Scan barcode
book_siren's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
rosameertens's review
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
majasbooks's review against another edition
3.0
”and if it’s true that fortune favours the brave, my life, up until that point, was a testament to the fact that the opposite is true as well. misfortune favours the spineless”
Sorrow is really built on a pretty basic romance concept but the author made it pretty unique with her character work and the aesthetic of the story. The latter was what actually got me to read this. Think Firewatch-esque aesthetic but with artists.
It’s not a bad book! I think it’s worth noting that considering I typically hate het romance. There were aspects of this i really enjoyed. Particularly I loved the writing but as much as it was great for the majority of the story, there were random short moment where it was very meh.
Now, I know this will sound stupid given that this is a romance book, but I really think it would’ve been so much better had it not been a romance. It had so much potential and it would’ve been so amazing if instead it focused on friendship and mental health solely. Friendship is already really the main theme in this I think, but mental health aspects actually kind of pissed me off. The characters we meet are clearly not okay and the author does acknowledge that but it’s like she doesn’t really further those storylines. And that’s a missed opportunity if you ask me. Particularly when it came to the character of October.
Also, the romance itself really wasn’t that great. I didn’t really ship the characters and isn’t that kind of the point of a romance book?? I have rather conflicting feelings about this book but ultimately decided to give it 3(.5) stars and I think that’s a pretty valid rating.
Sorrow is really built on a pretty basic romance concept but the author made it pretty unique with her character work and the aesthetic of the story. The latter was what actually got me to read this. Think Firewatch-esque aesthetic but with artists.
It’s not a bad book! I think it’s worth noting that considering I typically hate het romance. There were aspects of this i really enjoyed. Particularly I loved the writing but as much as it was great for the majority of the story, there were random short moment where it was very meh.
Now, I know this will sound stupid given that this is a romance book, but I really think it would’ve been so much better had it not been a romance. It had so much potential and it would’ve been so amazing if instead it focused on friendship and mental health solely. Friendship is already really the main theme in this I think, but mental health aspects actually kind of pissed me off. The characters we meet are clearly not okay and the author does acknowledge that but it’s like she doesn’t really further those storylines. And that’s a missed opportunity if you ask me. Particularly when it came to the character of October.
Also, the romance itself really wasn’t that great. I didn’t really ship the characters and isn’t that kind of the point of a romance book?? I have rather conflicting feelings about this book but ultimately decided to give it 3(.5) stars and I think that’s a pretty valid rating.
lindseydomokur's review against another edition
5.0
Have you ever not went after something you wanted because you were scared? Scared of failure, scared you aren't good enough? I have been there. This book is about courage. This book is about second chances, and third chances and becoming who you were meant to be. We stumble along the way, we hurt other people, we hurt ourselves, but in the end we either find the courage or we don't. Living scared is no way to live. Opening yourself up to the possibility of failing, of being hurt, that is courage. The courage to find the strength to come back from all of it a better person.
Joe was all of these things and I bet a lot of us could see ourselves in him. This story was told from his POV, which I loved. There was art in the book and art in the words. Joe was scared, he was scared of failure so he never went after his dreams. Joe runs. Joe ran from Cal, Joe ran from October. Joe ran from every single thing before it got hard, before he knew if he would even fail or not.
This book was short, but it took me twice as long to finish. I took hours reading every word because each was deeper than the next. I have a confession, this is my first book by Tiffanie. I own almost all of them but have been too scared to read them because of the depth of emotions I knew I would feel. I'm so glad I started with this book because it was so profound. I needed this book in my life, we all do. Just as a reminder to be brave, have courage to do what is in your heart, but most of all, never run away from those who love you most.
Joe was all of these things and I bet a lot of us could see ourselves in him. This story was told from his POV, which I loved. There was art in the book and art in the words. Joe was scared, he was scared of failure so he never went after his dreams. Joe runs. Joe ran from Cal, Joe ran from October. Joe ran from every single thing before it got hard, before he knew if he would even fail or not.
This book was short, but it took me twice as long to finish. I took hours reading every word because each was deeper than the next. I have a confession, this is my first book by Tiffanie. I own almost all of them but have been too scared to read them because of the depth of emotions I knew I would feel. I'm so glad I started with this book because it was so profound. I needed this book in my life, we all do. Just as a reminder to be brave, have courage to do what is in your heart, but most of all, never run away from those who love you most.
megans_book_shelf's review against another edition
5.0
Wow. This book has all the feels. I feel like I need to take a bath with a bottle of wine to just let it all soak in.
There is so much emotion to this tangled story and Tiffanie Debartolo certainly does not disappoint. Each character is expertly crafted and comes to life within the pages. She finds a way to skillfully weave three different time frames into one story and never have the lines blur.
When I started the book I resented Joe. He reminded me of every “poor me” person I’ve met and it was exhausting to try and relate to his sorrows as he put himself in the position we find him in. But I somehow found to love the awkward, quirkiness of his character and honestly loved how his story was tied up.
Another ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ read from author Tiffanie Debartolo.
There is so much emotion to this tangled story and Tiffanie Debartolo certainly does not disappoint. Each character is expertly crafted and comes to life within the pages. She finds a way to skillfully weave three different time frames into one story and never have the lines blur.
When I started the book I resented Joe. He reminded me of every “poor me” person I’ve met and it was exhausting to try and relate to his sorrows as he put himself in the position we find him in. But I somehow found to love the awkward, quirkiness of his character and honestly loved how his story was tied up.
Another ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ read from author Tiffanie Debartolo.
allenfarm's review against another edition
4.0
Sorrow is one of those unique stories where I didn’t like any of the characters, but loved the story as a whole. Told completely from Joe's POV, we watch him turn from a passive, perpetual floater through life to someone who realizes that he can create his own future, rather than be lead by it. It is both awkward and poetic to watch. as each decision he makes either leaves him in a suspended way of living or grows him into his his best self.
blakleyfaye's review
emotional
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
5.0
paperknotbooks's review against another edition
4.0
This book is 100% emotive. In fact, I could only pick it up when I was in the right mood in order to give it a fair shake. We’ve got a sensitive guitarist/laborer dude (Joe), who’s pinning for an empathic artist (October): E-M-O-T-I-O-N-A-L.
It’s also a bit of a contemporary romance, which is a genre I normally skirt around because I hate sappy stories. No sap... except maybe some trees, but they’re not the focus of the book! I am a fan of DeBartolo’s previous books, which tend to embrace an anti-romantic edge. True to form, this is a book about the life cycle of a relationship, and something I can get behind.
I can’t say that I connected with the characters, but somehow their quiet presence helped me appreciate everything they went through. I found inspiration from October, even though I rolled my eyes a when she described herself as an “Artist of Life.” Other than that moment of pretension, she comes off as a cool person, and both her and Joe were people I would want to hang out with. There’s a weight of authenticity between Joe and October, not just in the pattern of their relationship, but in how introverted people naturally behave.
This is a book just begging for a playlist, even though it (sorta) comes with one pre-installed. There are a number of music references, but they tend to lean into the classics and early to mid-90’s musicians, even though those sounds don’t quite hit the same way the text felt, (with exception to the National & Damien Rice songs quoted in the book). To demonstrate my fondness for this book, and “(because) I don’t want to get over you,” I compiled a collection of songs I would attach as a soundtrack. For the curious, below is the Sorrow arrangement:
“Sorrow,” by The National (noted in the book)
“Delicate,” by Damien Rice (noted in the book)
“Screaming Infidelities,” by Dashboard Confessional
“Lightness,” by Death Cab for Cutie
“Superconnected,” by Broken Social Scene
“We Belong,” by Sin Fang Bous
“The Greatest,” by Cat Power
“Kicking the Heart Out,” by Rogue Wave
“Smokers Outside the Hospital Door,” by Editors
“I Go to the Barn Because I Like the,” by Band of Horses
“Song for Lorca,” by Apostles of Hustle
“Loveless,” by Okay
“Welcome Home,” by Jeff Hanson
“Can’t Say No,” by The Helio Sequence
“Leaves in the River,” by Sea Wolf
“Rootless Tree,” by Damien Rice
“Your Ex-Lover is Dead,” by Stars
“What Isn’t Nature,” by Cass McCombs
“Alternative to Love,” by Brendan Benson
“Prank Calls,” by Kelley Stoltz
“Excuses,” by The Morning Benders
“About Today,” by The National
{smirks in playlist genius}
Mini disclosure: this book was originally offered up as an advance reader copy c/o NetGalley and Woodhall Press, for an honest review. I attempted to embrace the eARC, but couldn’t stand the background noise of the PDF copy, so I waited out the publication and purchased a physical copy for myself.
It’s also a bit of a contemporary romance, which is a genre I normally skirt around because I hate sappy stories. No sap... except maybe some trees, but they’re not the focus of the book! I am a fan of DeBartolo’s previous books, which tend to embrace an anti-romantic edge. True to form, this is a book about the life cycle of a relationship, and something I can get behind.
I can’t say that I connected with the characters, but somehow their quiet presence helped me appreciate everything they went through. I found inspiration from October, even though I rolled my eyes a when she described herself as an “Artist of Life.” Other than that moment of pretension, she comes off as a cool person, and both her and Joe were people I would want to hang out with. There’s a weight of authenticity between Joe and October, not just in the pattern of their relationship, but in how introverted people naturally behave.
This is a book just begging for a playlist, even though it (sorta) comes with one pre-installed. There are a number of music references, but they tend to lean into the classics and early to mid-90’s musicians, even though those sounds don’t quite hit the same way the text felt, (with exception to the National & Damien Rice songs quoted in the book). To demonstrate my fondness for this book, and “(because) I don’t want to get over you,” I compiled a collection of songs I would attach as a soundtrack. For the curious, below is the Sorrow arrangement:
“Sorrow,” by The National (noted in the book)
“Delicate,” by Damien Rice (noted in the book)
“Screaming Infidelities,” by Dashboard Confessional
“Lightness,” by Death Cab for Cutie
“Superconnected,” by Broken Social Scene
“We Belong,” by Sin Fang Bous
“The Greatest,” by Cat Power
“Kicking the Heart Out,” by Rogue Wave
“Smokers Outside the Hospital Door,” by Editors
“I Go to the Barn Because I Like the,” by Band of Horses
“Song for Lorca,” by Apostles of Hustle
“Loveless,” by Okay
“Welcome Home,” by Jeff Hanson
“Can’t Say No,” by The Helio Sequence
“Leaves in the River,” by Sea Wolf
“Rootless Tree,” by Damien Rice
“Your Ex-Lover is Dead,” by Stars
“What Isn’t Nature,” by Cass McCombs
“Alternative to Love,” by Brendan Benson
“Prank Calls,” by Kelley Stoltz
“Excuses,” by The Morning Benders
“About Today,” by The National
{smirks in playlist genius}
Mini disclosure: this book was originally offered up as an advance reader copy c/o NetGalley and Woodhall Press, for an honest review. I attempted to embrace the eARC, but couldn’t stand the background noise of the PDF copy, so I waited out the publication and purchased a physical copy for myself.
aalishaslibrary's review
5.0
I had no doubt this book would blow me away but I was not prepared for the abundance of fragility and depth that was delivered. I'm not exaggerating when I say I feel seen and understood on a transcendent level and I believe it's because DeBartolo has written this book with her whole heart and soul, filling it with complete honesty and vulnerability, laying everything down bare for the whole world to see and imbibe.
Some of the themes explored here are love, friendship, courage, the power of being vulnerable and a lot more but the spotlight shines brightest on ART. And with the kind of conviction and intentionality this book has been written with, by the end of it you will truly believe that art is expansive, yet personal; monumental, yet intricate and detailed; the way we see the world and also how we breathe and stay alive.
I cannot recommend Sorrow enough because how rare is it that a book reveals your true self to you? And the best part is, no matter the conclusions you come to, the universal lesson here that "love is the ultimate art project" is what we all need to remember.
Thank you Books Forward for helping me receive the ARC for this glorious book!
Some of the themes explored here are love, friendship, courage, the power of being vulnerable and a lot more but the spotlight shines brightest on ART. And with the kind of conviction and intentionality this book has been written with, by the end of it you will truly believe that art is expansive, yet personal; monumental, yet intricate and detailed; the way we see the world and also how we breathe and stay alive.
I cannot recommend Sorrow enough because how rare is it that a book reveals your true self to you? And the best part is, no matter the conclusions you come to, the universal lesson here that "love is the ultimate art project" is what we all need to remember.
Thank you Books Forward for helping me receive the ARC for this glorious book!
daniellemedina's review against another edition
4.0
What can I say? Tiffanie DeBartolo's writing is poignant and heartfelt and Joe Harper's story is so moving. Sorrow follows him as he tries to find meaning in a life that hasn't gone as planned and finds love, not only with a partner but with himself. Joe is flawed and frustrating but also so realistic and his journey toward growth and connection is relatable and emotional. If you like beautifully written, character-driven fiction, this one's for you.