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knerd's review against another edition
emotional
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
ashleytayytayy's review against another edition
3.0
Intriguing read with an ending that left me unsatisfied.
mad_pall's review against another edition
4.0
I recommend to those who enjoyed We Were Liars. It’s a very new storyline that doesn’t feel recycled, as many YA novels do. I did hope for a little bit of a happier ending, because it felt unsatisfying. I thought it was a very good glimpse into a girl’s mental health struggles. The biggest issue I had with this book was how it villainized inpatient treatment. Although I have never been through inpatient treatment, the depiction of it in this novel felt unrealistic and I do understand that the author was trying to portray how Hannah felt, that can leave a bad impression to someone who may have to go through inpatient.
janeserenity's review against another edition
4.0
Not the type of book I usually read, but I'm really glad I gave it a try. I relate which I always love when I read and I would definitely reccomend. Have not read this author before and I'm not sure about her other books but I found the amount of text in parentheses distracting. Still loved the book!
amyhungerford's review against another edition
3.0
"Hannah Gold doesn’t belong in a place like this. Hannah Gold wouldn’t hurt a fly.”
Okay, I have to say it, if you’re going to describe a book as Girl, Interrupted meets We Were Liars… You really need to bring it. Those are both very dark stories and to be a combination of the two, you really need to take a chance and just go for it. Mess with our heads a little. And I just feel like this story is far too safe for that description. And that’s not to say I didn’t like it. I did. I just thought there could be more.
THE PLOT
After a tragic accident this summer leaves her roommate critically injured, Hannah finds herself institutionalized. As soon as the doctors and judge figure out that she isn't a danger to herself or others, she can go home to start her senior year.
Then Lucy arrives. Lucy has her own baggage. And she may be the only person who can get Hannah to confront the dangerous games and secrets that landed her in confinement in the first place.
THE CHARACTERS:
“I smile again, this time for real. It was so easy when I was five, to manipulate my parents’ friends into being ashamed of their own children, into thinking I was so much better.”
Hannah is DIABOLICAL. I found her to be very interesting and as someone who really enjoys dialogue WAY more than inner monologues, I still found her POV to be very engaging. I loved how Hannah seems like your ordinary overachiever, but you can sense something is not quite right.
“Luckily, I know how to become someone’s best friend. It’s a skill I’ve honed since kindergarten.”
Her parents are garbage. Honestly, THAT was one of the more tragic parts.
WHAT I LIKED:
I really liked the beginning. It is so strong and so well paced. The beginning is a beautiful slow burn, with little crumbs of the truth peppered throughout, just enough detail to know something is not quite right, but not enough to really guess what’s going on. It was so truly amazing.
WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE:
The second half felt way too rushed. The beginning is so wonderful, but then it felt like trying to fit a lot of story into not enough pages.
Overall, I liked this story. I liked the characters and the plot. I liked the way the author was able to slowly show something just isn’t quite right without being too apparent, just seeds of doubt...
I thought the ending was too rushed but with an extra 50 – 100 pages (there is that much that could have been really delved into), the story could have gone from a 3 star to a 4 star for me.
Thank you to NetGalley and SOURCEBOOKS Fire for providing me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Okay, I have to say it, if you’re going to describe a book as Girl, Interrupted meets We Were Liars… You really need to bring it. Those are both very dark stories and to be a combination of the two, you really need to take a chance and just go for it. Mess with our heads a little. And I just feel like this story is far too safe for that description. And that’s not to say I didn’t like it. I did. I just thought there could be more.
THE PLOT
After a tragic accident this summer leaves her roommate critically injured, Hannah finds herself institutionalized. As soon as the doctors and judge figure out that she isn't a danger to herself or others, she can go home to start her senior year.
Then Lucy arrives. Lucy has her own baggage. And she may be the only person who can get Hannah to confront the dangerous games and secrets that landed her in confinement in the first place.
THE CHARACTERS:
“I smile again, this time for real. It was so easy when I was five, to manipulate my parents’ friends into being ashamed of their own children, into thinking I was so much better.”
Hannah is DIABOLICAL. I found her to be very interesting and as someone who really enjoys dialogue WAY more than inner monologues, I still found her POV to be very engaging. I loved how Hannah seems like your ordinary overachiever, but you can sense something is not quite right.
“Luckily, I know how to become someone’s best friend. It’s a skill I’ve honed since kindergarten.”
Her parents are garbage. Honestly, THAT was one of the more tragic parts.
WHAT I LIKED:
I really liked the beginning. It is so strong and so well paced. The beginning is a beautiful slow burn, with little crumbs of the truth peppered throughout, just enough detail to know something is not quite right, but not enough to really guess what’s going on. It was so truly amazing.
WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE:
The second half felt way too rushed. The beginning is so wonderful, but then it felt like trying to fit a lot of story into not enough pages.
Overall, I liked this story. I liked the characters and the plot. I liked the way the author was able to slowly show something just isn’t quite right without being too apparent, just seeds of doubt...
I thought the ending was too rushed but with an extra 50 – 100 pages (there is that much that could have been really delved into), the story could have gone from a 3 star to a 4 star for me.
Thank you to NetGalley and SOURCEBOOKS Fire for providing me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
sweetnsassyjillian's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
sad
tense
fast-paced
5.0
zabcia's review against another edition
4.0
80%
"I control my brain. Iam my brain. My brain is me . That's all we are, right? Everything we think and feel, every habit and movement, every personality trait and quirk: It's all a result of our brains."
* interesting premise. when premises are interesting, I usually flip to the end (I know, I'm a heathen, bite me) to make sure the ending is satisfactory so I don't waste my time reading something that just leaves me feeling annoyed/upset/angry/sad/whatever negative emotion I don't need more of in my life. anyways, I did that here and sort of sussed out what was going on, which actually made reading it even more interesting since I was on the lookout for clues and the such. it's kind of like when you watch a movie where the ending makes everything in between make sense so you have to rewatch it to catch everything you overlooked the first time around.
* the book ended with an explanation of what happened to get Hannah into a psych ward, but I'm curious how her life and relationships - with her parents, the world, and especially herself - would go after. I could definitely see a sequel here, but it would probably involve changing genres, so I understand why it hasn't been done
*
"I control my brain. I
* interesting premise. when premises are interesting, I usually flip to the end (I know, I'm a heathen, bite me) to make sure the ending is satisfactory so I don't waste my time reading something that just leaves me feeling annoyed/upset/angry/sad/whatever negative emotion I don't need more of in my life. anyways, I did that here and sort of sussed out what was going on, which actually made reading it even more interesting since I was on the lookout for clues and the such. it's kind of like when you watch a movie where the ending makes everything in between make sense so you have to rewatch it to catch everything you overlooked the first time around.
* the book ended with an explanation of what happened to get Hannah into a psych ward, but I'm curious how her life and relationships - with her parents, the world, and especially herself - would go after
Spoiler
her unnamed diagnosis of seeing and hearing hallucinations she couldn't tell apart from real life*