A review by littleredbiblio
Inside by Alix Ohlin
2.0
I’m pretty disappointed with this book. I bought it and first picked it up about three years ago and put it back down about 70 pages in. I can’t remember any particular reason for putting it down, I just wasn’t feeling it at the time. I finally picked it back up again and it’s just... so problematic. So boring. So pointless.
I can’t remember if I picked up on this the first time reading it, but Grace and Mitch’s behaviour as therapists is just so questionable. I’m glad that Tug didn’t end up as Grace’s formal patient because their relationship was becoming inappropriate very quickly - from the moment she first sees him, honestly. I mean, one of the first things that went through Grace’s head after finding Tug on the mountain was a consideration of whether or not he was handsome. What?? This idea returns later in the book when she ultimately decides that he is handsome. Cue a massive eyeroll. Also, the way she dealt with Annie... no!!! That’s just not how a therapist should act, no matter how much you feel drawn to your patient. I’m shocked that Annie’s family did not follow through with their lawsuit. In many ways, it would have been just. I’m guessing that Ohlin’s goal was to write flawed characters, which is great, but not when you don’t have anything to balance it out. The characters are aware of their own problematic behaviours, but don’t make a mental or physical move to fix them. They are also incredibly inconsistent. This was most obvious to me when Annie’s parents considered a lawsuit, then no lawsuit, then a lawsuit again in the span of one conversation... and then ultimately don’t follow through with this, even after she runs away. Based on what we know of her parents, I don’t understand why we don’t hear anything about them after this point.
Other than the problematic and frustrating characters, the plot itself was just boring. Very little happened. What did made little impact because I was not connected to the characters. I found Annie’s story the most interesting, particularly when she took in Hilary, but that eventually fell apart and ended without any kind of satisfying conclusion or something that could give me an idea of what the point was. I felt the same with Grace and Mitch. What was the point? I really enjoy character-driven novels, but there needs to be some kind of purpose, even if it is mundane. I don’t think any of the characters learned anything throughout the book, let alone me.
For once, I honestly wouldn’t recommend this book, even if the premise intrigues you. It interested me, but the main plot point occurs at the beginning of the novel and my interest level steadily declined after the first few chapters. Save yourself some time and find a book with better writing and some kind of plot.
I can’t remember if I picked up on this the first time reading it, but Grace and Mitch’s behaviour as therapists is just so questionable. I’m glad that Tug didn’t end up as Grace’s formal patient because their relationship was becoming inappropriate very quickly - from the moment she first sees him, honestly. I mean, one of the first things that went through Grace’s head after finding Tug on the mountain was a consideration of whether or not he was handsome. What?? This idea returns later in the book when she ultimately decides that he is handsome. Cue a massive eyeroll. Also, the way she dealt with Annie... no!!! That’s just not how a therapist should act, no matter how much you feel drawn to your patient. I’m shocked that Annie’s family did not follow through with their lawsuit. In many ways, it would have been just. I’m guessing that Ohlin’s goal was to write flawed characters, which is great, but not when you don’t have anything to balance it out. The characters are aware of their own problematic behaviours, but don’t make a mental or physical move to fix them. They are also incredibly inconsistent. This was most obvious to me when Annie’s parents considered a lawsuit, then no lawsuit, then a lawsuit again in the span of one conversation... and then ultimately don’t follow through with this, even after she runs away. Based on what we know of her parents, I don’t understand why we don’t hear anything about them after this point.
Other than the problematic and frustrating characters, the plot itself was just boring. Very little happened. What did made little impact because I was not connected to the characters. I found Annie’s story the most interesting, particularly when she took in Hilary, but that eventually fell apart and ended without any kind of satisfying conclusion or something that could give me an idea of what the point was. I felt the same with Grace and Mitch. What was the point? I really enjoy character-driven novels, but there needs to be some kind of purpose, even if it is mundane. I don’t think any of the characters learned anything throughout the book, let alone me.
For once, I honestly wouldn’t recommend this book, even if the premise intrigues you. It interested me, but the main plot point occurs at the beginning of the novel and my interest level steadily declined after the first few chapters. Save yourself some time and find a book with better writing and some kind of plot.