Beautiful story and inspiring that it is based on Sophie’s own story. I am a long time fan of Sophie and will always read any book she publishes!

This is a heartbreaking story of an author who is at the height of her career and gets a traumatic cancer diagnosis. It is a touching, heartwarming and heartbreaking read all in one. At the end, Ms. Kinsella gives the revelation that this is her story. A popular podcast that I follow has her as the guest this week and I can't wait to listen to that to find out more of her story.

Sophie Kinsella has been one of my favorite authors for years. She has a unique voice, and a special way of combining heart aching lessons and wit that I so value as a reader.
What Does It Feel Like is the sort of raw tale that has the capacity to resonate far beyond the four walls you will read it within. It's about a woman's journey through life as a wife, mother, writer, and now, cancer patient. I read it in just an hour or two, and yet the pages pack a punch. It left me hopeful, grateful, and feeling bittersweet at Eve's outlook going into the end.
"You hate spoilers in books and films. We both do. But when it comes to this, all we want, above anything else, is a spoiler. We desperately want the doctors to give us the spoiler, but they can't, because they don't know either."

4.0/5.0

This was a very powerful and moving book. Super quick read but one that will stay with me. I am in awe of what the author went through and her bravery in sharing her story.

"What Does it Feel Like" is a touching story that is both heartbreaking and heartwarming. Although the book is fiction, it is inspired by Sophie’s own experience. I can only imagine how tough it must have been for her to live through something like that and then write about it.
The story can be sad, but it is also funny and hopeful. It’s a bittersweet read, and if you've enjoyed Sophie’s previous books, you definitely cannot miss this one. I laughed and cried reading Eve’s story, and I wish the best for Sophie.

Thank you, NetGalley, for the opportunity to review this book. I have been battling a TBI since a car accident over four years ago, so this story got me curious. Eve's battle is very similar to some of the things I have been working on from healing. This is an autobiographical novel that explains why Eve's interiority is riveting. I had yet to read a book where I could relate to it so much. This is the best book I have read in a long time. Also, I finished this in one sitting with tea. I wish the author healing strength, and many thanks for writing this novel.

In writing this book, the author wrote such a personal and heartbreaking story! This is unlike her earlier books. Here, she portrays a woman who has an incurable brain cancer. It was not until the end that I realized the author wrote this story to actually tell her own story. It is such a sad story, but emphasizes the strength and love of her family. Wow!

Wow.

I have been reading Sophie Kinsella's books since I was a teen. I fell in love with her Shopaholic series and then found new love in all of her standalone novels. I loved her quirky characters, sense of humor, and the fact that her novels often made me laugh out loud and forget about the difficulties of life.

When I recently found out that Sophie Kinsella was diagnosed in 2022 with an incurable brain cancer, I was heartbroken. Then, I learned this novella was autobiographical. While this was a tough read, imagining one of my favorite authors of all time dealing with such a difficult and scary diagnosis, I absolutely loved it.

This novella takes a different form than most of her previous works. This is written in shorter snippets, almost like diary entries of sorts. I really liked the fact that she took new risks with style. It also helped to bring to life the real whirlwind that the main character, Eve, experiences from her up and coming "stardom" to her cancer diagnosis and beyond.

Reading this brought me to tears on several occasions, especially considering that I am also a mom and I hate the idea of the main character showing Sophie's real life fears and suffering. While there were some lighthearted moments too, this was definitely the most sobering and serious of Kinsella's works.

Upon finishing, I can only hope that Sophie Kinsella gets her true happy ending -- health and a long life to share with her beautiful family. I also hope she will continue to write the quirky, fun books that I have loved for so long. Definitely pick this up if you are looking for a short, but powerful read about life, illness, fears, and positivity.

Thank you Netgalley for an advanced look at this book in exchange for an honest review!

I must confess, I did forget this was a novella so as my percent completed bar was ticking, I was like.....WHAT IS HAPPENING? But then I finished it, and I read the author's note, and I was completely blow away.

One think about Sophie's writing style is that she can pack a lot of feeling in a small punch. I felt that infinitely with this book. An autobiographical work in so many ways. As someone who fears getting sick and having cancer (and needing to have that conversation with my daughter), Eve's story made me weep. I was rooting for Eve and in turn, I was rooting for Sophie.

Sophie says it best when she says: “Why did I write such a personal book? I have always processed my life through writing. Hiding behind my fictional characters, I have always turned my own life into a narrative. It is my version of therapy, maybe. Writing is my happy place, and writing this book, although tough going at times, was immensely satisfying and therapeutic for me.”

Thank you so much for this ARC!

As many other readers have already commented, I was totally unaware that Sophie Kinsella experienced this. This writing was a complete 180 from her typical style. The writing was raw, honest and vulnerable. She is beyond talented and as a forever fan, I appreciated the story and update on her life.

Lots of love and well wishes to Sophie.

Oh Sophie.. this is a tough one. An autobiography disguised as a fictional novel. Short, quick read that will stay with you for a lot longer. It is so interesting to get the behind the scenes of someone with cancer. I feel honored to have read this book and especially before many others. Thinking of Sophie and her family always.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

What Does It Feel Like? is a heart breaking novella by Sophie Kinsella, based on her own brain cancer diagnosis. The book was so beautifully written. It follows Eve, a writer diagnosed with grade 4 glioblastoma
This was such a tough, emotional read.
Thank you to netgalley for this free advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

What Does It Feel Like? by Sophie Kinsella is a tearjerker of a novella. The author wrote this semi-autobiographical story after receiving her own brain cancer diagnosis. This book walks us through a slightly fictionalized version of what the author experienced after her own diagnosis. It's a brilliant way for the reader to understand what someone might be enduring both physically and mentally as they tackle the biggest hurdle they've ever undergone. Read and learn.

I've been reading Sophie Kinsella books since "Confessions of a Shopaholic" in 2001. I've looked forward to her new releases, and read the Madeleine Wickham books in between when I needed a go-to book to make me laugh and cry. "What Does it Feel Like" is a little different, tackling the most serious of subject matters, but still has her signature light-hearted humor infused. This novella was deeply moving, telling the first person story of a woman whose brain has betrayed her. I'm having a hard time articulating just how deeply this story moved me- as a mom, a bookish nerd, and a Kinsella fan (maybe that last part is the parasocial relationship talking, I've followed her on social media for years). This story is a must read.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an ARC for review.

This was a very short novel (I read it in about 40 minutes) and until I started, I had no idea that it was semi-autobiographical. Kudos to Kinsella for writing a very personal and sensitive story about a woman going through unexpected treatment for a brain tumor. This is a difficult story to read but there is a positive ending.

It feels almost wrong to give this one a proper rating of any sort, but let's just say it was one that I unexpectedly liked and admired.

Sophie Kinsella is a beloved author I've been a fan of for over two decades and reading this short story from her felt equally familiar but not at the same time. This autobiographical piece felt like a recollection of recent memories from the author and at the same time, written with the spunk that only Kinsella can spin in her unique way. I enjoyed it for what it was and at times felt like I most related to Nick, the husband in the book. Being a caretaker is no easy feat, let alone being the patient that's spiralling while wondering if they will live or perhaps die. That's why I liked this one as it was, and the length of this story felt appropriate in a way.


Special thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group/The Dial Press for providing a digital reviewer's copy in exchange for my honest opinions of this book!

Sophie Kinsella has long been an auto buy author for me. I consider her Shopaholic books to be required reading. They are simultaneously funny and insightful. It should be no surprise that her latest autobiographical novella uses that same humor and honesty to tell Eve’s story.

Eve is a wife, mother, and successful novelist. She’s living her best life — until she isn’t. What derailed her idyllic life? Gioblastoma stage 4 - terminal brain cancer. Except Eve wakes up with no memory of her illness and is startled to find herself confined to a hospital bed.

The story that follows is one of resilience, courage, love, and strength. It’s also one of grief, acceptance, and the choices we make about how to live in the face of death. Told with Kinsella’s trademark warmth and charm, this is a poignant, touching, and hopeful piece of writing that will remain with me. I’m left hoping for Ms. Kinsella and her family to get the happy ending she always provides her readers.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing for the advance copy in exchange for my unbiased review.

A deeply emotional, brave, brilliant, and heartbreaking story. What a truly insightful, raw, and hope filled book. This book provides a beacon of hope in the midst of heartbreaking chronic illness and pain. I truly cannot recommend this autobiographical fiction novel enough for anyone who has dealt with chronic illness or chronic illness of a loved one. This is a story where I think you will laugh. cry, and feel every emotion under the sun. Truly a special book!! Thank you to Netgalley, The Dial Press, and the author for the ARC of this book! Publication date is October 8, 2024.

My only complaint about this book is that it is so short! The main character is Eve, a successful novelist who develops brain cancer and gets a terminal diagnosis. Kinsella weaves humor into a tragic situation using emails, texts, and snippets of daily dialogue. I audibly gasped at the authors note at the end of the book, revealing that the book was a fictionalized account of her own diagnosis. What a brave way to work through a situation like that!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC e-copy.

Fantastically well done! I've loved reading Sophie Kinsella books over the years, and What Does It Feel Like? is her most intimate book yet. Despite technically being a novel, it is her story. Kinsella has an amazing ability to add some positivity and light to her heartbreaking narrative about fighting glioblastoma. She opened my eyes to the physical and emotional hardships she has faced and is most likely still facing. She is honest about her challenges while treasuring and holding on to her cherished and precious time with family. I could not put it down. Thank you, Sophie Kinsella, for sharing your story through Eve. And thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group/The Dial Press for the digital ARC.