I received a gifted galley of PACK UP THE MOON by Kristan Higgins for an honest review. Thank you to Berkley Publishing Group and Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review!
Publication Date: 6/8/2021
Rating: 4.5 / 5
PACK UP THE MOON follows Josh, a young man struggling to cope with the loss of his wife of three years, Lauren, to a chronic lung disease. The narrative bounces back and forth in time moving both back and forward from the moment of her loss.
Interspersed with the narrative is a series of letters. Lauren writes letters to her father who passed away when she was younger, spelling out things to him that she may not voice to those around her as she struggles to be strong for everyone. She also writes a series of monthly letters to Josh for the first year after her death. Each gives him a task to do in an effort to ensure he pulls out of his grief and continues to live.
Okay – first and foremost – have tissues handy for this one. The story is very beautiful and very moving, but the author really wants to draw every last tear out of the reader. Be sure to go into this one in the right head space!
I really loved the characters in this book. Lauren was such a strong woman facing an impossible battle to live a life cut too short. Josh doesn’t necessarily see the world the same way that everyone else does, being on the autism spectrum, but he has an incredible support network in his mother and Lauren’s family. His struggles to figure out how he still relates to everyone that he felt mostly connected to through his wife were so heartbreaking, but seeing how they all still embraced him was wonderful.
This is a lovely book and one I would definitely recommend if you’re in the mood for a good cathartic cry read! PACK UP THE MOON is out today!
DG Reads 
great review! i haven’t heard of this one before, but it sounds really good!
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