Everything Was Beautiful and Nothing Hurt caught my eye because the main character of this story is Death himself. After reading the synopsis, I knew this was going to be an emotional read and I was right. Today I want to tell you all about this book and what I thought.
A big thank you to Netgalley and Avid Reader Press for providing me with an eARC to read and review. This doesn’t affect my opinion in any way!
Travis is Death in the modern world. He wears jeans and a T-shirt and lives in a small, grey town. His job is to offer people comfort in their final hours of life. He’s stoic, gentle, and a little naive, despite everything he knows. He’s young and handsome, despite who he is. Each death he witnesses is meaningful to him; he listens, never judges, and most importantly, never tries to change anyone’s fate. He knows that every life must eventually end to maintain the balance of the universe and he respects the cycle.
Then he meets Dalia, a midwife, and her boisterous eight-year-old daughter Layla, who live across the hall. As Dalia and Layla come to embrace Travis, it becomes more difficult to maintain the detachment that’s allowed him to function for so long. Their time together teaches him what’s truly important in life—and what might be irrevocably lost in death.
Written with radiant warmth, wisdom, and compassion, Everything Was Beautiful and Nothing Hurt is a timeless story about appreciating life, accepting its end, and finding our place in the universe—especially when it feels most impossible—that will resonate with anyone who has ever loved and lost or worried at time’s passing.
Review
Everything Was Beautiful and Nothing Hurt is going to be a book I think about for years. It was interesting to see this author’s take on Death. Travis isn’t the typical depiction of death we get in many ways. He doesn’t wear a robe or carry a scythe. He’s someone who lives in a normal apartment building and wears jeans and a t-shirt.
This book is a story mixed of the people Travis visits as their time comes and how they experience him and their death. I won’t lie, this book had me crying many times while reading it. It also fascinated me. Especially the relationship he started building with Delia and her kids. He knew how certain things would play out and he still couldn’t help but be swept up into his feelings for this woman and her family. I also appreciated that the author took time to let us see how death himself may be dealing with everything. I can’t imagine it’s easy constantly taking away life and seeing all of the sadness and grief.
I will say be aware if you do decide to read this book. It is heavy and sometimes hard to read. Especially if you’re dealing with your own grief after the loss of a loved one. That being said, I do believe that Ben Reeves is also giving us a message. Life is precious. Don’t take that or the people you love for granted. And like Travis asks us in the book, what would you do if you only had 20 minutes left? Everything Was Beautiful and Nothing Hurt is a powerful and thought-provoking read I won’t forget. I can’t wait to see what this author writes next.
This book is going to be one that sticks with me for a very long time! What’s a book that you still think about ages after reading it? Let me know in the comments. I’d love to hear from you.
