearly constantly. She can't seem to keep a handle on her mouth, though, and often says her snide remarks out loud that she means to keep in her head. At other times, she misses what other people around her are saying to her, so lost in her pain and in her own head. Meanwhile her career as the theater director is going down the drain as her performers, college students, threaten to mutiny against All's Well in favor of Macbeth. She finds most of them insufferable, but with her colleagues tired of her constant suffering, they do nothing to stop it.

This is a very difficult reading experience for me. I have a friend with chronic pain, and I've never tired of hearing her talking about it. But being inside the head of someone suffering so acutely is overwhelming and exhausting. Miranda's mental health is in rough shape as well, and she spends most of the book spiraling. I almost put the book down, but in hopes there would be a twist, I journeyed forward.

The second third gives us a wild turnaround. Two nights in a row, Miranda has met these three strange men at the bar. On the second night she begins to question how they know her as Ms. Fitch when she can't remember having given them her name. They say nice things, woo her into a lull, and with all the alcohol and pills, who knows if they're even real anyway? Stranger things keep happening, and pretty soon Miranda finds herself feeling free and wild, as though she's dancing her way into a spiral, a mad spiral. If you're familiar with Macbeth, you may find yourself noticing some uncanny similarities in plot.

The final act is the performance of the play. Yet again, the Miranda Fitch that readers experience is not the Miranda Fitch prior to the story. No, this Miranda is spiraling out of control completely, devolving into a truly remarkable madness. The only question is, will she come back to herself in the end? Or was this entire book devoted to the de-evolution of a person?

I found Miranda too cloying to finish the book. I couldn't get into Bunny either, despite really really wanting to. This sounded very much up my alley, but there was nothing redeeming about anyone.

Read this book if you like:
- Incredible, descriptive writing
- Fantastical plots
- Debates about Shakespeare
- Weird stuff

The biggest difference between this book and BUNNY is that ALL’S WELL felt much darker. The MC, Miranda, suffers from chronic pain, and the reader spends a good chunk of the book deep inside the reality of her injury. As a mood reader, I wish I had picked this one up in winter, when I could snuggle under my blankets and truly sink into the tough topic, instead of reading it in summer when I wanted something a little lighter.

All’s Well follows a theater professor, Miranda Fitch, trying her best to put on the play All’s Well That Ends Well with a group of students who want nothing to do with it. Miranda juggles the play and dealing with chronic pain. One night at a bar, she meets three men who seem to know everything about her—her name, the play she’s putting on. They give her a magic drink, show her a trick, and everything changes. Her pain is gone, the play moves forward without delay…and weird things start happening.
I love the chronic pain rep in this book. Miranda struggles to get her healthcare providers to listen to her symptoms and increasing pain. People around her start to believe it’s all in her head. The detail put into describing Miranda’s day to day struggles mixed with Awad’s writing style makes you really come to understand and empathize with the MC’s frustrations.
As Miranda seems to slip further and further into this witchy, surreal world, the writing turns to this short, choppy dialogue that it makes it feel like she’s slipping from reality even more.
In true Mona Awad fashion, I have no idea what I read but I loved it!

Hmm... where do I even begin? This story definitely had me reeling afterwards. If you ask my boyfriend, he will tell you that I walked around the apartment whispering, "What did I just read?" several times. It's been a few days and I'm still asking myself that question. I've never been a fan of stream of consciousness writing, but in All's Well it works so well that it's almost eerie. Mona Awad has such a unique style and I am here for it.

Things I loved:
- The simultaneous unraveling and rebirth of Miranda. It was quite the show (ha! - see what I did there?).
- Miranda's chronic pain. The desperation of her wanting to be normal again was felt in every sentence. I experienced a bad ankle injury last year that resulted in surgery + physical therapy. I remember waking up from surgery in excruciating pain and when I told the nurse she said, "It's all in your head.". I had never felt so uncomfortable in my life. Miranda's struggles, while significantly more debilitating than mine, was something I could easily relate to.
- Shakespeare references but who doesn't love those.
- The thin line between the real and surreal. I got lost as often as Miranda.
- Miranda's dialogue was manic AF and the fact that I followed along so well makes me question my own sanity.

This book will make you go "huh" and "what" and "wow" all at the same time. I recommend this to anyone who enjoys dark humor, unreliable narrators, and morally questionable stories. This book would make for the perfect book club discussion because it's just that wild.

Thank you to @netgalley and @simonandschuster for an advanced digital copy for review.

What is the most seeked thing by Shakespeare literature lovers? - A play that is an honest and total tribute to the Bard. Throw in an imaginary curse, an eccentric teacher who has addiction problems, a slightly gothic atmosphere with a dash of sarcastic satire to it, you get All’s Well. Awad is very good at writing magical-realism stories and she has done a great job with this book too!

You will empathise with the main character Miranda, her daily struggle to deal with the chronic pain that she feels no one will understand, which results in her inner hatred for everyone who isn’t in pain like her and the pathway she walks between wafer-thin reality and the illusion caused by taking alcohol with her medications. It almost reads like Miranda’s memoir as Awad takes us inside the consciousness that controls Miranda’s mind that often makes us suspect a spilt personality. I do highly recommend this if you like to read metafiction type books, otherwise you will be disappointed.

My high expectations caused by the exceptional Bunny wasn’t met, but I still enjoyed this very much. But one could call this book a darkly funny dramedy (drama + comedy).

Thank you Simon & Schuster via Netgalley for the arc.

Mona Awad's *Bunny* resonated with me on every level. I loved the dark, dark humor, the setting, the characters, the magical realism, the language, and the weird. But I admired especially the sharpness of Awad's skewers. With "All's Well*, I knew what to expect in terms of twisted, bulls-eye social commentary. But I wasn't sure where the author was going to go with Shakespeare. Turns out, I needed look no further than the cover, whereupon a mask made of pain meds laughs maniacally, the Muse of Comedy backed by darkness. 

*All's Well* uses its stage effectively, borrowing tone and tropes from Shakespeare's *All's Well That Ends Well,* which is known as one of his "problem comedies" because it's funny but also dark and twisted. Sound about right for a Mona Awad novel? Indeed. Main character Miranda is a formerly bright and shiny Shakespearean actor who has fallen. She is falling further as the novel opens. Just when you think she's reached the lowest level of pain and self-loathing, her pain -- literal and undiagnosable bodily pain -- drags her yet lower. Enter the twisted fairy tale plot points that provide a stage for the author to skewer "our collective refusal to witness and believe female pain.” This book isn't *Bunny,* but stalwart Mona Awad fans will not want to miss it.

[Thanks to Simon & Schuster and NetGalley for an opportunity to read an e-ARC of this book in exchange for my opinion.]

I am DNF'ing this book at the 48% mark. While I think that the portrayal of back pain/issues is pretty right on the money NOTHING happens in this book. After reading the synopsis I thought I was walking in a different story than what was delivered. I would not call this book funny. AT ALL. And lots of reviews called it weird? I definitely did not get that vibe either. Maybe if I would have stuck through the book to the end I would experienced the "weirdness" I read in other reviews but I just couldn't force myself.

All of this being said, I do have a copy of Bunny on my shelves that I will still attempt to read hoping my experience with this author will be a better one.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for allowing me to read a copy of this book.

2 stars as I didn’t think the writing was terrible, just the story.

**Big thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for gifting me with a free copy of this e-book for my honest opinions.**

I just want to start off by saying that I LOVE Mona Awad's work. It seems like absolutely nobody can write a descent into madness like she can. Like, the chaotic tornado of insanity that is this book blew my mind so much in all the right ways and I can't wait to get my physical copy in the mail.

I will also say that her previous book - Bunny - also had this effect on me, so I just seem to jive so well with Mona Awad's own particular strain of bizarro darkness.

All's Well starts off by introducing us to our tragic heroine Miranda Fitch and her world of pain. Everything hurts and she can barely move, let alone do her job — direct the student-led Shakespeare productions in a small college's dying theater program. Wanting to stage the ultra-unpopular play All's Well that Ends Well, Miranda must contend with her mutinous cast that's hell-bent on doing Macbeth instead, something she has little power over in her pain and pain pill-addled state. That is until she meets 3 odd men at the pub who agree to fund her version of All's Well while giving her a mysterious and slightly sinister sense of renewed health. Chaos ensues.

Shakespeare nerds — you may like this one! As a sort of abstract retelling of All's Well, there are a ton of references to Shakespearean archetypes and different plot points throughout some of his works (not just All's Well!). As someone who hasn't read a ton of his stuff, some of this was lost on me (though that didn't damper my enjoyment of the story at all). Even then, I could sense all of these elements coming together in what feels like a super finely crafted narrative full of hidden meaning that invites multiple readings and multiple interpretations. That's not at all surprising, though, considering what a work of brilliant madness Bunny is.

While Part 1 and Part 2 can feel a bit slow and bloated at some points, Part 3 really ramps up the craziness and from that point to the end, I was hooked — I couldn't put it down! I was actually reading a couple of pages here and there in between tasks at work because I just couldn't wait to see what in the heck was going to happen and how it would all wrap up. The climactic scene was super intense and definitely invites some additional speculation as to what's really going on here. Is it magic, or is it Miranda going insane? It's your call to make.

Because chronic pain plays such a big role in the narrative, All's Well also casts a light onto the lonely, unforgiving world people suffering with chronic pain can live in. Nobody quite believes that Miranda is in as much pain as she says she is, and even suggest that it may just be psychosomatic (AKA all in her head). I never considered how frustrating of an experience that may be, so this book also helped to broaden my perspective in that regard.

All in all, one heck of a great book and an intense read that I'll remember for a long time coming. If you like Shakespeare, Mona Awad's other work, dark stories, or just really weird narratives (like me!), this one's for you!

WOW! What did I just read?!! Miranda, the pain ridden theater director, was able to make me laugh and cry while shaking my head in disbelief and confusion. As I rode the waves of what felt like a drug induced trip, I was captivated by Miranda and thrust into her surreal and ever changing world of pain, fear, triumph and joy. This book is a roller coaster ride that will capture you and hold on tight not letting you get off until you’ve reached the exciting,, disturbing and intoxicating destination. The lines of reality and fantasy are blurred as Miranda suffers and rejoices in one of the most original and creative stories I have ever read. Thank you NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for my ARC.

TL;DR REVIEW:

All’s Well is a weird, frustrating, trippy, impressive, darkly funny story about being a woman with chronic pain. The right readers will love it.

For you if: You like experimental novels and/or Shakespeare.

FULL REVIEW:

Thank you to Simon & Schuster for sending me a review copy of this book! I’m still not quite sure what I just read, but … in a good way? I haven’t read Bunny, but by all accounts, if you liked that one from Mona Awad, you’ll like this one too. It’s weird — almost psychedelic — darkly funny, and impressively crafted.

The book is about a theatre professor named Miranda Fitch, whose acting career was just taking off when she suffered injuries that still cause her terrible chronic pain today. She can’t walk, can’t sit, can’t live normally at all. But now it’s now been so long that everyone around her is starting to suspect that her pain is psychosomatic, and that she’s just not trying hard enough to get better. At work, she’s determined to stage “All’s Well That Ends Well,” but her headstrong students go behind her back to try to stage Macbeth instead. Then she goes to a dive bar and meets three strange men who seem to know her and her life, and they show her a “trick” — and everything changes.

This is one of those impressive books with a writing style that makes you feel exactly how the main character feels — frustrated and exhausted. It’s written in short sentence fragments that never feel resolved, that pull you through the text in short, stilting, never-ending bursts. We, as readers, are made to question what is real and what is not at every turn. The story spins and swirls around us as Miranda tips further and further over the edge. You’ll finish it and go … what did I just read?

So this book won’t be for everyone, but if you’re here for trippy, experimental novels (and Shakespeare references!), I think you’ll like this one. It’s crafted in a way that’s just so effective in tackling the subject of ablism, chronic pain, and the way society treats women with it.



CONTENT WARNINGS:
Drug (prescription painkiller) and alcohol use; Suicidal thoughts; Chronic pain/illness; Medical trauma; Medical gaslighting

Mona Awad is Brilliant. And Original. I want to thank NetGalley and Simon and Schuster for sending me the ARC of All's Well. I was eagerly awaiting her next novel after reading Bunny. Personally, I had never come across story-telling that affected me like Mona Awad. All's Well is hypnotic - it transfers you to a place out of reality and you really like it there. The main protagonist Miranda, is a drama professor attempting to stage the play
All's Well that End's Well with her reluctant theater class. The students' prefer to perform the play Macbeth, but Miranda insists that "All's Well..." will be the drama performed. In her acting life, Miranda played the part of Helena and sustained substantial injuries that ended her career on stage. Miranda is in constant pain due to ineffective surgeries and the indifference from doctors and therapists who minimize her pain. After one night at an unknown bar, where Miranda meets three strangers and imbibes in "the golden remedy," the tides seem to turn regarding Miranda's pain and the resistance to the play, From this point on, the author takes us on a mystical, magical path which invites the reader to believe and support Miranda's journey. The novel is thought-provoking, handling the subjects of mental health, constant pain and the power to heal in a relevant, though imaginative way. I would highly recommend this novel and give it 5 stars for originality, relevancy and the power to draw you into the story.

4.5 stars

Twisty, dramatic, and satisfying.

I am grateful to Simon & Schuster for sending me a copy of this book for review.

This is my second experience with Awad's writing, and I was nervous but hopeful. Overall I found this story enjoyable and so many elements of it were perfect for me as a reader. It was weird, dark, and intense.

I enjoyed the way the story maintained a dramatic and claustrophobic atmosphere throughout, and part of that was how the characters were presented to us. There was always a distance between us which clouded our ability to know who these people were supposed to be. This characterization tied in perfectly with the atmosphere of a play and how you move between scenes slowly discovering the plot and every character's motivations.

I enjoyed reading the disability representation in this story and I know this is going to be interesting to many readers. The chronic pain descriptions were very relatable to me personally, and seeing the way the other characters reacted and treated our MC was realistic even within the over-dramatic writing style. This was complemented by the story being completely populated by unlikeable characters.

The one draw back to this story was the pacing in the first half. I am not sure about the author's intent, but the beginning felt very long yet sparse. I felt like we spent 30% of the book getting atmosphere and just swimming through the fog of our MC's brain before the story began to move forward. Once the story gets going it flows beautifully, and keeps the reader in a dreamlike state until the end, and the speculative element was perfect.

I loved this one and I recommend for fans of the dark and weird, especially if you enjoyed Vita Nostra and Catherine House.

Miranda suffers from chronic pain after she fell off the stage during a performance. She went from being on top of the world to a downward spiral of pain and immobility. Instead of performing she is now trying to direct Shakespeare’s All’s Well That Ends Well. Everyone is rebelling against her because they want to do MacBeth.
Tired of suffering and fighting Miranda almost gives up, until one night at a bar she meets three mysterious men and things start getting better. Obstacles are removed and opportunities knock but there is a price. Her new life has got to be equaled out.
This was a great book with lots of meaning. I can only imagine that this is a horribly accurate portrayal of what it is like to live with chronic pain. The beginning feels so real and the suffering of Miranda seeps through the pages.
I had such a ride following Miranda from embarrassed agony to arrogant ecstasy to a point where I was questioning her sanity.
This is not my type of book and I did feel like I wanted to move things along. Miranda was an interesting protagonist because I felt so many different things about her. In the end I would just have to say that all’s well with this book.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
Chronic pain is invisible to all except those that suffer. People can be rude and impatient and in turn, those who suffer are sick of the degradation that they deal with and can be hostile in return. Even friends can seem unsympathetic. Just because you can’t see it, doesn’t mean it’s not real. Be kind to each other.
Thanks to NetGalley, Mona Awad, and Simon & Schuster for copy of the eARC for an honest review.

Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and the author, for an ARC of this book, in exchange for an honest review.
The synopsis of this book sounded intriguing to me so I requested a copy to read.
Unfortunately, I have tried reading this book on 2 separate occasions and during this 2nd attempt, I have
decided to stop reading this book
and state that this book just wasn't for me.
I wish the author, publisher and all those promoting the book much success and connections with the right readers.

Mona Awad has done it again! This book made me feel like I was experiencing the main character’s mental break down first hand. As always, in Mona Awad’s books I didn’t really have a clue what was going on most of the time and I couldn’t tell what was real and what was in the main characters head. I felt unsettled but in a good way. If you have loved her other books then give this one a shot. Thanks to NetGalley for an early copy of one of my most anticipated reads of the year!

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3744988584

Mona Awad’s writing is so incredibly descriptive and it makes both the characters and the story come to life to vibrantly. It works perfectly in a book like All’s Well where the state of mind of the main character, is the most important thing. Reading it is an experience of actually feeling the descent into madness unlike any book I’ve ever read before.

While I think anyone would enjoy All’s Well, it’s definitely a special recommendation for people who already have an understanding and enjoyment of Shakespeare.

Mona Awad is a talented writer, and has a knack for blending the real and surreal which she does in All's Well. I thought the portrayal of invisible illness and female pain to be extremely accurate, but the story sometimes sagged under the weight of it. It sometimes felt like we were hearing the same points over and over again phrased in slightly different ways, which may have been a conscious choice but didn't always make for the most engaging reading experience. That said, it's still great to see an author writing literary work that's totally unique and unafraid to push boundaries, which Awad is definitely doing. Thank you to Simon & Schuster and Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review!

A story of a woman's suffering, both physically and mentally. Awad puts you into the character's head and it is a stressful, depressing, and manic position to be in. I had to know what was going on in this novel. How would our main character succeed? Should we want her to succeed? What is real?