Review – Never Say Goodbye by Susan Lewis

This post was originally published at Novelicious.com and is now at WritingTipsOasis.com. WritingTipsOasis.com acquired Novelicious.com in June 2022.

Reviewed by Kay Brooks

Josie Clark puts her family before herself. Whether they are planning weddings, scraping money together to pay the bills or dealing with her vulnerable son being jailed for a crime he didn’t commit, Josie is an optimist, always looking on the bright side. When she is diagnosed with breast cancer, Josie is going to have to learn to turn the tables and rely on her family if she is to win the fight for her life. Her diagnosis brings Bel Monkton, a woman haunted by the loss of her twin to cancer, into her life. Despite being very different, the two women form a firm friendship that will help them face struggles and heartache – both in the past and ahead.

Written about a topic that I would usually avoid reading about due to it being quite upsetting, I was determined to give Never Say Goodbye a fair try. I’m really glad I did. This is a well-written account of how cancer can tear life apart for a family or bring them closer together, united in the fight for life. As well as being a well-woven tale of two women’s lives, this is incredibly informative, following Josie through her concerns about a painful lump, the subsequent tests, the diagnosis and the treatment. The employees and volunteers involved in Breast Cancer Care are all shown to be vital and precious throughout the entire process. Josie is a marvellous character, easy to relate to and truly inspiring with her positive outlook. Despite the horrific side effects that come with the treatment and being forced to face her own mortality, she proves to be resilient and an inspiration to those around her.

The novel isn’t flawless, but well worth reading. The first part of the book is a little slow with some of the information being quite repetitive. For example, how amazing Josie’s daughter, Lily, is. Even without the cancer, it seems Josie has had a rough deal in life. With a son in jail, a husband who has had an affair, a best friend no longer in the picture and money problems escalating when her daughter is hoping to get married, the story can sometimes be depressing. At first, I also found it very difficult to like her husband, Jeff, but when I started warming to him, I found the storyline easier to deal with.

If you are like me and tend to avoid difficult subject matters within novels, please don’t be put off by this one. Part of the focus is on the wonderful care that cancer patients receive from professionals, the support that comes from community events such as Race For Life and the Breast Cancer Fashion Show. It made me want to do more!

7/10

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