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A review by madelinelikes2read
Hold Me Under by Riley Nash
4.0
This book was like gasping for air, only to find that you’re being held under water by the person you love to hate. Guess we know where the title came from, eh?
What I loved:
-the lyricism in how Nash talks about love and hate. tbh it truly shifted how I think about love, loving, and the nature of hate.
-the dual pov was very well done. it truly felt like I was getting two different perspectives.
-the dual pov fleshed out the characters, but what really wowed me was the voyerusitic feel of reading about their relationship. Obviously reading is inherently voyeuristic but even though we got each characters internal monologue there was a piece of their relationship that still felt secret, and just for them. Their secret piece helped transport me, as the reader, into their world—-which was tinged with grey and the sound of the sea *sighs dramatically*
-oh and of course we can’t forget the angst, angst, and more angst
-dark themes—I’m a slut for the stuff from nightmares
-THE TWIST
Other thoughts
-Defo would recommend some content disclosures. Representation and discussion of PTSD, abuse (sexual, emotional, physical) , eating phobias, panic attacks, illness of a loved one, abuse of power. Those are just what I noticed, could be missing some!
-the realist in me doesn’t love the message of ‘oh, don’t worry my love will solve your trauma’. but the romantic in me is like ‘nah, love will work it all out somehow’
-I was fully sleep deprived the fist ~40% of this, so I may have missed it (very very possible) but I felt kind thrown in to references to what they look like but never really told, like explicitly. But like I said could be a me problem.
Overall an ASTOUNDING DEBUT. Cannot wait for book two w (hopefully, daddy??) grey!!!
What I loved:
-the lyricism in how Nash talks about love and hate. tbh it truly shifted how I think about love, loving, and the nature of hate.
-the dual pov was very well done. it truly felt like I was getting two different perspectives.
-the dual pov fleshed out the characters, but what really wowed me was the voyerusitic feel of reading about their relationship. Obviously reading is inherently voyeuristic but even though we got each characters internal monologue there was a piece of their relationship that still felt secret, and just for them. Their secret piece helped transport me, as the reader, into their world—-which was tinged with grey and the sound of the sea *sighs dramatically*
-oh and of course we can’t forget the angst, angst, and more angst
-dark themes—I’m a slut for the stuff from nightmares
-THE TWIST
Other thoughts
-Defo would recommend some content disclosures. Representation and discussion of PTSD, abuse (sexual, emotional, physical) , eating phobias, panic attacks, illness of a loved one, abuse of power. Those are just what I noticed, could be missing some!
-the realist in me doesn’t love the message of ‘oh, don’t worry my love will solve your trauma’. but the romantic in me is like ‘nah, love will work it all out somehow’
-I was fully sleep deprived the fist ~40% of this, so I may have missed it (very very possible) but I felt kind thrown in to references to what they look like but never really told, like explicitly. But like I said could be a me problem.
Overall an ASTOUNDING DEBUT. Cannot wait for book two w (hopefully, daddy??) grey!!!