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_nicolesbooknook's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
This is a really hard one to rate. On the one hand, it literally is 'The Existence of Amy.' So going through every bit of her day made sense because the author is showing what it's like to live with Amy's particular version of OCD and depression. It's difficult to be in a first-person perspective because it's really difficult to live with these mental illnesses. It's a good look into what many people struggle with on a daily basis. It's also an important view of how recovery takes time and patience and effort.
However, it's hard to rate it since it's not just an explanation of mental health issues, but rather a novel. Although the characters felt relatively individual, there were some issues I had with it. So many characters seem to be in tune with Amy's struggles but don't really do anything about it. But they act like being aware of it is doing something about it. And they all make it so much about themselves. I know this is a reality for many people who struggle, but in a novel it was a bit of a slog. Amy seems extremely self-aware too, so why does the decision to get help have to be forced on her by another person? Ed and Nathan became interchangeable in the end. And Ed's whole thing was just strange to me. He basically admitted that he wanted to cheat on his wife with her. I normally don't have issues with cheating plot lines, but he knew she was struggling and was still making it about his feelings for her. And his marriage/feelings for Amy came out of left field. Almost 200 pages in before it's brought up at all when it could have been threaded in more gradually. Some of these issues really took me out of the story and instead of connecting with/sympathising with anyone, I found myself being annoyed at them.
All that being said, it is a quick read. There's a lot of important messaging through it. And the final pages are hopeful while still being realistic.
However, it's hard to rate it since it's not just an explanation of mental health issues, but rather a novel. Although the characters felt relatively individual, there were some issues I had with it. So many characters seem to be in tune with Amy's struggles but don't really do anything about it. But they act like being aware of it is doing something about it. And they all make it so much about themselves. I know this is a reality for many people who struggle, but in a novel it was a bit of a slog. Amy seems extremely self-aware too, so why does the decision to get help have to be forced on her by another person? Ed and Nathan became interchangeable in the end. And Ed's whole thing was just strange to me. He basically admitted that he wanted to cheat on his wife with her. I normally don't have issues with cheating plot lines, but he knew she was struggling and was still making it about his feelings for her. And his marriage/feelings for Amy came out of left field. Almost 200 pages in before it's brought up at all when it could have been threaded in more gradually. Some of these issues really took me out of the story and instead of connecting with/sympathising with anyone, I found myself being annoyed at them.
All that being said, it is a quick read. There's a lot of important messaging through it. And the final pages are hopeful while still being realistic.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts and Infidelity
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