Carry You

I have worked in a Hospice for over 15 years and see bereavement in all its forms and I understand (and have had training) in the bereavement process and the stages we go through. I too lost my Mum to breast cancer and my Dad to a stroke within 18 months of each other - so I felt that I could relate to - and empathise with - the character of Daisy.Now to the book - sorry but Daisy just does not gel with me. One can appreciate that the depth and impact of her loss is being laid out in writing and we as readers need to know just how low she has got. However to me she just came across as frustrating, wallowing in her own sense of bereavement and living vicariously through Facebook and watching endless Hugh Grant films (although nothing wrong with that). I didnt like the references to Facebook conversations, it just disjointed the narrative and showed exactly how shallow and unconnected Facebook actually is. To me she was selfish, lazy and had no regard for others or her own self-worth. A professional would say "depressed". I suppose the fact that her friend Abs stuck with her was a testament to the endurance of lasting friendship, but she too was a frustration.I am at the halfway point and so far cant say that the book has picked up - in fact I am tempted to put it down (or in my case delete it from my Kindle). Even the characters are just shady peripherals I cant quite get my head around. Daisy's internal conversations with herself are really just ramblings - I am guessing we come in somewhere around the "denial" phase of bereavement.This book is obviously about Daisy's "journey" and probably that of some of the other characters. Working in a Hospice I am proud to say that we offer the highest standards of post-bereavement support and all relatives, friends or whoever, are offered counselling. It would appear that Daisy has not been given or availled herself of this, certainly no mention has been made - either way I am disappointed that this aspect of death and dying has been sadly overlooked in this book, when we are flogging ourselves to promote bereavement services. Apparently it simply takes a nagging friend to sort out all your issues and a Moon Walk and hey presto you are all fixed. So far it has not even made feel inspired or heartened. All I want to do is give Daisy a bloody good shake and tell her pull herself together. Neither of which are recommended tactics when dealng with a bereaved person. The author has made me feel like this towards Daisy.As I have noted "It's Okay" but that's only until something better comes along.

For me, a chick-lit book is meant to be a light-hearted read with a happy ending and that’s why I love them; I know exactly what I’m getting - a book with will lift my spirits. This book was one I was unsure about. I lost my Mum to cancer five years ago and while I’m past the grief-stricken part I still miss her so much at times that it hurts. Really, properly hurts. So I didn’t know if this book would really annoy me at its potential light-hearted look at grief and easy resolution. I was SO WRONG and am so glad that I ignored my own prejudice and started reading! This book has managed to portray grief in an honest and accurate way while somehow keeping it light enough that you don’t feel in any way bogged down by it. I could totally relate to Daisy and I felt all her pain, but I was willing her on. I wanted her to start feeling better. The book has happiness in it and light-heartedness, a best friend and love interests, but it’s so touching how Daisy’s mum is always mentioned and remembered right through the story. I adored this book, and I’m sure I’ll re-read it many, many times. I feel so uplifted by it. Thank you Beth Thomas for this beautiful, heart-felt story; I hope it finds many, many readers.

This is a wonderful story of a young woman who initially is in mourning because her mum died of breast cancer. Her best friend Abby is there to offer 24 hour support and she even moves in with her. Her friend then enters her for the Moon Walk, similar to the Race for Life, but Daisy is very unfit, as she has not done exercise and stuffed her face with Jaffa cakes and just watches rom-coms on DVD. Abby organises that Daisy is going to walk with some (male) support, and initially Daisy is not interested, but eventually she starts to feel fitter and enjoy her walks with different men.In the end Abby and Daisy finish the Moon Walk and Daisy finds the courage, strength and love to carry on with renewed passion for life.The book is brilliantly written and it takes you through all emotions from feeling very low to super excited and it describes the real issues of dealing with the loss of a loved one. Absolutely worth reading..

When I purchased this book I wondered if a story about someone losing their mother to breast cancer and being barely able to function was going to be a subject that I for one would find easy to read. At the start of this book Daisy is at rock bottom and I considered her somewhat of a lost soul. However as the story develops Daisy, with the help of her good friend Abi along with the challenge of completing a charity walk starts to move forward from her grief. There are also moments of humour and by the end of the book she has realised that life can go on and she has much to look forward to. Daisy's journey may involve some tears but this is also a story about friendship and love.

Daisy is flawed. She isn't the perfect girl that is so beautiful and busty and pretty yet somehow still single. She's lazy and slow and her personality is blemishes by a tragic loss. And that is exactly what makes this book perfect. Carry You is totally the opposite of cliche women's (and gay mens!) fiction and that's what makes it so unique and enjoyable. I found daisy to be a very frustrating person to know, but it's exactly the fact that I feel like I know her that makes me like her so much. It's a pleasure to read this wonderful book with all its wonderful characters that feel so normal and realistic as people. The fact that everyone is so un-perfect is what makes this book perfect.