emilyreadstoomuch's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
medium-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
4.75
i’m actually a little embarrassed by how much i enjoyed this. i will admit that the step sibling aspect was very odd and hard to wrap my head around at times, but it didn’t overshadow the relationship and connection i felt between the main characters. i had 0 expectations going into this bc of the dynamic given in the blurb, but the characters just blew me away. garrett’s issues remind me a lot of the shit i went through in high school. i liked mia a lot and i feel like she and garrett are genuinely really good for each other. and sometimes that’s hard to convey in a book that focuses on men’s mental illness. sara cate did it in a way that didn’t make me feel like mia was acting like a 35 year old man’s mother. they truly felt like partners.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicide attempt, Self harm, Sexism, and Suicidal thoughts
Minor: Medical content and Terminal illness
zellapaige's review against another edition
adventurous
slow-paced
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
3.0
Starting with the positive. The sex scenes in this are super hot, very kinky, and incredibly inventive. While the scenes at the heart are exhibitionist/voyeur kink based a range of other relatively mild kinks are explored as well. The inventive nature of the scenes and every single scene being different to me was the highlight of the book. The taboo nature of the step-brother/step-sister relationship was the icing on the cake.
The negative. This book has possibly the worse bipolar representation I've ever read. As a person with bipolar this was actively painful to read. The book never actually calls Garett bipolar, but he is described as manic and depressive along with a host of other symptoms that I recognize as dramatized, borderline vilifying, aspects of bipolar. The part that really killed me about how Garett was portrayed is the very casual line,
The negative. This book has possibly the worse bipolar representation I've ever read. As a person with bipolar this was actively painful to read. The book never actually calls Garett bipolar, but he is described as manic and depressive along with a host of other symptoms that I recognize as dramatized, borderline vilifying, aspects of bipolar. The part that really killed me about how Garett was portrayed is the very casual line,
I don't do meds or therapy, and I've gotten through every single one of these nasty bouts of depression without any help. (285)
While Garett does seek help at the end of the book perpetuating that blase attitude is incredibly irresponsible especially given that unmedicated bipolar is one of the most dangerous psychiatric conditions.
Had Garett's mental health status been handled with more care and/or precision this book would easily be a 4.5-star read. I just can't bring myself to give the book a higher rating though given how poorly Garett's mental health is treated.
Had Garett's mental health status been handled with more care and/or precision this book would easily be a 4.5-star read. I just can't bring myself to give the book a higher rating though given how poorly Garett's mental health is treated.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcohol, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, and Sexual content
Moderate: Sexism
shector1's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
relaxing
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Chronic illness, and Mental illness
Moderate: Suicide attempt
Minor: Sexism, Cancer, Eating disorder, Body shaming, and Misogyny
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