A review by samepaige
Adelaide by Genevieve Wheeler

challenging emotional reflective sad tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

“Adelaide—the girl who felt everything—had to remind herself that it was, in fact, okay to feel. That it was okay to fill her lungs with air, her tank with fuel, her brain with the chemicals it needed. It was okay to go to hell and back, to carry every ounce of light and darkness inside of her. It was okay to love herself fiercely, a little selfishly, and with intention. It was all okay.”

this is not a romance novel. this is a coming-of-age, self-discovery novel that will break your heart. I truly could not put it down. I loved this the same way I loved Ghost by Dolly Alderton - fiercely. 

I finished this book a few weeks ago and I still find myself thinking about Adelaide. I was rooting for her throughout the entire book, like an outsider looking in, “please see Rory for who he is!!”. I would have loved to see more of Adelaide in the aftermath. I want to see what she accomplishes and where she goes.

Adelaide is an incredible debut novel and I can’t wait to read Wheeler’s next book. Her writing style is beautiful and I thoroughly enjoyed this one, even if it made me cry a lot. 

There’s many content warnings and potiental triggers, so please look at those before reading this. 
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