Reviews with content warning for Mental illness - Layla

Reviews tagging Mental illness

Layla, by Colleen Hoover

57 reviews

monewt0's review against another edition

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dark tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.75

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grace_9613's review against another edition

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dark mysterious fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

After Verity this kinda fell flat for me. The set up for this book led me believing it was heading down a similar path (gripping, realistic, psychological thriller) so the paranormal element threw me. Probably my fault for not reading the synopsis and going in blind. Despite this I couldn’t put it down - but the ending and main character Leeds sucked.

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meeklovestoread's review against another edition

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challenging mysterious tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

2.75

I literally just finished this book about half an hour ago and I'm still contemplating on what I just read. This book was soooooo odd. And not in a good way. Don't get wrong it was very addictive and easy to read just like all of Colleen Hoover's books. I blinked and I was on page 200. But it being a page-turner doesn't negate just how underwhelmingly strange this book was. I'd like to say that I did like the format from which it was told.

This story is told through alternating time perspectives in which Colleen shifts from Leeds (the main character) telling the events that lead them here then shifts to the regular chapters where he explains to the "detective" what has transpired. So basically we're in his thoughts the whole book.

Okay so first Leeds starts to explain how he and Layla (the love interest) met. And honestly to me I wasn't really feeling their relationship. It just consumed of them making lovey-dovey comments and having sex. It felt very one-dimensional/surface level. I felt pretty indifferent towards their initial encounter too. It was pretty insta-lovey as most of her books are. My only problem with insta-love is that we don't really don't get the lore of why a character is attracted to that specific person. Like I'm feeling their connection.

Anyways afterwards we started getting the plot of the story and the crazy things that were happening. And then about 85% we just get twist after twist after twist.

Spoiler

We find out that Willow is actually Sable, and that she took over Layla's body in the moments in which the two souls were in a state of limbo I guess. Because not only did Layla get shot by Sable, but Leeds also shot Sable when defending Layla . But oh wait, nope turns out Willow isn't Sable. And apparently Willow is Layla and Sable is occupying Layla's body which is actually Willow's body because Willow is Layla.

Confusing right. That's how I felt while reading this Especially because to me I don't think the author did a good job in making us believe her "twist" was true. Honestly it felt like the author was picking at things from her arsenal because a lot of the twist seemed too far fetched to me (maybe that was her intention). I just didn't like her execution.

Also, the "big twist" of the book was NOT GOOD! It felt like she was trying to justify Leeds actions. Like finding out

Spoiler

that Willow is in fact Layla and not Sable. That Sable took over Layla's body and Layla's just been walking in a state of limbo for the past several months. And because of that it just explains why Leeds felt such a strong connection towards Willow, the ghost, because Willow is actually Layla. And their love is so strong that he was able to "find her". And because we now know this that just justifies him almost drugging "Layla", cheating on her, depriving her of her sleep, tying her up and holding her captive, GASLIGHTING her, and most infamously him letting "Willow" take over her body without her consent.

Especially considering he didn't know what he knew now when he was committing those actions. He just knew that he was in love with a ghost and was willing to do whatever he could to keep this "ghost" in his life.

She does know how to romanticize abuse. Honestly I just felt like those "big twists" towards the end fell flat because Leeds and Layla's relationship wasn't this soulmate type relationship that the author was leading us to believe. Overall this book was okay, but I'm not saying I'd recommend it though.

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layla_reads's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional mysterious tense slow-paced

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

4.0

layla is too good for leeds. #ihateleeds

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naiaspringer's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

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edie_erkens's review against another edition

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dark mysterious tense fast-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

2.75

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bianca2004's review against another edition

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dark mysterious reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated

3.0

I have almost no thoughts about this book. It was a good book, it wasn't great but it was still fine. Reading Collen Hoover's books has imprinted in m mind that there is always a big plot twist and this one had some but it wasn't a huge one, not according to me. The book had an interesting plot and the further you got into the book the more it kind of unraveled and it happened faster and faster. It did have me question Leeds sometime, he had some weird thoughts and it was disturbing at some times.

The book didn't meet the CoHo other books like verity and hopeless but I did go into the book blind and I think that helps me get a clear picture of what I thought of the book.

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