itchyfeetreader's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
dobbyhasnomaster's review
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I loved flawed main characters whose actions I can still understand to some extent.
carmen_jimenezv's review
4.0
This is the first Louise O'Neill novel that I read and I can honestly say that it lived up to the hype. I found it compelling and the writing was truly beautiful. Even though I didn't like the main character too much, I found myself wondering what was going to happen to her and if she was ever going to find a way out of the situation she was living.
I give it 3.5 stars because I wanted Sarah to realise how she had been acting with her family, her friends, at work etc and I because really wanted her to find redemption. However, the ending left me feeling a bit empty and I am still wondering if she ends up finding what she had been looking for.
A very realistic tale of obsession, life, friendship and feelings that won't disappoint the reader.
I give it 3.5 stars because I wanted Sarah to realise how she had been acting with her family, her friends, at work etc and I because really wanted her to find redemption. However, the ending left me feeling a bit empty and I am still wondering if she ends up finding what she had been looking for.
A very realistic tale of obsession, life, friendship and feelings that won't disappoint the reader.
notlikethebeer's review
2.0
I was really excited about this, but it didn't really follow through. I don't know, I feel like it set up a lot but just didn't do the set-up justice. It wasn't bad, but not as great as it could have been, especially knowing how incredible O'Neill is.
serenalawless's review
5.0
As beautiful and addictive as the books that preceded it, Almost Love has O'Neill's usual unflinching narrative and an acute grasp of the human condition. I was reeling for days after reading it, in the best possible way.
sangavisugumar's review against another edition
dark
emotional
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gaslighting, Toxic relationship, and Emotional abuse
Moderate: Sexism, Misogyny, and Domestic abuse
amalia1985's review against another edition
dark
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
ciarareb's review
3.0
This book was quite enjoyable, the manner in which the primary character Emma, wasn’t endearing to the audience was in fact appealing, Emma is egotistical and Insolent however this book portrays quite accurately the intensity of infatuation with someone so unattainable which teeters on the verge on obsession. Louise O’Neill delineates quite perfectly the mentality of an addict, Emma is an addict and Matthew is her vice. She is incessantly thinking about him and becomes testy when he is not near... are these not the indicative red flags of an unhealthy obsession or addiction? I believe so.
I perceive this book to be a justifiable three out of five as personally I believe this book to pale in comparison to Asking For It and Only Ever Yours
I perceive this book to be a justifiable three out of five as personally I believe this book to pale in comparison to Asking For It and Only Ever Yours
snoakes7001's review against another edition
5.0
Louise O'Neill is starting to specialise in deeply flawed female characters - ones that are hard to like but all too easy to identify with. Almost Love is about Sarah, a young artist and teacher who starts seeing Matthew, a wealthy man 20 years her senior. He is quite clear about what he wants from her, but that doesn't stop Sarah from measuring her self worth by their encounters, validating herself in his desire for her and convincing herself that if only she was better then he would want a proper relationship with her. Her obsession with him is absolute, living only for their clandestine trysts, spending the rest of her days desperate for just a single text from him. Her friends and family worry for her, but slowly Sarah drives them all away.
The narrative documents this dysfunctional and destructive non-relationship in chapters headed Then, intertwined with chapters labelled Now. In the present, Sarah is living with Oisín and on paper she has everything she wanted - a man who loves and respects her for who she is. But the toxic affair with Matthew has left Sarah with cripplingly low self esteem. She's damaged and, not believing herself worthy to be loved, she lashes out at everyone who cares for her.
It's realistic and raw, drawing the reader right into Sarah's world. She's spiky, intolerant and frequently a total bitch to her friends and family. Her addictive and destructive obsession doesn't excuse that behaviour, but it makes her a fascinating character and the book a compulsive read.
The narrative documents this dysfunctional and destructive non-relationship in chapters headed Then, intertwined with chapters labelled Now. In the present, Sarah is living with Oisín and on paper she has everything she wanted - a man who loves and respects her for who she is. But the toxic affair with Matthew has left Sarah with cripplingly low self esteem. She's damaged and, not believing herself worthy to be loved, she lashes out at everyone who cares for her.
It's realistic and raw, drawing the reader right into Sarah's world. She's spiky, intolerant and frequently a total bitch to her friends and family. Her addictive and destructive obsession doesn't excuse that behaviour, but it makes her a fascinating character and the book a compulsive read.
nzlisam's review
4.0
When I read the synopsis for Almost Love, I mistook it for YA, partly because Asking for It (which I read last year) was, and also because I wrongly assumed it was about a teen in an abusive relationship with a much older man. But this was definitely an adult book, about a twenty-something schoolteacher (Sarah) in a psychologically damaging affair with the father of one of her students (Matthew). Not my usual read, so at first I wasn’t sure how I felt about reading this, but Almost Love surprised me in that it was just as brutally honest, timely, and emotional as Asking for It.
A quick, easy read, utilising one, third person POV, with the NOW and THEN format replacing chapters. Content wise, the abuse is psychological, but also physical in the form of rough/rape sex. I wouldn’t call it graphic, nor does it go into great detail, but it isn’t mild either, instead falls somewhere in between.
Sarah was a toxic person – a damaged soul long before she encountered Matthew, the majority of her issues stemming from childhood trauma. And, I would never make light of what she endured as a child (it was awful what she went through), but she was a grown woman in this book, who had a lot of good (and support) in her life – more than most, and she doesn’t appreciate any of it. Sarah is selfish, she’s whiny, and treats her family and friends like crap, expecting them to be at her beck and call, but doesn’t do the same for them in return. I’m guessing this was the point, that when a person feels this low, they cannot see what they have, and continuously make poor choices. And, I found it all really interesting, and I relished analysing Sarah, but if unlikeable protagonists, who never learn from their mistakes, depress you, then I’d steer clear of this one.
The other thing I found really intriguing was that in the present storyline, Sarah was psychologically abusive towards her live-in boyfriend, Oisin (not a spoiler – made clear from the onset), in fact in some ways she treated him worse than Matthew treated her. Also, I liked how this book showed how Sarah’s poisonous association with Matthew, impacted her friendships, and affected those closest to her. Yet more reasons why this was such a compelling novel.
This was my second read by Lousie O’Neill that I rated highly, so if she writes more in this vein, whether it’s adult or YA, I’ll be reading.
I’d like to thank Netgalley, Quercus Books, and Louise O’Neill for the e-ARC.
UK Publication Date: 7th March, 2019.
A quick, easy read, utilising one, third person POV, with the NOW and THEN format replacing chapters. Content wise, the abuse is psychological, but also physical in the form of rough/rape sex. I wouldn’t call it graphic, nor does it go into great detail, but it isn’t mild either, instead falls somewhere in between.
Sarah was a toxic person – a damaged soul long before she encountered Matthew, the majority of her issues stemming from childhood trauma. And, I would never make light of what she endured as a child (it was awful what she went through), but she was a grown woman in this book, who had a lot of good (and support) in her life – more than most, and she doesn’t appreciate any of it. Sarah is selfish, she’s whiny, and treats her family and friends like crap, expecting them to be at her beck and call, but doesn’t do the same for them in return. I’m guessing this was the point, that when a person feels this low, they cannot see what they have, and continuously make poor choices. And, I found it all really interesting, and I relished analysing Sarah, but if unlikeable protagonists, who never learn from their mistakes, depress you, then I’d steer clear of this one.
The other thing I found really intriguing was that in the present storyline, Sarah was psychologically abusive towards her live-in boyfriend, Oisin (not a spoiler – made clear from the onset), in fact in some ways she treated him worse than Matthew treated her. Also, I liked how this book showed how Sarah’s poisonous association with Matthew, impacted her friendships, and affected those closest to her. Yet more reasons why this was such a compelling novel.
This was my second read by Lousie O’Neill that I rated highly, so if she writes more in this vein, whether it’s adult or YA, I’ll be reading.
I’d like to thank Netgalley, Quercus Books, and Louise O’Neill for the e-ARC.
UK Publication Date: 7th March, 2019.