The Rest of Me by Katie Marsh

The Rest of Me by Katie Marsh
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 2 days

Pages - 400

Publisher - Hodder

Source - Review copy

Blurb from Goodreads

Alex Fox knows there are lots of thing she should be. She should be the perfect wife to her chronically ill husband Sam, and the perfect mother to their two daughters. She should be excelling in her high-stress job. And she should be completing the demanding to-do lists she makes to keep herself on track.

Even if, just sometimes, she doesn't have time to breathe.

When Sam's condition worsens and Alex donates a kidney to save his life, her carefully scheduled existence starts to unravel. The operation leads to unexpected complications, putting a strain on Alex's marriage and her relationship with her children - and eventually forcing her to face up to a past that she has buried for years.

As the family she has fought so hard for threatens to fall apart, can Alex finally confront her imperfections and the mistakes that have shaped her - and rediscover what is most important in life?

The Rest of Me is an emotional and uplifting story which will make you laugh, cry and hug the people you love a little bit tighter.



My Review

Alex loves making a list, she is super mum, a hard worker at a job she loves and juggling many balls with her sick husband Sam. When the chance to save his life comes up, by donating her own kidney, Alex doesn't think twice. What she didn't bargain for what how dramatically it would change all of their lives. Their family life, her own health, her work life, everything changes and Alex is losing control and has to face demons from her past.

I have read Marsh before and enjoyed her books, she tells a genteel tale that packs an emotional punch. Family life, relationships, horrible bosses, bullying, marital issues - it covers quite a lot of ground that many readers will be able to identify with. We hear from Alex and her youngest daughter Izzy, from their voices, thoughts and feelings we see exactly how everything is impacting upon their family.

Izzy is the cutest wee chop ever, she is so laid back, loving, kind, sweet, trusting and all she wants is a happy family and to play football. Her older sister is at the teen stage where she knows everything, everything her mother does infuriates her and everything is boys and popularity.

Alex finds her slow recovery giving her a lot of time with her thoughts, losing control and having to face inner demons and a past she has ran from. I think this and young Izzy is where a lot of readers will ride the emotive train. Sadness, anger, love, loss, regret so so much and yet all is visited with just enough depth to give the reader a vested interest in the characters. Beautifully written, Alex could be any one of us, her road to recovery is anything but just a physical one, prepare yourself for a beautiful story that plucks on the heart strings, 4/5 for me this time.

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