“We are stars well wrapped in skin.”

Listening to The Grieving Project made me feel like I was listening to a mini musical production. I was sucked right into it from the moment I pressed play.

Most importantly, I liked the fact that it put a spotlight on different illnesses and gave a look on how people go through the grief of living with these illnesses. Just like what the synopsis said, it really takes you on a journey from grief to joy from the perspective of these people who are living with said illnesses. This kind of diversity in the book community goes a long way and allows for a lot more kinds of people to feel heard.

The language used was not that heavy and was very accessible. Both Young Adult and Adult readers are bound to enjoy it, especially those who fall under these illnesses and see themselves being represented. But even if you personally have not experienced any of these illnesses, there is still something for anybody take and could perhaps help you better understand anyone you come across who is going through the stages that the characters go through.

The fact that the spoken word lyrics were narrated/sung over such beautiful compositions made it feel very heartfelt, while intensifying all the emotions that the audiobook wanted to convey. There was a lot of hope, motivation, and inspiration being transmitted to the listeners both through words and music.

Going in, the only part that I was worried about was that the plot would confuse me, but it was surprisingly easy to follow what was going at different points of the audiobook. I think that the multiple narrators (Lisa Sniderman, Rachel Fulginiti, Lauren Freedman, David Francisco) did a spectacular performance and The Grieving Project felt very well produced. My heart was soaring at all the right moments.

A thoroughly enjoyable overall experience, albeit not a very long one, The Grieving Project had great representation all throughout. There really isn’t that much to criticize, because I think that it’s an extremely important perspective while still weaving an audiobook that is pleasant to the ears. I am definitely looking forward to listening to more of Lisa Sniderman’s productions in the future.