bellebus's review against another edition
5.0
Beautiful. Funny, emotional, feel good and feel bad at the same time. Cried in public while listening to the audiobook version.
irish_bookfairy's review against another edition
3.0
‼️Spoilers ‼️
This story is centered around two women, Stella and Rea who live next door to each other. One is a victim of domestic abuse while the other suffers from agoraphobic. The writer gives us a view inside the lives of people dealing with these issues in general and how one might overcome it all.
Two women who seem to have nothing in common, turn out to have more in common then they initially thought. They would turn out to be each other's savior in more ways than one.
It was a bit predictable at times, but I didn't mind in this case. I chuckled, I cried and I learned things. Not a bad combination for a book if you ask me so I gave it three stars.
This story is centered around two women, Stella and Rea who live next door to each other. One is a victim of domestic abuse while the other suffers from agoraphobic. The writer gives us a view inside the lives of people dealing with these issues in general and how one might overcome it all.
Two women who seem to have nothing in common, turn out to have more in common then they initially thought. They would turn out to be each other's savior in more ways than one.
It was a bit predictable at times, but I didn't mind in this case. I chuckled, I cried and I learned things. Not a bad combination for a book if you ask me so I gave it three stars.
jfbfsf's review against another edition
4.0
I really enjoyed this. It was a little bit soft/ chick lit/ emotional - but by the time I realized that's where we'd end up, I was thoroughly caught up in the story and the characters, and I loved them all, and didn't mind the predictability, or (towards the end) the somewhat manipulative emotional tug. I saw where the story was going, but again - didn't mind it. It's like a well done rom-com. Yes, it's a formula, and yes, you can probably figure out what's going to happen... but you don't care, because you're just enjoying the ride.
Also didn't hurt that it was read by my very favorite Irish narrator.
Also didn't hurt that it was read by my very favorite Irish narrator.
arielleluana's review
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Domestic abuse, Violence, Child death, Mental illness, and Panic attacks/disorders
Minor: Domestic abuse, Violence, Suicidal thoughts, Mental illness, Child death, Grief, and Death
I’ve never cried so much from a novel. The author did something very special here. She pays tribute to and humanizes survivors of different kinds: abuse, tragedy and a rare mental illness that most people don’t understand.emmaaxtco's review against another edition
4.0
This book was very simply written, but there was something charming in that. I’m embarrassed to say it took me until page 180 to work out the connection between characters. Enjoyed the Skye chapters the most. The part when Maria breaks down over having left her son behind as he called for her...there are no words. My empathy was overwhelming in this moment as I’m sure it would be for any mother.
shannonreid's review
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
chantellekitty's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
dmwhipp's review against another edition
2.0
Not bad, but very frustrating at times. Things that I found irritating were how long it took Stella to find her inner strength to deal with her abusive relationship and the fact that Rea apparently never sought professional help for her agoraphobia. I thought it became obvious pretty quickly who Stella was before meeting Matt. The tsunami scenes were powerful and emotional. Also, Rea uses the word "sallow" to describe skin tone -- more than once -- as a compliment. Sallow skin is a sickly, jaundiced look and not an adjective you would use as a compliment.
heyhannahrae's review against another edition
5.0
I really liked this. It’s the first book I’ve truly been invested in for quite some time so I may be rating it high, but it was a refreshing read. The storyline of Sky kept me invested and I very much enjoyed the characters of Ria, Stella, Luca, and Charlie. I’m drawn to things about battered women (that’s probably weird) because the psychology behind it is fascinating to me. Soooooo… yeah. This was good. The agoraphobia component reminded me of The Woman in the Window, which I liked, but I enjoyed this book more. Very different, but the characters made it more likable.