Book Review - Leave Me by Gayle Forman

Leave Me by Gayle Forman
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

From the outside Maribeth would seem to have it all. She lives in NYC with her husband and two kids and has a job working with her best friend in their chosen field. Inside her life, Maribeth is busy, so busy she mistakes her heart attack as just bad Chinese food.

Maribeth has a hard time recuperating at home after her surgery because everyone still needs everything from her. They don't know how to function with out Maribeth guiding them. Knowing that she needs to focus on her recovering Maribeth hastily packs a bag, leaves a note for her husband and then runs away.

Maribeth needs to heal from more than just her heart attack. She needs to heal her soul. She needs to uncover part of his past and reevaluate her current life if she's going to be happy in the future.

I was torn about even picking up this book. I love Gayle Forman and was excited to read her first adult novel, but I dislike the 'run away from your life to fix it' plot. My love of the author won out and I requested this book. I wasn't disappointed by the book at all. I didn't like Maribeth but I got invested in her story and for me that played a bit part in why I finished this book. If the main character is unlikable and I still want to find out more about them and if they solve their problems, I know I'm reading a fantastic author.

The way this story is written you easily sway from the present into Maribeth's past as she contemplates her past with her best friend, her husband, and her life choices. They aren't jarring transitions that feel crammed in to fill the need for backstory. They are easy transitions that reminded me how I can easily slip into a memory when triggered by something in my day to day life.

That being said, I felt the ending was a bit abrupt. I would have liked maybe two more chapters to stretch it out. Or maybe I just really love reading Gayle Forman's books that I didn't want it to end.

**I received an ebook copy of this book through Netgalley for my honest review.

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