Reviews tagging 'Gaslighting'

Someday, Maybe by Onyi Nwabineli

4 reviews

badmom's review against another edition

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dark emotional hopeful reflective sad tense 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

5.0

Simply put - this is a deeply beautiful account of the vast range of emotional reactions to suicide, and the disparate forms love & support & grief might take. Our narrator is understandably distraught over her husband’s death; his mother’s response, extreme in its ugly vindictiveness, is also shown to be understandable, in a way. Everyone in Q’s orbit is shaken by his death but shows their sorrow in different ways, leaving his widow feeling even more unmoored as she tries (or doesn’t) to find a path forward. 
We are treated to the sweet and sometimes bittersweet history of this couple and with that we see the unfolding of characters that reveals layers of relationships. Nwabineli’s writing is subtly astute in the ways it shows growth in even the slightest of characters - she makes us notice everyone and compels us consider their stories within our own stories while allowing connections we might otherwise resist. 
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michelle_my_belle's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional funny hopeful reflective sad 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? No

4.25

From the very beginning, this book hits you with the harsh realities of grief and it just keeps it up. I loved how real and raw the emotions and thoughts were as well as the sprinkling in of humor. I listened to this on audio and the narrator was fantastic. There were a few points when the characters' actions didn't really make sense to me, or just didn't sit right. Overall, a very good read.

 
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tlaynejones's review against another edition

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dark emotional funny hopeful sad medium-paced
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes

5.0

The best book I’ve listened to this year. Warm, messy as hell, funny, so searingly sad, honest. This is a story about grief and love. I don’t know if I would have started it if I’d realised just how foundational grief is to the story, but I’m very glad I did. Nwabineli has written about a Nigerian British woman in her early 30s, who had, she thought, been happily married for the last 10years. But then she discovered her husband had died by suicide. The story takes place during the first months after this devastating event. I found the story to include enough balance to make the book compelling and enjoyable. Ugh enjoyable feels crass, considering the topic. I enjoyed getting to know Eve and her family, I found the process of grief, as it’s described in the book, challenged me and made me think, and I enjoyed discovering a new author to look out for. Obviously the grief and loss are a lot, and the specific mind fuck for loved ones coming to terms with a suicide is a lot. With that caution in mind, this is highly recommended.
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laurenkimoto's review against another edition

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emotional reflective 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

4.5

Here are three things you should know about this book:
  1. It will emotionally eviscerate you 
  2. It is an absolutely beautiful and heart wrenching portrayal of grief 
  3. The love of this family is endless 
And one thing you should know about me
  1. I read this whole thing in less than a week 
bonus fact: No, I am not okay
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