I simply loved this book! It was so charming, real, a bit crazy, funny, but also sad - I had so much fun reading it and I would give it five stars, but I didn't like the ending - it seemed rushed and I would like to get some epilogue. Other than that, I really loved this book.

Gerri is depressed. Her family is quite horrible, she lives in a tiny, uncomfortable place, she doesn't have a boyfriend, she earns almost nothing as a romance writer and her family is ashamed of her job - and, to make the matters worse, one day she suddenly loses it.. She decides to kill herself, but first she writes good-bye letters in which she finally tells everybody what she really thinks about them.

As I said - both funny and sad, a wonderful book, I read it in a day and I can't wait to read other books by this author :)

From my blog: https://dominikasreadingchallenge.blogspot.com/2019/04/for-every-solution-proble... ( )

For those who only looked at the book synopsis you may think this would be your typical chick lit style novel. You would be wrong. This novel written by Kerstin Gier is more like a black comedy chick lit novel.

The main character in this novel, Gerri, is single and writes for a popular romantic German series. However, she is constantly being forced to lie about what she does due to her parents being ashamed of her career and her singleness. Also when she compares herself to her friends and sisters' lives she finds herself wanting. After losing her job and feeling as if she has no other options, Gerri plans to commit suicide but to also leave her family, friends, and co-workers with letters that will be opened after she passes away. What follows next is funny and sad in equal measures. Gerri messes up her perfect suicide and has to deal with the consequences of her truthful letters being opened by everyone she knows.

Things I absolutely loved were reading excerpts of the letters that Gerri sent to particular people and her responses to everyone once they find out about the failed suicide.

The reason why I gave this 3.5 stars though was that I think if this novel had really just been focused on it being a bit of a black comedy it would have been more palatable. Instead at the last bit it seems to morph into a romantic comedy situation and into a romance novel.

Also we get to certain scenes with a particular person where they were 100 percent abusive and it seemed to be ignored so that Gerri could get an apartment out of the deal which left a bad taste in my mouth. I didn't find those scenes funny and felt uncomfortable.

Finally the way the novel just wrapped things up and everything worked out perfectly seemed a bit of a reach for me at least.

I still think this was a good novel and would be interested in reading more from Kerstin Gier in the future.

Please note that I received this novel for free via the Amazon Vine Program. ( )

http://olvasonaplo.freeblog.hu/archives/2011/10/25/Kerstin_Gier_Halalom_utan_fel... ( )

Nein, schallend gelacht habe ich nie, geschmunzelt jedoch häufig. Und mir hin und wieder ein kleines Tränchen verdrückt. Es ist schon beeindruckend, wie sensibel und doch humorvoll die Autorin mit dem heiklen Thema Depression und Selbstmordgedanken umgeht. Eine schöne Story, durchgängig spannend und flüssig erzählt, mit vielen liebevoll gezeichneten Charakteren und einem reizvollem Ausgangspunkt. Sicher nicht das letzte Buch, das ich von Kerstin Gier lese. ( )