I hadn’t read any of Kinsella’s novels previously. This appealed to me because of the content and so many rave reviews. What Does It Feel Like? is a novella told in short vignettes about Eve, a woman in her midlife with five children, being diagnosed with a Grade 4 Glioblastoma (brain cancer) diagnosis. Unfortunately, this story was inspired by the author’s real-life diagnosis and experience recovering from surgery and living with brain cancer.

I read this in a couple of sittings as it’s riveting and pretty short. The author well illustrates the disorientation involved in recovery from brain surgery and the steps involved. I think it could have been more powerful if told in first person narrative. I would have also wanted it to be longer. It was hard to get a grasp on the experience and characters because they were shown in brief bursts. I appreciated the optimism of Eve and her husband and enjoying the small moments of life.

Kinsella has survived longer than many with the same diagnosis, but her future is not guaranteed. What really brought this to life for me was watching an interview with Kinsella and her devoted husband. They are such a picture of love and care. I would recommend this if you’ve enjoyed novels by Katherine Center or Lisa Genova.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for providing this ARC. All thoughts are my own.

Thank you to Random House and to NetGalley for the Arc of this book. All opinions expressed here are my own.
In 'What does it feel like,' Sophie Kinsella, Queen of chick lit, author of the Shopaholic series (and many more similar/styled books), decides to take a step back and embark on a wholly different path. In this novella, Ms.
Kinsella puts a voice, albeit with a 'fictionalized spin, to her harrowing journey in discovering she had a brain tumor in, quite literally, the prime of her life.
We are with her (and the main character in the story) as she is told (and told and told and retold, ad nauseam) that she had a brain tumor and had surgery. It is beyond amazing that Ms. Kinsella could even attempt this writing feat much less pull thoughts and words together as her memory was damaged due to the actual tumor and the resultant surgery. She had a glioblastoma, which is most often terminal.
I will say, this book was rawly hilarious and such a good time in its honesty and truthfulness. Never a dull moment for sure!
Five stars all around!
hooray and cheers to Ms. Kinsella for sharing her (somewhat fictionalized) healthcare experience with her readers. Keep up the fight!

I was interested in reading this book solely because it was a Sophie Kinsella book. It was not even close to what I had expected. It all came together when I read her Author’s Note. I wish the authors note would have been at the beginning, not as the end as it typically is. Still a great read.

Amazing and powerful. I was not ready for the author note.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this arc in exchange for an honest review!

This was such a powerful novella and is unlike any of Sophie Kinsella’s previous books. It’s fictional, but is based off of her experience with cancer. I read this in one sitting, and it was so beautifully written. I appreciate how vulnerable she was in her writing and how the love for her family was portrayed. Although it was difficult to see what she went through, I loved her strength and optimism throughout.

Thank you NetGalley and The Dial Press for this arc in exchange for my honest review. And thank you Sophie Kinsella for sharing your story.

Amazon review will be added on release day.

Wow. ‘Eve’ went through so much and made an incredible recovery. I didn’t initially realize when I requested this, that it was based on Sophie’s life. Completely moved!

Heartbreaking story of author, Evie, who is diagnosed with glioblastoma and her journey as she faces, surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation. This story is semi autobiographical and it reflects the author's own journey as she fights the same battle. Beautifully written.

Emotional, real and raw autobiographical yet fictional story of the authors real life diagnosis with a brain tumor. Just read it and bring your tissues. It’s short and it deals with a scarey diagnosis and treatment but in the most hopeful way possible.

An incredibly moving story of Eve who wakes up in a hospital bed not knowing how she got there, Her husband explains that she had a brain tumor removed. Eve learns how to walk, talk and write again. Through long walks with her husband she recounts what is important to her. This is Kinsella's most personal book and she is Eve.

This is a heartbreaking novella about cancer, preemptive grief and family ties and love. Despite it being a short story I felt emotionally connected to the female main characters and I felt the author did a beautiful and authentic job of representing the emotions of a terminal diagnosis in this novel.

This was such an emotional read. It is autobiographical and very impactful. I admire @sophiekinsella so much for sharing an experience that is so deeply personal and emotional. It truly drives home the fact that life can change in an instant and we need to appreciate every moment we are given.

A beautiful short story of a mother, a woman, a person finding out the imaginable. Friends and family support and cheer, but what does it feel like to have the end of your life so near?
Also incredible that this short story is based on the author's life.
Thank you, NetGalley, for an advanced copy of this novel

Knowing that this is going on in the author's real life, especially an author whose work I've read consistently, felt so sad. But it was beautifully written as per her usual.

My heart broke reading this novella. I have loved Sophie Kinsella since her first Shopaholic book and have read everything since. I did not realize she was living with this horrible disease until I saw this book and did a bit of investigating.

This book was beautiful and tragic at the same time. It’s hard to say “I loved” such a heartbreaking story, but I was so moved as I read.

Definitely recommending this one!

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

Thank you, Sophie Kinsella for sharing your story with all of us. Although this is fiction, Kinsella states it is her most autobiographical story yet. The reader has the opportunity to discover, along with Eve the main character, a heartbreaking diagnosis and how to go forward. Kinsella tells this story with grit, grief, a little bit of humor, and a whole lot of heart. This book is a true gem.

A complementary copy was provided by publisher and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. all opinions are my own.

(TW: Cancer) This is a 10 out of 10 novella. It’s brilliant and it’s strikingly personal. It’s gut wrenching and it’s heartbreaking. It’s cruel and it’s hopeful. Eve is so effortlessly lovable. Sophie is so brave, and her strength and optimism are traits I deeply admire. Thank you so much Netgalley and Random House for allowing me to review this ARC.

A beautiful novella about trauma, the unexpected and the sheer power of good faith and positivity. This was an extremely brave retelling of Sophie Kinsella’s battle with cancer. It was her closest work to an autobiography but still considered fiction because the characters are given different names.

What started as trouble balancing quickly turned into brain surgery, chemo and lots of rehab. Having gone through a similar trauma, I applaud this type of novel. I think it’s so important to bring light to things others might not know about. For me, it was about raising awareness so others would know if their speech is slurred and they can’t feel one side of their body, they more than likely are having a stroke. You wanna know about brains, brain surgery, or stroke? I’m an open book. So many people go through life altering sicknesses or trauma but very few are brave enough to tell about it. I applaud Sophie for so bravely sharing her story and I wish her the absolute best in this journey.

Synopsis: A novella of a prominent author, diagnosed with brain cancer that mirrors the real life story of author Sophie Kinsella.
Pros/cons: How do you rate a story like this? I can’t. All I can say is that Sophie Kinsella was truly my first “favorite author” in my 20s. I loved the Shopaholic series, Twenties Girl, Can You Keep A Secret- but my all time fave is The Undomestic Goddess. Learning about her incurable cancer is devastating- for her, her family, and the whole literary community. I just thank her for sharing a snippet of what she’s been through (I wanted more!) and hope she gets her happy ending.
I encourage you to read her backlist if she is a new to you author!

Thank you to NetGalley and The Dial Press for an advanced digital copy of this book.

Eve is a successful author who one day wakes up in a hospital bed not knowing how she got there. She struggles to remember much of anything, and learns that she has just undergone surgery to remove a malignant brain tumor. What follows is her path towards healing and self discovery.

While the characters within this story are fictional, the events that occur are based on the author, Sophie Kinsella’s real life cancer journey. Words can’t convey how deeply touched I was by this book. Written from a first person perspective through flashes in Eve’s memory, the reader is taken on a journey that starts before diagnosis and continues through the agonizing weeks and months that follow. Kinsella’s words are raw, at times devastating, and at others, so incredibly inspiring and hopeful. Being able to not only put her thoughts and feelings onto paper but then to share them with the world takes strength and courage that are unimaginable. Reading it was such a uniquely personal, empathy evoking experience, and I was profoundly moved by it.

To Sophie Kinsella, your honesty, kind-hearted spirit, and abundance of joy bleed through these pages, and I thank you for your bravery in sharing them. I am sending so much love to you and your family along with prayers for continued health and happiness.

Wow. A stunning read. Heartbreakingly hopeful. Interesting stream-of-conciousness style pacing allows the reader to float throughout and connect deeply with the emotions and events at play. 5 Stars.