I don't think this a book that I'd usually pick for myself, but I ended up really liking it. My mom was the one to buy this book, and after reading and enjoying it, she gave it to me to read next. It probably would've stayed on my physical tbr for quite a while longer if it hadn't perfectly fit this reading challenge I'm a part of this month.

This book is overally extremely intense and depressing. Almost everything goes wrong in Jules' life, and even when his life is finally on the upswing, tragedy strikes again. However, the book somehow manages not to be too melancholic, there's also this hope for a good ending, for life to get better for Jules. Part of this comes from the way the story is told, we're introduced to Jules after the events of the book have taken place already, and we know he had a wife and kids, though not much more than that. While this doesn't necessarily mean he's happy now, it at least gave me some hope for his future, even when some parts of his story made it seem like that was impossible.

I liked the honesty of this book, and the fact that so many things remained clouded even by the end. This is especially true for the parents, who die early on in the book. They're shrouded in mystery to both Jules and the reader, and these mysteries never really get solved. It works to comment on the relationship between children and their parents, and Jules becomes more and more aware of this relationship as he grows older and has kids as well. Additionally, I loved the other family relationships in this story, especially between Jules and his siblings. Their relationship with each other is a tumultuous one, where they are constantly moving in and out of each other's stories. However, they always find their way back to each other, and are able to grow closer as they start to be honest with each other. I especially loved Liz, her way of living life and I enjoed seeing her deal with the pressure of being the oldest, the one supposed to look out for everyone. I also really loved Jules' and Alva's relationship, from friendship to strangers to more. There were always so many layers to the pair, caused both by Jules' and Alva's tough childhood as well as the advice Jules' father gave him early on in life, that there's one true friend out there for you and to never let them go.

Overall I really enjoyed this, even though it was a hard read at times. I think I'll definitely try to read more books like this!