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chris_reads's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness, Medical content, Car accident, Fire/Fire injury, and Dysphoria
Moderate: Body shaming, Child abuse, Child death, Grief, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Ableism, Death, Suicidal thoughts, and Medical trauma
rugrat306's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I should maybe have checked the content warnings before reading.
Some of the topics covered by this book are quite hard hitting. It wasn't the happy, romance, easy read I was expecting. It has a happy ending and overall I enjoyed it, but it did lead me to have a nightmare which was unexpected.
Some of the topics covered by this book are quite hard hitting. It wasn't the happy, romance, easy read I was expecting. It has a happy ending and overall I enjoyed it, but it did lead me to have a nightmare which was unexpected.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Medical content, Medical trauma, Car accident, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Death and Abandonment
chloewakham's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, and Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Mental illness
spearly's review against another edition
emotional
sad
slow-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
3.75
One of the hardest lessons he’d had to learn was that time doesn’t stop for anyone. If you don’t go with it, there’s a risk people will move on without you too. But to take that first step feels so much like betrayal it roots you to the spot.
Before I Saw You is a dual perspective contemporary romance about two people, Alfie and Alice, who occupy beds beside each other in a rehabilitation ward in the hospital. Over the course of the novel, through ridiculous jokes and deep chats, the two end up forming a bond. The catch: Alice was badly injured at work, and she hides herself behind the curtain that surrounds her bed.
Contrary to the blurb of Before I Saw You, I would not call this book a romance. Yes, it had romance, but the book went deeper are darker than your average adult contemporary novel. Most surprisingly, to me, were the deep themes of mental illness, self-acceptance, and childhood trauma.
Usually, when an author throws in some tragic past for their characters, or some half-assed attempt at dealing with deep themes in the context of a light, fluffy romance, I roll my eyes. It rarely works. It's nearly always a surface-level addition to add "depth" to otherwise generic characters.
That was NOT the case here. This was a story about 2 people who go through some traumatic things, who struggle to accept their lives as they are now, who are deeply wounded because of their pasts, and who seek comfort in each other during their recovery. It just happens to have a romance in there, too.
I adored the way Houghton handledAlfie's depression after he got out of the hospital. I especially adored how she handled Alfie's sensitive moments; in the contemporary fiction genre, you don't often see male characters show heart-wrenching emotion or ask for help when they need it. Alfie was a welcome departure from the stereotypical male love interest character.
And my heart broke for Alice. I could feel her insecurities, the hollowness she feelsafter she finally sees herself in the mirror. I could see the ways her childhood tragedy shaped the person she became. And as much as I wanted her to let Alfie in fully before it was too late, I knew why she couldn't.
Of course, there were things that disappointed me about the story, mainly that we never even got a kiss. I know the romance wasn't the main focus of the story but I was still eager for some sort of resolution before the epilogue.
So really, this isn't a romance. If you read this with the expectation that it is, you might be disappointed. And don't get me wrong, I still fell in love with Alice and Alfie's relationship. But what really stood out to me was the care Houghton put into the sensitive themes of the novel.
Definitely worth a read, and keep some tissues nearby!
Before I Saw You is a dual perspective contemporary romance about two people, Alfie and Alice, who occupy beds beside each other in a rehabilitation ward in the hospital. Over the course of the novel, through ridiculous jokes and deep chats, the two end up forming a bond. The catch: Alice was badly injured at work, and she hides herself behind the curtain that surrounds her bed.
Contrary to the blurb of Before I Saw You, I would not call this book a romance. Yes, it had romance, but the book went deeper are darker than your average adult contemporary novel. Most surprisingly, to me, were the deep themes of mental illness, self-acceptance, and childhood trauma.
Usually, when an author throws in some tragic past for their characters, or some half-assed attempt at dealing with deep themes in the context of a light, fluffy romance, I roll my eyes. It rarely works. It's nearly always a surface-level addition to add "depth" to otherwise generic characters.
That was NOT the case here. This was a story about 2 people who go through some traumatic things, who struggle to accept their lives as they are now, who are deeply wounded because of their pasts, and who seek comfort in each other during their recovery. It just happens to have a romance in there, too.
I adored the way Houghton handled
And my heart broke for Alice. I could feel her insecurities, the hollowness she feels
Of course, there were things that disappointed me about the story, mainly
So really, this isn't a romance. If you read this with the expectation that it is, you might be disappointed. And don't get me wrong, I still fell in love with Alice and Alfie's relationship. But what really stood out to me was the care Houghton put into the sensitive themes of the novel.
Definitely worth a read, and keep some tissues nearby!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, and Car accident
Moderate: Child death, Cursing, Suicidal thoughts, and Death of parent
Minor: Blood
taleofabibliophile's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness, Medical trauma, and Car accident
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts
Minor: Medical content and Grief