Reviews with content warning for Medical content - Zanim Cię zobaczę

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.

Content Warnings

batata's review against another edition

Go to review page

emotional funny inspiring lighthearted sad fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

2.75

Content Warnings

chloewakham's review against another edition

Go to review page

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

bookstolivewith's review against another edition

Go to review page

dark emotional hopeful reflective tense medium-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? It's complicated

3.5

Before I Saw You by Emily Houghton features Alfie and Alice, who are both receiving care for critical injuries in a long-term recovery unit at a local hospital, learning to navigate their new physical boundaries, opening up new emotional states and forming a true friendship without seeing each other (thus the name of the title).

(CW: traumatic flashbacks, car crash, amputation, burn victim, surgeries, general hospital environment)

It’s a sweet and emotional story, but it’s kinda like a Hallmark movie — enjoyable while it’s happening but really, it’s in one ear and out the other. It was a laidback Friday night read, and I was able to finish it in less than 24 hours, so it is somewhat compelling and keeps you hooked to find out what will happen next, as most hospital dramas do.

I liked the alternating points of view, since each chapter explores different scenes from different perspectives, and I think it does give a huge credence to the fact that physical and mental health are intertwined, which becomes a huge plot point especially for Alfie. Also, if you’re looking for a non-steamy romance adjacent book, this could be for you, since they quite literally have no physical contact other than some hand-holding!

However, I don’t think this is a book that will stick with me or that I will reread. I just wish there had been a bit more actual romance at the end.

Content Warnings

spearly's review against another edition

Go to review page

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 handled

Alfie'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 feels

after 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!

Content Warnings

taleofabibliophile's review against another edition

Go to review page

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

More...