Alex Fox knows there are lots of things 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 - 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 the mistakes that have shaped her - and rediscover what is most important in life?
The Rest of Me by Katie Marsh is the second book I have read
by this author, I just love the way she writes storylines that are so raw and
honest that it feels like you are reading about the family next door.
The Fox family have had a heartbreaking few years as they
have seen Sam deteriorate with his health but the time has come now where he
needs a new kidney and so wife Alex is donating one of hers. Hoping that the
family will get back on track but with Sam fighting fit after the operation
poor Alex feels like the life she had control of before the op is now tumbling
down around her and the pressure all lies on her shoulders. Little does she
know that her daughters are dealing with issues that they really need to share
with her but there is just no time.
The storyline covers many situations that families struggle
with on a day to day basis from bullying and the effects it can have in later
life, health issues, the pressures of work and trying to get that work life
balance and many of us have faced at least one of these issues amongst the
others that are touched upon in this book which makes it a really relatable
read. Unfortunately for Alex all of the issues all come at once and you can
feel her starting to sink under the pressures and we were hopelessly reading
unable to pull her out from her hole and desperate for her to open up and just
talk about things. Alex is an incredibly strong and determined character who is
used to taking control and juggling everything and she done an incredible thing
in donating her kidney and it is devastating to see things unfold after her
operation through no fault of her own.
I found I was particularly touched by Izzie’s storyline
which is told from her own point of view. She is such a wonderful little girl
who through everything she has gone through just wants to push forward with her
dream. It is clear to see she takes after her mother as her actions are similar
to hers, not wanting to feeling like she is put extra pressure onto anyone else
when that is exactly what she needed to do.
This is an emotive read that is told from Alex and Lizzie’s
points of view and this worked really well of getting a rounded picture of the
family and their struggles. I personally would have liked to have had points of
view from Sam too but this is probably me just getting greedy! I would
definitely recommend this book it is easy to pick up and sneak a few short
chapters here and there without having that feel that you will miss something.
I look forward to future releases from Katie Marsh as her emotive writing style
appeals to me.
