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The Regrets
Reality and dream collide in Amy Bonnaffons's dazzling, darkly playful debut novel about a love affair between the living and the dead.
For weeks, Rachel has been noticing the same golden-haired young man sitting at her Brooklyn bus stop, staring off with a melancholy air. When, one day, she finally musters the courage to introduce herself, the chemistry between them is undeniable: Thomas is wise, witty, handsome, mysterious, clearly a kindred spirit. There's just one tiny problem: He's dead.
Stuck in a surreal limbo governed by bureaucracy, Thomas is unable to "cross over" to the afterlife until he completes a 90-day stint on earth, during which time he is forbidden to get involved with a member of the living -- lest he incur "regrets." When Thomas and Rachel break this rule, they unleash a cascade of bizarre, troubling consequences.
Set in the hallucinatory borderland between life and death, The Regrets is a gloriously strange and breathtakingly sexy exploration of love, the cataclysmic power of fantasies, and the painful, exhilarating work of waking up to reality, told with uncommon grace and humor by a visionary artist at the height of her imaginative power.
For weeks, Rachel has been noticing the same golden-haired young man sitting at her Brooklyn bus stop, staring off with a melancholy air. When, one day, she finally musters the courage to introduce herself, the chemistry between them is undeniable: Thomas is wise, witty, handsome, mysterious, clearly a kindred spirit. There's just one tiny problem: He's dead.
Stuck in a surreal limbo governed by bureaucracy, Thomas is unable to "cross over" to the afterlife until he completes a 90-day stint on earth, during which time he is forbidden to get involved with a member of the living -- lest he incur "regrets." When Thomas and Rachel break this rule, they unleash a cascade of bizarre, troubling consequences.
Set in the hallucinatory borderland between life and death, The Regrets is a gloriously strange and breathtakingly sexy exploration of love, the cataclysmic power of fantasies, and the painful, exhilarating work of waking up to reality, told with uncommon grace and humor by a visionary artist at the height of her imaginative power.
296 pages, Hardcover
First published February 4, 2020
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 845 reviews
December 15, 2020
oh no
oh no
oh no no no no no
oh no
oh no no no no no
January 28, 2020
"You're insufficiently dead," he said.
"I'm what?"
"Insufficiently dead. You lack rupture with your life. You have no exit narrative."
Somebody made a mistake with Thomas Barrett, and, yeah, he's no longer really alive. In the traditional sense. So, he's sent back to earth for three more months, with a set of rules, something along the lines of this:
Rules that, if followed properly, will keep Thomas from experiencing "the regrets."
His interactions with the living are to be somewhat limited, so, of course, he meets the girl of his dreams, the only one with whom he shares complimentary weirdnesses. But, alas, TRUE LOVE is always a tricky thing . . . particularly when your heart's desire keeps fading in and out on you.
I LOVED this one! Smart, funny, quirky, and touching, but with dark undertones - if you're looking for something unusual - this one should be the cup of tea that's right up your alley.
"I'm what?"
"Insufficiently dead. You lack rupture with your life. You have no exit narrative."
Somebody made a mistake with Thomas Barrett, and, yeah, he's no longer really alive. In the traditional sense. So, he's sent back to earth for three more months, with a set of rules, something along the lines of this:
Rules that, if followed properly, will keep Thomas from experiencing "the regrets."
His interactions with the living are to be somewhat limited, so, of course, he meets the girl of his dreams, the only one with whom he shares complimentary weirdnesses. But, alas, TRUE LOVE is always a tricky thing . . . particularly when your heart's desire keeps fading in and out on you.
I LOVED this one! Smart, funny, quirky, and touching, but with dark undertones - if you're looking for something unusual - this one should be the cup of tea that's right up your alley.
January 8, 2023
Strange, unusual and beautifully written.
Different to what I normally read but I'm glad I took my wife's recommendation, I really liked it!
It's one of those books I'd like to take my time with on a re-read.
The ending was a little abrupt though so loses a star, I wanted another 100 pages to find out more stuffs. 🤷♂️
Different to what I normally read but I'm glad I took my wife's recommendation, I really liked it!
It's one of those books I'd like to take my time with on a re-read.
The ending was a little abrupt though so loses a star, I wanted another 100 pages to find out more stuffs. 🤷♂️
March 7, 2020
How I read this: Free audiobook copy received through Libro.fm
This book is pretty messed up and I don't know what to make of it. I'm pretty sure I missed some super deep insight, judging by the other reviews - but to me, it was just a book about a glorified abusive relationship and way too much sex that is given more meaning than it is due. The sex is portrayed as "the love". I understand the place of sex in a story, but I will never appreciate a story where that is all there is to love, especially when the relationship is clearly unhealthy. Ugh.
For starters, I thought it would be a romantic story. Instead, it turned out to be an emotionally manipulative, abusive "love" story that is almost entirely made up of sex (that was also pretty abusive in my opinion), where the woman abandons all her friends and her whole life to be with a man that is clearly harming her. Perhaps this was intended as a "break up and getting over it" story but then it feels mismarketed.
Let me tell you more about it, but I'll spoiler it. Beware, I do mostly outline the plot, but there is no other way for me to tell you what I couldn't stomach about the story.
What I found the worst to stomach was that the man in this story has the most unhealthy relationship with the woman, he knows he is using her, he knows he will shatter her and this is okay somehow, for him. It's even kind of depicted as romantic?? (No! Dude!!) The worst part is that the woman knows this too and I guess she likes it? It's even sadder that a third person enters the picture in the end, and of course, he is being used too. The story turns more and more abusive and jealousy and manipulation fills it as it goes. It's pretty dark overall.
I don't know what to make of this book. I was pretty disgusted by it and I think I just didn't understand it, judging by the many high-star reviews. But if you're expecting romance, don't read it if you don't want to read about emotional manipulation and abuse. And I won't even bother listing the triggers separately because it's probably already clear from my review.
I thank the publisher and libro.fm for giving me a free copy of the audiobook in exchange to my honest review. This has not affected my opinion.
Book Blog | Bookstagram | Bookish Twitter
This book is pretty messed up and I don't know what to make of it. I'm pretty sure I missed some super deep insight, judging by the other reviews - but to me, it was just a book about a glorified abusive relationship and way too much sex that is given more meaning than it is due. The sex is portrayed as "the love". I understand the place of sex in a story, but I will never appreciate a story where that is all there is to love, especially when the relationship is clearly unhealthy. Ugh.
For starters, I thought it would be a romantic story. Instead, it turned out to be an emotionally manipulative, abusive "love" story that is almost entirely made up of sex (that was also pretty abusive in my opinion), where the woman abandons all her friends and her whole life to be with a man that is clearly harming her. Perhaps this was intended as a "break up and getting over it" story but then it feels mismarketed.
Let me tell you more about it, but I'll spoiler it. Beware, I do mostly outline the plot, but there is no other way for me to tell you what I couldn't stomach about the story.
What I found the worst to stomach was that the man in this story has the most unhealthy relationship with the woman, he knows he is using her, he knows he will shatter her and this is okay somehow, for him. It's even kind of depicted as romantic?? (No! Dude!!) The worst part is that the woman knows this too and I guess she likes it? It's even sadder that a third person enters the picture in the end, and of course, he is being used too. The story turns more and more abusive and jealousy and manipulation fills it as it goes. It's pretty dark overall.
I don't know what to make of this book. I was pretty disgusted by it and I think I just didn't understand it, judging by the many high-star reviews. But if you're expecting romance, don't read it if you don't want to read about emotional manipulation and abuse. And I won't even bother listing the triggers separately because it's probably already clear from my review.
I thank the publisher and libro.fm for giving me a free copy of the audiobook in exchange to my honest review. This has not affected my opinion.
Book Blog | Bookstagram | Bookish Twitter
February 14, 2020
Find all of my reviews at: http://52bookminimum.blogspot.com/
3.5 Stars
What do I even say about The Regrets? Really the only way to even describe it for me is a “literary love story.” It’s certainly falls into the category of . . . .
And it’s a little bizarre to me that the above blast from the past courtesy of Sade has her as a mermaid because even though it made me all . . . .
The Pisces is another ill-fated little romance read that comes to mind when I think of who might want to give this one a go.
The story here is of Rachel and Thomas. She sees him at the bus stop for weeks on end, always with a letter to mail. Eventually she decides to follow him and they ride all the way to the end of the line together. He informs her that some bad things have happened to him that he’s not allowed to talk about and that he will only be in town for about another month. Her best pal assumes he’s either married or a criminal. She has a moment that I have no idea was intentional or not, but very reminiscent of . . .
And it truly tickled me.
He has a set of rules that are supposed to be followed, much like . . . .
But, boys will be boys and . . . .
That leads to a whooooooooole nutha set of unforeseen complications.
Again, not a book for everyone but I knew I wanted it as soon as I saw the cover. Absolutely no regrets here . . .
ARC provided by Little Brown in exchange for an honest review.
3.5 Stars
What do I even say about The Regrets? Really the only way to even describe it for me is a “literary love story.” It’s certainly falls into the category of . . . .
And it’s a little bizarre to me that the above blast from the past courtesy of Sade has her as a mermaid because even though it made me all . . . .
The Pisces is another ill-fated little romance read that comes to mind when I think of who might want to give this one a go.
The story here is of Rachel and Thomas. She sees him at the bus stop for weeks on end, always with a letter to mail. Eventually she decides to follow him and they ride all the way to the end of the line together. He informs her that some bad things have happened to him that he’s not allowed to talk about and that he will only be in town for about another month. Her best pal assumes he’s either married or a criminal. She has a moment that I have no idea was intentional or not, but very reminiscent of . . .
And it truly tickled me.
He has a set of rules that are supposed to be followed, much like . . . .
But, boys will be boys and . . . .
That leads to a whooooooooole nutha set of unforeseen complications.
Again, not a book for everyone but I knew I wanted it as soon as I saw the cover. Absolutely no regrets here . . .
ARC provided by Little Brown in exchange for an honest review.
did-not-finish
August 16, 2020DNF @ 8%: I'm not too far into this one, but I can already tell that it is not for me. Onto the next one!
March 11, 2020
No one is more surprised than me on this rating...
So you know how when it's a special occasion or when you were younger and you were going out with your friends for something and you decide to be a different person and wear an outfit you would normally be too self conscious in, but what the heck you only live once? You have the best time living in the moment and feel great, but when you come home you're so happy to put your sweatpants, comfy sweatshirt on and just relax in the quiet? That's the best analogy I can come up with regarding The Regrets. The summary was very intriguing and I can absolutely see my normal self picking it up. Had I had a print copy? I think there is a 75% chance I would have DNF this. However, the glorious world of audiobooks have just been opened to me and I thought...you know what? I'm just going to keep listening because I cannot possibly conceive how this book ends. And you know what? Besides it solidifying that I must be some kind of prude (do people in my age group really talk about, think about and have this much sex???), I REALLY kind of liked this!!
First - the writing is absolutely fantastic. There were times when I kind of just sat back in my chair and marveled at the way Ms. Bonnafons strung words together. She is a master. I now wish I had a print copy so I could have highlighted or written some of her words down. I think the writing also did a great service to the younger half of my generation. I think younger millennial's are portrayed as needy, narcissistic, free-loading and lazy (in most cases). Does my generation have a lot of self sufficiency problems - I think so, but a lot of that is the environment in which they were raised. Before I go off on some ridiculous tangent, my point is that through her characters, Ms. Bonnafons illuminated to me just how introspective we are. How we are struggling to find our path and solidify our identities in a global economic environment that is as steady as quicksand.
Would I tell everyone to rush out and read this? Definitely not. I don't even know if I would have liked it a month ago myself! Was this story weird? It sure was! But I'm kind of weird and I love how this book took me outside of my comfort zone and made me laugh a few times. I love how I got to call it ghost porn with my book friends and discuss its various themes. I think the last third lost a little of its mojo, but overall, I think it was a book about mid-20 something's that are just trying to find their way in a confusing world. In this particular instance...very confusing.
My hats off to the narrators: Gary Tiedemann, Christie Moreau & Jay Ben Markson. They were awesome. Thank you to Hachette Audio and Libro.fm for the ALC.
Review Date: 03/11/2020
Publication Date: 02/04/2020
So you know how when it's a special occasion or when you were younger and you were going out with your friends for something and you decide to be a different person and wear an outfit you would normally be too self conscious in, but what the heck you only live once? You have the best time living in the moment and feel great, but when you come home you're so happy to put your sweatpants, comfy sweatshirt on and just relax in the quiet? That's the best analogy I can come up with regarding The Regrets. The summary was very intriguing and I can absolutely see my normal self picking it up. Had I had a print copy? I think there is a 75% chance I would have DNF this. However, the glorious world of audiobooks have just been opened to me and I thought...you know what? I'm just going to keep listening because I cannot possibly conceive how this book ends. And you know what? Besides it solidifying that I must be some kind of prude (do people in my age group really talk about, think about and have this much sex???), I REALLY kind of liked this!!
First - the writing is absolutely fantastic. There were times when I kind of just sat back in my chair and marveled at the way Ms. Bonnafons strung words together. She is a master. I now wish I had a print copy so I could have highlighted or written some of her words down. I think the writing also did a great service to the younger half of my generation. I think younger millennial's are portrayed as needy, narcissistic, free-loading and lazy (in most cases). Does my generation have a lot of self sufficiency problems - I think so, but a lot of that is the environment in which they were raised. Before I go off on some ridiculous tangent, my point is that through her characters, Ms. Bonnafons illuminated to me just how introspective we are. How we are struggling to find our path and solidify our identities in a global economic environment that is as steady as quicksand.
Would I tell everyone to rush out and read this? Definitely not. I don't even know if I would have liked it a month ago myself! Was this story weird? It sure was! But I'm kind of weird and I love how this book took me outside of my comfort zone and made me laugh a few times. I love how I got to call it ghost porn with my book friends and discuss its various themes. I think the last third lost a little of its mojo, but overall, I think it was a book about mid-20 something's that are just trying to find their way in a confusing world. In this particular instance...very confusing.
My hats off to the narrators: Gary Tiedemann, Christie Moreau & Jay Ben Markson. They were awesome. Thank you to Hachette Audio and Libro.fm for the ALC.
Review Date: 03/11/2020
Publication Date: 02/04/2020
January 18, 2021
Alternative title: Generic white people are young, directionless, and oh so tragically jaded.
After a series of passionless sexual escapades with quirky characters (the homeless freegan, the Buddhist who just broke a vow of silence and now can’t shut up), Rachel (who became a librarian because she likes to touch books) meets Thomas. Thomas is dead, but his afterlife isn’t ready for him yet. So instead of moving on, he’s given a new, temporary body and an additional month on earth. He’s left with a warning: he can’t use this month to talk to people from his old life OR to pursue new romantic or sexual relationships. If he does either of these things, he’ll incur Regrets.
Thomas meets Rachel and they promptly start having sex. About 50% of this book is scene after scene of Rachel and Thomas having sex. Even as Thomas’ temporary body starts to disappear bit by bit. Which makes for some...strange sexual encounters. This continues on until Thomas is completely invisible (but, worry not, still able to have sex with Rachel) and is basically haunting her every move like a possessive, jealous cloud of static electricity.
Then Rachel runs into Mark. She dated Mark in college but was bored with their sex life, so cheated with their neighbor. All these years later, a run in with this particular ex convinces Rachel that maybe she’s in an unhealthy place what with the controlling, angry, dead boyfriend.
The Regrets is a book that tries really hard but is actually about nothing. But there is a lot of ghost sex.
2.5 stars
After a series of passionless sexual escapades with quirky characters (the homeless freegan, the Buddhist who just broke a vow of silence and now can’t shut up), Rachel (who became a librarian because she likes to touch books) meets Thomas. Thomas is dead, but his afterlife isn’t ready for him yet. So instead of moving on, he’s given a new, temporary body and an additional month on earth. He’s left with a warning: he can’t use this month to talk to people from his old life OR to pursue new romantic or sexual relationships. If he does either of these things, he’ll incur Regrets.
Thomas meets Rachel and they promptly start having sex. About 50% of this book is scene after scene of Rachel and Thomas having sex. Even as Thomas’ temporary body starts to disappear bit by bit. Which makes for some...strange sexual encounters. This continues on until Thomas is completely invisible (but, worry not, still able to have sex with Rachel) and is basically haunting her every move like a possessive, jealous cloud of static electricity.
Then Rachel runs into Mark. She dated Mark in college but was bored with their sex life, so cheated with their neighbor. All these years later, a run in with this particular ex convinces Rachel that maybe she’s in an unhealthy place what with the controlling, angry, dead boyfriend.
The Regrets is a book that tries really hard but is actually about nothing. But there is a lot of ghost sex.
2.5 stars
September 15, 2019
This isn’t like any love story you’re likely to read. And not just because one of the lovers is dead. Technically ghost lovers have been done before (cue in The Righteous Brothers’ Unchained Melody), but this is something radically new and strikingly good. The Romeo here is a recently dead man who due to a bureaucratic snafu in processing gets to have some more time on mortal coil, albeit circumscribed (no social interactions, daily reports, etc.). Eventually this gets to be unbearably tedious, like rules tend to, and he finds himself with a Juliet of his own, a young librarian with a questionable taste in partners. Love of books can send one dreaming of impossible romances, but eventually life sets in, especially when the entire affair has a rapidly approaching expiration date. Soon both find themselves holding on to something they really, really ought to let go off, albeit for different reasons. Love itself was easy enough, but moving on is going to be very difficult indeed. And so told from alternating perspectives, this is a story of two people and their brief passionate connection amid impossible circumstances. So as far as love stories go, that’s as epic as it gets…impossible circumstances. But there’s so much more here, it starts off in an offbeat manner of a dark comedy and slowly turns into something much more complex and involved, it’s a terrific character study and a clever (both metaphorically and observationally) take on relationships. It’s about social isolation and/or connectivity and choices one makes and, of course, regrets. A story about life, love and letting go…there’s that’s the generic tagline for the cinematic adaptation. It’s exceptionally well written (exactly the sort of writing that speaks to me), emotionally intelligent and very, very smart. The author’s had a collection of short stories (gotta find those) published, but this is her novel debut and what an auspicious debut it is. For me the narrative surpassed the characters and their eventual fates (as interested as I was in that), every so often a book just has that effect on a reader, the perfect engagement. So yeah. I loved this book. Recommended. Thanks Netgalley.
February 25, 2020
Thank you Libro.fm for the ALC.
I’m not exactly sure what just happened there? I’m going to take some time to process before I attempt a rating and a review 🤔.
Law, ok. Here goes. This book. Ummmmm. I have never read anything quite like it. I can't exactly put my finger on it but I didn't hate it....I didn't love it either so there is that.
As I said before the writing is very well done. The premise? Fascinating. It just did not deliver for me. It was very dark and I get that it needed to be...but it just didn't work.
I think I am going to have to settle on two stars and say....you might perceive this book very differently than I did. Worse case scenario it's a short read that will make you think.
I’m not exactly sure what just happened there? I’m going to take some time to process before I attempt a rating and a review 🤔.
Law, ok. Here goes. This book. Ummmmm. I have never read anything quite like it. I can't exactly put my finger on it but I didn't hate it....I didn't love it either so there is that.
As I said before the writing is very well done. The premise? Fascinating. It just did not deliver for me. It was very dark and I get that it needed to be...but it just didn't work.
I think I am going to have to settle on two stars and say....you might perceive this book very differently than I did. Worse case scenario it's a short read that will make you think.
October 21, 2020
Sex after death, sex with the dead – he couldn’t get enough before he died, he couldn’t get enough after he died. She becomes consumed with him and consumed by him. It took a metaphysic acupuncturist to put things right.
So, a young man gets into a motorcycle accident and wakes up to find out that due to a mishap he is dead before his time. Not knowing what to do with him, the befuddled bureaucratic powers that be, send him back temporarily, in an altered state, with very strict rules regarding his behavior, or he will have Regrets. Lots of things cause Regrets, and he is left stewing a little too long, while things are being put in order.
First impression was mediocre prose. The prose didn’t get any better but the plot did, sort of. This is a super quick read (my favorite kind – bonus star for telling the story in under 300 pages)!
In spite of myself, I kinda liked it!
For mature young adults, young people, and the young at heart (that's me).
So, a young man gets into a motorcycle accident and wakes up to find out that due to a mishap he is dead before his time. Not knowing what to do with him, the befuddled bureaucratic powers that be, send him back temporarily, in an altered state, with very strict rules regarding his behavior, or he will have Regrets. Lots of things cause Regrets, and he is left stewing a little too long, while things are being put in order.
First impression was mediocre prose. The prose didn’t get any better but the plot did, sort of. This is a super quick read (my favorite kind – bonus star for telling the story in under 300 pages)!
In spite of myself, I kinda liked it!
For mature young adults, young people, and the young at heart (that's me).
March 21, 2020
A delightfully weird, unique, sexy, bittersweet story about a love affair between a woman (in the world of the living, but also somewhat removed from it) and a ghost who has been temporarily stuck on Earth because of the equivalent to a clerical error in the afterlife. I LOVED the writing: poetically precise and philosophically true. The tone was thoughtful and candid, details of the characters' flaws unflinching, but it never moved into cynicism.
March 14, 2021
2/5
I don't know what is it with me and reading ghost stories lately and they're totally happening unintentionally.
But one thing I do know for sure was that this book wasn't for me.
I don't know what is it with me and reading ghost stories lately and they're totally happening unintentionally.
But one thing I do know for sure was that this book wasn't for me.
July 25, 2020
I started this book because the premise sounded interesting and original, but I must admit I wasn't really sure what to expect. Let's just say that throughout the reading experience I was always waiting for something to happen, to me every small event felt anti-climactic and I wanted something big and shocking to happen, which it didn't. The three POVs were insightful, but I feel like we totally could have made it work without Mark's. The ending was a letdown. Overall, I think my problem was with the story itself that didn't really interest me too much.
July 30, 2020
take a shot every time the author says the word penetrated
February 17, 2020
The beginning of this gave me the wrong impression. I expected it to be a funny/sad book about life after death, but it's less fun than that. What could have been an interesting book turns into something about young, white, urban people and honestly that is a very uninteresting topic. The plot explanations are lazy, the characters are lazy, even the ghost is kind of lazy. I feel like this book had promise and somehow got steered into the completely wrong direction.
February 5, 2020
After reading Amy Bonnaffons’ short story collection – The Wrong Heaven – last year, I couldn’t wait to get my hands on her first novel. This is an author whose imagination knows no barriers, sort of like Karen Russell or Yoko Ogawa, but in her own unique way.
My only qualm is how she would handle the hackneyed subject of a woman in love with a ghost. I shouldn’t have wasted a minute in worrying. This book is highly original, inventive, witty, perceptive, and (can’t resist) haunting. I guess you could say I really liked it.
Here’s the premise: as a result of an “institutional” error, Thomas Barrett, who has died in a car crash, is sent back to earth for 90 days while his death is being processed. Of course, he must follow certain guidelines such as staying clear of past connections and not engaging in sexual activity. Otherwise, he will incur onerous “regrets.” Thomas does fine until he happens across a librarian named Rachel Starr – and the attraction between the two is other-worldly.
Ms. Bonnaffons wisely does not dive too deeply into the “whys and hows” of death (Thomas begins to dissolve into insubstantiality and the two must creatively deal with these mysterious disappearances). The reason is that the book isn’t really about death; it’s about living fully in reality. At one point, Rachel states, “It’s like I can’t tell now who’s the ghost: him or me. I just sort of float through life but I’m totally apart from it, like there’s a glass between me and the world.”
In any relationship, the author seems to suggest, are holes that open up – a yawning blackness, an unshareable knowledge – and each of us fears being swallowed up in it. The Regrets demands a certain immersion on the part of the reader, a willingness to suspend belief and enter, feet first, into the imagined world that is created here. Reading The Regrets is certainly time worth spent. Thank you to the publisher, Little Brown, for making this enchanting book available to me in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.
My only qualm is how she would handle the hackneyed subject of a woman in love with a ghost. I shouldn’t have wasted a minute in worrying. This book is highly original, inventive, witty, perceptive, and (can’t resist) haunting. I guess you could say I really liked it.
Here’s the premise: as a result of an “institutional” error, Thomas Barrett, who has died in a car crash, is sent back to earth for 90 days while his death is being processed. Of course, he must follow certain guidelines such as staying clear of past connections and not engaging in sexual activity. Otherwise, he will incur onerous “regrets.” Thomas does fine until he happens across a librarian named Rachel Starr – and the attraction between the two is other-worldly.
Ms. Bonnaffons wisely does not dive too deeply into the “whys and hows” of death (Thomas begins to dissolve into insubstantiality and the two must creatively deal with these mysterious disappearances). The reason is that the book isn’t really about death; it’s about living fully in reality. At one point, Rachel states, “It’s like I can’t tell now who’s the ghost: him or me. I just sort of float through life but I’m totally apart from it, like there’s a glass between me and the world.”
In any relationship, the author seems to suggest, are holes that open up – a yawning blackness, an unshareable knowledge – and each of us fears being swallowed up in it. The Regrets demands a certain immersion on the part of the reader, a willingness to suspend belief and enter, feet first, into the imagined world that is created here. Reading The Regrets is certainly time worth spent. Thank you to the publisher, Little Brown, for making this enchanting book available to me in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.
February 19, 2020
Y’all had me at “ghost sex”. And there’s like...a LOT.
This story just had me so entranced. It is entirely metaphorical and I think that’s why I couldn’t stop listening to the audio? It was odd, yes, but it was such a fucking interesting way of touching on toxic relationships and how they tend to displace you and are able to distance you from your loved ones. I mean, maybe that’s what it’s about. I’m sure everyone takes away something different from this book, but that just adds to the beauty of it!
I really did think this book was beautiful in all of its oddity and I loved it.
This story just had me so entranced. It is entirely metaphorical and I think that’s why I couldn’t stop listening to the audio? It was odd, yes, but it was such a fucking interesting way of touching on toxic relationships and how they tend to displace you and are able to distance you from your loved ones. I mean, maybe that’s what it’s about. I’m sure everyone takes away something different from this book, but that just adds to the beauty of it!
I really did think this book was beautiful in all of its oddity and I loved it.
November 27, 2024
Where do I begin?
I’m not exactly sure what just happened.
What did I just read?
A love story?
A ghost story?
It’s almost Halloween, after all. I am not sure.
In the old days, I liked the movies where they closed the doors and I could use my imagination as to what occurred behind those doors.
In this book, well, did it give me more than I wanted or needed to be witness to?
But... Still, that wasn’t even the crux of it.
This was a weird, bittersweet story about a love affair between a woman (in the world of the living, but also somewhat removed from it) and a ghost who has been temporarily stuck on Earth because of the equivalent to a clerical error in the afterlife. Different, huh!
Nothing like I have ever read – another look at the magical realism genre?
Still...Despite my reactions, I read it – all the way through. I really wanted to know how it ended.
And..Well, it did.
And... I am not sure how I felt at the end. Go figure.
And so...I am curious if anyone else will take this unusual journey and tell me how they felt, too.
I’m not exactly sure what just happened.
What did I just read?
A love story?
A ghost story?
It’s almost Halloween, after all. I am not sure.
In the old days, I liked the movies where they closed the doors and I could use my imagination as to what occurred behind those doors.
In this book, well, did it give me more than I wanted or needed to be witness to?
But... Still, that wasn’t even the crux of it.
This was a weird, bittersweet story about a love affair between a woman (in the world of the living, but also somewhat removed from it) and a ghost who has been temporarily stuck on Earth because of the equivalent to a clerical error in the afterlife. Different, huh!
Nothing like I have ever read – another look at the magical realism genre?
Still...Despite my reactions, I read it – all the way through. I really wanted to know how it ended.
And..Well, it did.
And... I am not sure how I felt at the end. Go figure.
And so...I am curious if anyone else will take this unusual journey and tell me how they felt, too.
December 20, 2022
I haven't done this in quite some time but after making it over halfway through this audiobook (88%) I had to give this up and just stop torturing myself. Sadly, the narrator is quite monotone, reminiscent of Ferris Bueller's Economics teacher and the story? I legit don't know what in the hell is going on here. Maybe I'll give it another chance at a later date but for now it's a hard pass from me.
Thanks to Libro.fm and Hachette Audio for the ALC, but it just wasn't for me.
Thanks to Libro.fm and Hachette Audio for the ALC, but it just wasn't for me.
March 22, 2020
4.5 this book took me by surprise, with the stress of isolation I grabbed this from the library without knowing what it was, looked like a comedy, I could use some humor in my life. I had the audio and was instantly intigued, a wildly different book, it went off the rails a few times for me but it was so unusual I hung in there. For the record I hate romance novels, this was a whole different kind of love and I loved the introspection.
October 26, 2020
★ /5
It had a few interesting ideas, but it just wasn't for me
It had a few interesting ideas, but it just wasn't for me
November 14, 2025
This book was stunning, absolutely perfect. I'm not sure if I would call it definitively the best book ever to be enjoyed by every person out there but it was perfect for me. I felt so seen, it feels so deeply personal to me.
The prose was beautiful, whimsical and flowery in areas but also harsh and gritty when it needed to be. There was an artfulness to every word, nothing felt mundane.
I love a good fabulism book wherein the magic system whilst present is no more important than the character development it catalyses. I love the development and disappearances of personal existences, ghosts and dreams.
Each character felt distinct but ultimately the same. As if they are identifiable as separate characters but there was a kinship or circularity to each arc in a shared experience. It would be easy to accuse this book of housing yet another manic pixie dream girl through Rachel's inaccessibility for male characters with her ethereal metaphorical absence but she manages to remain real and relatable and magical all at the same time. In fact, each character held a certain whimsy or magic within them which is somewhat expected given the genre of magical realism but is ultimately still so special.
I suppose it could be mildly alarming that of all the books I've read I find the sex in this book most relatable and real but there's something in the way it is depicted and written that feels authentic and true to life. (Which is a strange assessment given how otherworldly it is in the book).
I need to buy this book so that I can read it over and over and over again.
Update after another reread: I just think it highlights that not all love is perfectly healthy but that doesn’t make it any less pure, the pain of the toxic relationship is so clear and the self awareness of the characters is excruciating I feel like this story held the nuance to depict a toxic relationship with glorifying it but allowing the both sides of the relationship to show love but a type of love that developed into possession
The prose was beautiful, whimsical and flowery in areas but also harsh and gritty when it needed to be. There was an artfulness to every word, nothing felt mundane.
I love a good fabulism book wherein the magic system whilst present is no more important than the character development it catalyses. I love the development and disappearances of personal existences, ghosts and dreams.
Each character felt distinct but ultimately the same. As if they are identifiable as separate characters but there was a kinship or circularity to each arc in a shared experience. It would be easy to accuse this book of housing yet another manic pixie dream girl through Rachel's inaccessibility for male characters with her ethereal metaphorical absence but she manages to remain real and relatable and magical all at the same time. In fact, each character held a certain whimsy or magic within them which is somewhat expected given the genre of magical realism but is ultimately still so special.
I suppose it could be mildly alarming that of all the books I've read I find the sex in this book most relatable and real but there's something in the way it is depicted and written that feels authentic and true to life. (Which is a strange assessment given how otherworldly it is in the book).
I need to buy this book so that I can read it over and over and over again.
Update after another reread: I just think it highlights that not all love is perfectly healthy but that doesn’t make it any less pure, the pain of the toxic relationship is so clear and the self awareness of the characters is excruciating I feel like this story held the nuance to depict a toxic relationship with glorifying it but allowing the both sides of the relationship to show love but a type of love that developed into possession
October 30, 2020
This is the 47th book I've read this year and it is by far my favorite. I just found it extraordinarily relatable and human, and even profound. Just fantastic writing, all around.
March 16, 2020
I am going to give the ever so famous Goodreads line "I really wanted to love this book." The week this book came out I carried this book around a bookstore to purchase it. At the last minute I put it back because there was something I wanted just a little bit more. When I was at the register there was a customer next to me purchasing it, I wondered if it was a sign that I was supposed to grab it. I didn't. Then I watched the reviews and became a little unsure. I was telling myself I could wait for paperback and wait until it wasn’t such a new release. There are just some books you need to see what they are all about and read them no matter what. This is one of them for me. I kept revisiting it over and over again. I caved and did choose to do this on audio. The narrators were very good, they seemed to fit the characters of the book.
This book is about "a love affair between the living and the dead", Rachel and Thomas. Thomas is dead and must complete 90 days on earth where he is forbidden from becoming involved with a living person or will incur "regrets". The summary lets you know they do break this rule and you follow their story and consequences.
I think this story was very creative and unique. Unfortunately it just wasn't a great fit for me, thus the lower rating. I enjoyed the POV by Rachel much more. At times their “Complimentary weirdnesses” was cute and endearing but overall I just didn't fall in love with the story. This couple had “The chance to become the world for another person”
Some parts were endearing when referencing lost loved ones but some were not as endearing. but I just didn't feel incredibly convinced of their connection or attached to them individually or as a couple. I kept listening hoping there would be a great turning point for me to fall in love with the story but unfortunately it just didn't work that way for me, but I did find myself looking forward to the portions of the story by Rachel.
As I stated, I would have read or listened to this at some point no matter what, I was interested in it and curious about it. Sometimes books are a great fit for us and sometimes not as much. I was glad I was able to experience the creativity and uniqueness of this one and I'm sure some will really enjoy it.
This book is about "a love affair between the living and the dead", Rachel and Thomas. Thomas is dead and must complete 90 days on earth where he is forbidden from becoming involved with a living person or will incur "regrets". The summary lets you know they do break this rule and you follow their story and consequences.
I think this story was very creative and unique. Unfortunately it just wasn't a great fit for me, thus the lower rating. I enjoyed the POV by Rachel much more. At times their “Complimentary weirdnesses” was cute and endearing but overall I just didn't fall in love with the story. This couple had “The chance to become the world for another person”
Some parts were endearing when referencing lost loved ones but some were not as endearing. but I just didn't feel incredibly convinced of their connection or attached to them individually or as a couple. I kept listening hoping there would be a great turning point for me to fall in love with the story but unfortunately it just didn't work that way for me, but I did find myself looking forward to the portions of the story by Rachel.
As I stated, I would have read or listened to this at some point no matter what, I was interested in it and curious about it. Sometimes books are a great fit for us and sometimes not as much. I was glad I was able to experience the creativity and uniqueness of this one and I'm sure some will really enjoy it.
January 7, 2024
Rating: 4 stars ⭐️
Weirdness: 🌀🌀🌀🌀🌀♾️
Let me start by saying: What.The.F**k. I mean, seriously: What.The.Actual.F**k.
Was the book disturbing? On a scale from 1 to Goya's 'Saturn Devouring His Son,' I'd say the final scene of Sharp Objects. Imagine if the cast from Melancholia and the one from Alien had a baby. Yes, that. No, this is not a horror, but it is really disturbing. Expect the vivid descriptions of Rachel's and Mark's dreams and Zoe's moth-eaten panties to give you nightmares 👺.
Ok, now that I got it out of my chest, I can write a proper review. This is an extravagant, innovative, weird AF book that tells the story of Thomas, a man who's "insufficiently dead", as he engages in a ($exual) relationship with Rachel, a woman who's alive (she's "dense" according to Thomas), but detached enough from reality to accept with eagerness Thomas' changing body (it's hot, sometimes it has holes, sometimes parts of it disappear). Thomas and Rachel find themselves in a strange (read: messed-up) co-dependent relationship, initially revolving around their "complementary weirdnesses". As the relationship continues, though, it evolves into an all-consuming romance that leads Rachel to drop her friends and any human contact till she is almost unable to tell herself apart from Thomas's ghost.
Oh, and then, there was Mark -- Mark and his roomie had a crucial role in the book, but they just felt like a musical interlude, one I embraced as a swimmer who surfaces from the water after staying under for too long.
I am sure there is some profound meaning/metaphor that I should have figured out by now. I'll take some time to see whether it comes to me.
Weirdness: 🌀🌀🌀🌀🌀♾️
“Whatever was left of me—a breezy sweep, a tingle of loose molecules—only became activated within a few inches of her body.”
Let me start by saying: What.The.F**k. I mean, seriously: What.The.Actual.F**k.
Was the book disturbing? On a scale from 1 to Goya's 'Saturn Devouring His Son,' I'd say the final scene of Sharp Objects. Imagine if the cast from Melancholia and the one from Alien had a baby. Yes, that. No, this is not a horror, but it is really disturbing. Expect the vivid descriptions of Rachel's and Mark's dreams and Zoe's moth-eaten panties to give you nightmares 👺.
Ok, now that I got it out of my chest, I can write a proper review. This is an extravagant, innovative, weird AF book that tells the story of Thomas, a man who's "insufficiently dead", as he engages in a ($exual) relationship with Rachel, a woman who's alive (she's "dense" according to Thomas), but detached enough from reality to accept with eagerness Thomas' changing body (it's hot, sometimes it has holes, sometimes parts of it disappear). Thomas and Rachel find themselves in a strange (read: messed-up) co-dependent relationship, initially revolving around their "complementary weirdnesses". As the relationship continues, though, it evolves into an all-consuming romance that leads Rachel to drop her friends and any human contact till she is almost unable to tell herself apart from Thomas's ghost.
Oh, and then, there was Mark -- Mark and his roomie had a crucial role in the book, but they just felt like a musical interlude, one I embraced as a swimmer who surfaces from the water after staying under for too long.
I am sure there is some profound meaning/metaphor that I should have figured out by now. I'll take some time to see whether it comes to me.
November 7, 2023
jedna od najčudnijih knjiga koje sam ikad čitala i čini mi se da vam za nju treba posebna vrsta traumatičnog iskustva da bi kako treba legla
paralelno, ne postoji savršenija alegorija za toksične veze od ovog romana
hvala ejmi bonafons što piše, nadam se da nikad neće prestati
paralelno, ne postoji savršenija alegorija za toksične veze od ovog romana
hvala ejmi bonafons što piše, nadam se da nikad neće prestati
December 30, 2019
via my blog:https://bookstalkerblog.wordpress.com/
“You’re insufficiently dead,” he said.
“I’m what?”
“Insufficiently dead. You lack rupture with your life. You have no exit narrative.”
This is a playful story about being dead and being alive. It’s just a state, really. Thomas Barrett has been trapped in nothingness due to some… mistake. He is insufficiently dead according to his visit to ‘the office’ and for the time being will exist in a state most will never have the chance to experience. Returned to earth with the living for a window of three months, he has rules that if he doesn’t follow will incur ‘regrets’. He’s best to forget the heaviness of his other life, and just enjoy his time in the new one, as much as a person who doesn’t actually exist can. He must learn to let go of the past, the old life, that is for all intents and purposes extinguished.
Thomas first notices the girl at a coffee shop, captivated by her. He decides a ‘harmless crush from afar’ won’t incur regrets, nor harm anyone. Something about the girl with her dark hair, glasses, how she “doled out her attention” pulls him in. Unbeknownst to him, she doesn’t fully exist either, but her error is loneliness and not death. The reader is introduced to Rachel who first notices Thomas at the bus stop, who seems to have some strange energy about him and, she notices, wears the same outfit every single day. Free of romantic entanglements for a year, she works as a reference librarian enjoying the fantasy of love and how it should be more than it’s actual crushing reality. A daydreamer, who has ‘fallen in love with her own dreams’, the object of her fantasy is now the electric man at the bus stop. Catching sight of him fuels her desire that seems to ‘encompass the world’. Will it last? Or will her bubble burst? Despite her best efforts to ignore her wild attraction, a meeting takes place and so begins one strange romance between a man and woman who compliment one another in an impossible love story.
There is so much about himself he must keep hidden and not for the usual reasons men remain mum. He truly is not at liberty to tell her, but when his body begins to betray him revelations are impossible to avoid. Being with Rachel feeds the wish for Thomas to be more present, but it is a race against time. Rachel herself seems to be disappearing more in Thomas who is much like a daydream and nightmares haunt her sleep… love as mystery. But what will become of Rachel, is it possible she too could be on some strange edge of existence?
I enjoyed this novel, it’s a romance but the life vs death theme, the exploration of individual separateness and all that entails, made it a bit more meaty. Thomas may be insufficiently dead, but is Rachel insufficiently alive? Are many of us? Delightful.
Publication Date: February 4, 2020
Little, Brown and Company
“You’re insufficiently dead,” he said.
“I’m what?”
“Insufficiently dead. You lack rupture with your life. You have no exit narrative.”
This is a playful story about being dead and being alive. It’s just a state, really. Thomas Barrett has been trapped in nothingness due to some… mistake. He is insufficiently dead according to his visit to ‘the office’ and for the time being will exist in a state most will never have the chance to experience. Returned to earth with the living for a window of three months, he has rules that if he doesn’t follow will incur ‘regrets’. He’s best to forget the heaviness of his other life, and just enjoy his time in the new one, as much as a person who doesn’t actually exist can. He must learn to let go of the past, the old life, that is for all intents and purposes extinguished.
Thomas first notices the girl at a coffee shop, captivated by her. He decides a ‘harmless crush from afar’ won’t incur regrets, nor harm anyone. Something about the girl with her dark hair, glasses, how she “doled out her attention” pulls him in. Unbeknownst to him, she doesn’t fully exist either, but her error is loneliness and not death. The reader is introduced to Rachel who first notices Thomas at the bus stop, who seems to have some strange energy about him and, she notices, wears the same outfit every single day. Free of romantic entanglements for a year, she works as a reference librarian enjoying the fantasy of love and how it should be more than it’s actual crushing reality. A daydreamer, who has ‘fallen in love with her own dreams’, the object of her fantasy is now the electric man at the bus stop. Catching sight of him fuels her desire that seems to ‘encompass the world’. Will it last? Or will her bubble burst? Despite her best efforts to ignore her wild attraction, a meeting takes place and so begins one strange romance between a man and woman who compliment one another in an impossible love story.
There is so much about himself he must keep hidden and not for the usual reasons men remain mum. He truly is not at liberty to tell her, but when his body begins to betray him revelations are impossible to avoid. Being with Rachel feeds the wish for Thomas to be more present, but it is a race against time. Rachel herself seems to be disappearing more in Thomas who is much like a daydream and nightmares haunt her sleep… love as mystery. But what will become of Rachel, is it possible she too could be on some strange edge of existence?
I enjoyed this novel, it’s a romance but the life vs death theme, the exploration of individual separateness and all that entails, made it a bit more meaty. Thomas may be insufficiently dead, but is Rachel insufficiently alive? Are many of us? Delightful.
Publication Date: February 4, 2020
Little, Brown and Company
March 7, 2020
The Regrets by Amy Bonnaffons (#15 in 2020)
Every now and then, I'll read something and wonder what on EARTH I just read... and this is one of those times.
Pre-reading thoughts:
Hmmm... guy dies and winds up in some sort of purgatory between Earth and the afterlife. He has a 90 day period of time that he has to spend in this still-visible-not-totally-real state during which he has to follow a specific set of rules. Then he breaks the rules when he falls in love with a living girl.
Sounded like: a Patrick Swayze/Demi Moore situation... perhaps a Ghost of Christmas past sort of deal... maybe a Zac Efron in Charlie St. Cloud kind of arrangement.
During reading:
- This is satirical... witty... clever...
- He meets the girl he's had his eye on... that's cute.
- This girl is getting a little too physical with this half-dead guy.
- This is... sexual and strange...
- ... the couple remains very... physical.
- ... more parties have gotten involved.
- What did I just read?
Thoughts after reading:
Well that was interesting. It certainly wasn't what I expected, but I somehow made it through. The storytelling was actually quite good at times, but I felt that the steamy scenes were unnecessary. In another plot, the intimate parts may have worked well, but in this case the steam took away from the quality of the story. 2 stars
Am I the only one who has read this? Please comment below if you have thoughts!
Every now and then, I'll read something and wonder what on EARTH I just read... and this is one of those times.
Pre-reading thoughts:
Hmmm... guy dies and winds up in some sort of purgatory between Earth and the afterlife. He has a 90 day period of time that he has to spend in this still-visible-not-totally-real state during which he has to follow a specific set of rules. Then he breaks the rules when he falls in love with a living girl.
Sounded like: a Patrick Swayze/Demi Moore situation... perhaps a Ghost of Christmas past sort of deal... maybe a Zac Efron in Charlie St. Cloud kind of arrangement.
During reading:
- This is satirical... witty... clever...
- He meets the girl he's had his eye on... that's cute.
- This girl is getting a little too physical with this half-dead guy.
- This is... sexual and strange...
- ... the couple remains very... physical.
- ... more parties have gotten involved.
- What did I just read?
Thoughts after reading:
Well that was interesting. It certainly wasn't what I expected, but I somehow made it through. The storytelling was actually quite good at times, but I felt that the steamy scenes were unnecessary. In another plot, the intimate parts may have worked well, but in this case the steam took away from the quality of the story. 2 stars
Am I the only one who has read this? Please comment below if you have thoughts!
September 21, 2020
3.5
Apparently 3.5 is my new favorite Goodreads score...
Frankly, I was a bit embarrassed about the whole thing. Picking up my ex-boyfriend for comfort, like a nubby old blanket. Only women who were babies did things like that. I had always prided myself on not being a baby-woman. In fact, I wasn't a baby even when I was an actual baby. My first full sentence, when I was eighteen months old, was "Don't pick me up." I have always been little and cute, my whole life; my whole life people have wanted to pick me up and cradle me and treat me like an idiot" (260).
Apparently 3.5 is my new favorite Goodreads score...
Frankly, I was a bit embarrassed about the whole thing. Picking up my ex-boyfriend for comfort, like a nubby old blanket. Only women who were babies did things like that. I had always prided myself on not being a baby-woman. In fact, I wasn't a baby even when I was an actual baby. My first full sentence, when I was eighteen months old, was "Don't pick me up." I have always been little and cute, my whole life; my whole life people have wanted to pick me up and cradle me and treat me like an idiot" (260).
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