Reviews

I’m still debating if I should give this book a 5. Usually, if I book is moving enough to bring me to tears, it’s a nonnegotiable 5, and this book did that multiple times. And not just a single tear that trickled down, waterworks that I had to pause reading to control! However, the book was slow (I think to build dramatic effect), and I almost stopped reading it a quarter of the way in. Luckily, I’m as stubborn as Alice and cannot allow myself to ditch a book. Thankfully, it redeemed itself almost instantly once it started pick up.

mpr2000's review against another edition

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4.0

This is an emotional read, sweet and sad but full of hope and friendship; maybe you’ll drop some tears, but the story deserves it, believe me. I wasn’t sure of what to expect of this book, a man (Alfie Mack) and a woman (Alice Gunnersley) who met at a hospital ward and fall in love without seeing each other faces, seems a little bit weird, that’s what spikes my curiosity. What made them fall in love? It was not their chemistry but something more, their friendship and trust to each other, something much more deeper than being pretty or handsome, the real inside beauty.
The story is told between both characters perspectives, Alice and Alfie, they are both recovering in the hospital from very deep wounds, the recovery will not be easy for neither of them, not only physically but emotionally. And that’s where this book takes a step further, it tries to show the reader the pain and wounds that you have inside and no one can see, the ones that are not easy to heal and need more strength and will than some medicines and exercises.
I loved this story, it was difficult to read sometimes, you could feel the pain of the characters and their sadness, the need to hug them and comfort them was so real! But as I said, this is a book of love and friendship, so don’t worry, there are plenty of happy and funny moments during the story, but never forget that they will meet without seeing their faces, with the only touch of holding hands but with some emotive and large conversations during the night… Let’s be honest, it doesn’t matter if someone is attractive when you can’t see them, the important thing is that you have affinity and similar beliefs, don’t you think?
Ready to discover “Before I Saw You”?

anna_111's review against another edition

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emotional funny hopeful inspiring fast-paced

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

4.5

reineke's review against another edition

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emotional funny reflective sad slow-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? Yes

4.0

laylayfromdk's review against another edition

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4.0

3,5***

Really nice book. Good idea, and I like the fact that the writer really gave herself a challenge, setting the main scene in the same room in a hospital. There's not much to work with there, so she has to create a great environment, interesting characters and a plot, that can hold through! And for the most part, she did that really well!
I read it in the German translated version, and what irritated me to the point, where I almost put the book down, is the repeating of words and references. I can count so many times, where the same word came again and again and again, and it shows little to the writers capability to use a big vocabulary. But then again, it could be a bad translation or it could have another feeling in English, I don't know. I just know that I didn't like it.
But really nice experience!

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