Final Lullaby was a very personal story for me. I have experienced several family members including my late husband that faced terminal illnesses. Most of them did get help in their last months with Hospice which I support fully but when it came to my husbands illness it was not so clear a choice. None of his Dr's ever approached the subject of death and that we should be think about what end of life choices we might want to make. The Dr. in the ICU continued to encourage dialysis even after he was found to have sepsis. His death was painful and difficult. I feel they just wanted to keep the bed filled. His last 6 weeks were torture for him. It's been 3 years and I'm still angry that no one was honest with us. They just kept giving us false hope when clearly he was failing rapidly over his last 6 months of life. I wish I had consulted Hospice to get him with them so his last days would have been more comfortable.
The dispondent callers also resonated with me because I have felt the hopelessness over the last 4 years. Ms. Lauren approched several timely and sensative subjects without making her book dark or depressing. This would make a great bookclub pick. There is a lot of subjects here to keep a discussion going for a long evening. Thank you Black Rose Writing and LibraryThings Early Reviewers for the opportunity to read this thought provoking book. ( )

This story of people not only dealing with the unfairness of life but also fighting against preventable tragedies caused by medical malpractice and lack of patient protections, has many heartwrenching moments, but also many heartwarming ones.
I received Final Lullaby as an Early Reviewer. It's a story of life's ups and downs told in the first-person by a young woman named Angela who is happily single and independent until she meets her soulmate Tucker. Angela, after her best friend in high school suffers from incurable cancer, believes strongly in the right-to-die movement for people with terminal illnesses or unsustainable pain levels, but she is also a volunteer counselor for the local suicide prevention hotline.
Not a fault of the book itself, but I thought the description of the book given by the publisher is kind of a spoiler, as it really describes the last third of the book, which the first two-thirds of the book lead up to, so the pacing of the book as a whole wasn't exactly what I expected from the description of the book:
"Angela Alexander, a New England bookshop owner and support talk-line volunteer, is dedicated to listening to people without her own filter getting in the way. Though her life is full and satisfying, she faces the ultimate dilemma after her husband Tucker - an exuberant bird photographer and blues musician - is harmed by medical malpractice during a routine hernia repair. Left in intractable pain, he struggles to focus on any shred of quality of life. When Tucker expresses the desire to end his life before he loses full autonomy, Angela has to decide to support him in that decision, or not." ( )

Final Lullaby is a courageous, poetic exploration of a controversial and emotionally charged topic. Lauren’s voice is imaginative and authentic, and her characters will capture your heart. At turns uncomfortable and celebratory, artistic and thought-provoking, this is an important novel. ( )

Sasha Lauren covered such an incredibly impactful matter with grace, delicacy and such punch, but for me, I think that punch came in a little too late. The beginning and first half of the book were somewhat dry, and really dragged on for me, but things picked up towards the back, which is where Lauren begins to show how amazingly beautiful her craft of words can be. Otherwise, though, the conversations felt a little forced, but it's more of a personal issue than the author's.

I really liked how each character, however minor, got their own little ending which really brings out how much the author has invested into this story-world. Instead of being characters in only Angela's story, she shows how each of them in themselves is a whole new unexplored tale. Overall, it's a lovely and so incredibly meaningful story that warns of medical malpractice and explores the much-debated territory of having the right to die. It was beautiful. ( )

Final Lullaby spoke to me. Like, truly spoke… Sasha Lauren’s story described love similar to David Nicholls’ 'One Day,' presented death like Paul Kalanithi’s 'When Breath Becomes Air,' and eloquently addressed the right to die like no author I’ve read before.

When Angela’s husband Tucker, a vibrant bird photographer and musician, suffers from medical malpractice, leaving him in unrelenting pain, Angela must navigate the depths of her love and beliefs, grappling with the ultimate dilemma that challenges the very essence of their bond.

Final Lullaby is at the top of my 2023 reads. 5 Stars! ( )

I reviewed and Advance Reader copy. Lauren's Final Lullaby tackles a difficult topic with bravery and grace. The deep and abiding love between characters and their beliefs shines through in this moving portrayal of love, pain, and heartbreak. ( )

FINAL LULLABY is a deeply personal novel, told with much feeling and fearless emotion. Sasha Lauren has a genuine gift for creating big-hearted, pluckily optimistic women who dance above tragedy, and a wonderful way of balancing comedy and tragedy. At the heart of FINAL LULLALBY is a constellation of grief that points up the sacred obligation we all share to treat each other with the tenderest of care, It’s a rare pleasure to read a novel that offers so much genuine, honest, direct emotion on every page! This is a great, dark, but ultimately redemptive, romantic novel. A must read. ( )

Final Lullaby Author Sasha Lauren shows her mastery of addressing the difficult topics of right to die and medical malpractice through a work of fiction showcasing the pain and suffering of both victims of medical mistakes and the heartbreak of those who love them. Final Lullaby begins at a fast and furious pace in a style very similar to the author’s first work, The Paris Predicament. Elegant descriptions leave readers feeling part of a love story before the book takes a dramatic and, at times, traumatic turn headfirst into the often politically charged question of the right to die. No matter a reader’s personal opinions on the subject, they will certainly have their eyes opened to the pain and suffering that drive people to a choice no one wants to make.
- Author Barbara A. Luker ( )