avdoshi's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
- Strong character development? Yes
4.0
mollyalex's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
sad
medium-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
4.0
marliesarits's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
relaxing
sad
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
3.5
lindaunconventionalbookworms's review against another edition
4.0
4.5 stars
*I received a free copy of The One That Got Away. This has in no way influenced my voluntary review which is honest and unbiased.*
I really enjoyed Benjamin and Clara's story. It spanned over a bit more than 20 years, with flashbacks from 2022 to 2002 and 2012. At the beginning, it read like a romance, but it wasn't really that. The One That Got Away is a love story, though. But not all that conventional.
Have you ever wondered what if... about someone you were with when you were younger? How your life would have turned out different if only you had made some different choices? Both the good and the bad. That's what happened here with both Clara and Benjamin. They felt like they would be together forever when they were young - and they both kept having regrets long, long after they left uni.
Really well written, The One That Got Away has a lot of heartache, a little happiness, some hope, and quite a bit of working on oneself for both of the main characters.
*I received a free copy of The One That Got Away. This has in no way influenced my voluntary review which is honest and unbiased.*
I really enjoyed Benjamin and Clara's story. It spanned over a bit more than 20 years, with flashbacks from 2022 to 2002 and 2012. At the beginning, it read like a romance, but it wasn't really that. The One That Got Away is a love story, though. But not all that conventional.
Have you ever wondered what if... about someone you were with when you were younger? How your life would have turned out different if only you had made some different choices? Both the good and the bad. That's what happened here with both Clara and Benjamin. They felt like they would be together forever when they were young - and they both kept having regrets long, long after they left uni.
Really well written, The One That Got Away has a lot of heartache, a little happiness, some hope, and quite a bit of working on oneself for both of the main characters.
nehasreading's review against another edition
1.0
This book needed trigger warnings. Every review needed to mention the TWs. All of them. The author's note at the end of the book should've been at the start, and should've given readers a heads up on what to expect because the cover and the blurb certainly don't. It felt like this book was beating me over the head with dark/triggering material. It felt like there was something new every few chapters and it was EXHAUSTING.
Yes, there are spoilers in the TWs, but I'm not going to hide them behind the spoiler tag because I think it's important to know what you're signing up for. The TWs include: suicide bomber/bombing, rape/SA, abuse, alcoholism, mental health issues, loss of a loved one, abandonment, cheating, cancer, IVF, chronic pain, manslaughter.
TOTGA was packed to the brim with triggers and it was just too much. That's the main reason I had to give the book the rating that I did. It felt like it was trying to be A Little Life by covering all these topics, except it didn't do a good job of it. It felt like the author had a spin-the-wheel of triggers and whatever the wheel landed on was what was gonna be added to the story.
I would've considered giving this a higher rating IF the characters or the overall payout made the 300+ pages worth it, but they didn't. The early days of Clara and Benjamin's relationship made it seem like this book was trying to seem like the next Normal People, except Benjamin was a wet wipe and Clara was delulu (so, so problematic!). And while Benjamin is a decent character, it felt like Clara didn't grow at all. She was messy then, she's messy now. Their reunion was lackluster and the 'reveals' - for example: the fateful night that separated them - was predictable. The jump in timelines was confusing.
I was gonna give this 2-stars originally, but the final few triggers in the last act of the book was where I was like enough is enough.
Yes, there are spoilers in the TWs, but I'm not going to hide them behind the spoiler tag because I think it's important to know what you're signing up for. The TWs include: suicide bomber/bombing, rape/SA, abuse, alcoholism, mental health issues, loss of a loved one, abandonment, cheating, cancer, IVF, chronic pain, manslaughter.
TOTGA was packed to the brim with triggers and it was just too much. That's the main reason I had to give the book the rating that I did. It felt like it was trying to be A Little Life by covering all these topics, except it didn't do a good job of it. It felt like the author had a spin-the-wheel of triggers and whatever the wheel landed on was what was gonna be added to the story.
I would've considered giving this a higher rating IF the characters or the overall payout made the 300+ pages worth it, but they didn't. The early days of Clara and Benjamin's relationship made it seem like this book was trying to seem like the next Normal People, except Benjamin was a wet wipe and Clara was delulu (so, so problematic!). And while Benjamin is a decent character, it felt like Clara didn't grow at all. She was messy then, she's messy now. Their reunion was lackluster and the 'reveals' - for example: the fateful night that separated them - was predictable. The jump in timelines was confusing.
I was gonna give this 2-stars originally, but the final few triggers in the last act of the book was where I was like enough is enough.
m4nda_beth's review against another edition
4.0
I am giving this book 4 stars because I believe it accomplished what it was intended to and i kept reading because i needed to know how things were going to end.
This book was heavy, touched on so many dark issues, and yet had a beautiful message woven throughout.
I don’t recommend this if you are looking for a happy read. I felt pretty pained throughout.
This book was heavy, touched on so many dark issues, and yet had a beautiful message woven throughout.
I don’t recommend this if you are looking for a happy read. I felt pretty pained throughout.
therealjunglebookie's review against another edition
4.0
I'm still mentally digesting this book & all the nostalgia it unlocks. This was a really interesting storyline & if you have someone in your life that you wish you could go back in time & have a redo with— this book will definitely bring you on an emotional rollercoaster. I found myself highlighting paragraphs/ quotes/ dialogues that resonated with me & it’s been a really long time since I’ve read something so relatable. If you’re looking for a swoon worthy, second chance romance story….put this book on your radar.
hughesgalen's review against another edition
2.0
Two college lovers spend almost twenty years apart pining for each other and a tragic event brings them back together. This was a tougher read to get through than I expected. Lots of sensitive subject material that I was expecting, including some that felt a little excessive at times. Had this been shorter and included less sensitive material, it might be easier to stomach.
I wasn’t super invested in the main characters, which made the love story hard to believe in. The younger version of the main character was insufferable and annoying, I enjoyed the 40 year old version of her much more. The ending had very little payoff to me, with a lot of loose ends not tied up. Overall, there wasn’t much reward for reading this book.
ARC provided from the publisher by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I wasn’t super invested in the main characters, which made the love story hard to believe in. The younger version of the main character was insufferable and annoying, I enjoyed the 40 year old version of her much more. The ending had very little payoff to me, with a lot of loose ends not tied up. Overall, there wasn’t much reward for reading this book.
ARC provided from the publisher by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.