A Million Reasons Why Plot Summary
Caroline doesn’t think much of her husband’s latest Christmas present idea: mail-in DNA tests for the whole family. Little does she know the results will uncover old betrayals that she never could have imagined. Introduced to Sela, the half-sister she never knew she had, Caroline has to adjust to a new reality. But Sela has secrets beyond just her own existence, and the two will have to work out the bounds of this strange new relationship.
My thoughts on A Million Reasons Why
A Million Reasons Why, by Jessica Strawser, is told from two perspectives. Caroline and Sela, the sisters who don’t know about each other – yet. Caroline has a very busy life, with her husband and three children, her parents and her best friend Mo. Sela’s a much lonelier character. She has a young son, an ex-husband and a best friend, and the irritating nurse she sees for her kidney disease.
The main characters of this book won me over really quickly, and their voices were really distinct. I also loved their relationship, once they met, and thought their meeting and getting to know each other was completely delightful.
A Million Reasons Why had a sizeable cast of side characters
Caroline’s parents play an important role in the story. Caroline sees the notification of a surprise relative when looking at her father’s account from the DNA tests they all took. There’s a bit of a mystery there though; when Caroline first goes into the account, notifications for new family connections have been manually disabled. By who? I’d tell you, but you’ll have to read the book if you want to find out! Suffice it to say, Caroline has some things to learn about her parents.
Caroline’s relationship with her husband was interesting as well. They make a solid team. We’re also introduced to Keaton, Caroline’s ex who she almost moved away with several years ago. As the book goes on, it seems to be looking at the pros and cons of passionate love versus a more stable, less exciting kind of love. I wish it had brought this discussion a little more to the fore, honestly! Although I can also see how there may not have been room for that.
Unsurprisingly, Sela doesn’t have as many side characters in her chapters. Although one of my favourites was Janie, a new nurse who shows up and becomes a real breath of fresh air.
The plot had some weaknesses, although it kept me engaged
Some strands of the plot didn’t feel as necessary as others. Keaton’s whole deal felt like it was supposed to create a lot more tension than it actually did, for example. Similarly, I was looking for more suspense around some of the revelations that came out, only for those to emerge pretty unceremoniously after the first hints.
I also felt like the pacing towards the end ramped up a little too much. No spoilers, as usual, but there were elements of the book’s conclusion that felt rushed, and plot conclusions that I didn’t feel were done justice as a result.
Sela’s medical issues probably bear mentioning. I don’t have a medical background, but I wondered a couple of times whether the portrayal of her illness was realistic. Apparently some of the people reading with more experience of Sela’s illness were pretty put off by the lack of realism at some points in the story. It didn’t pull me out of the book when I was reading. But it might be something to note if you’re more medically aware or more concerned with medical realism when reading!
In summary…
A Million Reasons Why is a fun read, with a strong, sweet, sisterly relationship at its heart. It doesn’t always have the strongest pacing or balance of plots. It might start more interesting conversations than it finishes. But I definitely enjoyed it! And I felt that it managed to avoid some of the turns you’d normally expect in this type of novel. If you’re a fan of Jodi Picoult, I’d recommend giving A Million Reasons Why a try.
I’d also like to note that A Million Reasons Why was a pick for The Island Library book club! If you’re interested in reading and chatting about books, you can check out this month’s books here.
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