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podanotherjessi's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
The one thing I really liked - and the main reason it's not much more lowly rated - was the writing style. It's like definitionally overwritten, but that works for me. I'm very glad the narrator interjections were dropped after part one. Once past that, the writing is really creative and conveys a lot about the characters.
Almost everything else I felt neutral about at best.
Regan feels like such a textbook manic pixie dreamgirl, but I can give this book some credit in that the story doesn't follow the stereotypical plot. But neither character felt like they grew at all in this story. They actually seem to regress, which can be great if it feels intentional, but in this book it felt like the reader was supposed to celebrate the self-destruction of the characters.
But that I could forgive. What I just can't get over in a book that advertises itself as a romance is a romantic pairing I don't root for. I hated this romance. It was incredibly toxic and never felt like love. It felt like obsession and infatuation and not meant to last. And worse, the book made it out that I was the problem. "If you think this is unhealthy, then you just don't get it" was all but said verbatim both in the novel itself and in Blake's author's note.
I do appreciate that not at the end overall. It's clear this is a very personal novel for Blake. But I just couldn't get over the flaws I saw. I didn't even start on the medication and therapy representation in the book. I think this will be a wonderful book for a lot of people, so I don't want to universally un-recommend it. But I just didn't like it much.
Graphic: Mental illness
Moderate: Infidelity
crystalsbookshelf's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Minor: Drug use, Eating disorder, Infidelity, Mental illness, Sexual content, and Gaslighting
katiesbeengone's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Addiction, Drug use, Mental illness, and Toxic relationship
Minor: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Suicidal thoughts, and Gaslighting
embelle's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Graphic: Addiction, Chronic illness, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Self harm, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis
Moderate: Drug use, Infidelity, Suicide attempt, and Abandonment
lucielockettreads's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.5
There were snippets I read and it did feel deep and philosophical, as though Blake herself was peering into my soul and wrote the words on paper. Then all the other parts, they just… muddled together. I started skipping pages and pages of waffle which of course is charlottes mania. But the message to do with mental health therapy and TAKING MEDICATION I hated. I study psychology and counselling at university and there is absolutely in my mind a support for therapy, and sometimes medical intervention where therapy is not effective enough, this story says screw therapy and screw my meds!
I understand that the FMC is bipolar and maybe that’s why she never bought it up but the therapist should of saw them signs earlier.
Also aldo and his father are a wonderful story and I actually enjoyed it mostly when they were talking to each other
Also also, sex doesn’t heal everything!!!!!!
TLDR; not my type of genre, which I learnt through reading this, and the writing style… some good moments but a lot was not, although that does relate to the FMC personality.
Check trigger warnings.
Graphic: Body horror, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Mental illness, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Blood, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Addiction
aileron's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.0
Graphic: Mental illness and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Drug use, Infidelity, and Suicidal thoughts
Minor: Addiction, Drug abuse, Suicide attempt, and Abandonment
gardens_and_dragons's review against another edition
- 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
3.5
The prose was AMAZING and had so many good quotes. I did find myself disliking Regan’s choices and thought processes, but I did empathize with her. I identified a lot with Aldo and his struggles for human connection and finding his purpose in life.
Graphic: Infidelity, Mental illness, and Sexual content
Moderate: Addiction
Minor: Abandonment
Not sure how to categorize Regan’s relationship with her family - it’s super toxic but not explicitly abusive. A lot of it stems from her mental health struggles and how her past choices in crime affect her relationships.jbellomy's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
*Regan is out here representing the neurodivergent trust fund babies who are fully incapable of holding down a real job. Though I do not approve of her male manipulator ways, gotta appreciate the rep. She just like me for real.
Graphic: Toxic relationship
Moderate: Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Mental illness, Misogyny, Sexual content, and Suicidal thoughts
Minor: Addiction, Violence, Blood, Suicide attempt, and Classism
clairew97's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Graphic: Addiction, Bullying, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Mental illness, Misogyny, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Grief, Abandonment, Alcohol, and Classism
greatestheights's review
- 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
2.0
Graphic: Mental illness and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Addiction, Drug abuse, and Infidelity