Because of Brett

I am just a mum who couldn’t even save her child from dying, who am I to write a book about grief and grieving? My son Brett was just thirteen years old when he was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia. He was very sick and could only be offered experimental treatment. Brett went on to have over five years of cancer treatment. We were told on the 23rd December 2013 that there was nothing more they could do. Brett (18), came home on Christmas Eve to die at home.

I'm not sure if it is because of my job and career in nursing or the fact that I worked in palliative care but this book and story resonated so much with me. This is not an easy read and is as heartbreaking as the description given by the author. I have so much respect for the author for telling her story. Thank you so much.

This is a first for me by the author and one I enjoyed and would read more of their work. The book cover is eye-catching and appealing and would spark my interest if in a bookshop. Thank you very much to the author, publisher and Netgalley for this ARC.

A heartbreakingly honest memoir from Sarah Woodier, about how she dealt with the death of her son Brett and the overwhelming grief afterwards.

This book resonated with me and I am sure will with many others, who realise that with grief one size does not fit all and there is no time limit or depth meter or chart to determine how much a child's death and the loss of their life will affect you and your family for the rest of your lives.

Praise for Sarah for sharing Brett with us all and writing this beautiful book in his memory.

Because of Brett is a raw and honest story of grief. The author lost her son in 2013 and is, of course, missing him and grieving him still (and likely forever).
I will admit I am probably not the intended target audience for this book. I am not grieving and have not recently lost a loved one. So why did I want to read this book? As the author mentioned several times, we need to think about death and talk about death. Reading this book did also give me some insight into how varied and personal grieving is. There is no formula and every grieves in their own way.
Sarah Woodier has provided a good look at grief. She's brutally honest - much of loss and grieving is ugly and hard. But I think she also an important message for anyone who is grieving. There is no manual. There is also lots of great advice for how to interact and converse with those who are grieving.
I would think that the intended audience for this book is people who have experienced loss. That said, it can certainly be read and appreciated by anyone.

I received an advanced copy of this book from Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Hands down so heartfelt and beautifully written, grieving is such a hard thing for anyone to go through. Books such as these are devastating especially when it’s a child (no matter the age). Death is something we need to think and talk about it is just a part of life we tend to not touch on when we should. Better to prepare your heart and mind for something that could break you.

3.5 stars
Books such as these are devastating especially when it’s a child (no matter the age). This one is even more raw than most and the author is brutally frank. Not a manual because everyone handles grief differently and has to find their own way of coping with the loss of a family member.