A review by angelsbeforeman
Somebody Loves You by Mona Arshi

emotional sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

an exploration of mental health and mental illness through the story of ruby, an indian girl growing up with a mentally ill mother who neglects her, causing ruby to stop speaking. i think the construction of this story with its short vignettes/episodes is very interesting. the writing style is another element i liked, and i could definitely tell that the author is a poet. through the narrator we explore many difficult but important topics such as mental illness, family, neglect, abuse, racism, and more. ruby is a perfect narrator not only because of what she experiences herself, but also because of what she sees since she's a very observant person. my only complaint is that while the structure was intriguing, it confused me sometimes and didn't work quite as well as it could've.