A Million Reasons Why

A Million Reasons Why is a slow-burn, character-driven story that touches on a few topics - namely the issues surrounding organ donation, implications of DNA testing sites and complicated family ties. 

This novel had great discussion-provoking topics (I enjoyed learning more about organ donation from both perspectives), but I was surprised that the story and characters weren't as impactful or emotional as I had hoped. The plot had a disjointed feel due to the excessive internal dialogue and several tangents that spent too much time rehashing the past. 

I give kudos to the author for the plot twist that I didn't see coming and for writing a story around organ donation, but this book rambled too much for my liking and I ended up skimming much of the last half. At this point even little things like Sela's mom's odd nickname of 'Ecca' started to grate on me.

I am in the minority with this book so please know many others rated this book 4 and 5 stars. This would be a good choice for readers who love character-based stories with topics that would instigate good book club discussion. 

Disclaimer: My sincere thanks to St Martin's Press for my advanced digital copy via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

My Rating: 3 stars

Author: Jessica Strawser

Genre: Contemporary Fiction

Type and Source: eBook from publisher via NetGalley

Publisher: St Martin's Press

First Published: March 23, 2021

Opening Lines: Long before Caroline ever felt compelled to 

seriously consider the split between nature and nurture, she 

knew exactly which traits she owed to her dad.

Book Description from GoodReads: When two strangers are linked by a mail-in DNA test, it’s an answered prayer―that is, for one half-sister. For the other, it will dismantle everything she knows to be true.

But as they step into the unfamiliar realm of sisterhood, the roles will reverse in ways no one could have foreseen.

Caroline lives a full, happy life―thriving career, three feisty children, enviable marriage, and a close-knit extended family. She couldn’t have scripted it better. Except for one thing:

She’s about to discover her fundamental beliefs about them all are wrong.

Sela lives a life in shades of gray, suffering from irreversible kidney failure. Her marriage crumbled in the wake of her illness. Her beloved mother and lifelong best friend passed away. She refuses to be defined by her grief, but still, she worries about what will happen to her two-year-old son if she doesn’t find a donor match in time.

She’s the only one who knows Caroline is her half-sister. That Caroline may be her best hope for a future. But Sela’s world isn’t as clear-cut as it appears―and one misstep could destroy it all.

After all, would you risk everything to save the life of the person who turned yours upside down?

From the moment Caroline meets Sela, both must reexamine what it really means to be family, the depths of a mother’s love, and the limits and the power of forgiveness.