nyxiabel's review against another edition
3.0
Felt a lot like All th Bright Places, but set in NZ. I cried. The representation of mental illness was off for me at times here.
Definitely trigger warnings for sexual assault and repeated self-harming/suicidal ideation.
Definitely trigger warnings for sexual assault and repeated self-harming/suicidal ideation.
ettegoom's review against another edition
4.0
A really sensitive, and well understood exploration of mental illness, relationships and sexual assault.
I'm not a huge fan of things that talk about self harm, as I don't want it to become more accessible to struggling young people. But I also appreciate the way that it was portrayed in the story, the value that it can have for some people and the meaning behind it.
If anything, I would say that this book is useful to family/friends of people who self harm, although it also has value in terms of the idea that others can also experience pain, love and understanding. And that can be just as valuable, knowing that you're not alone. Even if the only other person you know that is feeling this way is a character in a book, at least someone understands.
I'm not a huge fan of things that talk about self harm, as I don't want it to become more accessible to struggling young people. But I also appreciate the way that it was portrayed in the story, the value that it can have for some people and the meaning behind it.
If anything, I would say that this book is useful to family/friends of people who self harm, although it also has value in terms of the idea that others can also experience pain, love and understanding. And that can be just as valuable, knowing that you're not alone. Even if the only other person you know that is feeling this way is a character in a book, at least someone understands.
xvioletnguyen's review
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
5.0
The end was very unexpected, it made me bawl my eyes out. Definitely recommend
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault
luciapiaaa's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
relaxing
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
hgallagher's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, and Suicide attempt
louisesmith's review
emotional
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Although some of the topics in this book were heavy, and hurt to read, this was a fabulous book that I didn't expect to love as much as I did. I don't think I have ever read a New Zealand based book so that was a unique aspect when they are talking about cities and places that I love so much. I didn't fully know the story I was getting myself into and the ending hurt a lot more than I thought it would. I had grown to love the lifestyle that they had built together although only teenagers they had developed a lot over their time together and I really enjoyed the simplicity of their routines. I was so happy for her when she got into a friend group that she wanted to be around and I thought that everything she went through in the duration of the novel was so raw and real. The life of a teenager in New Zealand was almost perfectly portrayed through these characters.
sienna_gutsell's review
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
fast-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? It's complicated
3.75
vinyl_onloop3's review
challenging
dark
emotional
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
ruby_frost's review against another edition
5.0
I already knew I was gonna love this book because I've read a couple others by this author and they were both amazing. YA romance/mental health topics and definitely check for trigger warnings. I really liked the characters in this book and they all felt very real and unique. I also liked all the book references and the role they played in the character's relationship. This book was really really good but also really sad. Definitely recommend.