Reviews with content warning for Bullying - Ruth & Pen

En fängslande och fin berättelse om en dag i livet för 43-åriga Ruth och 16-åriga Pen. Lyckas vara vardagsnära, finstämd och ha nerv på samma gång. Jag gillar särskilt de skiftande berättarperspektiven och att hela boken utspelar sig under en viktig dag i deras respektive liv.

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saestrah's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful reflective sad slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

A free advanced reading copy of this title was provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review:

Ruth & Pen is set over the course of a single day, swapping between the narratives of Pen, an autistic teenage girl going to an Extinction Rebellion protest with plans to take the girl she likes on a surprise date that evening, and Ruth, a woman dealing with infertility and a failing marriage. Despite the two very different narrators, the narrative explores both characters' lives fluidly as they both struggle with love and loss and figuring out their places in the world.

Reading this book, I was especially glad to see autism in women represented, especially when Emilie Pine writes it so well. Pen was incredibly realistic and relatable for me, and her storyline grabbed me from the start. Ruth's storyline didn't capture me quite as quickly, likely due to her lack of relatability for me as a reader (though I imagine many other readers would connect with her narrative much faster than I did), but she grew on me a lot as a narrator. This book is also the one of the few I've read with a main relationship involving an asexual character and I was glad to see that explored—especially since this relationship didn't fall into the trope of 'autistic people don't have/want sex'. This relationship managed to tug and my heartstrings, despite only covering a single day's events. Reading both Pen and Ruth's heartbreaks and reflections upon them was incredibly cathartic to read, and their triumphs were equally emotional. This was a particularly tender story that I enjoyed right from the start, and I'm looking forward to buying a hardcopy of this book (and not only so I can look at the gorgeously designed cover again and again and again).

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serendipitysbooks's review against another edition

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emotional reflective 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

4.25

Ruth & Pen is set in Dublin over the course of one day, and is thankfully much shorter and more readable than Ulysses, which was also set in a single day in Dublin. It follows Ruth, who is dealing with the ramifications of infertility and miscarriage and a possibly failing marriage, and Pen, a teenager who struggles with autism and anxiety but is determined to attend an Extinction Rebellion protest before taking her friend on a surprise date. This was a really tender, poignant story that gave great insight into the inner lives of these two women as they struggled to deal with love and loss and figure out where and how to fit in the world. I wanted to hug them both.

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eleanorareads's review against another edition

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emotional reflective slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

*deep sigh* I love this book so much. It is very introspective and very melancholy, and I got a little sad reading it, but it's so beautiful!!

Ruth and Pen both have a lot going on in their minds, and much of the book is their inner monologues and memories. I love a character driven novel, so this massively ticked that box.

There was autism/neurodiversity, wlw and asexual representation in this book, which I was appreciative of. Infertility was also a significant part of the book, which felt incredibly poignant given Pine has written about her own infertility. I really admire her ability to write so gracefully and thoughtfully about tough subjects.

I would recommend you read Ruth & Pen while in a good place mentally. I read it over a series of bad days and it all felt pretty heavy, but I still loved it and can't wait to revisit when I'm in a better headspace.

CW: Infertility, infidelity, bullying, self-harm

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becca_thegrimreader's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional inspiring sad tense slow-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

It’s no secret that I loved Emilie Pine’s collection “Notes to Self,” and I couldn’t wait to get my hands on her debut novel. This does not disappoint, Pine’s incredible writing talent shines through as she presents a luminous and in-depth narrative on two women's’ lives. Following two women, Ruth a therapist after building up her own practice, and Pen a fifteen year old girl who wants to have the best day of her life.

Pine switches beautifully between both characters and their narratives, and has created two wonderful real characters. Pen worries about fitting in with everyone around her, something that we have all thought of in life. Her autism is portrayed with sensitivity and shows how she views the world and those around her. After suffering horrific bullying from her classmates, Pen begins to form a bond with Alice which becomes a very important part of her life. Though for me, the most important relationship was the one she has with her mom. Her mom, Claire, is her main support unit and is there for Pen no matter what.

In Ruth’s story we learn that she has struggled with IVF treatments, and has suffered several failed attempts. This has put a strain on her marriage to a point where her husband might leave her. It was very difficult at times reading of Ruth’s grief for a life that she won’t have, she is still grieving from the last failed IVF attempt. This raw and painful grief is uncomfortable to witness, but it is a powerful story that needs to be told.

Both stories are raw and tender, with the reader falling in love with Ruth and Pen by the end of the book.

Thank you to Netgalley and Penguin UK for the copy of this book. My review is honest and unbiased.

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