As with all this author’s previous books this one is absolutely fantastic. I definitely believe this will be a best seller.

Book Review: What Does it Feel Like? by Sophie Kinsella

From the moment I picked up What Does it Feel Like?, I knew I was in for an emotional journey. Sophie Kinsella, known for her wit and charm, takes a deeply personal turn in this novella, and I was captivated from the first page.

The story follows Eve, a successful novelist who wakes up in a hospital bed after a life-altering diagnosis. As she grapples with her new reality, Kinsella’s poignant writing struck a chord in me. The blend of humor and heartache felt incredibly authentic, reminding me of the precious moments we often take for granted.

Eve’s recollections—long walks with her husband and the joy of family game nights—pulled at my heartstrings. Each anecdote was a gem, perfectly crafted to explore the complexities of love, loss, and what truly matters in life. I found myself both laughing and crying, reflecting on my own experiences along the way.

What surprised me most was how Kinsella's signature style still shone through, even in such a serious context. There’s a warmth and lightness in her prose that balances the weight of the subject matter beautifully. It felt like a celebration of life, filled with hope amidst the shadows of grief.

This novella is not just a story; it’s an exploration of resilience and love. Kinsella’s vulnerability in sharing Eve’s journey adds layers of depth that linger long after reading.

I have been a huge fan of Sophie kinsella from the first time I picked up the shopaholics books and have read every book she has produced. I met Sophie on r and she was delightful called Me a true fan for reading all her books. I was so excited to meet her and she was so lovely. I started reading this book and instantly saw the connections between sophies life. My heart thudden as I read on and realised it was a real and raw semi autobiography. Tears streamed down my face as I discovered what my favourite author had been through. I'm so sorry life threw this at you Sophie. But I am so glad you are still here, that you survived and that you are writing amazing books to this day. A true inspiration and I wish you a life full of wellness, happiness and love. Thank you for everything Sophie your books bring massive smiles to my face. Twenties girl is one of my favourite books of all time.

INCREDIBLE. I’ve read a lot of books in my time and this is by far one of the best. Read it in one sitting and absolutely balled my eyes out. Beautifully written and hard hitting. This book will stay with me forever.

What a stunning little book. I’m not sure I actually took on board how brave Sophie Kinsella is but after reading this I’m lost for words. You would think this book would be gloomy but it is uplifting and a real love story between Eve and her family. An absolute must read

3,5
An interesting fictionalised memoir/autobiographical novelisation of Kinsella’s own experience of discovering she has a brain tumor. Naturally it’s sad and awful, but Kinsella also shows her sense of humour here. I would have liked it to have just a bit more depth though.
Thank you Penguin Random House UK and Netgalley UK for the ARC.

My heart is shattered. This broke me and put me back together.

I felt like I was inside her mind. Her descriptions, the fragments, and the snippets of conversation were so vivid that I could feel every emotion.

I liked how her sense of control and lack of was compared to her writing- how bits of your life are like a book with plot twists, cliffhangers and how there can be no spoilers no matter how badly we want them.

It's been a while since a book made me cry, but this one did

It's short and compelling, and I read it in one sitting. Thank you for sharing your story. It moved me.

This was such an emotional read.
Sophie Kinsella is a fab author & this was based around her own experience of having a brain tumour.
Have the tissues handy when reading.

The heartbreaking story of Eve who wakes up in hospital after a brain operation and has very little memory of what has happened to her.
Based on the author’s own experiences, it was a very moving read about family and courage.
Thank you to NetGalley and Random House, Transworld Publishing for my e-copy in exchange for an honest review.

Wow. Make sure you’ve got a hanky with you when you read this. Beautifully written. Heartbreaking and yet hopeful. Sending you my very best well wishes Sophie. Thank you for writing something so inspiring whilst going through such horror.

As usual another brilliant story from Sophie Kinsella and this one just hits a little different. It's honest and raw but of course has Sophie's usual wit and humour sprinkled throughout. I found it to be a book about love and family and a lovely piece on how the character felt supported and how she was able to rely on her husband and family and how they kept her going.

A must read

I have read all of Sophie Kinsella’s books since I was a teenager, so I had to read this one. This is such a powerful ‘novel’ which Sophie states that it’s her most autobiographical work to date. The book was so heartfelt and beautifully written, I couldn’t help but cry at points of the book. Even though it is a novella, it packs a huge punch and felt rather raw and honest. If you’ve read Sophie’s other novels then you need to read this one, you’ll not be disappointed.

Wow, this felt like such a special book to read, knowing that Eve’s story is closely autobiographical for Sophie and is her way of bravely sharing her experience of being diagnosed with brain cancer.

To know that Sophie really experienced this is so incredibly poignant, heart-wrenching and inspirational. I felt so emotional with every sentence - from the devastating parts where Eve tells her younger children - to the beautifully humorous parts where she jokes with her husband about thinking ‘luckily….’ and how they vow to live their ‘normal plus’ lives.

This is a short novella and not in Sophie’s usual style, as you can imagine, but we do get some of her trademark wit and uplifting strength through Eve.

With it being short, I raced through it in one Sunday afternoon bath. I then went straight downstairs after my bath and hugged my partner and daughter so tightly, told them how much I love them and had a little cry with them!

This is such a powerful book and so brave and amazing for Sophie to share her story like this - it is inspiring and uplifting for anyone, no matter what they might be going through.

What Does it Feel Like? is the new book from Sophie Kinsella, a story that is wrapped in grief and heartbreak, but also speaks of happiness and positivity.

Eve is a successful novelist, but her life changes drastically when she wakes up one day in hospital with no memory of how she got there. Her loving husband has to break the shocking news to her that she's just had brain surgery, and because of her memory loss he finds himself having to do it again and again.

As Eve struggles to learn to walk, talk and write again, she's faced with her own mortality and the terrible thought of leaving her children behind. But she finds an inner strength too and draws on family and friends around her to face her future with more clarity and purpose.

You'll find a deep poignancy within the pages of this book, and a delicate balance of rawness and inspiration too. Discovering that this book is autobiographical makes the story all the more touching, and though it make be a short read it is a powerful one.

Trigger Warning: Cancer.

This novella is extremely moving, based on the authors experience of being diagnosed with a stage 4 brain tumour and so the whole 109 pages was genuinely emotive and heartbreaking although there is humour and lots of positivity

Having recently lost a life long friend to the exact same illness I couldn’t help but read it through their eyes as well as the authors

A very brave book and a very courageous lady indeed who admire greatly for writing and publishing this

What a fantastic book, not the subject but the way it is written. Made me feel as if I was there with Eve and her family.
Such a hard subject, especially knowing it's mainly autobiographical.
So happy for the positives.

This was a fabulous semi autobiographical novella which explains the reality of living with a brain tumour and the impact it has physically, mentally and emotionally. This is told in a different style to Sophie Kinsella’s previous novels but it still contains her warmth and humour in amongst the devastation, It’s frank and fearless and touches on key moments of novelist Eve’s life before the tumour then from waking up after surgery to remove it and beyond. The chapters are fairly short but offer great insight and the references to how she must always write a happy ending were so bitter sweet.

After reading the book description there was never any doubt that it was going to be an emotional read. But I wasnt prepared for just how amazing and inspiring it would be. I giggled, laughed out loud and cried.And I cant stop thinking how brave it was for Sophie to have written this. Stay strong Sophie !
A million thanks to Netgalley for allowing me to read this ARC

As soon as you start reading What Does it Feel Like? it feels like the dread of watching a tsunami slowly approach. You know that this book will be sad, but it's devastating. Sophie Kinsella's tight and emotional link to the story, (practically her own true-life story), is so apparent from her sway into a different type of narrative then we are used to from her, third person. It's a simple tale, made all the more noteworthy because of its barren and cutthroat perspective. There's no dilly-dallying over too much inner thought or feelings. There's a quote from the book, '"Would you ever try writing something different?" I answered, "Maybe I'll write a book with a sad ending."' and it killed me because it hurts to see one of your favourite writers scold you with reality.

"'Your readers love happy endings'" is another quote, and I hope all the same that this end is no different.

Wonderfully written in true Sophie style! Funny, emotional, warm, charming. I laughed and cried in equal measure. I'm so in awe of Sophie, both as a person and a writer. Read this and then hug your loved ones.