Voracious and casual readers alike read the on-trend "The Measure" a few years ago and it was quite thought provoking, keeping lively conversations about how we shouldn’t know how long we have left. I can’t even imagine writing a review of “All the Perfect Days” without referring “The Measure,” and while this does have the same theme, it approaches the question in a much smaller way, more magical realism and less sci fi/ speculative fiction.

Charlie is a family doctor that has an episode in the first scene. Everything in his office and with his patient turn into grayscale, as if the world went into Black and White. When after a few minutes the world returns to normal, he sees the number 4. He doesn't yet put two and two together when that same patient dies 4 days later. Eventually he realizes that when he sees someone's number, that is how many days they have left to be alive. All the plot elements you would expect; someone with a larger number than you'd expect, someone with a much smaller number than you'd expect, and most of them being appropriate for the person's age.

There is a side love story about Charlie connecting with Gen- who quits her job to sell essential oils- and who Charlie is hesitant to get close to as he is expecting to move into Emergency Medicine far away. I wish we got to know Genny a little more, the narrative didn't tell us a lot about her and I would have liked that.

A few twists and changes to the story as Charlie tries to figure out how this works - how it happened- and should he or should he not- interfere with someone based on their number.

It is thought provoking for certain, and a classic twist on an old episode of The Twilight Zone- would you want to know how long you have left, and what would you do any differently? I think this book gives you all the alternatives, and enough space to decide for yourself what your answers are.

Thanks to @netgalley and @sourcebooks landmark for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. Book to be published May 21, 2025.

Michael Thompson’s All the Perfect Days is a poignant and beautifully crafted novel that delves into the complexities of love, loss, and the fleeting nature of perfect moments. With a lyrical and introspective narrative, this book is a testament to how fleeting moments can leave lasting impressions.

The story’s emotional depth is its greatest strength, drawing readers into the characters’ lives and their bittersweet journeys. Thompson’s prose is evocative and poetic, capturing the highs and lows of life with authenticity. The characters are flawed yet relatable, their struggles and triumphs resonating on a deeply personal level.

Set against a vivid backdrop, the settings feel as much a part of the story as the characters themselves, adding an atmospheric quality that enhances the emotional tone. While the pacing meanders at times, the reflective nature of the story allows readers to fully immerse themselves in its themes.

All the Perfect Days is a moving exploration of the human spirit—a reminder to cherish the perfect days, no matter how fleeting, and to find hope even in the face of heartbreak. This novel is perfect for readers who enjoy introspective and emotionally resonant fiction.

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

Family doctor Charlie Knight is in his late thirties, still playing tennis against the same people every Friday night. Still jogging the same streets every morning. Still treating the same patients every day—fixing the high blood pressure and arthritic knees of folks who’ve known him since he was a kid. But Charlie has a secret plan to escape. A plan to live the life he wants, even if the woman he was meant to do it with has left him behind.

But then Genevieve Longstaff comes back to their hometown, just as something extraordinary happens. Charlie begins to have a vision of the exact number of days a person has left until they die.

Charlie believes it’s a gift. It certainly seems like one—after all, he’s using it to help his patients, family and friends make the most of their to mend relationships, to travel, to retire. But this gift comes with awful consequences, and soon Charlie realizes there are things he doesn’t want to know—especially about the woman he still loves.

Loved it. will recommend to others

As a physician, Charlie is used to healing people. Even in those cases where he isn’t successful, he knows that he’s done all he can to help them. Being a small town doctor just means he’s that much closer to his patients. So when he starts to experience visions, he’s completely thrown off course. Because of these visions, he’s now able to see just how many days of living a person has left. Sometimes it’s many, many years. And sometimes it’s just a handful of days remaining. This leads him to avoid family and friends so that he doesn’t inadvertently get a glimpse into their futures. But that’s easier said than done. And he finds himself wondering if he can in some way affect the future as he’s seen it. This was an interesting premise for a book. The characters are intriguing, and the author has done a good job of weaving their stories together. And it leaves us with the question…How would you spend your time if you knew that your days were numbered?

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for providing this book, with my honest review below.

All the Perfect Days reflects on what a person might do if they could see how long those days around them had to live. Would it change how we treat them or what we tell them? Would we hold more closely those those that are leaving us but unintentionally neglect those that seemingly aren’t? Would it perhaps manifest a death that wouldn’t happen if we tell them?

These are questions I considered throughout the read, and some were answered for main character Charlie, but I do believe the point is to reflect on that for yourself. In this case Charlie, a doctor, can suddenly see how many days anyone he provides care for have left to live. This comes at an interesting time given Charlie has lived his life in suspension (in his eyes) for the past seven years to keep an eye on his mother, who doesn’t really speak to him. In a span of a few weeks Charlie not only believes in this strange occurrence but is faced with his past coming to a head while looking towards the future he thought he wanted. But everything pauses when Charlie believes his advice to a patient with one day left actually causes her death, quickly followed by change after change that leaves him wondering if he can believe himself.

I would like to not give too much away here but the story is thought provoking and I appreciated reading about the closure Charlie finds. I did find it left a lot of loose ends I would have liked explored with MaryAnn, Martin, Lorraine, and Abigail most of all. Perhaps this fits into the theme of life, and death, being unexpected and not tidy, but for such a concept to be introduced I expected something more significant to come with it. But then, I like things black and white in my reading and the beauty of this story is in the writing and ambiguity of the concept itself. I’d recommend this for readers along with the reflection on what you’d do if you could see someone’s days left to live.