Okay, so I just finished The Second Life of Mirielle West, and wow—what a journey! At first, I couldn't stand Mirielle (like, at all). She was so...ugh. But around page 40? Magic happened. The character growth? *Chef's kiss*.

The writing is BEAUTIFUL. Like, 'I could smell the flowers at Carville' vivid. Some scenes wrecked me—full-on ugly crying by the end. That reunion after 16 years? MY HEART.

Small rant though: Whyyy does my paperback keep shedding pages, Amazon?! For a $15 book, I expected better glue.

PSA: Not a light read. There’s stigma, heartbreak, and moments where you’ll want to throw the book (then immediately pick it back up). But the historical details? Obsessed. Learned more about leprosy than my high school ever taught me.

Final verdict: 4.75/5 (docked points for that ending—too bittersweet for my soft soul). Already forcing my book club to read this!