Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing for this ARC of What Does It Feel Like?

Wow, how does anyone rate this less than 5 stars? I went in knowing this short story was a fictionalized retelling of Kinsella’s experience which made it even more heartbreaking, but it was a raw and real story that felt like getting a glimpse of a good friend’s diary. I am thankful it ended with there being hope.

Eve (Sophie Kinsella) gives advice on how to write a book. “Write what you know and do it convincingly.” She does exactly this in this brutally honest and brave memoir. Before, told in anecdotes and brief snippets is the story of a happily married successful author with five children who accompany her to movie premieres. “I feel lucky” she thinks. Then comes After. After is a groundhog day experience where Eve wakes up and asks the same questions over and over. Where her friends and relatives take care of the children so her husband can stay at her side, patiently answering those questions. After is hearing her husband, fighting back tears, say that yes, it is cancer each time she asks again. And After is googling Stage 4 Glioblastoma. Luck ends here.

At a brief 144 pages, What Does it Feel Like may be Sophie Kinsella’s best book ever. It is soul-ripping, funny, tragic and very, very real. “And right at that moment, this is her only aim in life, the only happy ending she wants. Just to keep going.” Thank you Sophie Kinsella. 5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley, Random House Publishing Group - Random House and the amazing Sophie Kinsella for this ARC.

Sophie is so special to me so naturally I had to get my hands on her fiction autobiography. I cried the whole way through and loved the happy for now ending. It only took about an hour to read and of course I’d have liked more but I get why it was so short. Shes amazing & I hope to read more from her soon

I hesitated to request this novel off NetGalley and then after further thought I came to the conclusion of "Well, maybe it's time."

My brother passed away from brain cancer (glioblastoma) in 2012, the same illness that Sophie Kinsella was diagnosed with in 2022. Ever since then, I've refused to read any book that discusses cancer whether that be a thriller, horror, or contemporary fiction.

I requested What Does It Feel Like because I never took the time or the opportunity to discuss my brother's illness with him at a deeper level. I didn't discuss fear, anger, disappointments or frankly, funerals.

I picked up Kinsella's memoir told via fictionalized, Eve. In it we read about how Eve's tumor caused short term memory problems and her perseverance through physical therapy. She describes a determination that most of us might not be able to grab onto after a diagnosis of cancer. The story is filled with honesty and vulnerability. I had moments where I was fighting tears because I just didn't want to give cancer (whether that of my brother or Kinsella's) one more ounce of emotion. Sections that were particularly hard included a bucket list, anger, and funeral planning.

Sophie Kinsella's books came into my life at a time when I had little energy to read a deep and lengthy novel. Her Shopaholic series made me laugh while I was getting up with babies (yes, twins) in the middle of the night and they enabled me to still felt part of the bookish community.

Sophie Kinsella ends her novel discussing the happy endings in novels and what happy endings look like for all of us. We all just keep going trying to tackle the chores or journeys ahead of us. She wishes us well and we reply in the same manner to her. "Thank you Sophie for the literary journeys you brought us on. Well done."

Eve (Sophie Kinsella) gives advice on how to write a book. “Write what you know and do it convincingly.” She does exactly this in this brutally honest and brave memoir. Before, told in anecdotes and very brief chaptersRandom House Publishing Group - Random House is the story of a happily married successful author with five children who accompany her to movie premieres. “I feel lucky” she thinks. Then comes After. After is a groundhog day experience where Eve wakes up and asks the same questions over and over. Where her friends and relatives take care of the children so her husband can stay at her side, patiently answering those questions. After is hearing her husband, fighting back tears, say that yes, it is cancer each time she asks again. And After is googling Stage 4 Glioblastoma. Luck ends here.

At a brief 144 pages, What Does it Feel Like may be Sophie Kinsella’s best book ever. It is soul-ripping, funny, tragic and very, very real. “And right at that moment, this is her only aim in life, the only happy ending she wants. Just to keep going.” Thank you Sophie Kinsella. 5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley, Random House Publishing Group - Random House and the amazing Sophie Kinsella for this ARC.

"What Does It Feel Like" is a novella that had me hooked from the very beginning. It was emotional and heartwarming. I highly recommend this book!

Thank you NetGalley for this advanced copy.
I have always been a huge Sophie Kinsella fan and have always waited for her books to come out!
This was is different- but in an amazing way. Sophie is such a brave woman and author to tell her story in such a way. There are so many emotions at every level. And then I had to keep reminding myself that this is her story! Bravo, Sophie. This will stay with me for a long time.

For some reason, I didn't realize that this book was only 144 pages. That totally threw me off, but with that said, this novella was amazing! I met Sophie Kinsella at a book signing several years ago in NY. I was so sad to hear back in April 2024, that she was diagnosed with a brain tumor. This book is an autobiography of her story starting at the time of diagnosis. While it was heartbreaking, it also had moments of humor. Throughout the whole book, you can see the love that her family and her have for each other. Such a great little book!

A big thank you to Random House and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Sophie Kinsella is an author that's been with me ever since Confessions of a shopaholic came out. As a fashion student, it was mind blowing to read a book and feel so very seen by a character and Kinsella's writing style was just perfection for this genre.

That being said, reading this book was very emotional. And yet I feel grateful to have read it. I enjoyed the different writing style, it felt so very appropriate in this case. 💚

Although part of the title of this book is “A Novel”, as the author explains in an Afternote, it is mostly autobiographical, with some names and dates changed, but otherwise a reflection of the author’s recent experience.

Sophie Kinsella was diagnosed with a glioblastoma brain tumor in 2022, and subsequently underwent surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and a great deal of rehabilitation. She decided to write about her journey through disease and recovery, because it is what she knows now, and because her writing is “her happy place.” It is for her readers as well.

As she explains through her fictional character Eve Monroe, she has the most aggressive form of brain tumor, one that only 25 per cent of patients survive more than one year past diagnosis, with a median survival time 14 months.

So she tells us some of what she has gone through - but never in a depressing way; rather, it is in her trademark light, self-deprecatory style. She writes of her love for her family and their incredible support for her; her struggle with rage and guilt over her bad luck; her gratitude for all of her previous good luck; and the irony of how, unlike when she writes fiction, she cannot determine the outcome or be in charge of the universe. She writes: “Fate’s the boss. And there are no teasers. All we can do is wait and see what happens.”

Her only aim now, she avers, is just to keep going: “She’s been super-lucky in life . . . then super-unlucky . . . so maybe the next swing will be towards luck.”

Evaluation: This brave, warm, at times funny, and ultimately optimistic thinly-veiled biography is like a love letter to all of Kinsella’s fans. And readers will love her back for it, more than they already have for all she has given to them through her work. I am so grateful she could return to her writing after her ordeal, and hope she remains in her "happy place" at for as long as possible. Fans will not want to miss this heart-felt offering.

Thank you net galley and publisher for this ARC. I’ve been reading books by Sophie Kinsella for so long. I found this story so vulnerable and real. Thanks for sharing your journey.

I urge anyone who is a diehard Kinsella fan, and finds the writing style awkward, to push through! There's a reason it's written the way it is, and the author's note at the end answered every question I had. You can feel her healing through her written words, and I wish her a very happy ending as well.

I have read Sophie Kinsella for so long that I feel like I know her personally and this book delves deeper than ever. What Does It Feel Like? Is Kinsella’s most autobiographical story to date.

Eve is a successful novelist who wakes up one day in a hospital bed with no memory of how she got there. Her husband, never far from her side, explains that she has had an operation to remove the large, malignant tumor growing in her brain.
As Eve learns to walk, talk, and write again—and as she wrestles with her diagnosis, and how and when to explain it to her beloved children—she begins to recall what’s most important to her: long walks with her husband’s hand clasped firmly around her own, family game nights, and always buying that dress when she sees it.

The writing style of this one is so so so unique and is written in brief anecdotes, each one is an attempt to answer the type of impossible questions recognizable to anyone navigating grief. This one may be short (sitting at just over 100 pages) but boy it packs a punch. And while it may be a heavier topic; we still see our beloved Kinsella charm, quick whit and sense of humour sprinkled throughout.

I really enjoyed this and highly recommend it.

This review is based on an ARC of What Does It Feel Like? which I received courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher (Random House/Dial Press).

I've been a Sophie Kinsella fan going on a decade now. What Does It Feel Like? is unique to Kinsella's bibliography in that it is autobiographical, or, rather, a fictionalization of her own story. The writing, pacing, and plot are familiar of this author, though with a little twist; this novella leans more toward snapshots or vignettes of chapters as opposed to a full-fledged timeline. Alongside the theme of amnesia, however, I find that this piecemeal style works well.

Knowing that Eve's story is Sophie's own story--struggles, triumphs, worries and all--made the emotion of the story flare just that much more. You never really realize how real fiction is until you are faced by a true story... My heart broke for Eve, for Sophie, for all those who have to face something as terrifying and uncertain as a terminal diagnosis. What Does It Feel Like? moved me.

And yet, with typical humor and sparkle, Kinsella also made me laugh, inspired, showed what strength, determination can look like. As a person with many of my own struggles--medical and otherwise--Kinsella always reminds me that happiness is a choice. It may not be easily attainable, but if we are determined enough, there is always joy to be found.

Thank you so much for sharing your story, Madeleine <3

Sophie Kinsella is one of my favorite authors. She gets 5 stars for the joy she has brought me. Her books get me through tough times. I wish her and her family all the best.

I think I have read every one of Sophie Kinsella's books. I can always count on her for a laugh and feel good story. I am so thankful I got to read her new novella, What Does It Feel Like. It is the fictional version of her personal story of going through the diagnosis of a fatal brain tumor. I read it in one sitting. Thank you Sophie for sharing this story and for all your other work through the years. Prayers to you and your family. ❤️

If you have ever enjoyed a novel by Sophie Kinsella, if you've laughed out loud at the antics of her characters, if you appreciate Kinsella's wisdom and wit, this book is for you. Heart-broken and heartbreaking, realizing the truth behind this novel reminded me of what a gifted writer is Kinsella. She could have delivered this news with a press release and let it be, but she obviously loves her readers and wanted share in a unique way. That she had the strength to write this will forever astound me.

Thanks to Dial Press and NetGalley for allowing me to read this arc in return for an honest review.

Thank you for the opportunity to read this. I’ve always enjoyed the author’s work and this is no exception. I didn’t realize this was a novella when I started reading it, but it really worked perfectly. This is a semi-autobiographical story about Eve, who wakes up in the hospital and doesn’t remember what has happened. As the reader, we feel for Eve as she struggles to remember her kids, has to relearn how to walk, and even something as silly as remembering the lyrics to Christmas carols. Even thought it’s a very heavy subject, there are still light-hearted moments. I highly recommend reading this!

I didn’t know. I was dying to read Sophie Kinsella’s latest book because I thought it would be written in the same style as her others. I was ready for comedy, romance, her “I Love Lucy” style of antics and goofiness. Instead, I learned that this book is different. It is her personal story of her cancer journey after being diagnosed with a brain tumor. It is still hopeful ad witty and fun. It is just also heartbreaking and sad. As one of her biggest fans, I am sending prayers for a total recovery. Her books are a gift to the world.

thank you to netgalley, random house publishing group, and the dial press for this arc!! WHAT DOES IT FEEL LIKE? publishes on october 8, 2024.

REVIEW ↡
sophie kinsella is one of my top favorite authors of all time, so getting the chance to read an early copy of this book was such a dream come true for me!!!

while this is a fiction novel, it is hugely inspired by sophie’s life and experience being diagnosed with glioblastoma. her writing and ability to capture such depth in just over 100 pages was really impressive. i was fond of how she drew parallels with her own life in such clever ways, like how she mentioned the SHOPAHOLIC series and other familiar anecdotes. this story is heartbreaking, but also offers warmth, comfort, and humor. i really enjoyed it and highly recommend reading it!!