Member Reviews
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an advance copy of Morning in This Broken World by Katrina Kittle in exchange for my honest review and opinion. I really enjoyed this book and it took me back to life during COVID when the world was turned upside down for all of us. This book truly will give you all the feels and was written with great characters in it. I absolutely loved it and can't wait to read more by this author.
I was approved for this book late and thus haven’t gotten a chance to read. When I do, I will post the review.
I was hesitant to pick up a pandemic book, but I trusted Katrina Kittle to execute it beautifully. This is a lovely story about found family and the people who mean the most to us. The characters are layered and messy and you find yourself wanting to hug all of them. This book is like a warm hug.
I love that we are seeing more relatable fiction from the COVID-19 pandemic. This was cute- and I was glad I read it. I have been meaning to share this review for a while.
Thank you to Netgalley for a copy of this book!
Thank you Netgalley for the ARC of this book. What an amazing and touching story! The story was excellent and the characters were so relatable. I thought I knew exactly where this story was going but in the end it surprised me. Very heartwarming and charming read. Highly recommend
This was such a heartwarming read about found family.
It was interesting to read how the characters found each other when they needed each other most. Also interesting to now read a book where COVID is the time frame.
Will definitely read more by this author!
I think what I said on my Bookstagram sums it up best: OMG. This. Book!!! Seriously, do yourself a favor and read Morning in This Broken World. It's everything I love in a book and more. So. So. SO incredible!!! I loved all the characters and the narrative was just...*chef's kiss*.
The story touches on a lot of different topics: grief, LGBTQ+, disability, poverty, Alzheimer's, and, of course, Covid. It takes place at the beginning of the pandemic, when it was still such a scary time for everyone and toilet paper was scarce. Most of it takes place in the spring and summer and I could actually feel the heat on the hottest days. The descriptions brought everything to life so well without taking away from the narrative. Everything and everyone just felt so real.
I just loved the relationships between the characters and how it took a while to build trust, but how rewarding it felt when that trust was achieved. There's just so much heart to the story and I loved seeing the perspectives of Vivian, Luna, Wren, and Cooper. They each had distinct voices and I cared so much about all four of them. Cooper even reminded me a bit of Kenny from Don't Tell Mom The Babysitter's Dead.
All I can say to sum this up is...just go read it!!! I still can't stop thinking about it and I have a feeling it will stick with me for a long time.
Movie casting suggestions:
Vivian: Annette O'Toole
Luna: Catalina Sandino Moreno
Cooper: Christopher Convery
Cal: Aaron Paul
(Trigger warnings below)
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TW: suicidal ideation, cancer, addiction
Absolutely loved this. The way the whole story flowed through each character was so refreshing.
I ugly cried at this one because it was so relevant and so well written that you genuinely cared for the characters.
A story of love and hope told in a very thoughtful and poignant way!
I love Katrina Kittle’s books and was thrilled when this novel was released. In just a few pages I was once again engrossed in a fantastic story.
Story begins in March 2020 at the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic. It’s told from the perspective of four main characters. Those amazing characters, Vivian, Luna, Cooper, and Wren quickly stole my heart.
The story was engaging and well written. Though it dealt with difficult subject matter like the pandemic, illness, death, addiction, and poverty, it still had many lighthearted laugh out loud moments. A story about what it means to be a family. Not just the family we are born into but the family we choose to create ourselves.
A beautifully written life-affirming read!
Katrina Kittle knows how to evoke the emotions of readers with her writing. I shed many tears while reading this book.
Once again, Katrina Kittle has written a story with a terrific cast of characters I won’t soon forget.
I'd like to thank the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this novel. All opinions are my own.
As a 70 year old, I often think in fear of being alone. So this book immediately sparked my interest. It was filled with hope and kindness, and I’m so glad and found so much comfort and reading it. Great interaction between the characters and I totally believable plied. Thank you for my advanced copy.
I had wanted to read this right away, but it had pretty much a checklist of traumas I had recently experienced so I needed a pause before diving in.
Eventually I dive in because I knew I could trust Katrina Kittle to write a story about painful, difficult and uncomfortable things while keeping her readers safe. Which she did.
I love a book about extended found families and coming-of-age stories where those growing are of all different ages.
Beautiful book full of hope and advocacy and acceptance and love. Thank you, Katrina. Thank you.
This book was pretty good. I couldn’t get into it the first 3 times I tried but I decided to give it another try and it finally captured my interest. Think it was because I knew where the storyline was going. In the end it was the writing and the few surprises that made this a worthwhile read. I didn’t want to DNF a Katrina Kittle book.
This book will have you laughing out loud and sniffling the next. I loved all the characters in the book and how each one was unique and different. Vivian Laurent is devastated she has just lost the love of her life and living in assisted living. She becomes friends with one of the aids and falls deeply for her daughter. Covid hits and turns life upside down. They decided to seek refuge in Vivian’s big home. She discovers that she has cancer and her friends are hiding from an abusive husband and father. The book will have you feeling lots of emotions. Definitely a page turner.
The bright cover is what drew me to this book and the compelling story is what led me to reading it fairly quickly. I loved the idea of “found family” throughout and enjoyed getting to know all the characters. Thanks to NetGalley for the free copy in exchange for my honest review!
I enjoyed this novel of an older woman who is struggling after her husband dies during the Covid pandemic. She finds purpose in helping one of his caregivers who is also having a difficult time. I love the main and the ancillary characters.
My heart was aching for Vivian in this book. I was able to feel her pain and the author made sure we understand how difficult life is for her. On the contrary, Wren was such a breath of fresh air. She brought life into the book. I loved the balance of the character and how the plot turned out to be. This is my first book by Katrina Kittle but for sure its not going to be the last.
Morning in the broken world is set during the Covid lockdown. Following the death of Vivian’s husband, she moves from the assisted living facility and invites one of his favourite nursing assistants and her children to move in with her. It’s a lovely heart warming story about what makes a family and that it’s not always blood!
This sweet, poignant story will remind you that the family we choose is family indeed. Seventy-four year old Vivian Laurent has recently been widowed after losing the love of her life. Her adult daughter hasn’t been heard from in years and Vivian is not even sure if she is still alive. When the assisted living facility where her husband lived goes into lockdown, Vivian discovers that her favorite nurse Luna and her children are facing eviction with nowhere to go. Feisty and loving Vivian will make a decision that will change everyone’s lives including her own.
With strong themes of friendship, family and the human experience we all share, the characters in this story are lovable, caring and compassionate. I was unsure about how much I would enjoy another story set during Covid but this one was really special and truly enjoyable.
Thank you NetGalley, Lake Union Publishing and Katrina Kittle for the opportunity to read Morning in This Broken World in exchange for my honest opinion.
I could not put this down! As someone who worked in healthcare during the pandemic I felt this book in my soul. What an amazing story! I freaking loved Vivian. I will not be able to forget about this book. So so good. 5 Stars!!
Thank you NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for allowing me to read this book.
I have said multiple times that Covid doesn’t bother me in books, but it’s more than a backdrop in this book. And the early scenes brought back a lot of emotion on how we felt as the pandemic first hit. If you aren’t ready for that, skip this one. At the heart of the book, it’s about found family but there are so many other issues brought in - family estrangement, death of a spouse, cancer, a disabled child, eviction, divorce, homophobia, long covid, coming out, even addiction is touched upon. It’s a lot and I feel like the book might have landed a little better if only a few issues had been the focus. It’s a relatively quick read so a lot seems to get glossed over. But I loved Vivian, as well as Steve and Drew and how protective they were of her. I cried at the end (duh). Another reviewer mentioned this would be a great limited series, and I can totally see that!
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a digital copy of this book. All opinions are my own.