I’m going to go ahead and say that this is already one of the best books that I’ve ever read this year. Kristan Higgins wrote this book with $5 in her bank account, an overdue car loan, and her dreams in her back pocket. I went into this book not knowing the rollercoaster of emotions I was going to experience. I felt like I was experiencing the love between Lauren and Joshua firsthand. These two people with disabilities were just pouring into each other so deeply It’s very rare to find two people who seem so perfect for each other, and I know this is a book, but it was so heartwarming to witness the same. 

Joshua is the real definition of “if he wanted to he would“. He was such a loving husband and when Lauren died from her IPF, my heart broke in pieces for him. Witnessing what heartbreak and grief is like for someone on the autism spectrum was really insightful because I got to see how intensely Josh felt his emotions and how much more effort it took for him to slowly move on as the months went by. 

I found it so interesting how the plot played out because I personally don’t even know what I would do if someone I love wrote me letters to help me cope with their passing. I could however relate to the different stages of grief that each member of Lauren’s family went through in no order and some stages even more than once.

Despite it being sad, there were still a lot of moments of joy and even humour, especially with Josh’s bluntness. Each character was lovable in their own way (except Lauren’s mom, she was annoying). I felt all the emotions that I felt when I read “The Stars and the Blackness Between Them” for the first time.