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rikana93's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
atgerstner's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.75
I literally have no idea what this book was trying to do. It was somehow both about grief, family drama, mental illness, physics making ghosts ????, and a spy/murder mystery. And she fucks a ghost? Idk man. There were some interesting ideas but it needed 10 more passes with a brutal editor.
mirasmitty's review against another edition
2.0
This book was an absolute tangle of plot threads, underdeveloped commentary, and a climax so absurd that I laughed out loud at my desk while listening to the audiobook. The protagonist is really hard to root for at times, which I normally don't have an issue with, but when her terrible (and quite frankly baffling) behavior has little to no consequences, I wonder what the point is. There were characters introduced that I wish we had gotten to know more, namely most of Cady's first year peers. I appreciate the author wanting to incorporate a lot of different ideas, but the novel could have benefited from some editing.
ws_bookclub's review against another edition
3.0
Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with this in exchange for my honest opinion. This book will be available on May fifth.
Hmm…where to begin with this book? I rarely give trigger warnings, instead describing books as harsh if they discuss heavier subjects, but in this case I think I need to add a trigger warning. Suicide is an ongoing theme throughout this book. It’s mentioned in the blurb, so it’s not hidden or anything, but if that’s something you don’t want to read about, you might want to skip this review.
I actually almost gave up on this book multiple times. Parts of it hit too close to home and brought up feelings from my own mental illness diagnosis (bipolar 1, diagnosed during high school. Fun times). I prefer not to think about that time in my life, so this book was difficult for me.
So, why did I finish it? Because Francesca Serritella is an extremely talented author. If she wasn’t, I would have had no problem reading this book. Instead, she made the characters easy to connect to. I felt for Eric as his illness was spoken about. I was heartbroken on his behalf when people felt “embarrassed” by him. I can’t say I understand fully how schizophrenia works, other than that it has some symptoms that overlap with bipolar, but I can absolutely relate to the feelings of loneliness a mental illness diagnosis can carry with it.
This book is about Cady (Eric’s sister) and her decision to follow in her deceased brother’s footsteps to discover what led to his death by suicide. She learns that things are much more complicated than she originally thought. He was a paranoid schizophrenic (as well as a brilliant young man with tons of potential: a diagnosis is not an identity), and as he came close to the end of his life, he began to think he was being followed and was in danger. As Cady learns more of who her brother was, she begins to wonder: was he right?
At the same time, Cady begins hearing voices that no one else hears. She starts to question whether she might have the same mental illness as her brother. Needless to say, this scares her. What made me sad about this is that she was so afraid to mention her concerns to anyone. Again, the stigma against mental illness rears its ugly head.
This book was very well-written, but I would never be able to reread it. And, honestly, I felt that the ending diminished the rest of the book a bit. It felt out of place and took me me out of the story. However, the author wrote a compelling story, even though it was most definitely a harsher one.
If you struggle with suicidal ideation, I strongly suggest you skip this book. It is a good one, but ultimately it wasn’t for me.
Hmm…where to begin with this book? I rarely give trigger warnings, instead describing books as harsh if they discuss heavier subjects, but in this case I think I need to add a trigger warning. Suicide is an ongoing theme throughout this book. It’s mentioned in the blurb, so it’s not hidden or anything, but if that’s something you don’t want to read about, you might want to skip this review.
I actually almost gave up on this book multiple times. Parts of it hit too close to home and brought up feelings from my own mental illness diagnosis (bipolar 1, diagnosed during high school. Fun times). I prefer not to think about that time in my life, so this book was difficult for me.
So, why did I finish it? Because Francesca Serritella is an extremely talented author. If she wasn’t, I would have had no problem reading this book. Instead, she made the characters easy to connect to. I felt for Eric as his illness was spoken about. I was heartbroken on his behalf when people felt “embarrassed” by him. I can’t say I understand fully how schizophrenia works, other than that it has some symptoms that overlap with bipolar, but I can absolutely relate to the feelings of loneliness a mental illness diagnosis can carry with it.
This book is about Cady (Eric’s sister) and her decision to follow in her deceased brother’s footsteps to discover what led to his death by suicide. She learns that things are much more complicated than she originally thought. He was a paranoid schizophrenic (as well as a brilliant young man with tons of potential: a diagnosis is not an identity), and as he came close to the end of his life, he began to think he was being followed and was in danger. As Cady learns more of who her brother was, she begins to wonder: was he right?
At the same time, Cady begins hearing voices that no one else hears. She starts to question whether she might have the same mental illness as her brother. Needless to say, this scares her. What made me sad about this is that she was so afraid to mention her concerns to anyone. Again, the stigma against mental illness rears its ugly head.
This book was very well-written, but I would never be able to reread it. And, honestly, I felt that the ending diminished the rest of the book a bit. It felt out of place and took me me out of the story. However, the author wrote a compelling story, even though it was most definitely a harsher one.
If you struggle with suicidal ideation, I strongly suggest you skip this book. It is a good one, but ultimately it wasn’t for me.
moncoinlecture's review against another edition
3.0
3,5
Beaucoup aimé l'atmosphère et le thème principal. Petit bémol sur certains éléments vers la fin du roman, que je ne peux révéler ici, bien entendu. Mais en gros, bien aimé!
Beaucoup aimé l'atmosphère et le thème principal. Petit bémol sur certains éléments vers la fin du roman, que je ne peux révéler ici, bien entendu. Mais en gros, bien aimé!
amies808's review against another edition
4.0
Overall this was a fascinating read and a rather quick one, despite being 448 pages. I think it did need a bit of a stronger editing hand - there were times when I just wanted to be shown, not told what was going on, and the ending was both rushed and dragged on. However, I loved wondering what was happening throughout - was Cady hearing voices as a symptom of the same paranoid schizophrenia her brother endured, or were they really ghosts?
happinez's review against another edition
4.0
cw: description of suicide and grief after suicide, schizophrenia,
kristianawithak's review against another edition
3.0
This is the first book without an alien, written for an adult, that I've read in a bit! And the debut novel was wonderful. It's a great read, lengthy, but without dragging.
Cady begins her freshman year at Harvard following her brother's suicide there, the previous spring. She is haunted by that loss. This book is about grief and sorrow, finding your way, and hearing voices. It is about making sense of the world you inhabit and finding your way out of the darkness.
I love books where I wonder if all the characters are real or if there is a John Nash, A Beautiful Mind, scenario taking place. As Cady falls into madness you fall with her, not knowing what's real, who to trust, rationalizing your actions, not seeing them for how they appear to others and hoping there's an explanation.
The end left me wanting something I can't put my finger on. It was a little rushed and all tied up, when the majority of the book was a lot messier. But I think it will leave others content and satisfied.
Cady begins her freshman year at Harvard following her brother's suicide there, the previous spring. She is haunted by that loss. This book is about grief and sorrow, finding your way, and hearing voices. It is about making sense of the world you inhabit and finding your way out of the darkness.
I love books where I wonder if all the characters are real or if there is a John Nash, A Beautiful Mind, scenario taking place. As Cady falls into madness you fall with her, not knowing what's real, who to trust, rationalizing your actions, not seeing them for how they appear to others and hoping there's an explanation.
The end left me wanting something I can't put my finger on. It was a little rushed and all tied up, when the majority of the book was a lot messier. But I think it will leave others content and satisfied.
blackberries's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
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
I thought the writing was beautiful. A lot of topics were covered and it was clear that much research went into this.
I think this book covers grief in an eloquent way.
I think this book covers grief in an eloquent way.
ordinarypickle's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
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? Yes
3.75