Reviews tagging 'Abandonment'

If He Had Been with Me by Laura Nowlin

17 reviews

greatexpectations77's review against another edition

challenging emotional mysterious reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

This was a solid read. It did a little too much hinting-to-the-end for me. Like I did read the beginning, friend. I know that we're headed somewhere traumatic, so I don't need a trillion reminders. But I did like that it captured the absolute messiness of high school and emotions and families. Felt a bit like it trailed off after the climax - like the end wasn't as strong. May read this author again.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Pregnancy, Grief, Infidelity, Car accident, and Sexual content

Moderate: Child death, Death, Medical content, Suicide attempt, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Alcohol, Bullying, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Blood

cass_booktok's review against another edition

challenging emotional funny hopeful reflective sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.25

"Finny?", "OH Autumn" my mother says, the smallest chapter in the book and it sent me in hysterics. My heart is shattered at the thought of losing your one true love within hours of declaring your love for them. I still have a lump in my throat. 

The book was overall a very sweet and nostalgic read, made me think of the way I used to be as a kid, I was very much like Autumn when I was younger, i felt like her and I was exactly like her, standing out without trying to stand out. I felt embarrassed for her with her wearing a tiara and I remembered that, that is exactly what I did, which is probably why I felt this way, she found herself in Finny and my heart just shattered at the end!!!

 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Suicide attempt, Toxic relationship, Self harm, Car accident, Death, Panic attacks/disorders, Pregnancy, Suicidal thoughts, and Child death

Minor: Abandonment

eve32's review against another edition

emotional sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

It was kind of predictable most of the time and

I HATE the baby trope so I didn't like the end of this book

overall not bad but not the best. I think it is overrated.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Car accident and Death

Moderate: Alcohol, Sexual content, Self harm, Death, Car accident, and Suicide attempt

Minor: Abortion, Cursing, Mental illness, Self harm, Toxic friendship, Eating disorder, Rape, Abandonment, Grief, Panic attacks/disorders, Pregnancy, Infidelity, and Vomit

sizzlesteaks's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad tense fast-paced

• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide attempt, Death, and Car accident

Moderate: Infidelity and Abandonment

sarasbookishlife's review against another edition

emotional sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Even though I knew what was coming, I still felt absolutely destroyed by this book 💔 

I'm not sure where to start with this review so I'm just going to give some thoughts about why, as an adult, I still love YA novels (bare with me!) 

There is something about childhood friends that is so weird and special and unlike any other friendship you make as an adult.  Im talking about the neighbors you grew up riding bikes with and playing freeze tag with and just being young and goofy with because you dont know any other way.  The world is small and the moments, no matter how much time passes, seem so significant and vivid. 

By comparison adolesence feels like a fog. What was safe and warm turns into the absolute fucking minefield that is middle school and high school.  The world is still small but the feelings are so damn big. 

It's what makes coming of age and YA novels so moving.  And Laura Nowlin captures that crazy, raw, exposed moment in time so perfectly in If He Had Been With Me. 

The story follows next door neighbors, Autumn and Finny.  As children they were best friends. Inseparable from birth.  They grow apart slowly and then all at once as social circles, boyfriends and girlfriends, take them in different directions.  Despite their best efforts to largely ignore one another Autumn cant ignore the thought that maybe things could have been different. 

The story starts a little slow for me but about a third of the way in I was hooked and seriously rooting for these two to find a way back to eachother.  The missed chances and stolen moments had me right in he feels! This is a heatbreaker y'all but as Autumn says "sometimes sad things are beautiful" 😭

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Suicide attempt, Abandonment, and Infidelity

heckinchimken's review against another edition

emotional sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Abandonment, Alcohol, Self harm, Mental illness, Death, Suicide attempt, Car accident, and Pregnancy

ecravens's review against another edition

dark emotional funny sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Car accident, Cursing, Suicide, Alcohol, Bullying, Grief, Abandonment, Body shaming, Death, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Mental illness, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide attempt