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

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


I first stumbled across Sophie Kinsella's books back in 2004, with one of the Shopaholic series, as part of a reading challenge. It's safe to say I fell in love with her books and have kept returning to them over the years. 'What Does it Feel Like' is her most personal novel(its a novella) yet, about her experience of being diagnosed with Glioblastoma, an aggressive form of brain cancer with no known cure.


The book begins before the main character Eve's diagnosis. Eve is a writer and is being interviewed about her writing and family. You get a real sense of someone who appreciates how lucky they are to be living the life they are. 


Eve is out walking around the shops in a break from her writing when, reminiscent of a scene from one of her books, she falls in love with a dress in the window of a boutique, which sparks off a new book idea. Next, we see her hitting the ultimate high as her novel is turned into a film and she attends the premiere wearing the dress. 


The following chapter, where Eve wakes up in hospital, really captures how disorientating it must feel to wake up in hospital, with no memory of how you have got there. One overwhelming element which really comes through in the book is how much strength Eve gets from her husband and children. The scenes where she has to explain to her children how serious her illness is were particularly heartbreaking, and I read them with tears in my eyes.


The novella is structured quite differently to Sophie Kinsella's other books, in the form of vignettes and stories. As she lost her short term memory as a result of her condition, this makes sense, and makes it easy to follow.


Some of the elements of Eve's illness written about include surgery, learning to walk again, and realising that she needs a carer while her husband is working away. At times, 'What Does it Feel Like' feels quite cinematic, the writing is so descriptive you can really picture Eve's story. If it were ever made into a film, it would definitely work on the screen.


The most moving chapters for me were the ones where Eve has to have the conversations with her loved ones, which many of us would shy away from, facing her own mortality. It really makes you think about how, although many people are encouraged to aspire to having money and material possessions, it's the simple things that matter- like nice food and someone you love.


It would have been so easy-and completely understandable- for this to be a book with a lot of sadness and despair. But in 'What Does it Feel Like', Sophie Kinsella has created a book with an overwhelming feeling of courage and hope. A must read.


For help and support, you can contact The Brain Tumour Charity   here . You are not alone❤️

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