Beverly Bonnefinche is Dead

Deserved a standing ovation and hype.

I had put TW all over this book despite its harmless cover. How many people around us are struggling with mental illness? Probably more than we are aware of. They are good at hiding and concealing. Do we understand them enough to dwell into their problems? Or how people's treatment reflects in their eyes and minds. This story dive into Beverly's mind and when I said dive, like really deep and focus only in her mind. And that's an interesting part of the main story concept. Instead of focusing on the plot itself, it changes to a different angle which is how Beverly's mind works.

I'm not going to go in deep into the mental health issues because as a person who didn't experience it, I think it is not my right to assume what they've been through. But I think there's a quote in the story that attracts me (which I don't remember and not a quote person) something along the lines of 'people with mental illness only think about themselves and not the people around them.' They can't take care of others when they can't take care of themselves. But they surely at some point will exhaust people around them whether they are sincerely there to help them or not. And you will end up sympathizing with both Beverly and Henry for their situation.

And not to mention the plot twist in the story is a TICKING BOMB. Or maybe a Mine yard. You're careful enough but suddenly there's a plot twist in front of you. And the experience is amazing, if that's the right expression!

This was a powerful book that hit so many themes that most authors stay clear of. I loved the characters and found the storyline gripping and emotional. Loved it

This is an achingly sad story told in a sympathetic voice. Ms. Seeley tackles some really tough subjects, such as attempted suicide, grief, child loss, and the many intricacies of mental illness. Please read the author’s trigger warnings in the beginning of the book if you’re in any sort of a fragile state of mind when you start the book.

Beverly knows she is quirky, introverted and tends to be very blunt, so when Henry shows an interest in her, she is gobsmacked. She slowly allows him into her life and she finally feels content. But when tragedy strikes, Beverly falls into a deep depression with no interest whatsoever in participating in life. Henry is forced to make some tough decisions in order to care for her. And Beverly herself is forced to come to terms with her illness and choose to either help herself or lose everything.

The author has found a beautiful way to tell a sad story. I was drawn in and thoroughly engaged in Beverly’s well-being, cheering for her to see that hope is around the corner, and crying for the circumstances she was in. I have mental illness in my family and see firsthand the struggles it can cause. It is a stigmatized and misunderstood illness. Shining a light on it, such as Ms. Seeley does, is brave and it is needed.

I highly recommend this five-star book. It is due to be published on September 5, 2023. Thank you, NetGalley and Rising Action Publishing Company for the advanced eARC.

Beverly Bonnefinche Is Dead (ARC)
by Kristen Seely (aka Marie Still)
Hits the shelves September 2023

📖 Quick summary: Beverly is perfectly content living with her parents, working at a quiet bookshop, and having coffee every morning with a man named Bill, who is houseless. But when Henry shows up at her bookshop and asks her on a date, Beverly finds herself stepping out of her introverted walls.

A series of events threatens to upend Beverly’s new life, and Beverly is forced to confront her greatest enemy: her mind.

🧐 My thoughts: While beautiful and emotional, please CHECK THE TRIGGER WARNINGS! This book deals with death and mental health in more ways than one, and if I hadn’t been prepared for it, this book would have absolutely wrecked me.

Seely (Still) approaches mental health and grief in such a profound way - she is gentle, yet she doesn’t sugarcoat. She writes Beverly as a character who isn’t always likable, but yet you’re still invested in her story and growth.

If you have a darker sense of humor, this book will probably make you laugh, and if you’ve ever been touched by grief or mental illness, you will feel a deep sense of connection with Beverly.

Read this if you love:
✅ great character development
✅ a character’s personal growth journey
✅ self-love over romantic love
✅ semi-unreliable narrators
✅ plot lines that tackle complicated or emotional subjects

‼️⚠️ Trigger Warnings ⚠️‼️ (non-exhaustive)
⚠️ mental health
⚠️ death (adult, child/infant)
⚠️ pregnancy and loss/stillbirth
⚠️ grief
⚠️ PPA/PPD
⚠️ Pica
⚠️ Self-harm
⚠️ Attempted Suicide
⚠️ Alcohol addiction

Thank you so much to Rising Action Publishing Co and NetGalley for an advance read in exchange for this review.

Beverly Bonnefinche loves only 3 things - her parents, her books, and a homeless man named Bill. She struggles with her mental health and has a peculiar coping mechanism. She slowly starts to change things as she meets a man named Henry that she starts to date and she also has a new best friend named Quinn. A series of events change things and she has to decide how she wants to live her life.

This book is filled with so many heavy topics. While there are moments of humor and joy, so much of Beverly's life is affected by her mental health. She's lucky to have people in her life who care about her. I liked reading about her take chances socially, and all the characters in the book help to make this story. The author writes about mental health in an honest and sensitive way. I was rooting for Beverly and it was hard to read about how much she struggled, as well as how those struggles affected those around her. Some of it was not easy to read but I so very much appreciate this book.

CONTENT WARNINGS:
Stillbirth, pregnancy loss, mental health, attempted suicide, suicidal ideation

Beverly Bonnefinche is Dead is a beautifully moving story about someone struggling with neurodiversity and mental health challenges. These topics are so often underrepresented in literature. If there are characters like Beverly they are often treated as the butt of jokes, or as someone to save through the ultimate kindness of the other neurotypical characters. In this novel Kristen Seeley treats Beverly with the utmost respect. She is not "less than" or "other". She is different for sure, but it is through embracing those differences and getting the support that she needs that she is able to save herself.
Along the way she certainly meets people who help her, embrace her and love her for who she is. The book highlights the importance of community and finding those who truly accept you for who you are. It does also touch on the frustrations of finding appropriate care and treatment for mental health issues. Too often a boiler plate solution is used, and as we see in this novel, that can have even worse effects than doing nothing at all.
I applaud Kristen Seeley for tackling these issues in such a realistic and compassionate manner. The book was wonderful, and Beverly's story will certainly stay with me.