Jennifer Jones' life began when her little sister, Kerry, was born. So when her sister dies in a tragic accident, nothing seems to make sense anymore. Despite the support of her husband, Ed, and their wonderful children, Jen can't comprehend why she is still here, while bright, spirited Kerry is not. When Jen starts to lose herself in her memories of Kerry, she doesn't realise that the closer she feels to Kerry, the further she gets from her family. Jen was never able to say goodbye to her sister. But what if she could?

This is my first read by Cooper but I know it definitely won't be the last. I expected this to be hard-hitting and depressing, which it was, but I also found my cheeks aching from the number of times I laughed or smiled. Being able to make my tears of sadness change into tears of utter laughter by a turn of the page is a talent it seems only Cooper possesses, and I applaud her for that.

What Cooper managed to do with each character is so unique in the way they were all relatable and realistic. We go between the point of view of Jennifer and Ed, who are so different yet even just reading their story made it obvious how perfect they are for each other. Their marriage and family dynamic was something I crave mine to be like should I ever choose to get married and have children myself. I loved them both individually and I loved them as a couple. It isn't often I find myself rooting so hard for fictional characters.

The subjects of love and loss broke my heart. Although we read from Jen's point of view more than Ed's, I found myself getting excited to read his chapters. The desperation and utter defeat he felt as Jen's life began to unravel was excruciating. The steady decline in her mental health was something I almost missed at the beginning and reading of Ed stepping up to try and juggle everything after Jen's struggle is brought to light made me want to climb into the book and give him a big hug - and I'm not a hugger.

Although there is a lot of humour and moments of happiness, there is always the reminder that Kerry has gone and she won't be coming back. It's horrific and broke my heart into too many pieces to count. The normal family routine of managing life at home with the children or Jen and Ed trying to find some alone time to be intimate made it clear that even though everyone goes through such terrible loss, life simply goes on. It can be hard, yes, but you have to push through the dark cloud.

I laughed, I cried, I choked on my drink during a handful of hilariously cringe-worthy scenes (I will never be able to look at Channing Tatum the same way again). This powerfully moving book is simply stunning and definitely one to read. I also couldn't help but constantly think about how well this would work as a film - maybe one day!

Between life and death, there is a library, and within that library, the shelves go on forever. But what stories do the books tell? Another life you could have lived. That's what Nora discovers when she tries to end her life after going through a horrible period where everything seems to be going wrong. When she is given the chance to live the different lives that would have been had she made different choices, she begins to question whether her life is worth ending after all.

Having been an avid fan of Matt Haig for years, I had no doubts that I would absolutely adore this book. My expectations were high but they were definitely met. Haig does a brilliant job of telling what could have been a simple, predictable story. Having suffered with his mental health and spoken about it so publicly, I think only someone who has battled with suicidal thoughts would be able to fully dive into Nora's story realistically and shed light on why these choices are made, which is exactly what he does. The story is intense. However, the utter confusion and somewhat happiness Nora feels through the different lives she chooses has you rooting for her from the beginning.

Even though a work of fiction, the story makes us ask ourselves so many questions:

What if I'd made a different choice?

Where would I be now if I'd gone after the dreams I had when I was a child?

What truly makes life perfect?

Although there are countless questions asked of us, there is one underlining lesson that Haig pushes throughout the entirety of the story: embrace every moment of your life because even when you feel trapped and suffocated, the only way is up and there's always light at the end of the tunnel; you just have to take that first step and you'll be on your way out of the darkness.