carrix2's review against another edition
4.0
4 1/2 stars
This heartbreaking book captured my interest and held it tight! Such a great story and wonderfully complex characters. I was a bit disappointed with the ending. It wasn’t very realistic, a little to perfect, almost cutesy.
But it was very intriguing and enjoyable to read.
This heartbreaking book captured my interest and held it tight! Such a great story and wonderfully complex characters. I was a bit disappointed with the ending. It wasn’t very realistic, a little to perfect, almost cutesy.
But it was very intriguing and enjoyable to read.
mchristie's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
abbimelissa's review against another edition
4.0
I enjoyed this book. There were a few things keeping me from 5 stars.
First was how little River and Jasper were mentioned in their Mother's thoughts once she'd left them. I needed to feel what she felt, the sheer grip of guilt and despair that leaving your children behind would bring. What should have been a desperately longed for reunion with her children left something to be desired.
Secondly, the brush over of Ellis' addictions and how difficult that would have been for her to overcome alone.
I loved the nature elements that were thickly entwined with the story throughout. I loved the relationships between everyone and the characters in themselves.
I like a book such as this, where there are longer periods between a jump in time or character, so I can become immersed in each without being pulled away too quickly.
If you like a happy ending, this is a good one for you, though it was a bit too cringy for me (along with the sexual dialogue).
This sounds like a lot of moaning for a book I really enjoyed, but just things that I questioned whilst reading that distracted me from the actual story.
First was how little River and Jasper were mentioned in their Mother's thoughts once she'd left them. I needed to feel what she felt, the sheer grip of guilt and despair that leaving your children behind would bring. What should have been a desperately longed for reunion with her children left something to be desired.
Secondly, the brush over of Ellis' addictions and how difficult that would have been for her to overcome alone.
I loved the nature elements that were thickly entwined with the story throughout. I loved the relationships between everyone and the characters in themselves.
I like a book such as this, where there are longer periods between a jump in time or character, so I can become immersed in each without being pulled away too quickly.
If you like a happy ending, this is a good one for you, though it was a bit too cringy for me (along with the sexual dialogue).
This sounds like a lot of moaning for a book I really enjoyed, but just things that I questioned whilst reading that distracted me from the actual story.
hlford22's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
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
5.0
kamattis's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
kellimartin22's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
slow-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
4.25
anjina's review against another edition
2.0
1.5 stars
I was super excited for this book as I had loved the author’s previous book but sadly this was disappointing.
I think I’m in the minority here but this book was unnecessarily long and rushed at the same time. Do you get what I’m trying to say? The main problem I had with it was I just couldn’t connect to the characters. Ellis starts a new life after abandoning her boys, leaving them with their toxic grandmother, which ofc in the future results them in resenting their mother and being in an unhappy family. I mean It just doesn’t make sense to me. Ellis being emotionally distraught after leaving her daughter in the parking lot is completely understandable but I do not understand her need to leave her boys behind and start a new life. And in her new life she doesn’t as much so think about them or try to come back to them. It just doesn’t seem like something a mother would do.
Another thing I really couldn’t get my head around was the naivety of Raven. Her being that naive( believing in whatever her mama tells her) was completely understandable till she was sheltered from normal people but her not questioning anything of the outside world even after being a part of the outside world doesn’t sit well with me.
The meeting of Raven with her family was so rushed, there was no depth there which I would have really liked. The reunion of Ellis and Raven was so bland, there were no emotions that needed to be there. And don’t even get me started on the revelations around the end of the story. I wish It could have unfolded subtly but there was too much information and too many revelations all at once.
Overall the story did have potential, the premise was interesting to say the least but it lacked proper execution.
I was super excited for this book as I had loved the author’s previous book but sadly this was disappointing.
I think I’m in the minority here but this book was unnecessarily long and rushed at the same time. Do you get what I’m trying to say? The main problem I had with it was I just couldn’t connect to the characters. Ellis starts a new life after abandoning her boys, leaving them with their toxic grandmother, which ofc in the future results them in resenting their mother and being in an unhappy family. I mean It just doesn’t make sense to me. Ellis being emotionally distraught after leaving her daughter in the parking lot is completely understandable but I do not understand her need to leave her boys behind and start a new life. And in her new life she doesn’t as much so think about them or try to come back to them. It just doesn’t seem like something a mother would do.
Another thing I really couldn’t get my head around was the naivety of Raven. Her being that naive( believing in whatever her mama tells her) was completely understandable till she was sheltered from normal people but her not questioning anything of the outside world even after being a part of the outside world doesn’t sit well with me.
The meeting of Raven with her family was so rushed, there was no depth there which I would have really liked. The reunion of Ellis and Raven was so bland, there were no emotions that needed to be there. And don’t even get me started on the revelations around the end of the story. I wish It could have unfolded subtly but there was too much information and too many revelations all at once.
Overall the story did have potential, the premise was interesting to say the least but it lacked proper execution.
eloisesal's review against another edition
3.0
Seemed like a good story at first but then it was just full of too much drama to the point where it got boring, and then cheesy and predictable
bails99's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
mslaura's review against another edition
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0