ninetalevixen's profile picture

ninetalevixen 's review for:

Sorry I Missed You by Suzy Krause
3.0

content warnings:
Spoilerageism, ableist language (incl. "cr*zy"), precanon loss of loved ones (sisters), mention of suicides by hanging, mention of cancer death


The relatively short chapters and POV switches keep the plot moving, though they also made it difficult for me to really connect with the characters. But then again, there didn't seem to be a ton to connect to, as they were all fairly standard archetypes: the grumpy/mean and often offensive technophobe old lady; the opinionated but mostly-well-meaning youngish woman; the kindhearted and seemingly naive university student. (Also the perpetual-bachelor landlord with the inability to view pretty woman as human beings, whose perspective/subplot I honestly could've done without.)

I think the premise is fascinating: the juxtaposition of possibly-literal ghosts and being ghosted; the cyclical connection between our experiences, emotions, and actions; the idea that people might enter our lives as part of a bigger picture; the question of whether we should give second chances. My main critique is the scene towards the end where
SpoilerSunna delivers a monologue about the take-home lessons of it all, which just seems entirely too heavy-handed, even patronizing — as though the author doesn't trust readers to draw their own conclusions
.

Overall, this almost has a [a:Fredrik Backman|6485178|Fredrik Backman|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1493098924p2/6485178.jpg] vibe, with its focus on a small cast in a small city/town and deceptively simple setup, though it's also very much what I would expect from a "chick lit" book, with its focus on (cis/straight/relatively well-off) women and their relationships. Which is not a total condemnation, just an acknowledgment of the bubble this book exists within. (And a large part of why I can't rate this any higher.)

-----------
CONVERSION: 7.8 / 15 = 3 stars

Prose: 5 / 10
Characters & Relationships: 4 / 10
Emotional Impact: 5 / 10
Development / Flow: 7 / 10
Setting: 4 / 10

Diversity & Social Themes: 2 / 5
Intellectual Engagement: 2 / 5
Originality / Trope Execution: 4 / 5
Rereadability: 3 / 5
Memorability: 3 / 5