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A review by abidavisf
Before We Came by Sloane St. James
funny
hopeful
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
I love a couple that just knows but, more than that, I love when the male main character is the one who absolutely knows that he’s in love and she is it for him, not in a possessive way, just in a ‘nobody else will ever compare’ way.
Before We Came is as dark as it is funny. Birdie and Lonan both experienced trauma at a young age, including a shared trauma, and both have lived very different lives that mean that they process that very differently. I would have liked to have heard more about Lonan’s childhood as well as is his existing relationship with his mother, but I suspect it isn’t something that he focuses on much. Instead, choosing to focus his attention on his found family with the Hayes’.
Though I really enjoyed the premise of Before We Came, the writing itself was somewhat lacking. Some areas felt rushed and there were a lot of typos or small continuity errors that affected the rhythm of the tale. What worked really well in this book was the character building, for the main characters at least. I’m intrigued to learn more about the side characters like Micky and Conway, and hope that they get their chance in later books to get their own happy endings.
Before We Came is as dark as it is funny. Birdie and Lonan both experienced trauma at a young age, including a shared trauma, and both have lived very different lives that mean that they process that very differently. I would have liked to have heard more about Lonan’s childhood as well as is his existing relationship with his mother, but I suspect it isn’t something that he focuses on much. Instead, choosing to focus his attention on his found family with the Hayes’.
Though I really enjoyed the premise of Before We Came, the writing itself was somewhat lacking. Some areas felt rushed and there were a lot of typos or small continuity errors that affected the rhythm of the tale. What worked really well in this book was the character building, for the main characters at least. I’m intrigued to learn more about the side characters like Micky and Conway, and hope that they get their chance in later books to get their own happy endings.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Kidnapping, Death of parent, and Abandonment
Minor: Alcoholism, Child abuse, Child death, Mental illness, Suicide, Trafficking, Car accident, Death of parent, Murder, and Gaslighting