I Hope This Finds You Well - Natalie Sue

⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

“I know I'm not supposed to think like this. It just feels like everyone else is moving forward with their lives, but I'm trapped behind this glass dome.”

Jolene is stuck at a dead end job she hates and is put into a mandatory HR course after her ranting about a coworker is exposed in an email. As she works to keep her job she needs to survive, she is surprised HR accidentally had given her access to everyone in the company’s emails.

I received this ARC from William Morrow and NetGalley! This book was giving “The Office” vibes with a kooky cast of characters. I loved the storytelling device of emails and slack messages, all through Jolene’s creeping. I was surprised to find myself rooting for Jolene, even if she was a bizarre and slightly troubled woman. I know I was supposed to find some of the humor funny but it didn’t totally hit. I felt like the whole book was waiting for Jolene’s charades to be discovered but the lies just got bigger by the day. Overall, I enjoyed this more than I expected to after just starting it.

I’ll cut to the chase. I loved this book! What I expected to be a litfic workplace comedy ended up being much deeper than that. This was laugh out loud funny, tender, wildly relatable, and sometimes sad. My emotions ran the gamut with this one. I would say this leans more contemporary than literary but I absolutely loved it. There is also a romance involved but it’s not the main plot point which I enjoyed. The romance aspect was also not at all cheesy in my opinion; it was very real and raw and sometimes awkward, more true to real life. I absolutely love stories like this that remind us that we all have more in common than it seems & that there is always more than meets the eye to a person.

For fans of: sarcasm & dry humor, the show The Office (or possibly Parks & Rec bc Jolene gives me Aubrey Plaza vibes), Fredrick Backman, stories about human connection, empathy, and the Persian American experience

Rating: 4.5 rounded up!

"I Hope This Finds You Well" by Natalie Sue is a literary gem that undoubtedly deserves to win Best Book of the Year! This captivating novel is an absolute must-read for anyone who has ever navigated the complexities of office life, wrestled with anxiety, or felt the pangs of loneliness and awkwardness.

From the very first page, Sue immerses readers in the authentic and often hilarious reality of office dynamics, family expectations, and the weight of harboring a life-altering secret. Her deft storytelling captures the essence of not only distrusting those around you but also the intricate journey of learning to trust yourself. The narrative masterfully balances moments of poignant introspection with laugh-out-loud humor, making it impossible to put down.

What sets this book apart is its heartwarming exploration of creating spaces of understanding and compassion for those around you. Sue's writing is not just wonderfully crafted; it's deeply resonant and relatable. The characters are vividly drawn, their struggles and triumphs echoing the reader's own experiences, creating a profound connection that lingers long after the final page.

"I Hope This Finds You Well" is not just a novel; it's an essential read that everyone should experience. It's a testament to the power of empathy, self-discovery, and the unbreakable human spirit. A heartfelt thank you to NetGalley for the Advanced Reader Copy. This book is a treasure, and Natalie Sue's storytelling brilliance deserves every accolade.

I have so much love for this book because it just filled me up with so much emotion and appreciation. It is a magical debut and I honestly can't ask for anything more from it. For me, it's just one of those books that stick with you in every way.
From the writing to the narration to the plot itself, it all encompasses my favorite things in a contemporary lit novel. There's humor, there's emotion, there's complicated families, identities, and supporting characters. There's deep, poetic emotion that's handled with so much fragility and care, but it's balanced with a story that moves and keeps you hooked.
Jolene as a narrator is written marvelously. Her personality was so absorbing to me, maybe because I related strongly to the immigrant experience and her anxiety, maybe because she was real and funny - every aspect of her character, down to every flaw, was a match for me as a reader. And that's honestly one of my favorite things about reading books like these. Finding yourself reflected in the pages in ways you could never imagine. It's wild how words and characters help you feel things about yourself you were never able to before.
My favorite aspect about this novel might be the premise of it. The secretive email reading and spying is such a clever way to develop the characters and the story. It fits right in with the ensemble of characters in Jolene's life and reminds me strongly of a perfect sit-com. Truly, there were moments in this novel that actually, genuinely, had me laughing out loud. Then seconds later, I could feel angry or sad for the next shift in the novel. It's a powerful thing for a book to resonate with you this much, and while it may not hit as hard for everyone, for me, this book was an embodiment of why I love literature so much. I felt seen and heard not just by the characters, but by the writing style and plot events. I loved every minute of it -- especially the creative and silly chapter names. If I had to ever describe a book that is literally my personality, it would be this, hands down.

Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to read an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!
Rating: 5/5

Have you ever wanted to read a co-worker's mind? If you've ever worked at an office and understood the complexity of workplace dynamics, I highly reccomend this book. Each of the characters in it was described in such a beautiful way, and I knew instantly which character would be which co-worker from my past jobs and workplaces. It describes the nuance I feel as an employee so well! I laughed, I cried, I felt understood! This book makes me smile and I've already purchased a copy for a former co-worker turned friend! Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book!

What would you do if you suddenly had access to your co-workers' interoffice messages and emails? Would you read them? Would you tell anyone?

I Hope This Finds You Well both broke me and had me cackling out loud! I don't think I've been this invested in a character and her life in a looong time. Now when I'm asked, "What fictional character would you like to befriend in real life?" My answer - Jolene!! She is hilarious and snarky, and I loved every second of it!

I Hope This Finds You Well is a heartfelt debut about ordinary people in ordinary circumstances. And I don't mean "ordinary" in a negative way. Honestly, that is the perfection of this book! I adored the simplicity and layered complexity of this story.

Natalie Sue breathes life into characters we both love and loathe. Anxiety-ridden, second-guessing Jolene? Loved! Witty, cinnamon roll Cliff? Loved! Their boss? Loathed. "As a person, he's like the human embodiment of an internet comments section." Couldn't have said it better myself! And seriously, don't we all know someone like this???

My heart is just happy after reading this book.

Read this if you like:
•  books that hilariously explore interoffice politics
•  books with flawed but lovable characters
•  Satire/Humorous fiction with a little romance

I enjoyed this debut novel so much! If you work in or have worked an office job, I believe you will, too! It’s funny, relatable, and also has deeper themes that give the book layers, and have you rooting for the main character. I highlighted so many lines that literally hit the nail on the head of office life and made me laugh out loud!

The story is about Jolene, an employee of Supershops who doesn’t have the best relationships with her colleagues, and starts with her getting caught sending hidden messages in her emails about how she really feels about them - honestly don’t we all want to do this at times LOL! After getting put in sensitivity training and having her computer slightly monitored by IT, she somehow gets access to everyone’s emails. From there, Jolene is able to get a leg up in hopefully saving her job in an upcoming round of layoffs. What could possibly go wrong?

The book highlighted the importance of mental health, belonging and connection, and how we don’t always know what others are dealing with. At the beginning, I was cringing at Jolene, but as her character developed I was rooting for her!

Thank you Net Galley and William Morrow Books for the Advanced Readers Copy!

I absolutely adored this book! It was highly relable but also had some serious insight into corporate culture. Sue writes grief and trauma well and expertly wove it into the plot. I love how Jolene’s character morphed throughout the story and she tried to use her inside information for the greater good. The office culture was fantastically flawed and it was enjoyable seeing everyone’s different priorities. This truly had a mix of so many things and would be a great read for anyone!

This was such a funny, sweet, well-executed book. I knew from the first couple of pages that I would love it. Jolene was an unlikeable FMC but I really enjoyed that and found myself being so amused by her personality and actions.

Cliff being the sunshine to her grumpy was also enjoyable to read. Their relationship had good pacing from beginning to end. It felt realistic and I supported all the decisions that were made by them both towards their futures.

I cackled throughout the story but I also liked the tender moments that arose as more was revealed about each character. The novel showed that people are really dynamic beings and we never really know what goes on behind the scenes.

I Hope This Finds You Well by Natalie Sue
If you are a donut lover, this book is for you.
If you were a weirdo in high school, or in the work place, or especially now, this book is for you. Seriously, all the people that feel weirdness in their hearts need to read this book.

This is a slower moving story with a deep dive into a character that feels completely and butterfly invisible and unseen. But when she is seen is deemed weird and unlikable. It takes place largely in the workplace and so many can relate.

“It shouldn’t be this hard to remain neutral with people. But trust Supershops Incorporated to turn a desk job into an air conditioned version of Survivor, complete with alliances and betrayals.”

The story is laugh out loud funny, like The Office, and also deeply heartfelt like Superstore.

4.5

Thank you net galley and publisher for this ARC. I was initially really interested in this plot. I found the main character to be a little annoying at first, but it was nice to see how things ended for her. I was hoping for a little bit more office humor, but I liked the message at the end for all the coworkers.

Thank you to NetGalley and Willam Morrow Books for an Advanced Reader Copy in exchange for an honest review.

3.5- I think this book does a great job of demonstrating how trauma impacts people and what happens when they get stuck. There were some very on the nose observations about office and corporate culture that I think anyone who has worked in a corporate environment can relate to. I think this book is falsely advertised as a comedy, it was not funny at all and was definitely more of a drama, so that changed my expectations going in. That being said, I enjoyed it more than I thought I would after getting over the fact that it was not funny.

I literally laughed out loud. I cringed. I cried. I loved this book SO much. 10/10

I’m also cracking up because I KNOW this won’t be for everyone… but it was most definitely for me. It’s like The Office meets The Mindy Project meets.. A Man Called Ove. And I am obsessed. SO witty. SO funny. SO awkward. SO heartfelt.

Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC!

This one was a bit of a miss for me. While it 100% captured what it is like to work a cubicle job, especially with people you don't like or have any interest in getting to know outside of work (or even inside work) overall it was kind of boring.

The main character Jolene was 33 but felt more 18-19 with her being childish and awkward. I sort of wished the book focused more on her reading the emails and using them as the "cheat sheet" for her job because that was quite entertaining. I found parts of the book quite funny but unfortunately it did not find me well.

I could relate to Jolene though as I feel I am socially awkward at time and I felt that translated well in the book.

Was reading a story about a woman who spies on her colleagues in an office setting on my 2024 bingo card? Absolutely not. Was I actually surprised to really enjoy this book by the end? Absolutely.
At the beginning of this book, I couldn't really stand Jolene, and she was making me not want to read this book. I kept going though because I hate not finishing a book, I need to know how it turns out. I'm so glad I didn't let my distate for her stop me, because this was a great book overall and I really enjoyed it. Jolene became such a a great character, and it shows you just how much you don't know what's going on in another's life. Great read for sure!

Thank you NetGalley and William Morrow publishing for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this book! It was such a fun read and I felt like I was experiencing the office gossip right along with the characters. It had a little bit of everything; personal and professional growth, love story, office life, drama, and mystery all in one. I think most people can connect in some way with the story. The drama kept me so engaged and I blew through this book so quickly wanting to know what would happen next.

I loved this book! Easily one of my top reads of 2024 so far.
And what a surprise it was -- a snarky, witty comedic take on office culture that gradually evolves into the story of a young woman who must face her own demons of anxiety and depression as she learns to see the pain in the people around her.
Both a funny AND emotionally deep book that shows you the secrets we all hide from those around us - and ourselves.
Quick synopsis: 'An admin worker (Jolene) accidentally gains access to her colleagues’ private emails and DMs and decides to use this intel to save her job.'
Author Natalie Sue beautifully writes Jolene. You empathize with her difficulty navigating social situations and how she copes with the trauma of her past. As Jolene learns more about her coworkers that she detests, she begins to realize the power of people connecting and sharing their lives with each other. I felt my heart expanding as the secrets her coworkers kept were revealed; this book impacted my personal life, reminding me that every person I interact with is fighting their own battle.
Highly recommend!

The publisher's recommendation for fans of The Office drew me in but unfortunately also threw me off. The tone of humor and Canadian setting I think align this more with the UK original than the American version the comparison brought to my mind.

What really made this hard to get into, however, was the protagonist. She is so severely antisocial, it's not relatable... even with my own anxiety disorder, I struggled to sympathize with her. I was prepared for Michael Scott and Dwight Schrute-like antics... not for someone who believes coworkers saying "good morning" is a capital offense. She goes through some much needed character development, but I question whether these traits needed to be so extreme in the beginning.

The latter half of the book is both more entertaining and more heartfelt. The whole story is a very fast read. But its attempt to stand in both the workplace satire camp and the very serious mental health issues camp make it struggle with both — I can think of better examples in both categories. This is sadly not a star.

This is a hilarious yet serious take on what it means to work in a place where you barely get along with your coworkers. Add in the hilarity of immigrant culture, quasi-matchmaking, fake engagement and you are in for a jolly ride.

This is a deep yet humorous read where things are not what they appear to be and where everything should not be taken at face value. I loved the mental health representation and the diversity.

Jolene had me from hooked from start to finish with her antics, thoughts and how often she was misunderstood by others.

I love how relatable the characters are. We have all probably worked with one or two of them. I enjoyed the office politics, gossip, backstabbing and corporate shenanigans.

2.5 stars rounded up.

I Hope This Finds You Well follows Jolene, an office assistant who is failing at her job, has no interpersonal relationships and sits home and drinks at night. She has suffered trauma from high school and has not dealt with that trauma yet. She gets put on a performance plan after management finds out she is writing nasty messages on her emails in white print to her colleagues. She has to take a HR course with the new HR guy who slowly becomes her friend.

People have raved about this book, but it was not for me. I did not find it funny, nor did I find the premise interesting. The book is filled with cliche after cliche and you know where everything is going to go. To be fair, I found it YA in style, even though it was about someone in their early 20s. YA does not work for me. A book that is getting a lot of love, so it might be for you, especially if you are OK with YA.

Thank you @bookclubgirl and @harpercollins for a free e-arc in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are honest and my own.