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maecave15's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief
Moderate: Medical content, Car accident, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Death, Suicidal thoughts, Medical trauma, Death of parent, and Alcohol
batata's review against another edition
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
Graphic: Chronic illness, Death, Emotional abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicidal thoughts, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Car accident, Death of parent, and Fire/Fire injury
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