Brilliant! When I finished this book, I didn’t know whether to laugh or ugly cry. Both? Sophie Kinsella is one of my favorite authors. It is terrible that she must go through this. She is such a talented writer and hopefully, keeping to her craft, in whatever form it takes, will see her through. I feel honored that she chose this novella to tell her story. Thank you NetGalley for providing the ARC.

Thank you for this e-arc. I really enjoyed this book. It was really quick, but novellas always feel that way. This follows an author who is going through the best parts of her life. Her book is being made into a movie when she wakes up in the hospital. The story becomes something completely different. I loved the author's note at the end and it gave this book a whole other perspective.

I had no idea what this book was about, but it was an unexpected story that touched my heart. A friend’s brother was diagnosed with GBM 15 years ago, and he is blessed enough through amazing doctors and trials to be still living a wonderful life even today. How brave of her to write about her struggles, and share so openly. Kinsella has always been one of my favorite authors, and remains at the top. I loved her variety in delivery. From emails, to first person, to notes, and third person. Very quick read. I couldn’t put it down! I look forward to following Kinsella’s books for years to come.

*A sincere thank you to the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for providing the advance copy of this book in exchange for an unbiased review.*

Eve is a successful writer married to a wonderful man and the mother of 5 children. When she wakes up in the hospital, she is confused why she is there. It turns out that she had a large tumor removed from her brain. The doctors are testing it. But now, she needs therapy to help get her body moving again and to help her memory.

The story follows as she learns she has cancer - glioblastoma. It is a terminal cancer and now she will have chemotherapy and radiation. The story follows as she accepts her illness and worries how her children will handle it.

I must say this was a shocking story and one that sent chills down my spine. Sophie Kinsella has long been a favorite actor of mine and knowing she too has been ill like this is a total shock. May God bless her and her family.

Copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

All the love for Sophie Kinsella's autobiographical novella. Heartbreaking, beautiful, hopeful, and soul fulfilling... I will recommend this book to everyone.

Thank you, NetGalley, the publisher and mostly the author for the inside peek at this novel.
Sophie what a great look at the inside look at your journey. Thank you for sharing. I wish you well on your journey. I have loved your books from the beginning. Please never stop.

Based on Kinsella's real life cancer diagnosis, this small book is full of emotion - I found myself smiling, laughing, and on the verge of tears. And yet in spite of the dire situation, I was filled with hope. It's a reminder of what's important in our lives - family, health and all the little things that make a life good.

This story is different from Sophie Kinsella's other books: It is based on personal experience with a harrowing and difficult situation. She reflected upon what she went through by writing about it through the eyes of Eve, who is also an author.

What Does It Feel Like? is a quick read, given that it's less than 150 pages. And some of the pages just have a few lines of text messages. The chapters are mostly Eve going through different thought processes and having some conversations in her head. The subject matter does get heavy at times, given what is going on in Eve's life. It is handled with grace, sensitivity, honesty, and even some humor. I can't imagine what Eve must be going through, but I hope this novel is therapeutic for anyone who has been or may currently be in her shoes.

Given what happened to Sophie, I can tell this was a difficult book to write for many reasons. I appreciate her taking the time to do so and putting a bit of herself out there in this way. She's still one of my favorite authors and I admire her so much!

Movie casting suggestions:
Eve: Hayley Atwell
Nick: Jack Huston

There are not enough words for this review! This novella was raw and beautiful and inspirational. 10/10 would recommend this story to every human.

Both heartwrenching and laugh out loud funny, Sophie Kinsella’s somewhat autobiographical novel is a must read. It is truly a celebration of life in the face of a devastating diagnosis. I appreciated the default to humor in times of stress as it reminded me of my family when faced with similar diagnoses in family members. Highly recommend this novella!

I started reading Sophie's books when the Shopaholic series was out in paperback. I got the whole set for Christmas and I was so thrilled to have them, I still remember reading them for the first time. I had loved the world and characters that Sophie created. In fact I still have the set including the additional books that came out after the first 5 books. I enjoy Sophie's writing and I knew picking this book up, the subject matter was going to be much different and very deep. However, I knew I would not be disappointed and I was not. This is a heartfelt memoir about the struggles taht Sophie is going through with her diagnosis. Its hard to read at times but so important and I am so glad that she took the brave move to get her thoughts and feelings down on paper.

BOOK: What Does It Feel Like?
AUTHOR: Sophie Kinsella
PUB DATE: Oct. 8, 2024, by The Dial Press
PAGES: 144
GENRE: Literary Fiction

A H U G E Thank You to @netgalley, @thedialpressbooks, and the author for gifting me an advanced digital in exchange for my honest review!
GR SYNOPSIS: Eve is a successful novelist who wakes up one day in a hospital bed with no memory of how she got there. Her husband, never far from her side, explains that she has had an operation to remove the large, malignant tumor growing in her brain. As Eve learns to walk, talk, and write again—and as she wrestles with her diagnosis, and how and when to explain it to her beloved children—she begins to recall what’s most important to her: long walks with her husband’s hand clasped firmly around her own, family game nights, and always buying that dress when she sees it.

QUICK & SPOILER-FREE REVIEW: This was my first book by this author, and I was deeply moved by the love her husband had for her. The hospital staff were also incredible, so this was a reminder (that we all need) of how incredible medical workers and responders are! The MFC is such a fighter, and I was immediately immersed. This is a beautiful story that left me with a profound sense of hope.

Quick read. In turn, sad and uplifting and distressing and hopeful. I found this to be effectively written in a way that highlights the way the world works when dealing with cancer-linear but confused, lengthy but shortened into segments, and up and down in emotion.

Thanks to #netgalley, the publisher and author for this ebook of #whatdoesitfeellike to read. All opinions are my own.

Every scan is a plot twist

I’m a huge fan of Sophie Kinsella, I’ve read all her books. Although this is a change from her usual feel good hilarious books, I wanted to read it nevertheless. What Does It Feel Like is a heart warming and gut wrenching look into the realities of a cancer diagnosis and treatment. Her honest portrayal gives great insight. Highly recommend this well written book.

Thank you Random House Publishing group and NetGalley for the advanced copy. All opinions are my own.

Earlier this year, Sophie Kinsella announced she had been diagnosed with brain cancer.

Though I hadn’t read many of her recent books, she was my “chick lit” go-to in the early to mid-2000s when that was still a genre. I read the entire Shopaholic series and watched the movie.

This book is not that. Instead, What Does It Feel Like? maintains her quick-witted writing and conversational tone, as she lightly fictionalizes her diagnosis and how she’s handled it since.

Knowing this true heart of the story feels like a peek inside a diary or a conversation with a once-close friend you’ve lost touch with over coffee.

It’s disjointed in that the chapters aren’t chapters but snippets of scenes and thoughts and feelings, and I appreciate that aspect.

There’s no way that this could be told with a smooth, linear storytelling pace, and would almost seem disingenuous if it did.

I love how she has captured this part of her life with this story and am happy this book came on my radar.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for the eARC.

Sophie Kinsella has left me sobbing. This book broke my heart. She took her own diagnosis and created a fictional heartbreaking work of art.

While I haven’t read all of Sophie Kinsella’s books (she’s written so many!), the ones I have read have all been funny, heartwarming, and left me feeling happy.
In contrast, this novella still had a light-hearted feel, but was emotional, heart-breaking, and left me teary. 😥

In April, Sophie Kinsella shared that she has been diagnosed with glioblastoma, an aggressive form of brain cancer. Although this novella is fiction, it is autobiographical, and she explains in the author’s note why she chose to fictionalize her journey. It did make a lot of sense, in that it’s the genre that she’s so experienced with, and it seems natural to tweak small details for the purposes of furthering the story. This was such a poignant window into her journey, and I imagine all too relatable for readers who are navigating a life-altering diagnosis for themselves or a loved one. I am thinking of @sophiekinsellawriter and her family and wish them continued health, strength, and improvement. 🤍
I also really loved the idea of living “normal plus”. Such a beautiful reminder to be grateful for the small things.

This book publishes today. Thank you @netgalley @penguinrandomca and @sophiekinsellawriter .

This beautifully written novella is a fictionalized look at Sophie Kinsella’s real-life cancer journey. Eve is an author who receives a devastating diagnosis of incurable glioblastoma, and this story follows her through surgery and her first year of treatment. The writing is candid and raw but still infused with Kinsella’s trademark quirky humor, moving me to both tears and laughter. Brilliantly written with honesty, bravery, and tenderness.

Many thanks to NetGalley, Random House Publishing Group, and The Dial Press for providing me an advance copy of this book.

Although the subject matter is sad, I did enjoy reading this. There was so much honesty and vulnerability in this book that I felt sad at times, yet, there was a humour and hope that lightened the mood and filled me with a sense of anticipation of some good news around the corner.. The structure of the writing was so fitting, and it helped to highlight the honesty of the book. This is truly not a depressing book, but I think it will get you thinking about what it is most important. I wish the author good health!

This is not my first Sophie Kinsella book. I’ve read a few books by her, and enjoyed them all. But this is not a typical book of hers. That was clear very soon into the book. This is much more serious. And based on the author’s life. I was not aware she was going through such a traumatic diagnosis. The story is heartbreaking, even when I thought it was fiction.
Ms Kinsella wrote this book with honesty and so much of her heart and soul. She’s an incredibly strong woman to be able to write this and put it out in the world.
Keep the tissues handy cause you’re going to need them.
I received this book as a free ARC and am leaving this review voluntarily.