This book had me hooked from the start and I could not stop reading. I cannot wait for it be published in August so that I can share it with my patrons at the library.

An interesting take from a character in a very compromised position in her life. The author tackles the topic of mental health issues with a very original premise and delves into human relationships with heartbreaking humor.

August 6th is the day this book is set for publication. Get it. It is hard to find the right words for this review. The story was unexpected, even though I knew about the storyline. It was sad but also inspirational. It was a shortish read, but I could have used about 20-40 pages more to understand some of the issues better. Having said all of that I really enjoyed it. There’s Nothing Wrong with Her was unexpected in the best way possible. The main character is flawed, and my heart broke for her, but I never lost hope for her. If you read the book you will understand what I mean.

This was the oddest book. I kept expecting answers with every page turn, but they never came.
The sad story features Vita who is very sick with some unknown illness. She lives with her boyfriend (doctor) Max. The illness has taken over Vita's body and has left her exhausted and in pain and she is seeing and talking to an imaginary(?) person.
I suppose the illness was sadness and guilt eating at her, but even at the end I wasn't too sure.

Okay so, as someone who is chronically ill in a way that often seems to make no sense and frustrate both myself and those around me, this was u n c o m f o r t a b l e to read at times, mostly because it was too relatable.

Minus the vivid hallucinations. For me personally anyway.

Watching Vita pull herself out of The Pit over and over, only to have setbacks that felt almost worse because of the brief hope that came before, was frustratingly accurate. And the way that those around her were sympathetic but also seemed doubtful at times, or the way she began to question herself. Living with any invisible illness is so unbelievably exhausting, and the way we address mental health’s part in it is disappointing and infuriating.

But also: WHAT happened at the end. What was that!! What is happening!

This book left me perplexed and not really sure what to think. Vita is struggling and has been for some time. She’s currently chronically ill and suffering from depression leading to hours and days in the Pit. Through her highs and lows, she explores her patterns and whether or not she feels strong enough to break them. I felt like I wanted more by the time it ended, but I’m not sure what I wanted more of.

I'll be honest and say that while reading I had moments of wanting to finish the book and get to something else. It does take a while to get into. Our main character, Vita, spends her days in "The Pit" which I think most will realize pretty quickly seems to be severe depression and while very real, doesn't move a story along. The story picks up once Vita is forced to leave her apartment and go upstairs and meet her neighbors. I would have liked to have more to the relationships that she builds with the two neighbors.

Publishing August 6, 2024

3.5, rounded up.

If you enjoyed “My Year of Rest and Relaxation,” you will enjoy this. According to all the tests, they cannot figure out what is medically wrong with Vita that keeps her house-bound and grappling in The Pit. Told from Vita’s perspective, we get a little story that weaves throughout space and time, ghost encounters, and things that make you think - did that happen? Pretty early on, you can tell she’s not confronting something from her past, and it’s finally caught up to her.

Thank you to the author and publisher for providing an advanced copy through Netgalley.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
There’s nothing wrong with her by Kate Weinberg
Pub date: August 6, 2024

As someone who has depression and occasionally has “the big sad” this was a somewhat difficult read. HOWEVER Kate Weinberg did a great job at interjecting levity into her work. I will definitely be recommending this to friends and family who I wouldn’t necessarily be comfortable recommending romance novels to!

Thank you SO much for my ARC @kateweinberg, @netfalley and @putnambooks!




Potential spoiler:
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I’m not a huge fan of ambiguous endings! is it because my bread and butter genre is romance? Is it because I lack imagination? The world may never know.

Having been chronically ill, this book was a no brainer for me. It really captures what it's like to fall into "the Pit" of illness and how isolating it can be, as well as how complex its causes can be. Especially in quotes like this one, "One of the flipsides of an illness that destabilizes reality is that you get to time-travel. While you are stuck, nothing is in the past."

There is a lot to unravel here, and I will admit I found the book a bit hard to get into. At the beginning most of Vita's interactions are with her fish, Whitney Houston and the ghost of Luigi Da Porto (cited as the original author of Romeo and Juliette). However, once Vita begins her relationship with the neighbors upstairs, the book finds its footing and picks up steam.

I would have liked a bit more insight into her past (especially her relationship with her stepmother and sister.) While the pacing of this book might be slow for some, (and the plot a tad underbaked...Max doesn't have a whole lot to do) I found it eloquent -- particularly how the past influences her current circumstances. (Also I loved the cover!)

Overall, a lovely read. Thank you to the author and NetGalley for granting me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

In Kate Weinberg's novel "There's Nothing Wrong with Her," protagonist Vita Woods finds herself trapped in a pit of exhaustion and isolation, battling an undiagnosed illness that has left her bedridden and disconnected from the world. Despite having a seemingly perfect life—a successful career, a loving boyfriend, and a supportive sister—Vita's physical and mental health have deteriorated, leaving her questioning her own reality. The story delves into themes of identity, mental illness, and the complexities of relationships, as Vita navigates her journey to uncover the truth behind her condition. Weinberg's writing is raw and unflinching, capturing Vita's descent into darkness with poignant honesty. She skillfully weaves together Vita's internal struggles with her interactions with the outside world, creating a narrative that is both heartbreaking and hopeful. The supporting characters, particularly Vita's sister Gracie and upstairs neighbors, add depth and nuance to the story, providing both moments of connection and conflict. The novel's exploration of mental illness is particularly noteworthy. Weinberg does an excellent job of portraying Vita's experience of chronic fatigue and depression, capturing the isolating and debilitating effects of these conditions. She also delves into the complexities of diagnosis and treatment, highlighting the challenges faced by individuals struggling with invisible illnesses. The inclusion of Luigi, the enigmatic apparition who visits Vita, adds an element of mystery and ambiguity to the narrative, leaving readers questioning the boundaries between reality and illusion. "There's Nothing Wrong with Her" is a powerful and thought-provoking novel that explores the complexities of identity, mental illness, and human connection. Weinberg's writing is both insightful and compassionate, and she creates a protagonist in Vita who is both relatable and deeply affecting. This novel is a must-read for anyone interested in contemporary fiction that delves into the depths of the human experience.

I could not relate to this novel. It was so dark and sad. Honestly, I read books for thought and entertainment. I was certainly not entertained, nor was I able to think.

It was just too weird for my taste.

Thank you Netgalley.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam G.P. Putnam's Sons for allowing me to read an ARC of There's Nothing Wrong with Her by Kate Weinberg in exchange for my honest review.

This was a little confusing for me. It wasn't until about two-thirds of the way through the book, that I had a better understanding of what was happening. Having experienced anxiety, depression, and grief, I am surprised it took me that long.

I may read this again to see if I feel differently.

I was so excited to read this book as I adored this author's other book, The Truants which was as perfect a book as could be - from tone to writing to characters to story. But this book wasn't for me. A very different tone as the main character has a chronic illness and is visited by a long dead ghost. I'll look forward to the next book by this author and hope it will be for me!

I really liked this book when I read it, but on reflection I couldn’t tell you what it is about. It’s not body supernatural horror, or at least I don’t think it was. I did read it to the end, I swear! That’s enough for me to give it 4 stars. I try at least four books for every one I do finish, and this was one of them.

Vita Woods is struggling from an illness no doctor can seem to diagnose. They’ve run every test imaginable and all come back to the same conclusion, there’s nothing wrong with her. But that doesn’t change the fact that Vita struggles with leaving her bed, is constantly exhausted, feels unwell and spends the majority of her days inside “The Pit” as she refers to it. Vita’s boyfriend who she also lives with is a doctor and seemingly, everything is perfect in their relationship, but she still finds herself thinking back to former lovers. With a twist of fate, Vita one day finds herself leaving her apartment and interacting with the neighbors upstairs and gradually, everything starts to change each day moving forward.

Vita spends the limited time she’s conscious talking to Luigi, who’s been dead for a very long time, and her goldfish, Whitney Houston. Throughout her days, she’s either in “The Pit,” or disassociating and fantasizing about events from her past and mentally changing the outcome. One of the characters she refers to most is her sister Gracie but we come to find out in the end that Gracie has actually been dead the whole time - which was a good addition. Overall, to me it felt like a story of someone who was severely depressed but in denial about it, looking for any other possibility of sickness. But I don’t think that was ever really firmly confirmed/denied, which I think would have been a good way to tie things together. I saw another review stating that the introduction of the characters upstairs was a little abrupt and I agree, I think more could have been done with that as well.

Side note, what drew me to this book initially was the title and cover art. I had a new found appreciation for the cover art once I realized it was the gold fish Whitney Houston on the cover. It’s also a good portrayal of Vita disassociating as well, good pick on the cover art.

Ehhhhh….
There was a lot of parts of this book that just didn’t make sense to me. I didn’t know what was going on and was wondering where characters came from.

Gorgeously written mental health fiction in the same sort of vein as works by authors like Moshfegh. Thanks for the arc

Cara Mia Vita is struggling with an unnamed illness. She spends most of her time with her goldfish or in a dreamlike state in pain inside The Pit. Kate Weinberg takes us along as Vita experiences the loss of who she was and comes to terms who she is. Vita has a lot to learn from the ghosts of her past..

I enjoyed the story. I did feel as though the introduction of the secondary characters was abrupt. I would definitely recommend this to someone who is or knows someone going through an invisible illness.

This book definitely comes with an interesting premise that plays upon a world in which some people become lost in their own grief and rely heavily on drugs and medication. It’s very scary, but also very relevant to our contemporary societies. It is a very accurate depiction of depression—you feel the main character’s monotony, the lethargy, the pointlessness of it all.