Book Review: "A Dead Wife's Handbook"

"Today is my death anniversary. A year ago I was still alive"

I picked up this book by Hannah Beckerman a while ago and I was immediately really gripped, then exams got in the way and I had to enforce a reading ban (unless it was a Psychology textbook..). You may notice this is the first book review I've done on my blog, and well, simply because this book stood out to me and I'd highly recommend it as everyone can learn a life lesson or two from this book! The book, without giving ANYTHING away, tells the story from dead person's perspective, the main character, Rachel looks upon her old life and sees her husband and daughter live a lift without her.

A unique perspective - The narrative of this book is relayed by a dead person, now, that was one of the first things that drew me to this book. The idea of it could seem somewhat.. cheesy? But no, this is far from it and so beautifully written! Instead of purely a tale about grief from a grieving person's perspective, you gain insight to what it is like to have to accept your own death. While it may be hard for the living to adapt to life without a loved one, how should that person feel knowing and viewing their life move on without them and slowly seeing there is no longer a place for them in the living world.

The plot-  I normally like books that are shocking, and whilst elements of this book are somewhat predictable, it keeps you gripped you want to know how the problems of the characters are resolved and know the consequences of their, sometimes shocking, decisions.The bonds you build to the characters urges you to read on as you worry for their well-being and relationships with one another, as Rachel (the main character) does so herself.

The characters- Now, a book, in my opinion, is rubbish if you can't relate to the characters. This book is, by no exaggeration, one of the best books I've read for building up characters and making you feel as if they are alive. You learn to understand all the characters in this novel and information is revealed that, without giving anything away, makes you feel guilty for judging some characters intentions so quickly. 

Motherhood- A main theme that touched me throughout the book was motherhood, the struggle for a daughter losing her mother and a mother's despair at seeing her child suffer in her absence is heartbreaking. Despite not being a mother myself, the author allows you understand that the relationship between a mother and child is irreplaceable and how devastating the consequences are when it is removed.

The ending - Obviously I'm not going to spoil what happens at the end but I can say I'm happy with the ending, if you're an avid reader like myself, surely you understand that some endings leave you angry? Beckerman leaves you with questions about the characters lives but in a way that leaves the decision for you to make. I often feel unsatisfied with the endings, but this was so thought out and meaningful. All I can say is at the end of this book is you feel grateful for the life you lead and treasure what you have in your life and those around you. 

Overall, this was a great, quick read, I highly recommend it to anyone as I think it has a deep meaning that can relate to anyone. 

Hayley x