Sunday, May 13, 2018

I Liked My Life by Abby Fabiaschi


Title: I Liked My Life
Author: Abby Fabiaschi
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Release Date: January 31, 2017



A story from debut author Abby Fabiaschi that is "as absorbing as it is illuminating, and as witty as it is heartbreaking."

Maddy is a devoted stay-at-home wife and mother, host of excellent parties, giver of thoughtful gifts, and bestower of a searingly perceptive piece of advice or two. She is the cornerstone of her family, a true matriarch...until she commits suicide, leaving her husband Brady and teenage daughter Eve heartbroken and reeling, wondering what happened. How could the exuberant, exacting woman they loved disappear so abruptly, seemingly without reason, from their lives? How they can possibly continue without her? As they sift through details of her last days, trying to understand the woman they thought they knew, Brady and Eve are forced to come to terms with unsettling truths.

Maddy, however, isn’t ready to leave her family forever. Watching from beyond, she tries to find the perfect replacement for herself. Along comes Rory: pretty, caring, and spontaneous, with just the right bit of edge...but who also harbors a tragedy of her own. Will the mystery of Maddy ever come to rest? And can her family make peace with their history and begin to heal?








I Liked My Life had an intriguing synopsis. It was obvious I needed to read it. 

From the moment I met Maddy, I liked her. She was a woman with great insight, humor, and charm. She was a good mom and a good wife. She didn't share every thought with her family but she was content with her life. So why did she commit suicide?

Maddy's husband Brady and Eve, her daughter are devastated by their loss. Brady has always worked too much and Maddy has been the one who kept the peace between father and daughter. So without a buffer, things at home deteriorate pretty rapidly. Brady has this new found anger inside of him which he doesn't know what to do with. He also carries a lot of guilt. He believes he should have noticed something was wrong with his wife. Yet, he had no clue she was thinking of killing herself. For her part, Eve stops caring about everything, her boyfriend, her friends, prom, etc. She isolates herself, misses her mom dearly and feels guilty as well. She thinks she always "took" and never gave back to her mom.

Maddy is still looking from beyond and she wants her family to experience love again. She tries to steer Rory, Eve's new tutor, into Brady's life. She doesn't want them alone. Maddy thinks she can still influence their thoughts with some success but she's aware her time is running out. She's ascending and soon she will leave them all behind. 

I Liked My Life is a great debut novel. More than once, I found myself tearing up. I could feel Brady and Eve's pain. I was all for Maddy trying to insert Rory into the picture but what I liked best was the way father and daughter found a new way to communicate with each other without needing a third person. 

As for the ending, I like how the story concluded. It makes you think that nothing is certain in this life. We don't know what's in store for any of us and to appreciate what you have before it's gone. 

Cliffhanger: No

4/5 Fangs

A complimentary copy was provided by GetRedPR in exchange for an honest review.

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