Reviews with content warning for Suicide - Alone with You in the Ether

The story shows the struggles of two people who don't feel like they fit in with the rest of the society. The story is at times challenging to understand –it has many very complex subjects and issues depicted in it – but the narration complements this perfectly and makes it more understandable as a whole. I really enjoyed the audiobook experience of listening to this. The narration and the audiobook's narrator's performance are what impressed me most in this book.

The audiobook's narration is a little unorthodox: it matches the characters mind in a creative and very depictive way. The book's narration is in the third person, sometimes coupled with explicitly named external narrator's sidenotes with different narrator's voices. The female main character Reagan has mental illness which's treatment includes therapy and medication; the latter she wants to forgo. The male main character Aldo struggles with interpersonal relationships and often finds himself drifting off to his own thoughts. Both of them have gone through very dark times, and they share them with each other.

These chaotically organized minds of the characters are reflected with the narration, and this has nuances with chapters focalized by different characters. Regan is very impulsive and thrives in chaos; the chapters in her pov are told with a rushed pace, sometimes multiple voices speaking at the same time. Her chapters revolve around Regan's feelings of the events around her and those are what dictate her interactions with the world. Aldo is very organized and relies on patterns and stability. His pov chapters are more calmly paced, and the subjects are dissected with rationality. He is open to listening to other people as well.

Content Warnings

abhirupa's review against another edition

Go to review page

challenging emotional reflective tense 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

2.5

This book felt like a novel length tiktok slideshow of those fake deep tumblr text posts with Phoebe Bridgers’ Stranger in the Alps playing in the background. I love those slideshows! And I liked a lot of the passages in this book! Some of the passages in this book were heartbreaking and lyrical and gorgeous! But page after page of Halsey-lyric prose is not enough to hold my attention and that might just be a me thing because this book came highly recommended. Another book that would’ve been better as a short story.

Content Warnings

belle13's review against another edition

Go to review page

emotional informative reflective tense medium-paced

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

3.5

I originally rated this four stars because the author’s note made me love it a little more but after thinking about it for a few days I’ve decided it’s definitely a three and a half star for me. I don’t think it’ll really stick with me and although I think the author has talent I’m not tempted to pick up another of hers any time soon.

There were points where this was unbearably pretentious but I also think that is sort of the point. I think I’m meant to find the writing and the characters a little pretentious. Aldo was a much more likeable character than Regan and I thought he reminded me a little of Spencer Reid from Criminal minds which was fun. Regan on the other hand was so unlikeable but I also think Regan really disliked herself too and once again, I kind of think that’s the whole point. It was very much a realistic portrayal of someone with bipolar disorder and the complexities that surround having a diagnosis like that which I think the author wrote exceedingly well.

I listened to this on audio and I will say, I think that really affected how much I enjoyed it. I couldn’t connect with the characters as much and didn’t enjoy the narration so I would be interested to see if my opinion changed if I was to read it with my eyeballs.

I would recommend it if you’re looking for a complex romance that will make you think a little more deeply and you like characters who make you want to pick them apart and study their behaviour and emotions.

Content Warnings

csleeds's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous challenging emotional funny mysterious sad tense 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

Content Warnings

embelle's review against another edition

Go to review page

challenging dark emotional funny reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

I don’t even know what to write for this review, as I still haven’t fully processed this book. I feel like I could read this book 5 times and still not be able to process it. I’m convinced that this book is unlike anything I’ve ever read before or anything that I’ll ever read in the future. Just wow wow wow. The Acknowledgements from Olivie Blake also totally had me in my feelings too

Content Warnings

thestorydoer's review against another edition

Go to review page

challenging emotional sad tense medium-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

4.25

I have never been so entranced by two characters.

This book revolves around 2 characters for most of it, and the side characters, true to their name for once, are cast to the side as less important. This is usually a flaw which I'd criticise if it weren't for the fact the dialogue and prose between these characters was so intensely electric. Every bit of them talking was entrancing, addicting, and emotional all in one. This is because the two characters are each intensely interesting with their unique ways of thinking.

Of course, this book is comments on romantic relationships with mental disorders/health issues. It does it extremely well. But I also find that it favors Regan's over Aldo's which makes sense as the author draws from Regan with her own bipolar disorder, but I think the book would've benefitted from treating them in equilibrium.

The author is also extremely creative in her prose. The book usually benefits from this. But there are a few times where the prose feels needlessly creative, adding flair to descriptions which simply didn't need it. However, the prose is also most of what makes this book such a beautiful and heart wrenching read.

I also think that the pacing also has a few issues as well, as the stages of their relationship go by at quite the accelerated pace which may be intentional, but I also think it could've been handled better.

Overall, a creative, imaginative read with two extremely interesting characters whose synergy is impossible to ignore. 4.25/5

Content Warnings

shampainprblmz's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous challenging emotional informative inspiring mysterious reflective slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Content Warnings

kirkspockreads's review against another edition

Go to review page

emotional funny 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

4.0

Content Warnings

More...