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bookshelf_al's review against another edition
emotional
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide, Suicide attempt, Pregnancy, and Mental illness
laurenabeth's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
slow-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
This book is beautifully written but incredibly slow paced, so I can see why some readers couldn’t get into it. I’ve seen some other readers compare it to Little Women, which I’ve never read, but I can confirm this is a character study on sisters and the ties that bind family.
I found the jumping in narration (it mainly switches between four characters) to be frustrating but not horribly executed, so I chose to look the other way on it. It’s worth noting, however, that the storytelling isn’t entirely linear in that certain chapters are followed by overlapping events from the perspective of a different character. I found myself used to it by the end of the book, but it’s a stylistic choice that takes some getting used to. My biggest issue with the narration is that it sometimes jumped months or even years ahead at a time, and I genuinely wanted to know what happened between the lines.
I will strongly state that this book should have a massive trigger warning on it for death, abandonment, depression, and suicide. The book is largely about a man suffering from deep, prolonged depression. He moves through life either numb or pulsing with fear, and it makes for a gloomy read. Still, the writing is lovely (and made me remember why I enjoyed Dear Edward), and I was fully invested in William, Julia, and Sylvia.
A final note on William: he is one of the most refreshing characters I’ve read in years, and I think it’s due in part to the fact that I so often read about female characters with mental health struggles, but here is this boy, this young man, this weathered and beaten and tired man, who battles his demons every day and is still there on the next page, battling another day. As the only real male protagonist in Hello Beautiful, William charmed me by how real his character seemed, how relatable and pure despite being pained and so full of sorrow. I found his crumbing facade and the subsequent construction of his new life to be rather hopeful and I think that’s the message here: there is hope.
I found the jumping in narration (it mainly switches between four characters) to be frustrating but not horribly executed, so I chose to look the other way on it. It’s worth noting, however, that the storytelling isn’t entirely linear in that certain chapters are followed by overlapping events from the perspective of a different character. I found myself used to it by the end of the book, but it’s a stylistic choice that takes some getting used to. My biggest issue with the narration is that it sometimes jumped months or even years ahead at a time, and I genuinely wanted to know what happened between the lines.
I will strongly state that this book should have a massive trigger warning on it for death, abandonment, depression, and suicide. The book is largely about a man suffering from deep, prolonged depression. He moves through life either numb or pulsing with fear, and it makes for a gloomy read. Still, the writing is lovely (and made me remember why I enjoyed Dear Edward), and I was fully invested in William, Julia, and Sylvia.
A final note on William: he is one of the most refreshing characters I’ve read in years, and I think it’s due in part to the fact that I so often read about female characters with mental health struggles, but here is this boy, this young man, this weathered and beaten and tired man, who battles his demons every day and is still there on the next page, battling another day. As the only real male protagonist in Hello Beautiful, William charmed me by how real his character seemed, how relatable and pure despite being pained and so full of sorrow. I found his crumbing facade and the subsequent construction of his new life to be rather hopeful and I think that’s the message here: there is hope.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness, Abandonment, Suicide attempt, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide
Moderate: Death of parent
Minor: Child death
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