One Hundred and Fifty-Two Days

by Giles Paley-Phillips

He will be allowed to visit his mother soon. His mother who is terminally ill, his mother who he has been barred from seeing as he recovers from his own bout of pneumonia.

Until then, with the help of his physiotherapist Freya, he must navigate his increasingly empty and isolated existence: his father, who finds solace in the bottom of a glass; his Nana Q, whose betting-slip confetti litters her handbag; his friends, who simply wouldn’t understand.

Time passes with the promise of soon, but one hundred and fifty-two days later the boy will come face to face with his grief, and move beyond to a world full of possibility, hope and love.

Genres: Poetry, Fiction, Grief

200 pages, Hardcover

First published March 5, 2020

Reviews

[Natalie Richards · Rating 5 out of 5]

I very rarely buy new books but I kept seeing this one and I just had to have it. I'm so glad I did. It's short, I read it in an hour or so, but it's so powerful. A book about loss, grief, love and hope.

[Marjolein (UrlPhantomhive) · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 Stars

Read all my reviews on http://urlphantomhive.booklikes.com

This was a beautiful but strange novel told in verse about a boy who cannot be with his terminally sick mother because he himself is struggling with a very nasty bout of pneumonia.

For me it was a bit of a surprise this was in verse, since I expected a normal novel. However, I do think that it allowed to convey the story well. There are a lot of short poems in there, and while some of them would work out of the context of this novel, most really fill a role in this particular story. So, it did take me some time to get used to it, but after a while I enjoyed reading it. The utter sadness of the story came across as well as the little signs of positiveness near the end.

A good read.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

[Shae · Rating 4 out of 5]

Publishers Synopsis:

He will be allowed to visit his mother soon. His mother who is terminally ill, his mother who he has been barred from seeing as he recovers from his own bout of pneumonia.

Until then, with the help of his physiotherapist Freya, he must navigate his increasingly empty and isolated existence: his father, who finds solace in the bottom of a glass; his Nana Q, whose betting-slip confetti litters her handbag; his friends, who simply wouldn’t understand.

Time passes with the promise of soon, but one hundred and fifty-two days later the boy will come face to face with his grief, and move beyond to a world full of possibility, hope and love.

This beautiful poetic masterpiece was the story of a boy, full of emotions, in a world that wasn’t fair. It was so compelling I felt every emotion and every heart-aching moment. I loved that this book wasn’t entirely consecutive in it’s days. I felt that would be too predictable. A super unique story, something i’ve not read before, or anything structured like this. I think it’s safe to say we have all been affected, or know somebody affected by, cancer and it’s never a happy story to tell. But each story is different, and I sincerely loved this one, as heart-wrenching as it was.

In conclusion, I thoroughly enjoyed every moment of this book and think we all need a Nana Q in our lives.

My sincerest thanks to Netgalley and Unbound Publishing for a copy of this book in exchange for my review.

4/5 Stars

[iina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Heavy-hitting book about grief and addiction and healing. The writing is a little clumsy on occasion, but forgivable; some very poignant points made, too.



* I received an copy of this book gifted by the publisher, all thoughts in this review are my own *

[Karen Cole · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yesterday would have been my parents forty-ninth wedding anniversary - except my mum died in 1994, aged just 42. The boy in One Hundred and Fifty-Two Days is younger than I was when my mum was terminally ill and this is his unique story but this beautifully written book really resonated with me - as I'm sure it will with anybody who has ever faced the loss of a loved one.
Written from the first-person perspective of a teenage boy and in verse throughout, this is a quick read but though it may only be a short book, it certainly isn't lacking in emotional depth. The boy is trying to come to terms with knowing his mother is dying while being prevented from visiting her in hospital as he recovers from pneumonia. As I read, I couldn't help but cast my mind back to when my mum was ill and I remembered how disorientating it is to lose a parent as a young adult. It's the age when you're no longer a child but still desperately need the guidance and support of your parents and I thought that Giles Paley-Phillips captured this perfectly.
He often feels resentful towards his father but it is painfully obvious that far from not caring, this is actually a man who is not coping with his own grief. Likewise, his Nana Q's reliance on her little routines - her betting slips and visits to the cafe, indicate a woman trying to come to terms with her own imminent loss. Grief may draw people together but it is still an immensely lonely time and One Hundred and Fifty-Two Days explores this candidly yet sympathetically. The boy finds his private island - his respite from his pain - through the empathetic support of his physiotherapist, Freya and he latches on to her with the gentle obsession of first love.
There are so many moments I could identify with here; the times when it's hard to comprehend how day to day life is expected to carry on, the bitter nostalgia of happier times, the anger directed towards others - sometimes deserved, often not and perhaps most poignantly, the guilt. One of the most moving parts of the novella comes when his mother passes away and he acknowledges that with that comes a sense of relief,

'It felt like we'd all been
holding our breath for one hundred
and fifty-two days and now
we had all breathed out
at the same time.
And we all felt the relief.'

One Hundred and Fifty-Two Days is semi-autobiographical and is clearly written from the heart. It is a raw, emotional novel which understands that the fear and grief experienced during this darkest time in a person's life can become almost too overwhelming to bear. However, it also recognises the importance of kindness and love, with a heartfelt reminder that though we are changed by pain and loss, so too are we shaped by those we have loved and who loved us.
I wish I'd had a book like this when I was younger and I hope it will find its way into the hands of the teenagers and young adults who need it now. Although each of us have our own unique experiences of grief, the honest beauty and sensitivity of One Hundred and Fifty-Two Days means it will bring comfort and hope to readers of any age.

[Claire (c.isfor.claire_reads) · Rating 5 out of 5]

This delightful short semi-autobiographical story, written in free verse, tells the story of a young teenage boy dealing with his mother's terminal cancer diagnosis and how during this time he was unable to visit her as he was recovering from pneumonia.

Told through the short verses, we see the effect this has on him, as the young boy comes to terms with his grief, then the loss of his mother, and the loss of closeness he had with his father, who is grieving himself and turning to alcohol for solace. The short verses also explore the boy's blossoming friendship with his physio Freya, his feelings of first love and his relationship with his NanaQ too who is staying in the house to look after him during this time.

Oh my goodness, this book is such a beautiful, captivating, moving story, both heartbreaking and heartwarming all rolled up into one, with the hint of a promise of easier times to come.

I read this book over two evenings and found it comfortably cathartic having lost my own mum some 8 weeks ago. What an absolute gem of a book and one to remain on my bookshelf ❤️💙❤️

[Audrey · Rating 2 out of 5]

Unfortunately, this one wasn't for me.
I tend to struggle with novels written in verse if I feel like the format doesn't add anything to the story. Jason Reynolds' books are an excellent example to me of stories that are enriched by the choice to tell them in verse. This book, however, didn't seem to benefit from it. On the contrary, it really just felt like choppy prose with line breaks. This, combined with the fact that the story wasn't told linearly, meant that I had a really hard time getting attached to the characters or the plot.
I realized when I finished this book that if I hadn't read the synopsis beforehand I would've had a really hard time understanding what was going on. Very little happens in the book, and what does happen isn't explicitly explained. The synopsis helps to clarify things, but a lot of the things that made me interested in the synopsis were hardly present in the book. It focuses very little on the main character's struggle with not being able to see his mom, and instead on his fixation with his physiotherapist and his grandma's gambling problem.
I don't know. It was a quick read, but unfortunately I got very little out of it and I don't think I'll remember any details from this one for very long.

[Ellie (bookmadbarlow) · Rating 4 out of 5]

A story written in free verse about a family going through the grieving process. Told from a teenage boys perspective we jump around on the 152 day time line, gathering information about what his background and how each member of the family is dealing with it in their own way.
I am a lover of free verse and I thought this was written very well, the sparse wording more powerful as each poem hits home.
This is short, sweet and can be consumed in one sitting. It made me in turns angry and sad and I wanted to shake some of the characters a bit, but it will be one that stays with me.

[Jamie Klingler · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just read this lovely poetic book on grief in one sitting. For obvious reasons, I tend to avoid books about moms dying of cancer, but the gentleness, the soft touch and the recognition of being lost and unanchored was beautiful and soothing rather than traumatic.

[Vivien Parry · Rating 5 out of 5]

Seems a long time but isnt!

One moment I'm reading the first word and the next I'm reading the last. Although this book has grief, illness and family changes it also has a smouldering of hope, of love and of new beginnings. At times I felt that parts of me were being exposed for others to read and pick apart whilst I was doing the same to the words on the page! A deeply powerful book that left me wanting more of the hope that was peeking from behind the clouds

[What Fern Reads · Rating 3 out of 5]

Written in free-verse One Hundred and Fifty Two Days is heavy hitting, clumsy, emotional, heartbreaking.
This may not be for everyone but I felt it was a welcome change to my shelves.

[Kerry-louise Jones · Rating 4 out of 5]

What an incredibly powerful book.

I loved that this was written in free verse as it made every word more important. The book handles the theme of grief in such a graceful way, it’s definitely one I will be recommending.

The only think that threw me a little was that the days were all out of order, I know this is intended but for someone who likes a linear time line this was a little off putting.

[San · Rating 5 out of 5]

In the words of the author himself, this book can be described in 3 words: Grief, Hope and Love.

It took me less than half an hour to finish this book. Since it wasn't listed as poetry on Netgalley, I picked up the book expecting it to be in prose obviously. It's verse format left me delightfully surprised and as I happen to love reading poems, my curiosity was heightened.

It was such a heartbreakingly beautiful read. Giles Paley-Phillips has conveyed the complex emotions of an unwell teenage boy incredibly well. The cleverly constructed verses in the story made reading it more impactful. The prose poems provided a different yet somehow a more poignant look at the pain and grief of the young teen. There were quite a few verses that can be applied in many situations and I'm keeping a couple of them handy, in case, I ever find myself in need of some.

The level of emotions in the story was so powerful. The brevity of the story doesn't decrease the emotional depth it offers. The fact that this semi-autobiographical ends up enriching the emotions I experienced from the story.

What I loved even more about this book was that it ended on a hopeful note. It showed us that there's light at the end of every tunnel.

This tenderly written tale of grief and hope might make even the hardest of hearts shed a tear or two.

Review at: https://sugarplumsays.wixsite.com/sup...

[Laura Martens · Rating 5 out of 5]

One Hundred and Fifty-Two days made me cry.
Giles Paley-Phillips doesn't sugarcoat, doesn't romanticise, but instead tells the heartbreaking story of a boy whose mother is dying while he's not allowed to visit her because he recovers from his own bout of pneumonia so realistically you feel like you know the family from the first page. In beautifully written, short but impactful prose poems the reader is faced with the impossibility of dealing with a situation like this, and how every family member sinks into a different kind of despair that echoes on in your own chest.
And yet it is not a hopeless book. It shows how it is possible to come back from the blackest darkness, how sadness and despair will not last forever and that, even if it never truly disappears, there is always hope and recovery after grief.
With a realness and gentleness reminiscent of Patrick Ness's "A Monster Calls", Giles Paley-Phillips tells the story of a boy who goes through the very worst thing that can happen, but also leaves a trail to follow, ending on a hopeful note.
I loved this book with my entire heart, and would really recommend it to everyone!

[Claire (Silver Linings and Pages) · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a gorgeous little book about loss, grief, and finding a way to keep going.
.
A semi-autobiographical coming of age story, this is written in free verse as memories. Each of those memories has a title, such as “There are always things,” “Private Island”, “The only one I want to see” and “A memory to visit”, and in beautiful simplicity they convey the deep emotions running through the book.
.
The narrator is a teenage boy who is barred from visitIng his dying mother while he recovers from pneumonia. His father has turned to alcohol for solace, his scatty Nana Q is preoccupied by the bingo and his friends don’t understand. He finds a meaningful connection with sassy, compassionate physiotherapist Freya, who helps him to navigate this bewildering landscape of trauma.
.
I have a policy of not reading books that heavily feature terminal illness, especially cancer, as it’s just too close to real life experience. However, when @unbounders kindly offered to send this for review I made an exception based on the glowing reviews and descriptions of hope and possibilities. It was the right decision! I’m not going to lie to you, I found it painful and raw at times but this is beautiful, stirring writing. I loved the strong sense of hope and optimism in the final part, just perfect.

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another bookstagram made me do it purchase, and I am so glad that I did.

He will be allowed to visit his mother soon. His mother who is terminally ill, his mother who he has been barred from seeing as he recovers from his own bout of pneumonia. Until then, with the help of his physiotherapist Freya, he must navigate his increasingly empty and isolated existence: his father, who finds solace in the bottom of a glass; his Nana Q, whose betting-slip confetti litters her handbag; his friends, who simply wouldn’t understand. Time passes with the promise of soon, but one hundred and fifty-two days later the boy will come face to face with his grief, and move beyond to a world full of possibility, hope and love.

What an incredibly powerful book. I loved that this was written in free verse as it made every word more important. The book handles the theme of grief in such a graceful way, it’s definitely one I will be recommending.

I have only given it 4 stars as the dates were out of order and maybe it’s just me as some one who likes a linear timeline, but I did find that slightly off putting.

I highly recommend this.

[Kathryn · Rating 4 out of 5]

*3.5 stars rounded up*

I didn't know what to expect going into this one. I've read one book in a similar format but poetry isn't usually my thing. I did end up enjoying this one, and was especially surprised at the level of emotion packed into 200 pages of verse

We follow a young boy as he comes to terms with his treatment for cystic fibrosis alongside his mum's terminal diagnosis. As well as that, he's also experiencing feelings of first love and dealing with daily high school dramas

This book portrayed grief really well, and I especially enjoyed the later section once his mum had passed and he, his dad and his nana are coming to terms with their grief

The other book I've read with a similar premise was Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds. Both follow young men coming to terms with loss and change for them personally

I recommend this if you enjoyed A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness. It has similar themes and it being written in verse gives a different angle to the portrayal of grief from the perspective of a young boy

*This book was sent to me by the publisher in exchange for an honest review*

[Stephen Leatherdale · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is almost beyond review.

Giles conveys the complex emotions of his teenage self with incredible honesty and vivid clarity. It's an astounding read, the stark truth stands out on every page, bravely and honestly told. There is no hiding the grief but what kept me reading was the shining and fragile humanity of the book.

It would be easy to overlook how well written this book is, such is the poignancy and sheer weightiness of the events described. However, the verse that guides us through the days is simply perfect, never overwrought and is reminiscent of the very best song lyrics. Fragments of emotion, delivered by glass-sliver phrases, each line of each verse really delivers the story and captures the young Giles' pain.

So, I recomment that you to read this book, but I do so with the sober certainty that whilst this book captures a difficult journey, choosing to go on it is an enriching experience.

[TBHONEST · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautifully written, moving and emotional story of a young boy who is extremely unwell who cannot go visit his terminally ill Mum.
The story told through the eyes of the boy tells of how he deals with all his emotions both positive and negative and in the end manages to find a bit of hope and positivity in the extremely hard situation.
What made the story resonate even more was it was told in verse, all of which flowed and moved the story along perfectly. Many of the verses as well could be isolated and read out of context of the novel and be extremely meaningful.

A lovely and slightly unconventional read that highlights things we have gone through and how we deal with emotions is unique to us, This a book that is very easy to relate to and connect with.

[Jean-paul Audouy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautifully written and heartbreaking. And heartwarming. A very personal story but as with every personal story beautifully written, you immediately relate to it, if not to the story itself, at least to the feelings expressed. I read it in one sitting as it is a slight volume but packed with so many emotions it left a deeper imprint than many of the books I’ve read. Be warned, you might shed a tear or two… Highly recommended.

[Jacqueline Allan · Rating 4 out of 5]

A sincere thank you to the publisher, author and Netgalley for providing me an ebook copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. This is not my usual genre, I’m more of a crime/thriller reader therefore am extremely pleased and grateful for opening up my mind to something totally different. 4 stars 🌟🌟🌟🌟

[Mikalyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of this book.

This book is very short, and is written in verse.
I've read quite a few books now formatted like this, in verse, but this one just didn't move me like other have. Even though the subject matter is pretty deep all around, it surprisingly didn't move me the way I hoped it would. It was still good though, just not great.

[Jo · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a beautiful book about loss and grief and the things we can do to hold on when life is at it’s hardest. It’s written as a series of poems each one complete but not interrupting the gentle flow of the narrative. I loved it.

[Bookwormbadger · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was unexpectedly lovely; set out in poem style, it tells the story through the perspective of a 14 year old boy. He has pneumonia and his mother has cancer; it sounds bleak and tragic, which it is, however it is beautifully written and ultimately hopeful.

[my bookworm life · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review coming soon

[Kristina Davis · Rating 5 out of 5]

I couldn’t put it down. Such a moving story. Thank you for sharing.

[Vicky Charles · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely loved this. So beautifully written. Heartbreaking but also heart warming.

[Megan Terry · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book and will definitely pick it up again when I experience loss.

[Emma Christina · Rating 3 out of 5]

A comfortable and pleasant 3 stars, much more touching than I thought it would be

[Onnica · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautifully written observation of grief and the process that sadly awaits us all.