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Eigenlijk helemaal niet goed
Hannah is achtentwintig jaar wanneer haar moeder een ongeluk krijgt, met spoed naar het ziekenhuis wordt gebracht en nooit meer wakker wordt. Haar eerste instinct? Haar moeder bellen. Terwijl Hannah de rots in de branding voor haar emotioneel instabiele vader en chaotische zusje moet zijn, leert ze cruciale levenslessen die haar moeder haar nooit verteld heeft, zoals:
- Hoe je een begrafenis plant
- Hoe je een plafond schoonmaakt
- Hoe je de confrontatie met je angsten aangaat
- Hoe je op een tandem rijdt
- Hoe je moeder moet zijn
Maar er is één les die Hannah graag van haar moeder had geleerd: als je net de persoon bent verloren die alles een betekenis gaf, hoe moet je dan in hemelsnaam jezelf vinden?
- Hoe je een begrafenis plant
- Hoe je een plafond schoonmaakt
- Hoe je de confrontatie met je angsten aangaat
- Hoe je op een tandem rijdt
- Hoe je moeder moet zijn
Maar er is één les die Hannah graag van haar moeder had geleerd: als je net de persoon bent verloren die alles een betekenis gaf, hoe moet je dan in hemelsnaam jezelf vinden?
336 pages, Paperback
Published February 24, 2022
29 people are currently reading
597 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 67 reviews
November 14, 2021
28yo Hannah's mum is the glue that holds the family together - so her unexpected death sends the family into a downward spiral.
Also mentioned in my August wrap up video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GttOu...
We follow the cast of brilliant characters over 12 months, each one of them trying to cope with grief in their own way.
Laura Kemp's quote on the cover of the book "If you loved fleabag, you'll love this" - hits the nail on the head.
This is a story about death and grief but Amy Lavelle has managed to fill it with moments of hilarity.
3.5 stars
Also mentioned in my August wrap up video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GttOu...
We follow the cast of brilliant characters over 12 months, each one of them trying to cope with grief in their own way.
Laura Kemp's quote on the cover of the book "If you loved fleabag, you'll love this" - hits the nail on the head.
This is a story about death and grief but Amy Lavelle has managed to fill it with moments of hilarity.
3.5 stars
April 22, 2022
Hannah is achtentwintig jaar als haar moeder onverwacht komt te overlijden. Haar wereld staat meteen op zijn kop. Ze probeert er voor haar jongere zus te zijn maar dat gaat niet zoals gepland.
Hannah begint met rouwen zonder te weten hoe dat moet. Ze probeert het zelfs een beetje te ontlopen, met alle gevolgen van dien.
Hoewel het boek een zwaar onderwerp bevat is het geen zwaar boek. Af en toe heb ik zelfs hardop gelachen. Het is geen boek wat mij aan het huilen maakte.
Het verhaal leest vlot weg. Echter was de tijdlijn soms wat lastig te volgen. In elk hoofdstuk komt er een belangrijke dag aanbod. Tevens waren de hoofdstukken net iets te lang.
Iedereen gaat anders om met rouwen. Dat komt duidelijk naar voren in het boek. Hannah, haar zusje en vader gaan er allemaal anders mee om.
Soms ergerde Hannah’s keuzes mij. Dan wilde ik haar beetpakken en door elkaar schudden.
Recensie-exemplaar
Hannah begint met rouwen zonder te weten hoe dat moet. Ze probeert het zelfs een beetje te ontlopen, met alle gevolgen van dien.
Hoewel het boek een zwaar onderwerp bevat is het geen zwaar boek. Af en toe heb ik zelfs hardop gelachen. Het is geen boek wat mij aan het huilen maakte.
Het verhaal leest vlot weg. Echter was de tijdlijn soms wat lastig te volgen. In elk hoofdstuk komt er een belangrijke dag aanbod. Tevens waren de hoofdstukken net iets te lang.
Iedereen gaat anders om met rouwen. Dat komt duidelijk naar voren in het boek. Hannah, haar zusje en vader gaan er allemaal anders mee om.
Soms ergerde Hannah’s keuzes mij. Dan wilde ik haar beetpakken en door elkaar schudden.
Recensie-exemplaar
August 9, 2021
⭐️ 4 ⭐️
Definitely Fine is a superb, beautifully written debut novel by Amy Lavelle; heartbreaking, yet extremely witty with many hilarious, laugh-out-loud moments.
The story is told from the point of view of Hannah and starts with the sudden, unexpected death of her mum. Over the space of a year we see how Hannah copes with her grief and the raw mixture of emotions that accompany her loss.
Featuring a likeable cast of well-rounded characters; Hannah in particular is relatable, honest and totally believable.
My mum sadly passed away when I was in my early twenties (Hannah is 28), so I could relate to so much of what was written. All the firsts you have to endure without your loved one; birthdays, Mother’s Day, Christmas; the feeling of emptiness, and the overwhelming sense of loneliness, even when you have family and friends close by to support you.
Definitely Fine is a thoroughly enjoyable read. Thoughtfully written, it is sad (but not at all depressing), it’s also humorous and uplifting. The old adage is true, time really is a great healer.
Many thanks to the publisher for the gifted copy, in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.
Definitely Fine is a superb, beautifully written debut novel by Amy Lavelle; heartbreaking, yet extremely witty with many hilarious, laugh-out-loud moments.
The story is told from the point of view of Hannah and starts with the sudden, unexpected death of her mum. Over the space of a year we see how Hannah copes with her grief and the raw mixture of emotions that accompany her loss.
Featuring a likeable cast of well-rounded characters; Hannah in particular is relatable, honest and totally believable.
My mum sadly passed away when I was in my early twenties (Hannah is 28), so I could relate to so much of what was written. All the firsts you have to endure without your loved one; birthdays, Mother’s Day, Christmas; the feeling of emptiness, and the overwhelming sense of loneliness, even when you have family and friends close by to support you.
Definitely Fine is a thoroughly enjoyable read. Thoughtfully written, it is sad (but not at all depressing), it’s also humorous and uplifting. The old adage is true, time really is a great healer.
Many thanks to the publisher for the gifted copy, in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.
March 21, 2022
De gehele recensie lees je binnenkort op mijn blog: https://jenniferleest.wordpress.com/
January 8, 2022
A real unexpected delight. I picked this up on a whim, and it’s really surprised me in a good way. It was so so funny but also dealt with the sad and sensitive parts so well. A great first read of the year!
August 13, 2021
At first I wasn’t sure if I was going to enjoy this book. I found the premise quite depressing and the first few chapters revolved around Hannah, our protagonist’s, mum in ICU after an accident from which we know she doesn’t recover.
It didn’t take long for Hannah to win me over though. She’s such a relatable character and we can completely understand her (sometimes hilarious) thought processes, as she deals with the most challenging experience of her life so far; losing a parent.
There is a gentle irreverent humour throughout, which makes the difficult subject matter much easier to read. There’s a very good dose of laugh out loud moments too.
This is a very character driven novel and the plot simply revolves around Hannah coping with her grief in the first year without her mum. The range of supporting characters are brilliantly written too, from the long suffering boyfriend, Ollie, to love-to-hate, selfish friend, Maria, and two very different but equally amusing aunts.
There’s a review on the front cover linking the book to Fleabag. While I have to admit I’ve never watched it (I know I need to), there’s definitely a sense of the book being like a comedy series. Each chapter is like a new episode, as Hannah deals hilariously with another challenge, whether that’s Mother’s Day, Birthdays, Christmas, her dad potentially dating again, a run-in with a psychic or learning to ride a tandem!
Despite being a novel primarily about grief, it manages to be wonderfully heartwarming and very funny. A thoroughly enjoyable read.
Thank you to Ellen at Orion Books for inviting me on the tour, and for my #gifted copy in return for an honest review.
It didn’t take long for Hannah to win me over though. She’s such a relatable character and we can completely understand her (sometimes hilarious) thought processes, as she deals with the most challenging experience of her life so far; losing a parent.
There is a gentle irreverent humour throughout, which makes the difficult subject matter much easier to read. There’s a very good dose of laugh out loud moments too.
This is a very character driven novel and the plot simply revolves around Hannah coping with her grief in the first year without her mum. The range of supporting characters are brilliantly written too, from the long suffering boyfriend, Ollie, to love-to-hate, selfish friend, Maria, and two very different but equally amusing aunts.
There’s a review on the front cover linking the book to Fleabag. While I have to admit I’ve never watched it (I know I need to), there’s definitely a sense of the book being like a comedy series. Each chapter is like a new episode, as Hannah deals hilariously with another challenge, whether that’s Mother’s Day, Birthdays, Christmas, her dad potentially dating again, a run-in with a psychic or learning to ride a tandem!
Despite being a novel primarily about grief, it manages to be wonderfully heartwarming and very funny. A thoroughly enjoyable read.
Thank you to Ellen at Orion Books for inviting me on the tour, and for my #gifted copy in return for an honest review.
January 5, 2022
I had such high hopes for this book. Honestly, I was so excited to read this one which is why it ended up being my first read of the year and I can't help but feel disappointed by it.
The main character, Hannah, was the primary reason behind this. I understand that everyone processes grief in different ways but I struggled to find redeeming characteristics for her. The start of the book was pretty strong but as I carried on reading, it just became more difficult to read because of Hannah. The timescale of the book was a little difficult to follow as well and the ending just didn't leave me feeling satisfied.
The main character, Hannah, was the primary reason behind this. I understand that everyone processes grief in different ways but I struggled to find redeeming characteristics for her. The start of the book was pretty strong but as I carried on reading, it just became more difficult to read because of Hannah. The timescale of the book was a little difficult to follow as well and the ending just didn't leave me feeling satisfied.
August 16, 2021
This book instantly drew me to it, just from the description and I know it would be the perfect read for me. As a woman who sees her own mum as her best friend, I related to Hannah. I mean - I've been living on my own for 7 years now and i still call my mum every day with cooking questions.
Definitely Fine is a brilliant, beautiful and hilarious take on grief and the way it can effect people differently. The comparisons between Hannah and her sister Laura were so well written, and the fact that I could understand both of their characters is very unique.
I even laughed out loud at this book. There are times when I couldn't help but shake my head because of how realistic some scenes are! I really enjoyed Hannah and Ollies relationship too, I feel like they balanced each other well and their interactions had me howling - especially when everyone kept puking in their house.
I appreciate the character development with Hannahs dad the most. He is instantly described as cold and closed off. But in the end you really see how he tries with his daughters! And he is just grieving a loved one too.
I highly recommend this book to everyone, it really opened my mind to the possibility of loosing someone and I found it really relatable. One of my favourites from this year so far!
Definitely Fine is a brilliant, beautiful and hilarious take on grief and the way it can effect people differently. The comparisons between Hannah and her sister Laura were so well written, and the fact that I could understand both of their characters is very unique.
I even laughed out loud at this book. There are times when I couldn't help but shake my head because of how realistic some scenes are! I really enjoyed Hannah and Ollies relationship too, I feel like they balanced each other well and their interactions had me howling - especially when everyone kept puking in their house.
I appreciate the character development with Hannahs dad the most. He is instantly described as cold and closed off. But in the end you really see how he tries with his daughters! And he is just grieving a loved one too.
I highly recommend this book to everyone, it really opened my mind to the possibility of loosing someone and I found it really relatable. One of my favourites from this year so far!
August 23, 2024
A bit like fleabag. A humorous take on grief and the grieving process.
January 29, 2022
Honestly very fun and what Dolly Alderton’s Ghosts wishes it was
May 26, 2021
Hannah’s mum dies suddenly and she has no idea how she, her dad and her sister will ever get through this. Their mum was the glue that held everything together and the one she could always turn to. Now Hannah is desperate to step up and support everyone but must realise that she also needs to look after herself too!
Here we see Hannah navigate through her grief and the effect loss has on her relationships with her boyfriend, dad, sister and friends.
A sad but also uplifting story about learning to keep living, dreaming and hoping after a catastrophic loss. This was an enjoyable and easy read and a great debut novel!
Here we see Hannah navigate through her grief and the effect loss has on her relationships with her boyfriend, dad, sister and friends.
A sad but also uplifting story about learning to keep living, dreaming and hoping after a catastrophic loss. This was an enjoyable and easy read and a great debut novel!
March 5, 2024
This review features spoilers!!
˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥ D E T A I L S
○ REVIEW WRITTEN ON: 1 March 2024
REVIEW TRANSCRIBED ON: 5 March 2024
○ HOURS TAKEN TO READ: 8 hours, 34 minutes
RATING: ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆
˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥ R E V I E W
< P O S I T I V E S > :
○ Apparently this is author's occupation was/is also in journalism. You'd think it was comedian with some of the lines in this book! It's funny and self-aware, I don't know the last book I laughed out loud like I did reading this one (such as 'Laura is one of those people you never want to lend anything to because she can generally be counted on to loose it', 'It was a lovely church: very old and ornately decorated. It was filled with impressive-looking moldings, stained glass and other things people mention when they know something about architecture')
○ Distinctive characters, such as Iris and Cathy
○ Really thorough writing about losing a parent. Details like Hannah seeing birthday cards around her mother's birthday and realising she'll never buy one again for her mother. Hannah also discussed losing her future with her mother, but also her own future in a way, because Hannah doesn't know what genetic medical conditions she'll develop in old age (assuming she'll live older than her mother did)
< N E G A T I V E S > :
○ Patrick is one of those weird characters with a stereotypical name for his nationality, but only when someone else also has said nationality, and then when suddenly he's exaggerating it and it's cringey. Also, the consumption of alcohol in this book is disturbing, in my opinion. Hannah said you can't have much fun without alcohol, yet she and her friends do embarrassing things like dancing on a table, almost cheating on their partner, and being sick over the bathroom and stairs of someone else's flat
○ Hannah's relationship with Christianity, and her father, sounds problematic. She feels guilt about losing her virginity before marriage to this day, more than ten years later, yet loves the Christian festival of Christmas - oh wait, that's because she likes getting presents. This story is set in the space of a year yet I never hear her say she's going to religious service voluntarily, or praying.... yet her father makes her promise she'll go to a religious service, and speak to a priest instead of a trained counsellor - what? When she does go to said counsellor, she 'identifies' herself as religious... why? If she was saying that her upbringing distressed her, then it would've made sense!
˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥ D E T A I L S
○ REVIEW WRITTEN ON: 1 March 2024
REVIEW TRANSCRIBED ON: 5 March 2024
○ HOURS TAKEN TO READ: 8 hours, 34 minutes
RATING: ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆
˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥ R E V I E W
< P O S I T I V E S > :
○ Apparently this is author's occupation was/is also in journalism. You'd think it was comedian with some of the lines in this book! It's funny and self-aware, I don't know the last book I laughed out loud like I did reading this one (such as 'Laura is one of those people you never want to lend anything to because she can generally be counted on to loose it', 'It was a lovely church: very old and ornately decorated. It was filled with impressive-looking moldings, stained glass and other things people mention when they know something about architecture')
○ Distinctive characters, such as Iris and Cathy
○ Really thorough writing about losing a parent. Details like Hannah seeing birthday cards around her mother's birthday and realising she'll never buy one again for her mother. Hannah also discussed losing her future with her mother, but also her own future in a way, because Hannah doesn't know what genetic medical conditions she'll develop in old age (assuming she'll live older than her mother did)
< N E G A T I V E S > :
○ Patrick is one of those weird characters with a stereotypical name for his nationality, but only when someone else also has said nationality, and then when suddenly he's exaggerating it and it's cringey. Also, the consumption of alcohol in this book is disturbing, in my opinion. Hannah said you can't have much fun without alcohol, yet she and her friends do embarrassing things like dancing on a table, almost cheating on their partner, and being sick over the bathroom and stairs of someone else's flat
○ Hannah's relationship with Christianity, and her father, sounds problematic. She feels guilt about losing her virginity before marriage to this day, more than ten years later, yet loves the Christian festival of Christmas - oh wait, that's because she likes getting presents. This story is set in the space of a year yet I never hear her say she's going to religious service voluntarily, or praying.... yet her father makes her promise she'll go to a religious service, and speak to a priest instead of a trained counsellor - what? When she does go to said counsellor, she 'identifies' herself as religious... why? If she was saying that her upbringing distressed her, then it would've made sense!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 3, 2021
Genre: General Fiction | Adult Fiction
Release Date: Expected 5th August 2021
If there was ever a time Hannah wanted to call her Mum, it was now. But she can't, and she never will again.
All it took was an unexpected fall and she's gone. She'll never get to watch that new show with her, never eat her roast potatoes again, never be able to call her and ask how she's supposed to get through this without her. Hannah has never lived in a world without her Mother and now everything is different.
Along with her new counsellor, also named Hannah, she tries to start her new life. Is she greiving right? Is she grieving at all? Why isn't everyone else sad enough? How do you live your life when your compass is suddenly gone?
'Definitely Fine' is an honest and heartbreakingly real story about how we're expected to deal with death and loss and the reality that it's never that simple. We see Hannah going through the many faces of despair - of course there's sadness and numbness, but then there's the irrationality, the impulsiveness and the anger that we're just not supposed to talk about.
Along with her Dad and Sister, the family all try in their own ways to deal with this - from getting drunk and dancing on tables, sneakily baking lots of lasagnes, sleeping all day or trying to get pregnant to replace the hole left in their lives.
This book was truly, viscerally beautiful and one of the most true-to-life stories of recovery that I've ever read - it reminded me of all the times I'd lost someone I love and wasn't sure I was allowed to be happy, or laugh, even though let's be honest - life, even in it's worst moments, is totally ridiculous and needs to be laughed at.
When we'd finally arrived at the last page - the ending was just that. A single page, a single moment that doesn't really feel like an ending at all. It's that single moment that you finally, blissfully, manage to find peace in something else even for a second.
RATING: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Thank you to Amy Lavelle and Orion Publishing for an ARC in return for an honest review.
Release Date: Expected 5th August 2021
If there was ever a time Hannah wanted to call her Mum, it was now. But she can't, and she never will again.
All it took was an unexpected fall and she's gone. She'll never get to watch that new show with her, never eat her roast potatoes again, never be able to call her and ask how she's supposed to get through this without her. Hannah has never lived in a world without her Mother and now everything is different.
Along with her new counsellor, also named Hannah, she tries to start her new life. Is she greiving right? Is she grieving at all? Why isn't everyone else sad enough? How do you live your life when your compass is suddenly gone?
'Definitely Fine' is an honest and heartbreakingly real story about how we're expected to deal with death and loss and the reality that it's never that simple. We see Hannah going through the many faces of despair - of course there's sadness and numbness, but then there's the irrationality, the impulsiveness and the anger that we're just not supposed to talk about.
Along with her Dad and Sister, the family all try in their own ways to deal with this - from getting drunk and dancing on tables, sneakily baking lots of lasagnes, sleeping all day or trying to get pregnant to replace the hole left in their lives.
This book was truly, viscerally beautiful and one of the most true-to-life stories of recovery that I've ever read - it reminded me of all the times I'd lost someone I love and wasn't sure I was allowed to be happy, or laugh, even though let's be honest - life, even in it's worst moments, is totally ridiculous and needs to be laughed at.
When we'd finally arrived at the last page - the ending was just that. A single page, a single moment that doesn't really feel like an ending at all. It's that single moment that you finally, blissfully, manage to find peace in something else even for a second.
RATING: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Thank you to Amy Lavelle and Orion Publishing for an ARC in return for an honest review.
March 9, 2025
2,5 ster
Laat ik deze review beginnen met vertellen dat het voor mij lang niet meer het eerste boek is wat ik over dit onderwerp heb gelezen.
Dit zorgt ervoor dat ik dit boek dan ook eigenlijk een beetje vind tegenvallen in vergelijking met andere boeken over (ouder) verlies. Er zitten in het boek echt wel wat uitspraken/situaties/quotes waar ik herkenning in kon vinden. Maar toch vond ik die hoeveelheid vrij minimaal.
Naar mijn mening heeft het boek erg lange hoofdstukken, die soms best wat korter hadden gekund. Ook wordt drinken (vooral in het eerste gedeelte) heel erg veel ingezet als coping. (Wat natuurlijk ook niet gek is) Maar ik merkte voor mij dat dit ook best wel wat minder kon en wat minder ter sprake had kunnen komen.
Daarnaast vond ik het wel erg leuk om over Hannah en Ollie te lezen. Ik kreeg het gevoel dat ik ze echt een beetje heb leren kennen.
Zo is er bijvoorbeeld de passage over hoe Hannah ineens bedenkt zwanger te willen worden en hoe Ollie daar dan toch in meegaat.
Ook kreeg ik een lach op mijn gezicht toen Ollie Hannah een (ingepakte) tandem cadeau gaf voor haar verjaardag.
Het stuk waar Laura en Hannah denken dat hun vader vreemd gaat met Betty was naar mijn idee wel erg lang gestrekt. Ik had zelf als lezer al bij de eerste gedachte het idee dat hun vader waarschijnlijk gewoon naar iets van een lotgenoten groep zou gaan. Maar vervolgens lees je nog hoofdstukken lang door over hoe Laura en Hannah daar anders over denken.
En dan nog het stukje: 'Don't judge a book by it's cover'. Daar heb ik me bij dit boek misschien wel een beetje schuldig aangemaakt. Ik weet dat de kaft mij erg aanspraak en ik de woordspeling van (eigenlijk) helemaal (niet) goed erg passend en leuk bedacht vond.
Daarnaast staat er bovenop de kaft: 'Een hilarisch, hartverscheurend en kwetsbaar verhaal voor iedereen die zich weleens verloren heeft gevoeld.' Ik moet zeggen dat ik dus misschien ook een beetje met dat idee aan dit boek begonnen ben. Maar persoonlijk kan ik mij na het lezen niet helemaal in die uitspraak vinden. Dus dat stelde me wel een beetje teleur.
Laat ik deze review beginnen met vertellen dat het voor mij lang niet meer het eerste boek is wat ik over dit onderwerp heb gelezen.
Dit zorgt ervoor dat ik dit boek dan ook eigenlijk een beetje vind tegenvallen in vergelijking met andere boeken over (ouder) verlies. Er zitten in het boek echt wel wat uitspraken/situaties/quotes waar ik herkenning in kon vinden. Maar toch vond ik die hoeveelheid vrij minimaal.
Naar mijn mening heeft het boek erg lange hoofdstukken, die soms best wat korter hadden gekund. Ook wordt drinken (vooral in het eerste gedeelte) heel erg veel ingezet als coping. (Wat natuurlijk ook niet gek is) Maar ik merkte voor mij dat dit ook best wel wat minder kon en wat minder ter sprake had kunnen komen.
Daarnaast vond ik het wel erg leuk om over Hannah en Ollie te lezen. Ik kreeg het gevoel dat ik ze echt een beetje heb leren kennen.
Zo is er bijvoorbeeld de passage over hoe Hannah ineens bedenkt zwanger te willen worden en hoe Ollie daar dan toch in meegaat.
Ook kreeg ik een lach op mijn gezicht toen Ollie Hannah een (ingepakte) tandem cadeau gaf voor haar verjaardag.
Het stuk waar Laura en Hannah denken dat hun vader vreemd gaat met Betty was naar mijn idee wel erg lang gestrekt. Ik had zelf als lezer al bij de eerste gedachte het idee dat hun vader waarschijnlijk gewoon naar iets van een lotgenoten groep zou gaan. Maar vervolgens lees je nog hoofdstukken lang door over hoe Laura en Hannah daar anders over denken.
En dan nog het stukje: 'Don't judge a book by it's cover'. Daar heb ik me bij dit boek misschien wel een beetje schuldig aangemaakt. Ik weet dat de kaft mij erg aanspraak en ik de woordspeling van (eigenlijk) helemaal (niet) goed erg passend en leuk bedacht vond.
Daarnaast staat er bovenop de kaft: 'Een hilarisch, hartverscheurend en kwetsbaar verhaal voor iedereen die zich weleens verloren heeft gevoeld.' Ik moet zeggen dat ik dus misschien ook een beetje met dat idee aan dit boek begonnen ben. Maar persoonlijk kan ik mij na het lezen niet helemaal in die uitspraak vinden. Dus dat stelde me wel een beetje teleur.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 14, 2021
Amy Lavelle has written a debut novel that manages to be both heartbreaking and amusing, taking a difficult topic and still managing to create a book with plenty of heart that is an engaging, fun read.
The book starts with the sudden death of Hannah’s mother. We then follow Hannah over the course of a year as we see her attempt to come to terms with the loss and deal with her grief. I must confess that as someone who has been in a similar situation, sitting in a family room in a hospital being told by doctors that it was time to turn off a parent’s life support, albeit when I was considerably older than Hannah, I did swallow hard at the beginning of this book wondering if it was going to be for me. It is of course an emotional read but but Lavelle is to be applauded for successfully combining the difficult topic of loss with plenty of humour and some laugh out loud moments. Hannah is such a relatable character - it is impossible not to feel for her as she stumbles through her new life, finding herself in awkward but often hilarious situations, and deals with the whole gamut of emotions. I loved how each chapter were How To’s as she learnt to deal with new experiences - How to Adult, How to Sister, How To Christmas (don’t we all remember the first time we had to cook Christmas dinner ourselves?), moving on as the book progresses to how to’s relating to learning to move on.
The book starts with the sudden death of Hannah’s mother. We then follow Hannah over the course of a year as we see her attempt to come to terms with the loss and deal with her grief. I must confess that as someone who has been in a similar situation, sitting in a family room in a hospital being told by doctors that it was time to turn off a parent’s life support, albeit when I was considerably older than Hannah, I did swallow hard at the beginning of this book wondering if it was going to be for me. It is of course an emotional read but but Lavelle is to be applauded for successfully combining the difficult topic of loss with plenty of humour and some laugh out loud moments. Hannah is such a relatable character - it is impossible not to feel for her as she stumbles through her new life, finding herself in awkward but often hilarious situations, and deals with the whole gamut of emotions. I loved how each chapter were How To’s as she learnt to deal with new experiences - How to Adult, How to Sister, How To Christmas (don’t we all remember the first time we had to cook Christmas dinner ourselves?), moving on as the book progresses to how to’s relating to learning to move on.
January 27, 2022
A real gem of a book that manages to take a quite difficult subject matter and turn it into something the reader can absorb with humility, compassion and humour. I loved it!
The premise of the story is Hannah’s journey through grief after loosing her mum suddenly and unexpectedly. Having such a difficult experience at the heart of the story could have resulted in it being a heavy read but not so. Amy Lavelle manages to capture the rollercoaster of death, loss and grief but inject a much needed dose of laughter that had me double over at many points throughout and long after I’d turned the page!
There aren’t many girls/woman out there that don’t count their mum as their best-friend so when Hannah looses her mum the reader is able to empathise and connect with that readily. The story explores how Hannah navigates a number of “first’s” following the death of her mum - Christmas, New Years, birthdays, mothers day and the like as she struggles to make sense of her own feelings. She is joined by her emotionally repressed father, younger sister, boyfriend Ollie and a whole host of eccentric family members along the way! Each character is likeable and contributes to the story in some way be that with wine, copious amounts of vomit or a tandem bicycle!!
Authentic, emotional, witty and relatable…above all throughly enjoyable!
The premise of the story is Hannah’s journey through grief after loosing her mum suddenly and unexpectedly. Having such a difficult experience at the heart of the story could have resulted in it being a heavy read but not so. Amy Lavelle manages to capture the rollercoaster of death, loss and grief but inject a much needed dose of laughter that had me double over at many points throughout and long after I’d turned the page!
There aren’t many girls/woman out there that don’t count their mum as their best-friend so when Hannah looses her mum the reader is able to empathise and connect with that readily. The story explores how Hannah navigates a number of “first’s” following the death of her mum - Christmas, New Years, birthdays, mothers day and the like as she struggles to make sense of her own feelings. She is joined by her emotionally repressed father, younger sister, boyfriend Ollie and a whole host of eccentric family members along the way! Each character is likeable and contributes to the story in some way be that with wine, copious amounts of vomit or a tandem bicycle!!
Authentic, emotional, witty and relatable…above all throughly enjoyable!
August 26, 2022
Het was oké. Het verhaal volgt Hannah die op haar 28ste haar moeder verliest. Je krijgt een jaar lang mee hoe dit impact heeft op het leven van haar, haar vader en haar zus. En meer dan dat is het ook niet, ik had ergens meer verwacht op basis van de synopsis achterop het boek en misschien iets diepgaander. Ieder hoofdstuk geeft een inkijkje in een speciale dag die Hannah nu zonder haar moeder moet doormaken.
De schrijfster probeerde naar mijn idee af en toe te schrijven als Sophie Kinsella, dus een beetje het absurde, komische wat haar boeken ook hebben. Maar hier vond ik het niet echt een goeie match. Het was een te groot contrast met het thema van het boek naar mijn idee en ging ook niet echt meeleven met de personages.
De schrijfster probeerde naar mijn idee af en toe te schrijven als Sophie Kinsella, dus een beetje het absurde, komische wat haar boeken ook hebben. Maar hier vond ik het niet echt een goeie match. Het was een te groot contrast met het thema van het boek naar mijn idee en ging ook niet echt meeleven met de personages.
August 11, 2021
Definitely Fine explores all those fears we all have when losing someone close to us, especially your mum.
Through the character of Hannah, who tragically loses her mum, we see how she tries to adapt to this new life. How will she get through those big life moments such as birthdays and Christmas? How can she support her sister and Dad? But mainly how can she learn to live and be happy again?
Hannah is hilarious. Whilst this story is about loss and the grief that comes with that, it’s also very funny and that’s down to not just Hannah but the other characters alongside her. They all feel so real and I especially loved Hannah’s boyfriend who was just so sweet and her complete rock throughout her very manic moments.
Each chapter is focussed on a different stage of grief or life event that Hannah has to handle and titled as “How to Christmas” or “How to be a Sister”. Everything felt so real and I think the author really captured the ever changing emotions that people go through when dealing with grief, from sadness and irrational thoughts right through to anger and denial. There’s no cut off point for grieving, it’s just about managing it.
Overall, despite exploring the subject of grief, this book was ultimately uplifting, beautifully written and one that we can all learn something from.
Through the character of Hannah, who tragically loses her mum, we see how she tries to adapt to this new life. How will she get through those big life moments such as birthdays and Christmas? How can she support her sister and Dad? But mainly how can she learn to live and be happy again?
Hannah is hilarious. Whilst this story is about loss and the grief that comes with that, it’s also very funny and that’s down to not just Hannah but the other characters alongside her. They all feel so real and I especially loved Hannah’s boyfriend who was just so sweet and her complete rock throughout her very manic moments.
Each chapter is focussed on a different stage of grief or life event that Hannah has to handle and titled as “How to Christmas” or “How to be a Sister”. Everything felt so real and I think the author really captured the ever changing emotions that people go through when dealing with grief, from sadness and irrational thoughts right through to anger and denial. There’s no cut off point for grieving, it’s just about managing it.
Overall, despite exploring the subject of grief, this book was ultimately uplifting, beautifully written and one that we can all learn something from.
February 12, 2022
That book for sure made me think - I think you won't be able not to think, to be honest - so that'S good.
On the other, I'm not so sure about it. It touches upon grief, showing different faces of it, showing how different people deal with their own grief and that it's absolutely okay to not be fine. That it's normal to take time. Even though it is about one of the worse feelings in the world, the author has manages to add light tones and moments to it, so in the end the book doesn't feel to depressive.
But for me it was too much. I guess the author really wanted to show us different faces of grief and she has chosen some important moments in life, but altogether I just couldn't stomach so much grief. No matter the lightness and humour. I can't put my finger on it, we just didn't click with the book.
Then there is Hannah. At the beginning I fell for her, immediately, the start of the book was altogether strong and hooking, but the more Hannah I got, the more I was starting to feel lukewarm towards her. I was struggling with her character. While sometimes I could absolutely relate with her, the more into the book the more erratic and insane her behaviour was - yes, I know, the grief, everybidy exoeriences it differently. But! The author has simply overdone here.
On the other, I'm not so sure about it. It touches upon grief, showing different faces of it, showing how different people deal with their own grief and that it's absolutely okay to not be fine. That it's normal to take time. Even though it is about one of the worse feelings in the world, the author has manages to add light tones and moments to it, so in the end the book doesn't feel to depressive.
But for me it was too much. I guess the author really wanted to show us different faces of grief and she has chosen some important moments in life, but altogether I just couldn't stomach so much grief. No matter the lightness and humour. I can't put my finger on it, we just didn't click with the book.
Then there is Hannah. At the beginning I fell for her, immediately, the start of the book was altogether strong and hooking, but the more Hannah I got, the more I was starting to feel lukewarm towards her. I was struggling with her character. While sometimes I could absolutely relate with her, the more into the book the more erratic and insane her behaviour was - yes, I know, the grief, everybidy exoeriences it differently. But! The author has simply overdone here.
August 9, 2021
There’s a comment on the front of this book that states that if you love Fleabag, you will love this book. This definitely has the hallmarks of Fleabag humour in the writing style and through Hannah’s character. As Hannah is figuring out how to cope without her mother in key moments of her life and situations where she was always able to be the child around her mother, Hannah is awkward, hilarious and doing her best to muddle through everything and grow up quicker now she is dealing with life problems on her own.
While the central themes are about loss and grief, this doesn’t feel like a depressing read one bit. It focuses on the people left behind and how to make the best out of the worst situation which is a part of life, and in a way feels positive and hopeful. In Hannah’s case it’s like putting on her stabilisers and learning to walk in new shoes without her mother which isn’t a linear journey but an emotional rollercoaster of self-discovery and finding a new sense of belonging and identity.
An engaging funny debut which is relatable to anyone who has lost someone in their lives and picking themselves up.
While the central themes are about loss and grief, this doesn’t feel like a depressing read one bit. It focuses on the people left behind and how to make the best out of the worst situation which is a part of life, and in a way feels positive and hopeful. In Hannah’s case it’s like putting on her stabilisers and learning to walk in new shoes without her mother which isn’t a linear journey but an emotional rollercoaster of self-discovery and finding a new sense of belonging and identity.
An engaging funny debut which is relatable to anyone who has lost someone in their lives and picking themselves up.
June 16, 2023
Another audible book. Not sure if it’s the fact that it’s being read, in this case by a female for all the voices & the accents especially of the male characters were just completely naf or if it’s just a naf book. Not even sure why I selected it, possibly cos of the sudden loss of Dadda followed by the call we were expecting for Jean’s passing? Had a vague notion of wanting a funny take on losing a parent which this basically wasn’t. Some anecdotal chuckles here & there but largely not funny. Just listening to someone else’s grief process. Not even sure if it’s a true story for the author but if it is then writing the book was clearly her way of dealing with it. Just don’t quite understand why or how it got published because there’s nothing new about any of it. AND it put me off the idea of grief counselling completely.
The main character comes across as more of a Bridget Jones sort of character & possibly the whole story would be a lot funnier if it were a Bridget Jones movie acted well with the right casting but in this format, sorry but for me it crashed & burned.
The fact that I got through it so fast is a testament to how much ironing I had to catch up on 🥴
The main character comes across as more of a Bridget Jones sort of character & possibly the whole story would be a lot funnier if it were a Bridget Jones movie acted well with the right casting but in this format, sorry but for me it crashed & burned.
The fact that I got through it so fast is a testament to how much ironing I had to catch up on 🥴
July 10, 2022
Definitely Fine is a story where Hannah, a 28 year old with a younger sister and boyfriend, loses her mum to a very unexpected death. The story is told over the course of a year as she navigates her way through life without her mother and finding way to cope with the grief that comes with losing someone so close to you.
Hannah was a wonderful character who was extremely relatable and used a gentle sense of humour to lighten the story’s difficult main topic. The supporting characters were great and varied too. Hannah and Ollie’s relationship is well explored with them both balancing the other out and Ollie helping Hannah through her daunting journey.
The story was written beautifully too, with each chapter navigating a different stage of grief or an event Hannah was dealing with. The story conveyed that there is no fixed journey for grief and showed each emotion felt vividly.
“Today, anything goes; do whatever you feel like doing. And also, that whatever you’re feeling is completely normal and okay.”
Hannah was a wonderful character who was extremely relatable and used a gentle sense of humour to lighten the story’s difficult main topic. The supporting characters were great and varied too. Hannah and Ollie’s relationship is well explored with them both balancing the other out and Ollie helping Hannah through her daunting journey.
The story was written beautifully too, with each chapter navigating a different stage of grief or an event Hannah was dealing with. The story conveyed that there is no fixed journey for grief and showed each emotion felt vividly.
“Today, anything goes; do whatever you feel like doing. And also, that whatever you’re feeling is completely normal and okay.”
October 8, 2022
This book shows many ways of grief after losing a loved one. How other people think how you should be doing, how you feel you should be doing and how grief can affect your thinking.
I found myself comparing the loss in the book to the loss of my grandparents and how I dealt with my grief, and still deal with grief a few years on. It is a never ending thing but we all deal with it on our own ways. Some straight away, some keep busy/distracted to ignore the reality & pain of what's happened, and some don't grieve until later in life.
I think this book has a clear message, there is
no right or wrong way to grieve. We all go through it at some point in our lives. It never goes away but you will get through it.
Overall, really good book. Opened my eyes to
grief, and it doesn't have to be a depressing time. A happy ending to the book proves you don't have to be sad forever but you can have random sad moments to remember those you've lost. There were moments I could've cried while reading this book, as much as I recommend reading it, you need to be ready for it. 📚
I found myself comparing the loss in the book to the loss of my grandparents and how I dealt with my grief, and still deal with grief a few years on. It is a never ending thing but we all deal with it on our own ways. Some straight away, some keep busy/distracted to ignore the reality & pain of what's happened, and some don't grieve until later in life.
I think this book has a clear message, there is
no right or wrong way to grieve. We all go through it at some point in our lives. It never goes away but you will get through it.
Overall, really good book. Opened my eyes to
grief, and it doesn't have to be a depressing time. A happy ending to the book proves you don't have to be sad forever but you can have random sad moments to remember those you've lost. There were moments I could've cried while reading this book, as much as I recommend reading it, you need to be ready for it. 📚
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 24, 2024
"Definitely Fine" by Amy Levelle promises an exploration of life's complexities, but unfortunately falls short of delivering any substantial impact. From the outset, it becomes apparent that this book struggles with pacing issues that severely hinder its ability to engage the reader.
Attempting to immerse myself in Levelle's narrative proved to be a daunting task, as the story unfolds at an excruciatingly slow pace. The plot fails to gain momentum, leaving readers to wade through mundane details without any sense of direction or purpose.
The characters, while potentially intriguing, remain underdeveloped and fail to evoke any genuine connection or sympathy. Their interactions feel forced, lacking the authenticity needed to draw readers into their lives.
Despite my efforts to persevere through the sluggish narrative, I found myself unable to fully immerse in the world presented by Levelle. The lack of momentum and depth left me feeling disconnected and ultimately disinterested in the outcome.
In conclusion, "Definitely Fine" may appeal to those with an immense patience for slow-paced narratives, but for readers seeking a more engaging and dynamic experience, this book falls short of expectations.
Attempting to immerse myself in Levelle's narrative proved to be a daunting task, as the story unfolds at an excruciatingly slow pace. The plot fails to gain momentum, leaving readers to wade through mundane details without any sense of direction or purpose.
The characters, while potentially intriguing, remain underdeveloped and fail to evoke any genuine connection or sympathy. Their interactions feel forced, lacking the authenticity needed to draw readers into their lives.
Despite my efforts to persevere through the sluggish narrative, I found myself unable to fully immerse in the world presented by Levelle. The lack of momentum and depth left me feeling disconnected and ultimately disinterested in the outcome.
In conclusion, "Definitely Fine" may appeal to those with an immense patience for slow-paced narratives, but for readers seeking a more engaging and dynamic experience, this book falls short of expectations.
December 31, 2022
Een zwaar onderwerp hilarisch beschreven: Hannah verliest haar moeder en moet het daarna rooien met haar zus, vader en vriend. Uit alle macht probeert ze het goed te verwerken, maar dit is lastiger dan gedacht.
Amy beschrijft bizarre gebeurtenissen waar Hannah elke keer weer in tuimelt. Ik heb meermalen hardop moeten lachen. Ze weet zich in de meest absurde situaties te manoeuvreren, daarbij gemotiveerd om voor haar niet-lullen-maar-poetsen-vader en haar jongere zusje te zorgen, want dat is toch haar taak nu. Vindt ze zelf. Nu haar moeder overleden is leert ze een aantal levens lessen die haar moeder haar nog niet geleerd had, zoals: hoe je het hoofd boven water houdt terwijl je kopje-onder dreigt te gaan, hoe plan je een begrafenis, hoe maak je een plafond schoon en hoe je op een tandem rijdt. De belangrijkste hiervan is een harde noot om te kraken: hoe houdt je je hoofd boven water als degene die alles betekenis gaf, er niet meer is?
Amy beschrijft bizarre gebeurtenissen waar Hannah elke keer weer in tuimelt. Ik heb meermalen hardop moeten lachen. Ze weet zich in de meest absurde situaties te manoeuvreren, daarbij gemotiveerd om voor haar niet-lullen-maar-poetsen-vader en haar jongere zusje te zorgen, want dat is toch haar taak nu. Vindt ze zelf. Nu haar moeder overleden is leert ze een aantal levens lessen die haar moeder haar nog niet geleerd had, zoals: hoe je het hoofd boven water houdt terwijl je kopje-onder dreigt te gaan, hoe plan je een begrafenis, hoe maak je een plafond schoon en hoe je op een tandem rijdt. De belangrijkste hiervan is een harde noot om te kraken: hoe houdt je je hoofd boven water als degene die alles betekenis gaf, er niet meer is?
October 26, 2023
28 year old Hannah’s mum dies suddenly and unexpectedly. She is the glue that holds the family together. Her unexpected death sends the family into a downward spiral whilst trying to navigate life without her.
Each chapter is based on a different scenario that Hannah has to work through whilst grieving and without her mum, for example; how to survive Mother’s Day.
This book was hilarious and yet also quite sad (but not in a depressing way, if that makes sense?!!). Having also lost my mum in my twenties, I could really resonate with so many things written in the book, such as all the firsts you have to endure without your loved one and how so many conflicting feelings arise when you’re dealing with grief.
All the characters are great and where each chapter explores a different topic it keeps it interesting. I really enjoyed this book and would recommend as an easy read.
Each chapter is based on a different scenario that Hannah has to work through whilst grieving and without her mum, for example; how to survive Mother’s Day.
This book was hilarious and yet also quite sad (but not in a depressing way, if that makes sense?!!). Having also lost my mum in my twenties, I could really resonate with so many things written in the book, such as all the firsts you have to endure without your loved one and how so many conflicting feelings arise when you’re dealing with grief.
All the characters are great and where each chapter explores a different topic it keeps it interesting. I really enjoyed this book and would recommend as an easy read.
August 10, 2021
This is not the sort of book I would usually read so it made a lovely change.
Hannah's mum suddenly dies after a fall and this story is all about Hannah coping with this. As the oldest daughter she feels like she needs to help look after her dad and her younger sister. Her grief has a massive impact on her relationships with her family, boyfriend and friends and through the story Hannah learns to navigate a way through her grief and come to terms with losing her mum.
It is impossible not to like Hannah even though a lot of the things she says/does make you cringe. I am fortunate to have never been in this situation but I still felt that I could relate to Hannah and really wanted her to find a way to move on with her life.
Despite some very sad parts this book is somehow still an uplifting read as it is written in such a funny way. There were so many parts where I laughed out loud! There was humour to be found even at the saddest of times.
Overall this was a light, easy and enjoyable read that I would recommend.
Hannah's mum suddenly dies after a fall and this story is all about Hannah coping with this. As the oldest daughter she feels like she needs to help look after her dad and her younger sister. Her grief has a massive impact on her relationships with her family, boyfriend and friends and through the story Hannah learns to navigate a way through her grief and come to terms with losing her mum.
It is impossible not to like Hannah even though a lot of the things she says/does make you cringe. I am fortunate to have never been in this situation but I still felt that I could relate to Hannah and really wanted her to find a way to move on with her life.
Despite some very sad parts this book is somehow still an uplifting read as it is written in such a funny way. There were so many parts where I laughed out loud! There was humour to be found even at the saddest of times.
Overall this was a light, easy and enjoyable read that I would recommend.
November 20, 2023
Coincidentally, I also lost my Dad this year, and much more besides. Maybe it was a good time to read this book, maybe it wasn't, maybe that was a factor in how I felt about it, maybe it wasn't. But, all in all I found this really hard to read. I started to skip through the second half. More of the same, self pity, self-absorbed Hannah. I didn't find it funny or comforting. I didn't find any way of connecting to her. In fact at times I didn't even like her.
This book was definitely not for me. There was no growth, no development. Hannah was the same at the end as the beginning. More of the same reactions, crazy behaviour and just weirdness. If you've read the first couple of chapters take that in various scenarios and that's the book. Not got me.
This book was definitely not for me. There was no growth, no development. Hannah was the same at the end as the beginning. More of the same reactions, crazy behaviour and just weirdness. If you've read the first couple of chapters take that in various scenarios and that's the book. Not got me.
August 9, 2021
I found this an emotional read about losing the one person who you came from and how it affects the person. The writing is beautiful and sensitive, I did find myself reaching for the tissues a number of times as the story is a little bit close to home. The subject is one I think most people find it extremely hard to talk about but I think Amy has pulled it off and done it justice. It was an honour to follow Hannah's journey through loss and grief and understand it a little more from a person's own journey through it. There are some funny moments in this book too, but I would certainly recommend reading this book, and I hope it helps people to realise they are not alone.
March 2, 2022
I was a bit worried at first about how this book would unfold with the first chapter being such a bombshell !! But it didn’t take long for me to be engrossed in Hannah’s story of grief and life after losing someone you never think you’ll live without ! It was so refreshing to see a different side to grief and how it can differ so drastically from person to person within the same family and be so very different to what you see often in films tv and books. I laughed , cried and cringed along with Hannah and her family and friends throughout and honestly really enjoyed this read!
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