Cover Image: I'm Sorry You Feel That Way

I'm Sorry You Feel That Way

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Member Reviews

Wow ! This read completely captivated me from the first page to the last
I couldn’t resist devouring this in one sitting

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I felt really privileged to get a first read of book as I now spot it in every bookshop I trip and fall into.
The cover caught my attention when selecting this read and the story within its pages did not disappoint.
Whilst not the world's most earth shattering premise, the actual story was fresh and told with humour and emotion.

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I "liked" the exploration of mental health rep in this book, showing family dynamics and the complexities of mental illness, loneliness, depression, and the part that family dysfunctionality can play on mental health too

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I can’t believe it’s taken me so long to get to this book because it was so amazing!!! It was such a simple yet conflicting story that was still light and heartwarming. It’s such a shame I fell of the face of the earth while this book was still an ARC but I will definitely be recommending it to everyone now that I’m back on in the book reviewing game.

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A brilliant novel about a dysfunctional family as they navigate mental health breakdowns, emotional coldness and difficult relationships. The characters are so well drawn and there’s both tragedy and humour in their lives. The novel begins at Aunt Katy’s funeral where it emerges there’s a rift between Hanna and her sister and their neurotic mum Celia. Each chapter delves into the family’s past exploring what has led to their fractious relationships.

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Family dynamics are always fascinating. I look at my own family and I have to laugh at who talks to who, who doesn't talk to who, who the black sheep are (yes are, it’s a big family) and who has these annoying foibles that we just let be. Every family has a dynamic that is unique to them. This is the crux of Rebecca Wait's I'm Sorry You Feel That Way. It is about the nuances that all families have and how they can impact you on a daily basis.

The dynamics for Alice and Hanna parallel their mothers relationship with her sister and overall the matriarch seems to filter down her "special ways" which impact the rest of the family. It is such an interesting story, especially with the multi generational perspective.

I honestly didn't expect to enjoy I'm Sorry You Feel That Way as much as I did. This one will linger with me for a while.

I'm Sorry You Feel That Way by Rebecca Wait is available now.

For more information regarding Quercus (@QuercusBooks) please visit www.quercusbooks.co.uk.

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Bittersweet, funny and tender exploration of mental health and family dynamics.

The story opens at a funeral, providing an opportunity to bring the characters together and unveil the family conflict, before moving around timelines and perspectives to understand how the impasse arose.

Well observed, believable and moving.

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Following two dysfunctional sisters as they reconnect, Wait’s novel explores how generations pass down trauma to their children and how that impact can last forever. As Larkin said, ‘they fuck you up, your mum and dad.’ - if you’re not sure that that’s true, read this novel.

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I really enjoyed this book about sibling relationships and family dynamics! I found both Alice and Hanna to be realistic characters who I enjoyed reading about. There were some funny moments and lines that did well to balance the more serious themes. I definitely agree that fans of Sorrow and Bliss would enjoy this novel.

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Rebecca Wait's I'm Sorry You Feel That Way is funny and moving exploring family relationships with brilliant characters.
3 stars.

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I really enjoyed this. It's funny, dark and twisty. The relationship between Alice and Hanna was so fascinating and kept me guessing until the end. The representation of mental health was really interesting, complex and different. I'm definitely excited to see what Rebecca Wait writes next.

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I’m Sorry You Feel That Way is a first book by Rebecca Wait that I’ve read and I didn’t really know what to expect. I usually like books about family dynamics and relationships so decided to give it a go. I can’t say this was a gripping read but it was engaging. Some parts of the story were more interesting than others, and some characters better drawn out. I found the writing irritating, with constant jumping in tenses, at times 3 in the same sentence! Overall, a decent story but not a particularly memorable one.

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Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book. I enjoyed the writing style and characters. A good read!

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This book was an absolute surprise to me. It's not really like anything else I've read before although it absolutely has notes of other books I've loved including Wally Lamb's 'She's Come Undone', Meg Mason's 'Sorrow and Bliss' and Emily Austin's 'Someday Everyone in this Room Will Be Dead'. Wait's writing style grabbed me at once. As soon as I started reading the scenes at the wake I was gripped by the wry humour and the multi-layered storytelling. This book is like someone with a really dry sense of humour telling you a story, leaving you unsure when to smile and when to just nod solemnly and express concern.

My review for this will be relatively short (by my standards at least) because in trying to recommend the book to others I have repeatedly learned that I simply cannot verbally articulate it in its entirely. The strength of the book lies, for me, in the characters. Not only are they well drawn but they're also very individual, particularly Celia. The book explores mental health and perhaps, though not explicitly, neurodiversity through two generations of women. Wait treads a delicate line between naming illnesses and leaving characters completely unsure why they feel different. Additionally she explores the culture of secrecy and shame around mental illness and how that manifests in family history and alters over generations.

The story weaves between past and present, starting with Celia as a young child and ending with her own children growing up and leaving home. The storytelling is deft, managing to switch between times and places while keeping true to following the inner lives of each character. Though the story revolves around an event only revealed to the reader near to the end of the book, there's no sense of powering through to get to the end. Instead the story is paced gently and there's plenty of time to truly get to know each character.

Though I had a soft spot for Alice, I found Celia the most intriguing character. We get to know her over such a vast swathe of her life that the reader can't help but try to put 2 and 2 together and try to understand how she became who she is. Celia is such a contradiction of both wanting and repelling love that she's totally compulsive reading. I couldn't help but care for her even though I thought her behaviour was often unforgiveable and genuinely baffling.

As I said, it's hard really to pin down the story or 'hook' of this novel as it's really more about exploring relationships over time. Ultimately though it's a story about one family over two generations and how miscommunication and mental health have shaped their lives and experiences. Highly recommend.

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This is a story about family, mental health, healthy and unhealthy relationships, loneliness and love.
Having a glimpse into the past of the mother, and the present of her twin girls and boy Michael, this book shows how trauma and life experiences can really affect your future and everyone around you.
It was a slow star for me but then I got gripped by the stories of all these beautiful and messed up people (except for the mum who isn’t that beautiful of a person).
Thank you NetGalley , the publisher and the author for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

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Such a lovely and heartbreaking story of a dysfunctional family written in such a painstakingly beautiful and poetic way.

The book gives an insight into a family's fractured relationships and their attempts to mend them, the impact of struggle, grief, loss has on the entire family. And how the load of a difficult childhood follows you for the rest of your life. Told from multiple viewpoints, and of very contrasting personalities, though it can be tricky to read, it is fascinating to view both the relatable and unbelievable events shaping their childhood, and therefore them now

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Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for the ARC to review. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It is funny, moving, and incredibly character-driven. There is definitely more introspection than plot, but that works for me.

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I absolutely loved The View On the Way Down by the author so was thrilled to get the opportunity to read I'm Sorry You Feel That Way.
It's a novel about siblings Michael, Alice and Hanna and their dysfunctional parents. Their mother Celia had her own difficult childhood and the impact of this reverberates down the generations.
Wait writes so beautifully and I was completely immersed in the lives of Alice and Hanna particularly. The characterisation is strong and so believable and Wait draws you into the relationships between the siblings and their mother. Celia is a monstrous figure but portrayed with real understanding, so the reader gets a real sense of how she became this way. The portrayal of mental health issues is done with real sensitivity. The writing just flew off the page and there's a dark humour underlying it.
An immersive read and I feel bereft now I've finished it.
It was almost a 5 star read but I found the party scene unnecessary, and it didn't flow or fit in with the structure of the novel for me.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this digital ARC.
4.5 stars rounded up.

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A gem of a book which made me smile, laugh and cry. I didn't want it to end.

So relatable and such great characters. I loved following the relationships within this dysfunctional family as they navigate life and all the challenges it brings. The difficulty is interwoven with comedy and each chapter unravels the family’s history and what has led them to their current reality.

Definitely want to read more by Wait! Sequel please!

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Apologies, I got locked out my account and have only just got back in so it would be completely unfair of me to try and review a title archived months ago.. It was also archive back in July so I am unable to review.

Thanks to the publisher and my apologies I was unable to read/review this in time,

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