Wow - the best fiction book I‘ve read this year (should have been on the #wpf25 list).

Rachel and Tom live a seemingly normal, average life with their two kids, until the day Tom swerves his car off the road with the intention of killing himself and them.

The story veers between ‘before‘ and ‘after‘ - should Rachel have known beforehand, and how she copes afterwards.

Difficult to read but impossible to put down. All the stars.

I appreciated the use of dual timelines, which gave a layered view of the relationship — from its beginnings to the raw aftermath. Gleeson skillfully peels back the layers of Rachel and her partner’s marriage, revealing its quiet fractures over time.

However, while I understand that grief manifests differently for everyone, parts of the narrative felt like filler. Rachel’s life seemed to move forward without much distinction from what you might find in a more typical domestic drama, and I occasionally longed for more emotional depth or urgency.

Still, what stood out most was Gleeson’s honest depiction of living with depression — not just as an abstract concept, but as a daily, shifting reality that affects how one loves, copes, and continues.

Though I enjoyed it, it’s not very memorable.

This debut novel from Irish short story writer, Claire Gleeson, immediately captivated me with one of the most arresting opening chapters I've ever encountered. I was so instantly hooked that I finished the entire book in a single sitting. The story introduces Rachel, a nurse working in a Dublin hospital, married to architect Tom, and seemingly living a good life with their two young children. However, a shocking event unfolds one night, leaving the reader utterly reeling.

This book is a beautifully crafted story of survival in the face of tragedy and a testament to the resilience of the human spirit. The author's handling of a range of very difficult topics is both humane and sensitive. This is a book that will undoubtedly linger in your mind long after you've turned the final page.

I really don’t know how to write a review for this without giving away spoilers . All I will say its a deeply emotional and heart shattering read with lots of triggers . So I would say for anyone looking to read this book check the blurb first . I read this book on one sitting as I was so captivated by the story and the life Rachel had after the terrible tragedy . Claire Gleeson has written this book in such a sensitive and caring way and even though it’s a difficult and at times disturbing read it will stay in my head for a very long time .

First up: trigger warnings: suicide, attempted suicide, death/murder of young children, child loss/grief, mental health issues and depression.

Show Me Where It Hurts is the debut novel by Claire Gleeson and honestly after finishing this book the answer is for me personally is “EVERYWHERE HURTS NOW”.

Having read some of the blurbs on the book I’m not sure my review can give this story the credit it deserves.

First of all, this is a very brave and courageous topic to cover. It’s every parent’s nightmare and I don’t know how to put into words how much this story affected me emotionally.

The main character Rachel suffers the most tragic event when her husband Tom deliberately runs the family car off the road with the intention of ending his life alongside Rachel and their 2 young children. Sadly both children die, but Rachel and Tom survive and Show Me Where It Hurts starts to examine how Rachel navigates her shattered life having lost her reason to live.

Told through dual timelines, the reader is taken on the sad journey from when Rachel and Tom met to the car crash.

Despite the horrific and unimaginable scenario, the book is beautifully written, the subject of grief, loss and heartbreak are sensitively covered and the reader can feel the pain, confusion and emotion pouring from Rachel throughout.

This story is sad yet hopeful, brutal but beautiful, tragic and thought provoking and I absolutely recommend it.

I liked this book but after seeing so many people really loving the book, and listing it as their favourite of the year, I was a little surprised that the book didn't pack a huge punch for me.

I never felt that I was involved in the story and because I was kept at a distance it felt more like reading transcripts of therapy sessions than an immersive read. I think that this is just me, and I found the book well written just not quite as 'wow' as I was expecting.

Utterly gripping and emotional from the opening pages - a heartbreaking novel looking at the aftermath of how life continues for one woman after a violent and tragic event perpetrated by her husband. The dual timeline worked perfectly and made the narration more thought-provoking and unsettling in parts, particularly in the past sequences knowing how things played out in the end.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the chance to read this ARC.

One traumatic event looked at on a before, during and after perspective. I started off enjoying the time line changes but it seemed to lose pace after about half way and I lost interest.

I knew going into this that it would be an emotional read, but I did not expect how dark it would actually be. I spent my entire time reading absolutely captivated, with my heart in my throat. This book is beautifully written and provides such a poignant story in an astonishing simplicity and realism - which makes it even more heart-breaking. It almost felt like reading the real life story of a woman who had to face the unthinkable. It deals with grief with such sensitivity and balances concepts of forgiveness, togetherness, post-traumatic stress, and coping mechanisms really delicately. And it does it all in a very straightforward and well-written book, with an impressive execution of the 'dual-timeline' device. Granted, there is something so realistic and almost understated about it that it doesn't necessarily leave you feeling amazed or wowed throughout, but as it turns out I still haven't been able to stop thinking about it since I put it down.

Believe the hype. Which seems a strange thing to say, perhaps, for a book which is quiet not loud, but this is an extraordinary, devastating, emotional novel which cannot fail to move you from the start. The writing is beautiful and the back and forth of before and after helps to piece together the whats and the whys so cleverly that you are fully engulfed in Rachel's world from the start. I know that this is one that won't leave me for a very long time.

This book really moved me. It’s a quiet, powerful story about love, grief, and what it means to survive something unimaginable. Rachel’s journey—before and after the accident—is told with care and honesty. The writing is beautiful without ever feeling too much. It’s sad, yes, but also full of hope and small moments of strength.

What a writer. Bravo. I am actually somewhat lost for words on this one.

I was drawn to this book by its title and cover and having read some of the authors short story's, I did not know what the book was about (!) Now I appreciate I am probably an outlier in this regard but I would urge any reader to read the synopsis ({ in my defense, it is rare that I don't) and be aware of the subject matter and to be in the right frame of mind before picking this book up. In saying all of that, I am glad I did not know for I fear I might have skipped this one based on the subject matter and that would have been a shame as this is one of the best books I have read this year.

I applaud the author for taking on this subject. One that darkly horrifies and often disturbingly fascinates , when we see such tragedy reported in the media and to write the book with such care, heart, beauty and respect. The prose is stunning, the book never remotely veers towards gratuitous ,it is raw and realistic and brimming with so much emotion . Thought provoking, it made me cry, it made me want to talk about it constantly, I want to buy copies for people in my life but mostly it made me really appreciate the writing. A powerful, devastating, beautiful book.

Such a heartbreaking read

You can’t help but feel the pain Rachel is going through throughout the book.

The book is split into different timelines of before and after that fateful day. It highlights mental health, child death, suicide and much more, so you need to know that it can be triggering.

So sad but I am glad I read it 4.5 stars.

4.5

This is an astonishing subject to have for a novel but thankfully Claire Gleeson handled it beautifully.

Rachel and Tom have a normal life, with an ordinary house, ordinary jobs, two children and the usual hassles. Until one day when Tom drives the family car off the road in a bid to end his own life and that of his entire family.

Show Me Where It Hurts follows Rachel's story divided into before and after the accident.

This is an emotive subject and it took my breath away in parts but Claire Gleeson has written a beautiful novel full of love and forgiveness along with confusion and a desire to understand how one person can make such a decision that will change your life forever.

The characters of Rachel and her family along with Tom and his mother, Bernice, are all quite sympathetic, which is something I didn't think I'd say after the first shock.

I will certainly be looking out for more books written by this author.

Thankyou to Netgalley and Hodder & Stoughton for the advance review copy. Very much appreciated.

I wasn't able put this book down and stayed up into the small hours, eyes burning, heart in tatters, because there was no way I was leaving it unfinished. I loved it even though it broke me a little (or maybe because it did). It’s devastating, yes, but also full of quiet, life-affirming strength, raw beauty, and the kind of love that lodges deep in your bones and won’t let go.

The story follows Rachel, a mother of two, whose world is shattered in one unspeakable moment when her husband, Tom, drives the family car off the road in an attempt to end his own life—and theirs. Rachel and Tom survive, but what follows is the kind of trauma you don’t just bounce back from.

What Gleeson does so powerfully is bring us into that aftermath, Rachel’s grief, shock, rage, and stubborn, flickering hope. There’s confusion, tenderness, fury, love—and above all, the deep resolve to keep going. Not perfectly. Not cleanly. But honestly.

There’s no gloss here, no easy redemption, which is why it lands so hard—I cried more than once. It’s not just a story of survival, but of the slow, lonely, impossible-feeling work of living after. Of loving someone who’s suffering. Of clinging to fragments of yourself in the dark.

There’s such grace in Gleeson’s writing, a depth that hums in the pauses, in the things left unsaid, in the way ordinary moments turn quietly profound. The past and present weave through each other like breath and heartbeat, and it leaves you wrecked and grateful all at once.

If you’re after something raw, real, and unforgettable—this is the one. I’ll be thinking about this book for a long time yet.

Many thanks to the publisher for the ARC via NetGalley. As always, this is my honest review.

A really moving book, which I would thoroughly recommend. I particularly liked the switches between different time periods to give a full and sympathetic portrayal of the main characters. At times it was almost unbearable to read, but I am glad that I did as I will be thinking about this book for a long time.

Oh my word this book. From the shocking first chapter to the slow unfurling, unburdening of the events that came before, and after Claire holds our hands through grief, guilt and coming through the other side.

Show me where it hurts delved into some tough subjects. I was in two minds as I have a four-year-old and wondered if I could handle the emotions. I did but it was heart wrenching all the same. I loved the way the various supporting characters reacted to the situation and how Rachel internalises and works through her emotions. The book portrayed a sense of this could happen to anyone - where are the signs, were there signs, should I have done something differently and successfully worked through those with the reader to come to a satisfying conclusion.

Loved it. Thanks Claire!

This debut novel by Irish writer and medical doctor Claire Gleeson is just so unspeakably sad and yet brims with love, empathy and humanity. I cried so many times while reading it, I feel I have to say that so that if you decide to read this novel, you’re prepared for what lies ahead.

Rachel and Tom are married with two children when one day, life is changed utterly for them. The novel charts Rachel’s return from the brink of despair, finding comfort in the small things, always finding a reason to put one foot in front of the other.

It is so beautifully written and so tender and compelling, but be warned: your heart will ache. I couldn’t help but think of the real life cases similar to the storyline in this book, and I hold all of those families in my thoughts.

If you think you can bear it, this is a must-read. 5/5 ⭐️

With thanks to Sceptre Books for the advance copy via @Netgalley. Show Me Where It Hurts will be published this Thursday and is already on the shelves in Irish bookshops. If you loved Nesting, I predict you will love this too.

This was a heart breaking read at points especially as you followed on the aftermath of Tom's decision and how Rachel deals with loss and recovery.

Show Me Where It Hurts by Claire Gleeson

Rachel's husband Tom steers their car off the road, attempting to kill them and their two young children. Rachel and Tom survive, and we follow their story from when they met 10 years ago up to the date of the incident, and the following 10 years as Rachel grieves and tries to live the life she wasn't meant to have.

WOW WOW WOW!!! Immediate place on my list of books of the year! What an absolutely brilliant book - equisitve writing, fantastic characters, compelling story... perfection. I will be thinking of this book for a long time and urging everyone to read it. Very VERY highly recommended.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book.