But Won’t I Miss Me by Tiffany Tsao takes places in an alternate reality where women get super powers after childbirth when they go through a process called “rebirth.” This book follows Vivi who has gone through the process but something went wrong and she is struggling to keep up with her young child. This is not normal in this reality so she feels judged by all those around her. Will she hit a breaking point?

I need everyone to put this book on their radar because it was so good! The commentary on how society treats women, especially women going through postpartum depressions is searing. This also deals heavily with how women change after childbirth and become a new person and how some women struggle to juggle everything.

There is a mystery throughout this book that kept me flying through the pages. There are also some horrific moments that actually made me stop reading and stare at a wall for a little while. I can see this book being very well received by the right audience so I’m hoping people read it. I know I will be highly recommending it!

Thank you NetGalley and HarperVia for this ARC!

Vivi is a new mother who is struggling with her postpartum self. But how could she be? In a world of rebirth, new mothers are expected to become borderline superhuman. So what went wrong? Her marriage falls apart, and she soon has no choice but to get her old job back, and start life anew.

Three words I’d use to describe this book: beautiful, devastating, and uncomfortable. I loved the multicultural experience this book offers. It takes place in Australia and Indonesia, with characters from various cultures, united over their roots and work. Descriptions were very vivid, very engaging, and I found myself coming up with images in my head nonstop. Always fun when books tap into your imagination.

Main story wise, i had complicated feelings for the main character, Vivi. Sometimes I’m feeling empathetic, sometimes i find myself losing patience with her. I love that layered personality that really came with every recurring character. Even till the end, I wasn’t sure how I truly felt.

The horrific bits though really does cement my choice to be childfree. I know this is fiction, but let’s not pretend mothers have it super easy in real life either. Even though I’m not a mother, I have compassion and I felt terrible for the women in the book. The price you pay to give birth… how much sacrifice is considered adequate? Can you live up to expectations? Do you lose yourself? And is that what you truly want?

Absolutely recommend this book to everyone.