What Does It Feel Like' is an amazing but tough read that delves into the emotional journey of a woman who wakes up in the hospital and discovers she has cancer. The novella captures her experiences as she navigates the diagnosis and the profound impact it has on her and her family. Knowing that this is also Sophie Kinsella's own story adds an extra layer of depth and poignancy. It's a powerful, deeply personal read that resonates long after you finish it.

This story is about a woman who’s a novelist. She wakes up one day in the hospital and doesn’t know what brought her there. She finds out she had surgery on a tumor in her brain and it was cancerous. She talks about leaving behind her 5 kids and her husband and different ways to cope with radiation and chemo. It’s an autobiographical novel, as the author went through some of the same things the woman in the book did when she was diagnosed with a glioblastoma tumor. This one was hard for me to rate. I went into it blind and didn’t realize it was only 150 pages long. This made it hard to get really attached to the characters. I also didn’t realize it was autobiographical until the end. It’s touching & inspiring but hard for me to read. Reading about cancer gives me anxiety & I didn’t realize it was about all the author’s feelings surrounding her diagnosis. Overall I’m glad I read it and think the author was really brave to share her feelings about this very difficult subject. Thank you NetGalley for the digital copy. 3 1/2 stars rounded up.

Whew! Did not expect this at all.I was definitely cutting onions as I read this short book.So very different from her usual writing.Will definitely encourage someone going through cancer.
Thankyou Netgalley and Sophie Kinsella for this ARC

An amazing novella that had me sobbing yet filled with hope. I love Sophie Kinsella's books and I really hope she gets her happy ending. This book is based on her life yet it is fiction. However as a reader you can sympathize with what she really must be going through based on Eve's life. My own father died of cancer and this book really resonated with me. If you have ever read any Sophie Kinsella book, you have to read this book. I will warn you though bring the Kleenex but know that as heartbreaking as it is, it is filled with hope, strength, and love.

Thank you to Dial Press and NetGalley for this ARC.

Thank you to NetGalley, author Sophie Kinsella, and Random House for providing me with a copy of this heartwarming, poignant, life-affirming book. I’ve been a fan of Kinsella’s books for many years, and while this story is a departure from her usual lighthearted fare, it is deeply poignant. The book, which has a semi-autobiographical touch, mirrors Kinsella's own experience with an incurable brain tumor and the challenges of relearning basic skills.
Kinsella's bravery in sharing such a personal and painful journey is truly admirable. It’s a privilege how she shares insight into her fierce battle with cancer through her writing with her readers. The courage it takes to create such a work while prioritizing your health and family is immense, and it evokes deep respect for her resilience. Reading it brought to mind Princess Catherine and Celine Dion singing at The Olympics after revealing their private health battles. This book, infused with humor yet carrying a profound message, reminds us to embrace life fully and hold onto hope despite the uncertainties of tomorrow.
As author Kinsella writes, “Fate’s the boss. And there are no teasers. All we can do is wait and see what happens.”
I sincerely hope Sophie Kinsella feels the immense love and support from her readers. Her stories have brought so much joy into our lives. As a grateful reader, I want to express my heartfelt thanks to her. I have laughed and cried with her, and I wish her nothing but healing energy and peace. I encourage everyone to read this book; it will inspire you to cherish and make the most of the life you have. 4.5/5

Wow. The amount of emotion Sophie pulled out of me in 144 pages is wild. Reading this disjointed storyline made me so frustrated for Eve - the thought of having to have your husband tell you your terminal diagnosis over and over because you can’t remember? Just rip my heart out first.

Knowing how autobiographical this was made it harder for me to read. She fictionalized parts of it, but the general story is her own. The ending gave me hope and I think that’s what she was going for. I hope she can continue to write because I find her books so comforting.

This one was not comforting but I HIGHLY recommend it. I read it in one sitting and it brings you insight into her mind as she went thru the hardest time in her life. I think it’s a story everyone should read.

How do you rate somebody’s autobiography?? although Sophie Consella uses fictional characters, this is her story. And it’s heartbreaking. I loved everything about this book and I was sobbing at the end. Thank you Sophie, for allowing us to know what you went through and sharing this season of life with us.

Raw and honest! I'm so happy that it's a happy ending. This is her autobiography in many forms. It's a short but powerful read.

I would like to express my deep gratitude to Random House Publishing Group - Random House and NetGalley for their generosity in allowing me to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review

How did I nor realize how short What Does It Feel Like? would be?? Eve is a character that I want to spend more time with. As with all of Kinsella's characters (which given that she admits this is her most autobiographical work to-date...is Eve really even a "character"?), Eve is laugh-out-loud funny and brought many smiles to my face despite the serious subject matter. I loved how it was written in snippets, because it reminds me of how my brain works and how I write things down. My only complaint is that it was too short!!!

Thank you to Sophie for writing this book. It’s raw and inspiring and beautiful. Sharing and describing an absolutely devastating experience with grace and humor.

Total honesty - I love Sophie Kinsella's books and because of that I didn't really read what this novel was about. I just jumped right in and started reading and then realized that this book was very different then her normal books. However, major applause and admiration to Sophie Kinsella for her bravery and ability to share such a raw, powerful and deeply emotional time in her life. I loved the book. Its a quick read and worth every minute of it.

Another great SK book! This one was especially interesting (and heartbreaking) knowing it was based on Sophie's real life experience. So glad she's ok, and so thankful she let us in to this part of her life.

I love Sophie Kinsella, and this is a very personal, hopeful book. I enjoyed reading it immensely, and I was shocked that the author had gone through so much.

While a very serious subject, Kinsella makes most things easily readable with her light-hearted deft touch. I would recommend this title.

Story of Eve, a successful author, her daily struggles of her life changing diagnosis. What struck me is no matter how hard, how insanely difficult it is to overcome , she still has a sense of humor. The little bits of silliness, turning a struggle into a funny situation. We get a glimpse of her internal struggles and the private break downs. This is not a story of fiction but an autobiography of Sophie Kinsella and her way of telling her own story. Hard to read but appreciate the way she told it. Highly recommend!

Sophie Kinsella has written a humorous, heartbreaking novel. What Does It Feel Like? contains some of her classic humor and positivity, but also has an overwhelming theme of handling grief. This one really hits home as I've dealt with a cancer death within my family. This novella is so touching while also heartbreaking. It makes me contemplate my own life and the legacy I want to leave behind. I highly recommend this book. Thank you to NetGalley, the publishers for the free advanced reader's copy. All opinions are honest and mine alone. Thank you to Sophie Kinsella for adding humor, love, positivity to my life through your novels, and for sharing your creativity and bravery with us.

What a lovely, poignant novella. Kinsella gave the world a gift by letting us have this story, which feels incredibly personal to what she has shared with readers about her own experiences.

I went into this short book not knowing what to expect. I had forgotten to re-read the synopsis beforehand. The story is split into two part - “before” and “after.” Our story starts with Eve, an author, as she is finishing up a phone interview about her new book. Lacking motivation, she goes for a walk, when motivation strikes in the form of a gorgeous dress in a boutique. Completely dumping her current book, she writes an instant bestseller that gets picked up for a movie deal. As she is walking the red carpet with her husband and 5 children, she can’t help but reflect on how lucky in life she has been. Lucky in love, lucky in fertility, lucky in finances and lucky in her career… And that is where we end part one. If you sense some foreboding in that last part, you would be right. We begin part two with Eve awakening in a hospital bed. Unbeknownst to her, she has just undergone a major surgery to remove a cancerous tumor from her brain. Part two details Eve’s struggles with short-term memory loss, grief over learning of the odds of beating her cancer, the grueling radiation and chemotherapy, all while still trying to be present with her husband and children. This book gives you a real life account of living through one of the most terrifying things in life and her way of managing it. This book is written from the author’s own perspective as she was diagnosed with a brain tumor that turned out to be cancerous. I felt this book was very insightful and authentic. I enjoyed reading it and wish nothing but the best for the author.

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Sophie Kinsella's novella is very nearly a memoir; only a few key pieces have been changed according to the author's note. And that makes it all the more heartbreaking to read. "What Does It Feel Like?" would be a simple book to spoil, so I'll keep my review very high-level. Without going into too much detail, its main character is a writer very much like Kinsella who is dealing with a life-changing diagnosis, and the side effects cause her to relive her heartbreak over and over in a frustrating loop.

I couldn't imagine being in this character/author's position, but "What Does It Feel Like?" is so brave and real that it really answers the question in a brief glimpse into the life of Eve/Kinsella. It was a very fast read- almost too short- but knowing the circumstances, the brevity is understandable and the courage and effort to get down even the short book delivered must have been herculean.

Kinsella also offers us a brief glimpse into the lives of the characters around Eve who love her and are dealing with the devastation of her condition, but are also thrust into a position of needing to be very patient and very strong to support her.

"What Does It Feel Like?" is so different from Kinsella's other books. It is a short read, but it cuts deep, and the amount of time I spent thinking about it after finishing far surpassed the time I spent actually reading it. It's a hard book to get through, but it does have its tender moments, sweet and funny and touching moments that make it very human. While Eve's memory suffers throughout the story, I will remember Eve and this book for a long time.

Thanks to Random House Publishing Group and NetGalley for the advanced read.

It's hard to be critical of a piece of work that is majorly autobiographical. I guess I just wanted more to help me connect to the story. Overall, I enjoyed the short novella. I loved the mixed use of text, emails, and other communication besides what was happening in real time. I respect that her kids were primarily left out of the story, but it felt like that part of the narrative was missing for the audience. It made me struggle to connect to the narrative from a mother's perspective.

This short novella is unlike anything else Sophie Kinsella has written. It's sort of biography, sort of metafiction, about a successful author who is diagnosed with brain cancer, and how she deals with the aftermath of it, including her brain surgery and chemo and radiation treatments. In Kinsella's author's note she said that this book is very much based on her real life, as she was also diagnosed with brain cancer in 2022.

Wishing her speedy recovery! Her books are what keep me going from one terrible president to the next.