Member Reviews
After a slew of books that couldn’t really hold my attention, I really got sucked into this one, It had a great premise and while I understand the main character had to be shy in order for the story to work, there were a lot of moments I felt like her shyness was over the top, like she kept forgetting the stakes involved. Other than that I really enjoyed this. Had some great parts involving New York and it got me to read When Harry Met Sally again. And the twist on the last page was perfect.
Love love love this book! It was an updated PS I Love you and gave me all the feels. I thought the characters were really well done, although I did think that Jodie was a bit much at times. Really would like to see this play out on screen!
Jodie and her family are overwhelmed when her sister Bree dies of cancer- overwhelmed by grief and also by debt. Jodie moved home and worked hour after hour to help care for Bree and pay the bills and now she's gone. And then when Jodie and Bree's BFF Claudia are preparing the Thanksgiving dinner Bree wanted, a message arrive from her on Instagram. Turns out Bree made arrangements with Iris Air for Jodie to complete Bree's bucket list, with Iris Air not only paying all the costs of the list but also all Bree's bills if Jodie completes it. And off things go, with Cheryl who makes the arrangements and a reluctant Jodie who discovers a lot about herself and has a second chance at love with her high school boyfriend. Or does she? This is lighter than it is at the start when Bree is fading and it rides on the absolutely marvelous characters. You'll be able to visualize Sir Ryan and I adored Tish. Maya not so much but she's balanced by Claudia and "Thor." Thanks to netgalley for the ARC. This was a great read with a huge heart.
A captivating story of family, grief, love, loss, and hope. This novel is a contemporary coming-of-age (new adult) work that resonates with most readers, but will likely be more relatable to audiences in their 20s.. The first few chapters portray terminal illness and loss pretty accurately and realistically. Although difficult to read because of the subject matter, it's well-written and does a great job of setting up the story.. I wasn't sure if this work was even my cup of tea with the way social media and influencers were utilized but I couldn't put this book down. It was an all-nighter kind of read, even with some of the excessive drama and publicity. Think modern online version of P.S. I love You for a 20s-something crowd set in the U.S. A good rainy day read.
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I’m not sure this book was for me. The subject matter has hit at the wrong circumstances happening in my life so I don’t know if I can give a fully unbiased review. I won’t post my review elsewhere because I don’t want to sway readers based on my personal life and current experience. Thank you for the advanced copy and the chance to read it.
4.25/5⭐️
Jodie Boyd must complete Bree’s (her late sister) bucket list (and post her adventures for Bree’s social media followers) in order to pay off the massive hospital bills that have the family struggling. As she completes each task she begins to come more and more into her own, and when one of the tasks involves her high school crush/baseball teammate Kelly, will she be able to complete the final task on the list?
This was a sad, funny, and courageous story. Jodie was a joy to watch as she discovered both more about herself as well as how much of a support system she had. I wasn’t thrilled with the turn Kelly’s storyline took near the end (more honesty and communication needed there), and the way Jodie was made to shoulder some of the blame for the issue, but still the book was a winner for me.
My sincere thanks to the author, NetGalley and Kensington Books for providing the free early arc of Someone Else’s Bucket List for review. The opinions are strictly my own.
Thank you to the author, Kensington Books and NetGalley, for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
This bittersweet story of two sisters has a lot of trappings of our modern age: influencer culture, bucket lists and - sadly typical for the US, but not the rest of the world - crippling medical debt. The older, extroverted sister dies of leukemia, and her younger, introverted sister is tasked with completing her sibling's bucket list - coupled with links to influencer-dom, which of course is anathema to the younger sister. I thought the family relationships were so well-written and loving, but the younger sister is handicapped with a high degree of self-doubt, which was agonizing to read. In the course of the story, she did make several important discoveries about herself, which was cheering, and the family worked through some of their grief. Overall, though it was a bit overwrought - but maybe that's also just my scepticism toward the whole influencer thing.
* I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley. Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for this book. All thoughts are my own.
4.5 stars
Jodie is grieving the death of her sister and in order to pay off her medical debts she needs to complete Bree’s bucket list. It’s a really interesting story with great characters. It also shows how people grieve in their own ways which I thought was a great piece of the story. I absolutely loved the last chapter, and it made the book really come full circle to me.
I would definitely recommend!
Someone Else's Bucket List by Amy T. Matthews
A bucket list is typically a very personal thing- your hopes and dreams ready to be tackled. But when Jodie's sister Bree passes away, Jodie is determined to finish Bee's bucket list...and pay off her medical bills in the process.
This story is a heartbreaker. Jodie's attempt to finish this bucket list is very hard on her. There are definitely things on the list she never imagined she would do, but this is Bree's last attempt to help her family after she is gone.
I loved Jodie. She worked on this list with such enthusiasm, even though it pained her. She reconnects with a lost love, Kelly. Kelly is such a great addition to this story. He is so thoughtful and lets Jodie be herself through this entire ordeal.
There were many parts of this book that brought tears to my eyes. This is a bittersweet story that I won't forget.
I enjoyed this touching and heartfelt story of Bree, who dies very young of cancer and her sister Jodie who is left with the task of completing her life's wishes on her bucket list. The relationship between the sisters was relatable and moving, and I was touched by Jodie's strength and bravery. The influencer thing was not my favorite, but I just am not of that world that follows them and strives to be one, but younger readers probably will. Overall this is a moving and sweet story.
Someone Else's Bucket List by Amy T. Matthews is the story of Jodie, Bree's little sister. Bree is an Instagram influencer with a million followers. Jodie is a loner who just wants to do her own thing. When Bree gets cancer and dies, she leaves behind a legacy that Jodie will have to step into. What she finds, though, is that her own legacy may be just as important as Bree's, even without a million followers. A very sweet story that touches on the rawness of grief and how it can flare up at any moment and take your breath away. In the next breath, though, the story will remind you about the good in life that is still sitting there when the flare up passes. Beautifully written and narrated, I highly recommend.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher. All opinions are my own.
Thank you so much to NetGalley, the publisher, and author for providing this book for my honest review. Wow! What an emotional journey! I love when a book can make you laugh one minute and make you cry the next. This is certainly one of those rare gems. While there are sad moments dealing with grief there are also many heartwarming beautiful moments as well. If you are looking for a book that deals with grief, love, sisterhood bonds, and finding the joy in life then this book is for you. Thank you again for providing this book for my review.
4 Stars! I really enjoyed this book! It was emotional and made me cry a few times but I also laughed and reminisced on my own cancer journey when I was just 14. I honestly can’t stand Instagram “influencers” as I find them fake and annoying. However, in this book I loved meeting Bree, the sister with cancer that “works” as an influencer. I understood what she was going through & how she was feeling. The main characters were Jodie & Kelly and though I didn’t get a lot of romance from this book, I still really enjoyed reading about the bucket list adventure. Hopefully some of the secondary characters get books in the future! Sadness, loss, grief, illness, at first I wasn’t sure I’d like this book since it was bringing a lot up for me but I kept reading and I’m so glad I did! It wasn’t all sadness, it takes a lighter tone further on. I’d definitely recommend this one, especially if you like getting emotional reading a book!
*I received this at no charge & I voluntarily left this review.*
this was an incredibly sweet take on grief, sadness and growth post loss.
I loved the family element, the growth that came as a result of the PS I love you journey and overall the sweet story line.
I had mixed feelings about this book, it is so sad losing someone you love. Then even after they are gone you still all the medical bills as a reminder of what you lost. Only in the US do you have this burden, I think everyone would agree with me medical cost and then of course funeral cost are crazy. This is a story of one family who lost a beloved daughter, sister and friend. What is the cost of loved one and how far would you go to make sure you loved one's last wishes are fulfilled?
Josie is nothing like her sister, she is introverted, and her sister is larger than life successful influencer. So, when her sister dies, she asks Josie to do the last bucket list adventures to pay for her medical bills. No pressure, right?
Josie agrees, what choice does she have? Her parents are already struggling to pay the medical bills. With her sister in her ear telling her she can do this; she pushes through the list and starts to find herself in the mist of all the hype.
Things get a crazy and the pressure becomes so much, because she feels like she has to relive her sister's death over and over again. Can she pull it together and save her family from financial burton and also maybe save herself?
Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Book for copy of this book for my honest review..
The description of the book really sucked me in & I was excited to read Someone Else's Bucket List. I had to DNF @ 39%.
I just couldn't get myself to want to keep reading. It's very, very slow. I like how to author touched on grief and how Bree & Jodie's parents reacted to Bree's death, but it just slogged on. I didn't like how Cheryl talked to Jodie and treated her family & how the family was towards Jodie being the surviving sister.
Claudia was my favorite character in the story.
It just wasn't for me and I couldn't continue to push through.
the premise sucked me in; unfortunately, it's not exactly my cup of tea. i will not be able to finish this book to give time to others in my to-read list. thanks for the opportunity to read this arc.
Bree is the ultimate influencer with a million followers and living her best life at 26 yrs old. If only that nagging pneumonia cough would go away… except it’s not. And it’s not pneumonia, it’s leukaemia. And she’s dying without getting a chance to finish (or start) her bucket list.
While the start of the premise sounds depressing, this whole book is uplifting and funny as we see the family navigate grief through laughter and snarky comments. There’s self discovery, a second-chance romance but ultimately it’s about finding a path through grief.
Sweet moments, adventure and friendship, it could be read as a YA or just someone looking for a quick beach read.
“Someone Else's Bucket List” by Amy T. Matthews
Emotion Packed Story
For me this story reminded me of the pain caused by the death of a loved one. And the trauma of being forced out of one’s comfort zone. So yes, there were tears, lots of tears. There were happy tears, too, and a few chuckles. This is a wild adventure for introvert Jodie as she completes her extrovert sister’s bucket list. I am very glad I chose to read this story. Happy Reading ! !
NOTE: This review expresses my honest opinion.
I received an ARC of this story from the publisher via NetGalley
Excellent read. Jodie is an over-worked, shy, anxious twenty-something, completely unsure what to do with her life besides working at a rental car counter. . Her older sister, Bree, is an adventurous, globe-trotting, hugely successful Instagram influencer with more than a million followers. She’s the most alive person Jodie knows—up until Bree’s unfathomable, untimely death from Leukemia. The family and Jodie are devastated, not to mention overwhelmed with medical debt. But Bree thought of everything and scheduled an Instagram post with an announcement that Jodie will be completing her bucket list.
It's a touching story of the strength of sisterly bond. Well written and enjoyable read. Thanks for the ARC