26 August 2022

 The Family Remains by Lisa Jewell:  A sequel and a stand alone all in one. 

In the acknowledgements to this book, author Lisa Jewell mentions that she doesn't like to write sequels, but felt compelled to do so in this case due to many requests from readers.  I am so glad she did.  I really enjoyed this "rest of the story" book that followed up on the characters from The Family Upstairs.  I enjoyed the original, but this book was even better.  The Family Remains begins where The Family Upstairs left off, literally.  And yet it is a book that could easily stand on it own.  Jewell includes just enough details from the first book to give the reader the background that they need to understand where the characters are in the present.  She also includes a new story line and a few new characters that keep the reader engaged and give the story a fresh outlook.  As opposed to the first book, there are no loose ends at the end of this book, just answers and outcomes which I found profoundly satisfying.  It was particularly gratifying to see the resolution of the many questions that were left unanswered at the end of The Family Upstairs.  I would highly recommend both books to readers, but if you are only going to read one of them....I recommend it is this one.  It will definitely be on my recommendation list for others. 


I received a copy of this book through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review, and would like to thank Atria publishers for granting me the copy, Lisa Jewell for putting the book up for review, and Netgalley for the service they provide in getting review copies to readers.

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