mandi_lea's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Medical trauma, Gaslighting, Death, Grief, Sexism, Suicide, Infidelity, Toxic relationship, Mental illness, Child abuse, Death of parent, Misogyny, Sexual assault, and Self harm
aduqu's review against another edition
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
This book was okay. It was slow paced, and boring at times. But it did have interesting things to say. All in all, a mediocre read with a few insightful moments.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault and Misogyny
Moderate: Infidelity, Sexual content, Death of parent, and Self harm
Minor: War and Suicide
m_lof's review against another edition
challenging
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny and Sexual assault
Moderate: Medical content
Minor: Suicide
panikos's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
I think the premise was better than the execution on this one, but given how scathing some of the reviews were, I expected it to be worse. The story is frustratingly slow and very obscure in places, but there were still a lot of things I appreciated about it. None of the characters were especially likeable, but I do think they were well drawn. Caroline's passivity was often irritating, but it was at least believable - I could understand why somebody raised in her circumstances would act like that. Her development was the most enjoyable part of the novel - she had a realistic, satisfying arc, even if it wasn't very grand.
I also liked the difficult relationship she had with her father, who was similarly well-characterised. A lot of feminist books portray sexist men in a flat, caricatured way, but Samuel's attitude to women was more nuanced and real, in that he believes strongly in the capabilities of women in theory, but turns quietly hostile when real women challenge him as equals. He didn't feel wholly bad or good, and I liked that.
Richard wasn't an especially interesting character, but I think that was partly intentional, given that Caroline was constantly idolising him into somebody he wasn't. Nevertheless, it did make the romantic tension between them - no small part of the novel - quite tiresome to read about. I was never enthralled by this book, never had to fight to put it down. I like slow-paced character-driven stories, but this book takes a long time to get going and the stakes are always very quiet. Coupled with characters which are not especially interesting, it meant it was quite a dry read.
On top of that, some of the symbolism didn't work for me. I think the theme of illness and the unknowable was borne out quite well, but the concept of the trilling hearts never felt like it came together - I never had a sense of what they were supposed to represent. Despite being such a prominent motif, the story could've progressed in exactly the same way without them, which didn't satisfy me.
I don't think this is a bad book at all, but I wish it had had more energy and more compelling characters. The novel feels accomplished in a clinical way - there's a great deal that's good about it, but it just didn't get under my skin.
I also liked the difficult relationship she had with her father, who was similarly well-characterised. A lot of feminist books portray sexist men in a flat, caricatured way, but Samuel's attitude to women was more nuanced and real, in that he believes strongly in the capabilities of women in theory, but turns quietly hostile when real women challenge him as equals. He didn't feel wholly bad or good, and I liked that.
Richard wasn't an especially interesting character, but I think that was partly intentional, given that Caroline was constantly idolising him into somebody he wasn't. Nevertheless, it did make the romantic tension between them - no small part of the novel - quite tiresome to read about. I was never enthralled by this book, never had to fight to put it down. I like slow-paced character-driven stories, but this book takes a long time to get going and the stakes are always very quiet. Coupled with characters which are not especially interesting, it meant it was quite a dry read.
On top of that, some of the symbolism didn't work for me. I think the theme of illness and the unknowable was borne out quite well, but the concept of the trilling hearts never felt like it came together - I never had a sense of what they were supposed to represent. Despite being such a prominent motif, the story could've progressed in exactly the same way without them, which didn't satisfy me.
I don't think this is a bad book at all, but I wish it had had more energy and more compelling characters. The novel feels accomplished in a clinical way - there's a great deal that's good about it, but it just didn't get under my skin.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual assault
Minor: Suicide
kalayk's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Medical trauma, Misogyny, Suicide, Sexual violence, Confinement, Death of parent, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Sexism, Child abuse, Infidelity, Medical content, Gaslighting, and War
Moderate: Eating disorder
nicoleh's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
I’m still thinking about this one, what it meant to me, what I ultimately thought about it. It was a beautifully written book, that I can say for sure.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual assault
Minor: Suicide
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