Reviews

This book was simply okay. I went into this book knowing absolutely nothing except it featured a girl with bipolar disorder, and while I thought the bipolar rep was pretty great, I didn't really care for the plot or character relationships.

While I don't have bipolar II myself, by the end of the book, I better understood the highs and lows of someone who much suffer from this disorder, and by reading other reviews I saw that a lot of other people were very impressed by this representation and how it wove into the story.

Aside from that, I didn't realize how much this book would focus on magic and illusionists. That just wasn't really my thing, so I pretty much blanked out whenever the main character would talk about famous magicians and magic tricks. Also, I feel as if the story took way longer than it needed to to be told. Some parts were very repetitive, and I understand that Ellie's bipolar II tends to have her up and down in repetitive loops. That was completely fine to me, as it realistically portrays bipolar II. But she had like three heartwarming talks with her dad that basically said the same things, same with Liam and Ripley.

So, I'll give the book three stars for the great portrayed of bipolar disorder that is usually absent in YA books, but the plot and characters were not that interesting and the book seemed much too long.

cojack's review against another edition

Go to review page

4.0

The first half is a bit slow, and the book overall is just too long. 400 pages is a lot for this story. But in all, it is both charming and insightful. While the plot is about Ellie trying to get her dad to LA in hopes of reviving his career, the real point of the story is her struggle with bipolar II, grief, guilt, poverty, loneliness, and father-daughter dynamics. The author does a good job of making Ellie relatable and educating readers on what it is like to deal with mental illness on top of other typical teen issues.

Read my full review on Common Sense Media:
https://www.commonsensemedia.org/book-reviews/the-lightness-of-hands

kthornette's review against another edition

Go to review page

4.0

This book wasn’t on my TBR, but the colour on the cover got me. And the girl looks and dresses exactly like me.

This is the first book where the art of performing was shown through magic rather than music or theatre, and that magic was an actual art rather than a side-gimmick or a joke. It was refreshing to see Ellie strive for her passion but also try to balance that with the practicality and reality of life. It doesn’t help that she also had to manage her bipolar II, non-existent funds, and her father’s heart issues.

I loved the complicated yet loving relationship between Ellie and her father; how they both made sacrifices for each other regarding their day-to-day lives and their medical situations. Also her friendship with Ripley? Fucking amazing. Internet friend rep! I wish we got more of him in the book.

Spoiler

I would’ve rather had the book focus on her relationship with Ripley than have Liam at all. I didn’t give a crap about him. Sure, it was cute by the end and they worked things out, but still.

thereadingchallengechallenge's review against another edition

Go to review page

challenging emotional hopeful tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

I was hesitant to pick up another Jeff Garvin book but I'm so glad I gave The Lightness of Hands a go. It's a story with a lot of sharp edges but with a beautiful heart at its centre. The characters are rough but fascinating and I couldn't look away as they trundled into impossible situation after impossible situation. I loved the look into the world of working magicians and it was really interesting to read an #OwnVoices representation of bipolar II disorder. If you liked Laurie Halse Anderson or Tabitha Suzuma back in the day, this book might be right up your alley.