A novel that beautifully captures the challenges of aging, family dynamics, and the enduring bonds that hold us together. It is a compelling and emotional read.
Many thanks to Meryl Moss Media Group and to Netgalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

I received a digital ARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

This is a quick read about coming to terms with getting older. How everyone faces changes in life, and how everyone deals with those changes differently. There are spiritual/religious undertones, but not in a way that I found preachy. The characters were relatable.I felt like I was experiencing everything with them.

This was a short, reflective novel. It gave me a glimpse of a life with parents with chronic illnesses, how that affects everyone, and the phone call that eventually comes. It is a tough theme, and the author did a good job working on it.

I received a free copy of, Everything Is a Little Broken, by Rebecca Sugar, from the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Death is an unfortunate part of life. Aging parents are things most of us have to deal with. Not any easy thing at all to deal with. Mira father is getting old, as well as her nanny, its so hard to see the ones we love go through so much. A good read, about such a hard subject.

‘The only sign in the building that bore any hope was the one that said ‘Exit’.’

All of us, if we live long enough, will grow old. Some of us will be fortunate enough to grow old with minor or relatively easily managed medical or physical conditions. Some of us will have watched grandparents and parents deal with failing health. Growing old is not for the faint-hearted.

In this novel, Mira Cayne is facing both the decline of her father Matt Frank as well as the decline of Mae Boyd, who has cared for Matt and his family for more than seventy years. Matt suffered a spinal injury at the age of forty-four and now, at the age of seventy-nine, is recovering from a second surgery to try to arrest his decline. Mae Boyd, custodian of family history, is facing her death with the strength afforded by her strong Christian faith.

Mira can see the battles her father is fighting as his frailty undermines his dignity. She is angry with her brother Daniel, whose remoteness presents as not caring, and with Mae’s nephew. Mira and her husband have put their own plans on hold to stay nearby her parents. Matt’s sense of humour provides him with some strength, but he is struggling.

‘One of the few benefits of old age,’ he said is the licence you get to tell your life story however you like. There aren’t enough people alive to contradict what you say.’

Ms Cayne reminds us of that chronic illness imposes costs on families. While financial costs might be quantifiable, many emotional aspects are not. One of the highlights of this novel is Gloria, the caregiver hired to help with Matt’s care.

This is a quiet, reflective novel which invites the reader to put themselves in Mira’s position as she juggles her responsibilities. Faith is part of this journey for Mira: she finds strength in Mae’s commitment to her Christian faith and looks to her own Jewish faith.

The novel ends with a telephone call from Mira’s mother. And I finished the novel, remembering the telephone calls when my own parents were ailing, and then when they died. My anxiety increased every time the telephone rang.

Note: My thanks to NetGalley and the Meryl Moss Media Group for providing me with a free electronic copy of this book for review purposes.

Jennifer Cameron-Smith

Everything Is a Little Broken by Rebecca Sugar was an enjoyable read. I really loved this book! I couldn’t put it down and read it in one day.

Thank You NetGalley and Post Hill Press for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

What a beautiful novel - Rebecca Sugar deftly captures a "moment" in time with pure honesty. A "moment" in which an adult grapples with watching a parent decline and realizing that life will never be better than it is right now. The humour is very well-placed, counterbalanced by passages of nostalgic poignancy. The relationships are so nuanced - and therefore - so realistic. I will recommend this novel to everyone.

I really wanted to love this book, but it was very difficult to sink into. The dialog wasn't compelling and the characters were one-dimensional. I didn't know what the main character wanted to do, what her goals were, what drove her and why. Sorry to say it didn't interest me.

I received a free e-arc of this book through Netgalley.
This book spends a lot of time with religious themes and I didn't notice that in the preview. The parts I connected with more are having aging parents and sibling relationships that aren't always what we'd like them to be. Mira is part of the Sandwich Generation with older parents and a daughter in college who spends a lot of time caretaking while trying to figure out what she believes about God and the afterlife. It's a quiet book and probably won't connect with everyone, but is well-written.

I was asked to review "Everything is a Little Broken" by Rebecca Sugar. The novel focuses on the dynamics of the family and how they evolve while helping a parent through a chronic illness.

The family patriarch is recovering from his second spinal surgery relating to a spinal cord injury from decades earlier. His daughter, Mira, does what she can to remain by his side but struggles with her own feelings. Meanwhile, dad's (and Mira's) nanny is dying but facing death with open arms because of her strong faith in what happens next. This causes Mira to question her own lapsed beliefs.

I thought the author did a great job of handling a tough subject matter without coming across as too maudlin. My only complaint is that I did not connect with the characters in the way I thought I would.

Thanks to the author, the publisher and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read and review this novel.

Everything Is A Little Broken by Rebecca Sugar is a lovely and poignant glimpse into the lives of a family affected by years of chronic illness and aging. Each family member copes in his/her individual way and the struggle is very real. Hiring a caregiver is necessary and we see those dynamics within the home.

Matt, 79, is recovering from a second surgery. To complicate matters, he has severe physical limitations due to a spinal cord injury from decades earlier. His daughter, Mira, is one of the very few who shares hospital and illness jokes with him, their coping mechanism. Her brother and mother view things differently. Matt's nanny, Mae, is dying yet rejoicing in her unwavering faith in God. Her vibrancy and certainty cause Mira to reflect on her own Jewish faith she grew away from.

The story touches my heart in a profound way as my parents are aging and chronic pain constantly shadows my every moment. Like Mira, phone calls sometimes strike fear into my heart...is it "that" time?

My sincere thank you to Meryl Moss Media Group and NetGalley for providing me with an early digital copy of this endearing novel. The author mentions a sequel which I look forward to!

Man, I was so hyped for this book, you know? The description had me hooked, but when I actually dove into it... kinda disappointed. It just didn't grab me, you feel me? The characters and the whole vibe were just flat, like zero emotions. I wanted to connect, but it was like talking to a wall. I had high hopes, especially after the first half, but then it just took a nosedive. The concept is cool – aging, that whole deal – but the execution didn't hit the mark. Maybe it was the writing? I dunno. Anyway, I'm giving it a solid 2 stars. It had its moments, but overall, not what I was expecting. Thanks for letting me check out the ARC though, at least it was fun for a bit.

The concept of this book hit close to home for me. The whole message of the book about watching someone you live or care about having to age. I thought it was a great idea, but the book itself didn’t have that flair in it. It didn’t have the feeling of it in the book. The dialogue and characters didn’t have anything much to it. There was no emotion as the story continues. I was on board in the beginning whereas the more I got into the book it steadily declined. I didn’t feel the connection with the characters that I was hopping to get.

Thank you for this book as an ARC from the publisher and NetGalley.

However, this book didn’t grab my attention. I was very intrigued when reading the synopsis. I think this could be a very good book if some things were changed and had more attention grabbers. I was very flat but it was an important and close to home story line.

I had high hopes for Everything Is a Little Broken, but, sadly, what is a little broken is this book itself. The characters, dialogue, and narration are flat. The first quarter of the book is impressive, but it takes a deep dive off a steep cliff thereafter.

I received this book as an ARC from the publisher and NetGalley.