In The Mirror

Author: Kaira Rouda
Genre: Modern Fiction
Type: e-book ARC
Source: NetGalley
Publisher: Real You Publishing Group
First Published: May 1, 2014
First Line: "Rolling over to get out of bed, I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror and cringed."

Book Description from GoodReads:  If you knew you may die soon, what choices would you make?
Jennifer Benson has it all: a successful career, a perfect husband, two kids and abundant friendships. The only problem is she may be dying. IN THE MIRROR is the realistic love story about a woman facing a deadly illness, and her loves past and present. It's a story that unfolds with a delightful blend of humor and poignancy, ringing true in the heart of anyone who has ignored a warning of her own.

Disclaimer:  My sincere thanks to the Real You Publishing Group and NetGalley for providing me with a complimentary e-book copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

My Review: In The Mirror is an honest look into the life of someone with cancer.  How this disease not only ravages a person's body, but their sense of self and impacts the lives of those they love.  As a mother and wife it tugged at my heart strings to see how Jennifer struggled to continue to be a part of her family even though she was living away from her husband and young children. The toll of the cancer on Jennifer was more than the expected exhaustion and pain.  We see her struggle to maintain some semblance of her former self.  But we also see how people's perception of her, people she knew well and loved, changed as her health deteriorated and they started to view her by her disease, not as the person they love. That aspect of the book, as well as her friendship with her fellow cancer patient Ralph, and her struggles within her marriage felt authentic. 

When a person from her past enters her life and treats her like her old, healthy, attractive self it's no wonder that Jennifer jumps at the chance to be treated normally.  But some of Jennifer's choices had me feeling a little skeptical.  She seemed overly naïve for such a smart woman.

This was an emotional read but it also had me on the edge of my seat as one of Jennifer's choices comes back to bite her.  One scene in particular was unexpected and I really liked having the tables turn on me. 

Overall, this was a good, quiet read that looks into relationships of people dealing with cancer.  How these people are treated by those that love them, how isolated they feel but also the inner fight they to conquer the disease that has taken so much from them already.  It also brings to light the stress, fear and emotional baggage of the family members of cancer patients.

In The Mirror shows the strain that a terminal illness takes on a marriage and family.  It also shows how people with serious illnesses want to be seen for who they are, not their illness.  They want to be treated normally, feel valuable, attractive and above all important in the lives of their loved ones.

My Rating: 3/5 stars