lovelymisanthrope's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
I selected this as a book of the month pick after hearing such amazing things about this story.
"Adelaide" follows a young woman named Adelaide Williams, an American who, after finishing her masters in London, finds a job and gets to live out her England dreams. One of those dreams is falling into a whirlwind relationship with a sexy Englishman, Rory. Rory is far from the perfect man, and he presents Adelaide with a lot of red flags, but Adelaide cannot resist, and she does everything in her power to keep their relationship going strong, unfortunately, to her complete detriment.
I really enjoyed Adelaide as a character. She went through some challenging hurdles in her teenage years, and she never really experienced a good healthy romantic relationship herself. I think her attitude towards relationships is very relatable, and something that so many women too often relate to. She is constantly bending backwards and censoring herself to be the perfect partner for Rory, and he never even sees it or takes the time to ask if her emotional needs are being met. Her complete mental breakdown I think also hits close to home.
This is a beautiful book about how your mental health NEEDS to come first, or else the rest of your relationships will suffer. Adelaide is a strong female character that highlights a story about how men who are not entirely evil but also not great can be a woman's downfall. This story deals with difficult subject matter, and at times it is challenging to read, but I think it is a captivating story that I did not want to put down.
I look forward to picking up more from Genevieve Wheeler in the future!
"Adelaide" follows a young woman named Adelaide Williams, an American who, after finishing her masters in London, finds a job and gets to live out her England dreams. One of those dreams is falling into a whirlwind relationship with a sexy Englishman, Rory. Rory is far from the perfect man, and he presents Adelaide with a lot of red flags, but Adelaide cannot resist, and she does everything in her power to keep their relationship going strong, unfortunately, to her complete detriment.
Spoiler
Rory is a horrible man. He treats Adelaide horribly, and he refuses to fully commit with her because he is so hung up on his ex. Rory never sees, acknowledges, or appreciates how great Adelaide is for him or towards him and his friends. He also never holds himself accountable for all the shitty things he does to Adelaide. However, I do think Rory plays an important role in Adelaide finally growing a backbone and learning to speak up for herself. Rory was a painful lesson, but I think Adelaide really grows from their time together, and because of their relationship, she knows how to articulate to future men what she needs and what she deserves. She also learns more about herself and how strong she really is.I really enjoyed Adelaide as a character. She went through some challenging hurdles in her teenage years, and she never really experienced a good healthy romantic relationship herself. I think her attitude towards relationships is very relatable, and something that so many women too often relate to. She is constantly bending backwards and censoring herself to be the perfect partner for Rory, and he never even sees it or takes the time to ask if her emotional needs are being met. Her complete mental breakdown I think also hits close to home.
This is a beautiful book about how your mental health NEEDS to come first, or else the rest of your relationships will suffer. Adelaide is a strong female character that highlights a story about how men who are not entirely evil but also not great can be a woman's downfall. This story deals with difficult subject matter, and at times it is challenging to read, but I think it is a captivating story that I did not want to put down.
Spoiler
I look forward to picking up more from Genevieve Wheeler in the future!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcohol, Suicidal thoughts, Mental illness, Grief, Suicide attempt, Emotional abuse, Sexual assault, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Death, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Gaslighting, Sexual content, Self harm, and Rape
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