Rebecca Wait’s I'm Sorry You Feel That Way is a deeply engaging novel that delves into the intricacies of family dynamics and personal growth. Centered around the lives of Celia and her three children—Michael, Hanna, and Alice—the story explores themes of grief, mental health, and the ripple effects of familial discord.

The novel begins with Aunt Katy’s funeral, which serves as a catalyst for unraveling the complex relationships within the family. Through a rich narrative that shifts between past and present, Wait reveals how childhood experiences and unresolved conflicts shape the characters’ adult lives. The storytelling is both poignant and wry, balancing moments of humor with the gravity of emotional struggles.

Wait’s writing is notable for its depth and nuance. The characters are vividly drawn, each grappling with their own flaws and traumas. This multidimensional portrayal invites readers to understand and empathize with their journeys, even when their actions are challenging to accept.

The novel’s exploration of mental health is handled with sensitivity and insight, addressing how familial patterns and personal experiences influence one's mental well-being. The alternating timelines enhance the narrative, offering a comprehensive view of how past events continue to impact the characters' lives.

I'm Sorry You Feel That Way is a thoughtful and well-crafted examination of family and self-discovery. Its combination of emotional depth, humor, and character development makes it a compelling read that resonates on multiple levels.

I’m Sorry You Feel That Way

Rebecca Wait

This was a pretty good read. Funny in parts, sad in others. I did enjoy it but there was just something missing too. Not quite sure what. Good writing though and would definitely give this author’s next book a shot.

I'm Sorry You Feel That Way by Rebecca Wait is a poignant and thought-provoking exploration of grief, forgiveness, and the complexities of human relationships. Wait's raw and honest portrayal of characters grappling with loss and redemption creates a deeply moving narrative that resonates with authenticity and emotional depth.

This was a different genre of book than what I normally read but I enjoyed it and would recommend it if you are looking for something different than your usual read!

Loved this! Thought it was so fun and quirky, and have been recommending it to my friends and book club as well. Anecdotally, love the cover too!

I'm Sorry You Feel That Way follows the lives of Celia and her three children - Michael, Hanna and Alice.
As someone who studied sociology I found this such a captivating exploration of dysfunctional family dynamics and how our childhoods shape our ability to form meaningful connections in later life.

I really enjoyed reading the story from multiple points of view, as it gave me a chance to sympathise with each character and better understand why they behaved the way they did.
The characters themselves were very well-rounded and despite each of them being flawed and often unlikable it was easy to find little glimpses in each of them to relate to.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

Wow ! This read completely captivated me from the first page to the last
I couldn’t resist devouring this in one sitting

I felt really privileged to get a first read of book as I now spot it in every bookshop I trip and fall into.
The cover caught my attention when selecting this read and the story within its pages did not disappoint.
Whilst not the world's most earth shattering premise, the actual story was fresh and told with humour and emotion.

I "liked" the exploration of mental health rep in this book, showing family dynamics and the complexities of mental illness, loneliness, depression, and the part that family dysfunctionality can play on mental health too

I can’t believe it’s taken me so long to get to this book because it was so amazing!!! It was such a simple yet conflicting story that was still light and heartwarming. It’s such a shame I fell of the face of the earth while this book was still an ARC but I will definitely be recommending it to everyone now that I’m back on in the book reviewing game.

A brilliant novel about a dysfunctional family as they navigate mental health breakdowns, emotional coldness and difficult relationships. The characters are so well drawn and there’s both tragedy and humour in their lives. The novel begins at Aunt Katy’s funeral where it emerges there’s a rift between Hanna and her sister and their neurotic mum Celia. Each chapter delves into the family’s past exploring what has led to their fractious relationships.

Family dynamics are always fascinating. I look at my own family and I have to laugh at who talks to who, who doesn't talk to who, who the black sheep are (yes are, it’s a big family) and who has these annoying foibles that we just let be. Every family has a dynamic that is unique to them. This is the crux of Rebecca Wait's I'm Sorry You Feel That Way. It is about the nuances that all families have and how they can impact you on a daily basis.

The dynamics for Alice and Hanna parallel their mothers relationship with her sister and overall the matriarch seems to filter down her "special ways" which impact the rest of the family. It is such an interesting story, especially with the multi generational perspective.

I honestly didn't expect to enjoy I'm Sorry You Feel That Way as much as I did. This one will linger with me for a while.

I'm Sorry You Feel That Way by Rebecca Wait is available now.

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Bittersweet, funny and tender exploration of mental health and family dynamics.

The story opens at a funeral, providing an opportunity to bring the characters together and unveil the family conflict, before moving around timelines and perspectives to understand how the impasse arose.

Well observed, believable and moving.

Following two dysfunctional sisters as they reconnect, Wait’s novel explores how generations pass down trauma to their children and how that impact can last forever. As Larkin said, ‘they fuck you up, your mum and dad.’ - if you’re not sure that that’s true, read this novel.

I really enjoyed this book about sibling relationships and family dynamics! I found both Alice and Hanna to be realistic characters who I enjoyed reading about. There were some funny moments and lines that did well to balance the more serious themes. I definitely agree that fans of Sorrow and Bliss would enjoy this novel.

Rebecca Wait's I'm Sorry You Feel That Way is funny and moving exploring family relationships with brilliant characters.
3 stars.

I really enjoyed this. It's funny, dark and twisty. The relationship between Alice and Hanna was so fascinating and kept me guessing until the end. The representation of mental health was really interesting, complex and different. I'm definitely excited to see what Rebecca Wait writes next.

I’m Sorry You Feel That Way is a first book by Rebecca Wait that I’ve read and I didn’t really know what to expect. I usually like books about family dynamics and relationships so decided to give it a go. I can’t say this was a gripping read but it was engaging. Some parts of the story were more interesting than others, and some characters better drawn out. I found the writing irritating, with constant jumping in tenses, at times 3 in the same sentence! Overall, a decent story but not a particularly memorable one.

Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book. I enjoyed the writing style and characters. A good read!

This book was an absolute surprise to me. It's not really like anything else I've read before although it absolutely has notes of other books I've loved including Wally Lamb's 'She's Come Undone', Meg Mason's 'Sorrow and Bliss' and Emily Austin's 'Someday Everyone in this Room Will Be Dead'. Wait's writing style grabbed me at once. As soon as I started reading the scenes at the wake I was gripped by the wry humour and the multi-layered storytelling. This book is like someone with a really dry sense of humour telling you a story, leaving you unsure when to smile and when to just nod solemnly and express concern.

My review for this will be relatively short (by my standards at least) because in trying to recommend the book to others I have repeatedly learned that I simply cannot verbally articulate it in its entirely. The strength of the book lies, for me, in the characters. Not only are they well drawn but they're also very individual, particularly Celia. The book explores mental health and perhaps, though not explicitly, neurodiversity through two generations of women. Wait treads a delicate line between naming illnesses and leaving characters completely unsure why they feel different. Additionally she explores the culture of secrecy and shame around mental illness and how that manifests in family history and alters over generations.

The story weaves between past and present, starting with Celia as a young child and ending with her own children growing up and leaving home. The storytelling is deft, managing to switch between times and places while keeping true to following the inner lives of each character. Though the story revolves around an event only revealed to the reader near to the end of the book, there's no sense of powering through to get to the end. Instead the story is paced gently and there's plenty of time to truly get to know each character.

Though I had a soft spot for Alice, I found Celia the most intriguing character. We get to know her over such a vast swathe of her life that the reader can't help but try to put 2 and 2 together and try to understand how she became who she is. Celia is such a contradiction of both wanting and repelling love that she's totally compulsive reading. I couldn't help but care for her even though I thought her behaviour was often unforgiveable and genuinely baffling.

As I said, it's hard really to pin down the story or 'hook' of this novel as it's really more about exploring relationships over time. Ultimately though it's a story about one family over two generations and how miscommunication and mental health have shaped their lives and experiences. Highly recommend.