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A review by nzlisam
Almost Love by Louise O'Neill
4.0
When I read the synopsis for Almost Love, I mistook it for YA, partly because Asking for It (which I read last year) was, and also because I wrongly assumed it was about a teen in an abusive relationship with a much older man. But this was definitely an adult book, about a twenty-something schoolteacher (Sarah) in a psychologically damaging affair with the father of one of her students (Matthew). Not my usual read, so at first I wasn’t sure how I felt about reading this, but Almost Love surprised me in that it was just as brutally honest, timely, and emotional as Asking for It.
A quick, easy read, utilising one, third person POV, with the NOW and THEN format replacing chapters. Content wise, the abuse is psychological, but also physical in the form of rough/rape sex. I wouldn’t call it graphic, nor does it go into great detail, but it isn’t mild either, instead falls somewhere in between.
Sarah was a toxic person – a damaged soul long before she encountered Matthew, the majority of her issues stemming from childhood trauma. And, I would never make light of what she endured as a child (it was awful what she went through), but she was a grown woman in this book, who had a lot of good (and support) in her life – more than most, and she doesn’t appreciate any of it. Sarah is selfish, she’s whiny, and treats her family and friends like crap, expecting them to be at her beck and call, but doesn’t do the same for them in return. I’m guessing this was the point, that when a person feels this low, they cannot see what they have, and continuously make poor choices. And, I found it all really interesting, and I relished analysing Sarah, but if unlikeable protagonists, who never learn from their mistakes, depress you, then I’d steer clear of this one.
The other thing I found really intriguing was that in the present storyline, Sarah was psychologically abusive towards her live-in boyfriend, Oisin (not a spoiler – made clear from the onset), in fact in some ways she treated him worse than Matthew treated her. Also, I liked how this book showed how Sarah’s poisonous association with Matthew, impacted her friendships, and affected those closest to her. Yet more reasons why this was such a compelling novel.
This was my second read by Lousie O’Neill that I rated highly, so if she writes more in this vein, whether it’s adult or YA, I’ll be reading.
I’d like to thank Netgalley, Quercus Books, and Louise O’Neill for the e-ARC.
UK Publication Date: 7th March, 2019.
A quick, easy read, utilising one, third person POV, with the NOW and THEN format replacing chapters. Content wise, the abuse is psychological, but also physical in the form of rough/rape sex. I wouldn’t call it graphic, nor does it go into great detail, but it isn’t mild either, instead falls somewhere in between.
Sarah was a toxic person – a damaged soul long before she encountered Matthew, the majority of her issues stemming from childhood trauma. And, I would never make light of what she endured as a child (it was awful what she went through), but she was a grown woman in this book, who had a lot of good (and support) in her life – more than most, and she doesn’t appreciate any of it. Sarah is selfish, she’s whiny, and treats her family and friends like crap, expecting them to be at her beck and call, but doesn’t do the same for them in return. I’m guessing this was the point, that when a person feels this low, they cannot see what they have, and continuously make poor choices. And, I found it all really interesting, and I relished analysing Sarah, but if unlikeable protagonists, who never learn from their mistakes, depress you, then I’d steer clear of this one.
The other thing I found really intriguing was that in the present storyline, Sarah was psychologically abusive towards her live-in boyfriend, Oisin (not a spoiler – made clear from the onset), in fact in some ways she treated him worse than Matthew treated her. Also, I liked how this book showed how Sarah’s poisonous association with Matthew, impacted her friendships, and affected those closest to her. Yet more reasons why this was such a compelling novel.
This was my second read by Lousie O’Neill that I rated highly, so if she writes more in this vein, whether it’s adult or YA, I’ll be reading.
I’d like to thank Netgalley, Quercus Books, and Louise O’Neill for the e-ARC.
UK Publication Date: 7th March, 2019.