skyhenry's review against another edition
inspiring
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
1.75
i liked the acknowledgments more than the book itself which i think says alot.
I really wanted to love this book. I understood what the point was and what was happening and the ultimate goal of the story but it was a tad boring and felt alot like a binded book of tumblr quotes.
of course there were parts I loved - certain sentences and whatnot but overall, not my cup of normal tea.
I really wanted to love this book. I understood what the point was and what was happening and the ultimate goal of the story but it was a tad boring and felt alot like a binded book of tumblr quotes.
of course there were parts I loved - certain sentences and whatnot but overall, not my cup of normal tea.
sarahtownsend527's review against another edition
dark
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.0
inthestarlesssea's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
mysterious
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? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
alessandra's review against another edition
4.0
esse livro é 8 ou 80
e eu sinceramente não sei explicar o que que fez ele funcionar pra mim.
e eu sinceramente não sei explicar o que que fez ele funcionar pra mim.
jennyfromtheloch's review against another edition
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
2.0
vintagehippie's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
daniellelouise99's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
rebeccareads08's review against another edition
5.0
Oh Olivie Blake, we do not deserve your brilliance! My poor heart! This book!
Alone with You in the Ether is about two people that are a bit broken, or a lot, struggling to exist in a neurotypical world that neither of them fit in, they find each other and what comes after is magic, honest, raw and human.
The writing in this book is so damn gorgeous I wanted to cry. There are lines I would tattoo on my body they are so perfect. The story is character driven like most of Blakes books are and you get lost in the the inner workings of our very complicated main characters minds. It's utter brilliance bc these minds in particular are so vulnerable, brilliant, and even fractured.
The struggle of dealing with mental illness while navigating relationships and your surroundings is so honest and relatable. I loved how the book doesn't shy away from the truth of it and the health choices ppl make and how none of them are easy but they deal with it bc they have to and sometimes it's good and sometimes not so good.
Worth noting: This is a very personal book for the author and the first time I have ever read the acknowledgments and cried like a baby, I will hold this book in my heart for a long time and consider it one of my favorite reads of this year. (Just under the wire!)
Alone with You in the Ether is about two people that are a bit broken, or a lot, struggling to exist in a neurotypical world that neither of them fit in, they find each other and what comes after is magic, honest, raw and human.
The writing in this book is so damn gorgeous I wanted to cry. There are lines I would tattoo on my body they are so perfect. The story is character driven like most of Blakes books are and you get lost in the the inner workings of our very complicated main characters minds. It's utter brilliance bc these minds in particular are so vulnerable, brilliant, and even fractured.
The struggle of dealing with mental illness while navigating relationships and your surroundings is so honest and relatable. I loved how the book doesn't shy away from the truth of it and the health choices ppl make and how none of them are easy but they deal with it bc they have to and sometimes it's good and sometimes not so good.
Worth noting: This is a very personal book for the author and the first time I have ever read the acknowledgments and cried like a baby, I will hold this book in my heart for a long time and consider it one of my favorite reads of this year. (Just under the wire!)
hannahollihan's review against another edition
A book about flawed people falling in love. Kind of obsessed with these two. Although I'm pretty uncomfortable with the cheating in this book. Hmm not sure how I feel about this. I'm really invested in the writing/characters, but some of the philosphical musings... are like half formed and not great? Not treating her mental illnesses... not taking her meds? She is only able to paint and love Aldo because she is off her meds? This is also imbalanced character wise towards Regan, Aldo feels half formed. Is she essentially descending into a manic episode? This would be better if it was actually SciFi maybe? Codependency, manipulation… I have no idea how to feel about this. I feel like either Blake is too smart for me to understand, or she is attempting to be smarter than she is and is just writing a confusing mess?
maddiefisherreads's review against another edition
5.0
This is the best contemporary romance I've read this year.
The immediate standout in this book is its structure and composition. The main male character is a scientist studying time travel and the occurrence of hexagons in nature, so naturally he is preoccupied with the number six. The book has six parts. He and Regan have six conversations. Regan then has six conversations with her therapist. Its recurrence built trust in me as the reader. Every part immediately felt purposeful, earned.
Aldo is a memorable leading man because he isn't conventionally charming, or stereotypically grumpy. He's odd, refreshingly direct, and non-dramatic. Regan is extremely relatable. Rather than being the typical sunshine female main character, her compulsion towards novelty, art, and intrigue is portrayed as a complicated facet of her bipolar disorder, the way she copes with self-loathing and boredom. The whole of the book portrays Aldo and Regan as functioning adults who primarily cope. The story is about them growing in self-awareness enough to CHOOSE their means of living with their own psyches, beyond coping, masking, numbing, and distracting. It's such an aspirational message for those of us who feel compelled by our impulses, hoping to master ourselves.
This romance was full of beautiful dialogue. I underlined so many intimate and raw lines. No one writes obsession and fascination in a more real way than Olivie Blake. I don't know how she so artfully and accurately describes the compulsion to create art, to solve problems, to be known, to make others comfortable.
I'm so impressed with her exposition on truth used as a weapon, and how fear of the nastiest version of the truth can be debilitating. Regan is terrified that she is flighty, predictable, unreliable, and a burden. To some, that is the truth. On her worst days, perhaps it's accurate. But Aldo offers the perspective, that we choose to be who we are, and he believes she is something extraordinary, so she chooses to be extraordinary.
Finally, I love that Olivie Blake zooms in on conversations and places so vividly. She draws out the moment, so you feel like you're there. Recognizing each nuance and breath, each stutter, miss, and bit of magic. It's masterful.
It couldn't be improved. It's perfect.
The immediate standout in this book is its structure and composition. The main male character is a scientist studying time travel and the occurrence of hexagons in nature, so naturally he is preoccupied with the number six. The book has six parts. He and Regan have six conversations. Regan then has six conversations with her therapist. Its recurrence built trust in me as the reader. Every part immediately felt purposeful, earned.
Aldo is a memorable leading man because he isn't conventionally charming, or stereotypically grumpy. He's odd, refreshingly direct, and non-dramatic. Regan is extremely relatable. Rather than being the typical sunshine female main character, her compulsion towards novelty, art, and intrigue is portrayed as a complicated facet of her bipolar disorder, the way she copes with self-loathing and boredom. The whole of the book portrays Aldo and Regan as functioning adults who primarily cope. The story is about them growing in self-awareness enough to CHOOSE their means of living with their own psyches, beyond coping, masking, numbing, and distracting. It's such an aspirational message for those of us who feel compelled by our impulses, hoping to master ourselves.
This romance was full of beautiful dialogue. I underlined so many intimate and raw lines. No one writes obsession and fascination in a more real way than Olivie Blake. I don't know how she so artfully and accurately describes the compulsion to create art, to solve problems, to be known, to make others comfortable.
I'm so impressed with her exposition on truth used as a weapon, and how fear of the nastiest version of the truth can be debilitating. Regan is terrified that she is flighty, predictable, unreliable, and a burden. To some, that is the truth. On her worst days, perhaps it's accurate. But Aldo offers the perspective, that we choose to be who we are, and he believes she is something extraordinary, so she chooses to be extraordinary.
Finally, I love that Olivie Blake zooms in on conversations and places so vividly. She draws out the moment, so you feel like you're there. Recognizing each nuance and breath, each stutter, miss, and bit of magic. It's masterful.
It couldn't be improved. It's perfect.