"The Other Half of Me" by Katherine Slee is a tale of loss, grief, and rediscovery. Beth, haunted by the death of her sister Lucy, finds herself adrift until a posthumous gift from Lucy sets her on a path to unraveling long-buried secrets and rekindling old friendships. The book navigates Beth's emotional journey, with an exploration of regret, resilience, and the enduring power of love and hope.

I decided not to finish this book after reaching 10%. While I was intrigued by the premise, I listened to it on audiobook and found the narrator didn't quite resonate with me.

Another Katherine Slee book that did not disappoint. What I enjoy the most about this author it's the writing. You could feel the grief through the pages and get to go through the character's journey of self discover as if you were part of Beth's life. I definitely recommend this one and Slee's work.

It was such a beautiful story, I don’t know how I have waited so long to read this! It’s such a beautiful story about grief and love that my heart broke and mended so many times! It’s a quick read and so worth it!

A Massive Thank You to the Author, the Publisher and NetGalley for giving me the chance to read and review this book prior to its release date.

t’s a beautiful story about Beth who lost her older sister to a brain tumour. Beth is lost in grief when her sister dies but she was lost long before that. Through flashbacks we discover why Beth is the way she is and and how her sister decided to help her by arranging for a package to be sent to Beth after her death. The package contains clues, like a treasure hunt, that lead Beth on a journey that requires her to face mistakes in her past and forgive others, as well as herself and to pursue her passion again. It also included lyrics from Beth's songs as part of the story and that gave it an added layer that was quite unique.

Although it is a novel about regret, sorrow, and sadness and is loaded with emotion, I didn't find it to be challenging to read. The story tell us about Beth, who is caught in a spiral of grief, and is struggling to get back out.I enjoyed that the background story gave the main characters and the plot more depth and intensity, with the musical aspect being a positive counterpoint to the negativity of Beth's outlook.

Beth was a frustrating character at times, but I think this was a clever way of showing just how different and hard grief is for everyone - us wanting to shake Beth out of some of her reactions and unwillingness to engage with certain things is OUR problem, not hers - she cannot help her way of dealing with this loss, no matter what we would like her to do or act like.

A beautiful haunting story of love, loss, grief, and self discovery.
Many thanks to Amazon Publishing UK and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

This was an emotional rollercoaster of a book that I absolutely loved. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for a review.

What a beautiful book. I loved Beth and Isaac. Far removed from my life, but beautiful to imagine. Would recommend.

My Other Half is a riveting novel that is delightful and enjoyable to read, beautifully written, and showcases the extraordinary talent of the author.
I really like this style of writing, sharp, funny and charming. It is full of hope, loss, betrayal, and love that is lost and found. As a portrayal of sibling relationship, it's very real, and while the actual plot is fairly predictable, the way it's written fascinates me.
I think the flashback chapters are a great addition to the book, they almost create an air of mystery about why Beth came to be this way and how she solved Lucy's mysteries.

It is highly recommended. Thanks to NetGalley for the copy!

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
The Other Half of Me, Katherine Slee
July 7, 2022, Amazon Publishing UK/Lake Union Publishing

Thank you @netgalley and @lakeunionauthors for the #ARC in exchange for an honest review.

It is exceedingly rare that I give a book five stars and this both absolutely deserves five stars. The Other Half of Me pulled at my heartstrings as it took me on a voyage of self discovery and forgiveness for Beth.

The story begins with Beth, a pianist in a bar, recieving a package from her recently deceased sister, Lucy. The package contains clues that lead Beth on a scavenger hunt of sorts that requires her to face mistakes in her past and forgive others, as well as herself.

This story is so beautifully written, I could not put it down and am not sure what took me so long to finally read it! A bonus is that it is now available on Kindle Unlimited!

#bookstagram #bookstagrammer @katherinesleewrites #kindleunlimited #fivestarread
#TheOtherHalfofMe #NetGalley

I admit that I was drawn to the cover more than the book blurb, but I ended up really enjoying this story. So much so, that I read it in one sitting.

Thanks to NetGalley for an advanced copy of The Other Half of Me. Beth, a musician by trade, is off on a treasure hunt left behind by her recently-passed sister. Beth must confront her grief and her past in order to move forward. This book is good for anyone who is passionate about music, though the somber tone might not be for everyone.

The Other Half of Me did something so beautiful for me, it was able to take grief and the aftermath of loss within a family and turn it around through the love of music. Beth and Lucy's family is so centered on Lucy's brain tumor and praying the tumor won't come back. Beth feels like the ugly duckling and everyone in their social circles compares her to Lucy. Lucy becomes an over achiever and in turn forces Beth to shut down from wanting the typical education, the job, the family.

When Lucy creates a scavenger hunt using the people closest to Beth from her past, Beth is pushed towards facing her fears and acknowledging the people who have wronged her and finally going after what she wants, even if she does not know what that is yet. Isaac and Tristan are complete opposites and yet enable Beth to pursue her passion for songwriting. I really enjoyed seeing everyone in Beth's corner even when she doubts herself. Katherine Slee does a great job of not sugarcoating depression and how it can be ugly and affect even the most mundane activities, she is a genius for paying close attention to all of this while moving the story along effortlessly.

Reading this, I laughed and cried and truly was mesmerized by flow of Beth's thoughts right after her dialogue, Slee did a great job of balancing her internal monologue while keeping the conversation realistic. I also enjoyed the personal touch of adding Beth's original lyrics of the four songs that mean the most to the plot. The only thing I would have wanted to feel were the music sessions between Isaac and Beth and how they slowly connected by writing songs together, but other than that, this book made me feel as Beth learns to do.

Highly recommend getting this book and sharing with your loved ones, life is too short to be thinking of what ifs. Thank you to the wonderfully talented Katherine Slee, NetGalley and Amazon Publishing UK for the ARC.

This is my first book to read by this author but I cannot wait to read more by them! This is such a uniquely written story that you will find yourself thinking about long after you finish it. Highly recommend!!

Beth is lost in a grief spiral after the death of her older sister, Lucy after a protracted battle against cancer. However, Beth was lost and alone well before Lucy’s death. Lucy tried to uplift Beth in life, and knowing about her impending death, makes arrangements to continue this after her death. Thus, several weeks after her death Beth receives a puzzle box from Lucy containing clues to help life Beth out of her doldrums and stagnant life to rediscover her joy and dreams. Beth was once a talented, aspiring songwriter but she now plays piano in a bar and lives a lonely existence. The story alternates between the present and Beth’s journey, and past events revealing how Beth developed into the woman she is today. The structure really worked for me because it creates a little bit of suspense/mystery as to why Beth is the way she is, and breaks up the monotony and gloom of her present. This is ultimately an uplifting novel, but it requires a little bit of patience and teeth-gnashing at Beth’s attitude.

The Other Half of Me is a wonderfully engaging novel that is a delight and joy to read, beautifully written, that showcases the remarkable talents of the author.
I really loved the writing style, sharp, enjoyable and engaging.
Beth, I couldn't help but feel for her. Her pain I felt, the sadness I felt, the happy tears I felt.
Truly a remarkable story and one that I won't soon forget about!

"I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.”

Lake Union Publishing
Thank You for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

I started this book being intrigued by the aspect of the main character being a musician, as I am one myself. However, I felt like it started to turn into a cliche and I just didn't really care for it. I gave up about 20% of the way through. I feel like other readers would enjoy it, but it wasn't for me.

Have you ever had a puzzle box? Mine was given to me by a boyfriend’s family. If you managed to open it you would find all sort of things that tell of my past. But would you piece it together & understand it’s meaning?

@katherinesleewrites tells us the story of Beth whose big sister has died. Beth is devastated, angry, sad, lost. Lucy has fought a long disease. Beth & Lucy are typical siblings. Beth feels Lucy is the golden girl. But what does Lucy think?

Beth is a talented musician but seems to have settled for a life as a piano bar player & teacher. Sinking before her sister’s death, now her state of despondency is near critical.

From beyond the grave Lucy sends her a puzzle box. As kids they loved treasure hunts. Lucy wants Beth to follow the clues & find herself & maybe Lucy too.

Think PS I Love You with more obtuse clues! The book traces backwards to a series of events. Growing pains, sisterly rivalry, the music God boyfriend, exams, bad decisions, avoiding & evading your parents - there’ll be lots of situations you recognise.

In following Beth’s journey we get a dose of a good old fashioned love story. Isaac is so sweet & it put me in mind of Sweet Sorrow by David Nicholls.

This is a good portrayal of loss & how we wish those who are gone are here to guide us. It’s a lesson in being true to ourselves & our passions. And loving without barriers those who are important to us.

It’s lightly written. The book ends with a songbook & like with Daisy Jones I wanted to go over to Spotify & listen!

An enjoyable read.

This was so beautiful, I really enjoyed this read.. I found myself crying and thinking about the characters long after I finished reading. Thank you NetGalley & the publisher for the chance to read this.