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A review by rachd24
Almost Love by Louise O'Neill
3.0
Check out my full review here:
https://confessionsofabookgeek.com/2018/03/24/review-almost-love/
3.5/5* Review
I’m a big fan of Louise O’Neill, having read and enjoyed both her YA debut novel, Only Ever Yours, and her fantastic YA/Adult crossover, Asking For It.
I was stupidly excited for this release, but based on the book's blurb and the positive reviews I had seen, I didn't quite get what I was expecting...
O’Neill has a pretty unique writing style that can appear at first to be mercilessly bleak, but really it’s an honest critique of the human condition, and it’s raw honesty that makes her novels relatable, anger inducing, and compelling to read. She doesn’t shy away from the inner thoughts most of us have/had, or the unpleasant situations we find/put ourselves in, but instead smacks them down in the middle of a page, right under our noses, and makes us a little bit uncomfortable with facing up to reality.
Sarah is an unlikeable character, and while I don't have a problem with unlikeable characters in general, in Sarah's case it was a struggle to find redeeming qualities. That being said, there were plenty of situations she found herself in, or texts that she sent, that made me realise that at some point in our lives, we have all been Sarah.
While I do think that this was an interesting book, it wasn't without its issues for me – Sarah is incredibly self-entitled, yet seems to lack the ambition or drive to actually go out and do something with her life, while being resentful of anyone else who has achieved anything, and while O’Neill’s work always has feminist undertones, in this piece it felt as though certain statements were included purely to make a point, whether or not they fit within the story structure or dialogue.
Although Almost Love didn’t hit that 5* rating for me, I still think it’s a book worth checking out.
https://confessionsofabookgeek.com/2018/03/24/review-almost-love/
3.5/5* Review
I’m a big fan of Louise O’Neill, having read and enjoyed both her YA debut novel, Only Ever Yours, and her fantastic YA/Adult crossover, Asking For It.
I was stupidly excited for this release, but based on the book's blurb and the positive reviews I had seen, I didn't quite get what I was expecting...
O’Neill has a pretty unique writing style that can appear at first to be mercilessly bleak, but really it’s an honest critique of the human condition, and it’s raw honesty that makes her novels relatable, anger inducing, and compelling to read. She doesn’t shy away from the inner thoughts most of us have/had, or the unpleasant situations we find/put ourselves in, but instead smacks them down in the middle of a page, right under our noses, and makes us a little bit uncomfortable with facing up to reality.
Sarah is an unlikeable character, and while I don't have a problem with unlikeable characters in general, in Sarah's case it was a struggle to find redeeming qualities. That being said, there were plenty of situations she found herself in, or texts that she sent, that made me realise that at some point in our lives, we have all been Sarah.
While I do think that this was an interesting book, it wasn't without its issues for me – Sarah is incredibly self-entitled, yet seems to lack the ambition or drive to actually go out and do something with her life, while being resentful of anyone else who has achieved anything, and while O’Neill’s work always has feminist undertones, in this piece it felt as though certain statements were included purely to make a point, whether or not they fit within the story structure or dialogue.
Although Almost Love didn’t hit that 5* rating for me, I still think it’s a book worth checking out.