Reviews

This book is such a beautiful and heartbreaking story and was so wonderfully written. It touches on the stigma of LGBTQ+ and mental health issues. I really loved the dual timeline povs which made it such a compelling read and also discovering how the two timelines are connected made it interesting aswell.

I really loved Dovie and Gillian (although they were both irritating at points). I also don’t think I’ve ever hated a character as much as this one particular character in the book.. (you’ll know who I mean if you read it).

This book really took me on a ride and left me heartbroken at some places. If you loved Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo I would recommend giving this a read!

azhogg2223's review

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emotional inspiring reflective sad 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

5.0

sadiereadsagain's review against another edition

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4.0

This story is told over two timelines, which pivot around the contents of a box. In 1975, 15-year old Ava is contending with her mother's mental health breakdown and father's affair whilst also worrying about typical teenage issues. A package arrives addressed to her apartment but to no one in particular, the contents of which send her on a mission to return them to their rightful owner. In 1955, we meet teachers Gillian and Dovie, who are having to conceal their long-term relationship from the world out of fear of the repercussions of being discovered. When the school secretary, an unliked woman who Dovie mistakenly takes pity on, discovers their secret and uses it to blackmail Dovie, their carefully constructed lives begin to fall apart.

I'm a sucker for a dual timeline, and this book does it very well with both leading up to the point where they cross over. It also has some fantastic characters, particularly Ava and blackmailer Judith - Ava is navigating some truly terrible situations and her emotions felt very authentic, whilst Judith is just so perfectly evil. I also really liked the settings of both timelines, particularly of Dovie and Gillian's story as it really showed just how difficult it was for lesbians to live with the prejudices of the time.

This book really made me think of one of my favourite stories, [a:Nicole Krauss|2633|Nicole Krauss|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1285130428p2/2633.jpg]' [b:The History of Love|3867|The History of Love|Nicole Krauss|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1327911009l/3867._SY75_.jpg|1882970], with it's New York setting and young protagonist dealing with difficult family issues whilst also somewhat naively trying to solve a mystery. The books are very different, but I clearly have a soft spot for younger characters trying to navigate adult issues.

I really enjoyed this book, it's a fantastic debut that makes me very excited about Moylan's future!

I received a Netgalley of this title from Penguin Michael Joseph UK in return for a review. All opinions are my own.

mollie3045's review

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dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

thebookwormmum's review

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emotional 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

3.5

grandma_soup's review

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emotional mysterious reflective slow-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

3.75

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