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A review by rgoth
I fell in love with hope by Lancali
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
1.75
This book has "Hope" in the title but sadly, I found that there was a lack of hope throughout its pages. The overall tone of the book was quite depressing, and I struggled to connect with the characters. They felt one-dimensional, and their dialogue seemed too poetic, which made them feel distant and unrelatable. It was hard to believe that any teenager would speak like this.
I sensed that the author intended to portray the characters as extraordinary individuals despite their difficult situations. They almost seem to have Shakespearean qualities, but it didn't resonate with me. Additionally, I felt that the depiction of mental health and physical/chronic illnesses was not handled positively. The simplistic views on disability and mental illness, coupled with the lack of depth in character development, detracted from the overall story, and sometimes it seemed like they were being used to romanticise certain parts of the story, which is a big no-no for me!
The monotonous and depressing tone of the book weighed heavily on me, and the "twist" at the end regarding the character Sam was quite possibly the worst thing about the book. I knew Sam had inhuman qualities, so it was obvious that there would be something about them to come out, but oh my word, I found the ending ridiculous. Although I recognise the author is clearly a good writer, this particular book was just not for me.
I sensed that the author intended to portray the characters as extraordinary individuals despite their difficult situations. They almost seem to have Shakespearean qualities, but it didn't resonate with me. Additionally, I felt that the depiction of mental health and physical/chronic illnesses was not handled positively. The simplistic views on disability and mental illness, coupled with the lack of depth in character development, detracted from the overall story, and sometimes it seemed like they were being used to romanticise certain parts of the story, which is a big no-no for me!
The monotonous and depressing tone of the book weighed heavily on me, and the "twist" at the end regarding the character Sam was quite possibly the worst thing about the book. I knew Sam had inhuman qualities, so it was obvious that there would be something about them to come out, but oh my word, I found the ending ridiculous. Although I recognise the author is clearly a good writer, this particular book was just not for me.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Homophobia, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, and Suicide attempt