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A review by si0bhan
Alice Bliss by Laura Harrington
3.0
Damn, what an emotional read.
I’m not usually someone who allows my emotions to get the better of me in books, but this one… this one hit a nerve. Or it hit two nerves… or, more accurately, more than I’ll admit to.
That being said, such is why it received a three star review rather than a two. The fact that I finally found a book that managed to hit all the right places emotionally instantly pushed it up a star. But the actual book itself… it let me down.
I’ll admit that this is not my usual kind of read. So I guess my view is somewhat biased. However, even when I compare to the other books I have read in this genre – which whilst there are not that many I believe there are enough for me to make a general judgement – this one does fall just below the midline. Don’t get me wrong, I have read much worse, but this one… it wasn’t the best.
For me this is a book which exists solely to pull at heartstrings. The way we’re given details truly rips you apart. It’s the little things that get at you – and that is what makes is so great. But when it comes to the story itself I just couldn’t bring myself to truly enjoy it. I was following the story and yet I didn’t feel as though I was doing more than following the categorising of events. If there’d been more to it (I’m not saying there was no story, we did follow the heartbreak of the family, but it felt to me as though we could have had more than just the meltdown and occasional smiles) I’m sure I would have enjoyed it more.
Don’t get me wrong it wasn’t a truly horrible book; I just failed to love it.
I’m not usually someone who allows my emotions to get the better of me in books, but this one… this one hit a nerve. Or it hit two nerves… or, more accurately, more than I’ll admit to.
That being said, such is why it received a three star review rather than a two. The fact that I finally found a book that managed to hit all the right places emotionally instantly pushed it up a star. But the actual book itself… it let me down.
I’ll admit that this is not my usual kind of read. So I guess my view is somewhat biased. However, even when I compare to the other books I have read in this genre – which whilst there are not that many I believe there are enough for me to make a general judgement – this one does fall just below the midline. Don’t get me wrong, I have read much worse, but this one… it wasn’t the best.
For me this is a book which exists solely to pull at heartstrings. The way we’re given details truly rips you apart. It’s the little things that get at you – and that is what makes is so great. But when it comes to the story itself I just couldn’t bring myself to truly enjoy it. I was following the story and yet I didn’t feel as though I was doing more than following the categorising of events. If there’d been more to it (I’m not saying there was no story, we did follow the heartbreak of the family, but it felt to me as though we could have had more than just the meltdown and occasional smiles) I’m sure I would have enjoyed it more.
Don’t get me wrong it wasn’t a truly horrible book; I just failed to love it.