I Think We’ve Been Here Before
By Sioph W. Leal
I think We’ve Been Here Before focuses on Marlen and Hilda Jorgensen's family, who amid facing a terminal illness in the family, also have to deal with a cosmic blast that could render humanity extinct within months. While this is all happening, Hilda's father receives a visitor from his past, her nephew goes missing, and her mother refuses to believe the world is ending. Hilda's daughter struggles to find her way home from Berlin, with the help of a familiar stranger. The family is determined to live every moment as if it's their last, as the world awaits the next events amid chaos, denial, acceptance, and hope.
Characters can make or break a book and Suzy Krause treats readers of I think We’ve Been Here Before to a range of multidimensional characters that are a delight to read. Having I think We’ve Been Here Before told through multiple characters could have been confusing, but Krause manages to weave them all together perfectly, while delivering a beautiful story. I think We’ve Been Here Before allows us to see the stories through multiple generations, allowing the reader to relate to one or more of the Jorgensen family members.
While the characterisation is brilliant, the pacing of the book can be a bit tedious at times, especially the first half of I Think We’ve Been Here Before. Once you get to the latter part of the book, things greatly improve and deliver a tender, heartwarming story that makes up for the first half of the book. Through the second half of the book and exploring the different griefs and family members, a lot of topics are covered from family relationships, mental illness and terminal illness. Given all of that and the prospect of the end of the world, it would have been easy for I think We’ve Been Here Before to be overwhelmed with the characters and dynamics but Krause does manage to blend them all into one strangely warm ending.
I think We’ve Been Here Before is an unforgettable story about how different people deal with their own inevitable endings alongside the end of the world. It’s a tale of love and connection that will stay with the reader for a long time. Krause will leave her readers breathless at the end while making it impossible for the reader to not reflect on their own lives when they finish the Jorgensen’s story.