Victoria Redel

Friends come together to support one of their own

Before Everything is the story of how a group of lifelong friends come together to support one of their own "old friends" who has decided to not undergo treatment for cancer. Anna has successfully battled cancer before, but this time decides she has had enough and opts out of
any possible life extending treatments and elects to go into hospice care.

These ladies are very possessive of their friend, and often push away her “new friends” who have also known Anna for many years. I give this book 4 stars instead of only 3 (closer to a 3.5 for me) because I felt like I knew their heart and motivation. While I understand their desire to help, it sometimes felt that their motivation was a little selfish. Flashbacks sometimes made the timeline confusing. Also, while most of the “old friends” are well developed, Anna herself was not. Peripheral characters add little to the story.

The premise of this story is excellent. Unfortunately for me, this was a difficult book to read.

I received an advance copy of the book from the publisher in a Goodreads giveaway. A review in exchange for my copy is not required and it is my choice only to share my opinion.… (meer)

This is a story about five old friends who are dealing with the oncoming loss of one of their group. It goes back and forth between present time and their linked pasts. I picked up this book yesterday at
the library and sat down to look at it and did read it through in one sitting. While I feel like the story is a 3 star read, the fact that I did read it straight through counts with me. I do love when that happens!
Anna has been fighting cancer for many years and has made the decision to enter hospice. Her old friends, her "new" friends and family start gathering at her home to share their recollections, food and
friendship with each other as well as Anna. While I'm glad that I read this book, it was hard not to think about the first book I read by Elizabeth Berg called Before I Sleep which was done a long time ago
which I have never forgotten.… (meer)

The description of Before Everything by Victoria Redel checks so many boxes of a sweet, nostalgic summer read. It is a story about women, long-term friendships, family and strong emotions. This should have been a powerful book. Sadly, for me, it misses the mark because of the relatively unlikable characters, the many different perspectives and the short, choppy chapter structure of the book.

Read my complete review at rel="nofollow" target="_top">http://www.memoriesfrombooks.com/2017/08/before-everything.html

Reviewed for Penguin First to Read program.… (meer)