Scan barcode
xiraetx's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
•••••
this book broke me. I bawled my eyes out while reading some of the scenes. its depiction of loss and how Isaac dealt with it couldn‘t have been more realistic. I felt like I was right there with him, feeling everything he was feeling. I‘ll definitely need some time to get over this beautifully sad and cute book.
Graphic: Mental illness and Grief
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, and Suicide attempt
Minor: Self harm and Blood
anxiousbookclub's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Grief, Car accident, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Mental illness, Blood, Grief, Medical trauma, Car accident, Suicide attempt, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
isobel_laura's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
Graphic: Death
Moderate: Mental illness, Self harm, and Suicidal thoughts
natalieliza29's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Grief
Moderate: Mental illness
novelshire's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Mental illness, Grief, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders, Suicidal thoughts, Medical content, Car accident, and Death of parent
basil_touche's review against another edition
- 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 do think that the big reveal near the end of the book was obvious and that it felt a tad rushed at the end, but I still found the conclusion to be an emotional and satsifying one (I even got a little teary eyed). Really glad I read this one
Graphic: Death, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicidal thoughts, Grief, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis
Moderate: Alcoholism, Self harm, Car accident, and Injury/Injury detail
vmayne's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Death and Grief
Moderate: Mental illness
jvicarm's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Moderate: Death, Grief, and Suicide attempt
Minor: Mental illness
foxo_cube's review against another edition
- 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
It does one of my favourite things that a story can do, which is to wrap sad, serious issues in absurdism in just the right way to emphasise the message. Isaac, our protagonist, is going through some terrible mental health issues after becoming a widower at a young age. I felt that the depiction of the depression, anxiety, suicidal ideation, etc. was sympathetic and pretty accurate to my experience, at the very least. In general, I think he responds to the situations he finds himself in pretty much how you'd expect, really. I loved when he found the egg in the forest and is panicking while driving home because, aside from the fact he'd been drinking, which was bad enough, what if he's arrested for... having a large unidentified egg in his car? what if the egg is secretly full of drugs or something? Isaac would definitely be the sort of guy to hate taking toilet paper home from the supermarket because he's sure everyone is looking at him and going "Ha, look at that idiot, I bet he shits".
I think the pace at which we learn about the egg and see the development of its relationship with Isaac is brilliant. They are mysteries to each other (and, although the egg <i>seems</i> like far more of a mystery to us as the reader than Isaac does, that's not as true as it appears), and seeing them try to work each other out - both when they succeed and when they don't - is wonderful. Sometimes it's funny, sometimes sad, sometimes sweet. Along with that, we get a bit more insight into Isaac's relationship with his wife and where he was in life before her death kind of threw him into stasis. I really want to go into significantly more detail here but the way that all of these things are hinted at and foreshadowed, and how it all comes together, is almost certainly far better to experience when you have as little idea where the story is going as possible.
Basically, read this book. I cannot stress this enough.
Graphic: Mental illness
Moderate: Death, Panic attacks/disorders, and Suicidal thoughts
Minor: Schizophrenia/Psychosis
emilylouisa's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicidal thoughts, and Grief
Moderate: Addiction, Car accident, and Suicide attempt