Take a photo of a barcode or cover
4.07 AVERAGE
4.07 AVERAGE
Engaging book with wonderful character development. Felt like I knew the characters.
emotional
inspiring
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:
Complicated
Desde de sempre um dos meus livros favoritos! Mickey é um dos personagens mais intrigantes que eu ja conheci.
Great book. Used almost a whole box of tissues.... Great explanation of bipolar disorder.
Lucy and Mickey meet at Mickey's club at Lucy's 21st birthday party. It's an instant attraction. Mickey tries very hard not to get sucked into relationship due to the fact that he is "broken." Mickey is bipolar and feels that it's not fair to bring someone into his life permanently. Lucy is not deterred. Lucy and Mickey end up married but have a list of rules that must be followed. So how along the way one of the rules gets broken big time. Lucy and Mickey are unsure what to do about it. Mickey and Lucy have a love so deep for eachother but the road ahead is not easy and to say that they go through hell is an understatement. This story is sweet and tender but heart wrenching. Such a well written book. This is a story that gave me the "ugly cry".
emotional
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This book has been hanging out on my e-reader for at least three years. When I bought it, I intended to read it immediately, but as is typical with me, I didn't start it, and then another book came along that I wanted to read more, and - yeah - here we are. I will say that it was well worth the wait!
The story focuses on a couple - Lucy and Mickey - who met at a bar/club years ago on Lucy's birthday. Lucy was immediately smitten with Mickey, but he kept her at a distance because he had been diagnosed as bipolar, and he remembered what his mother's diagnosis did to his family. He didn't want to put anyone through that pain and uncertainty. But Lucy is tenacious and pursues him anyway because she has her own health problems - the women in her family are predisposed to an aggressive form of breast cancer.
Before they know it, the two of them are married and have a list of agreements to keep themselves open, honest, and present in their relationship. One of those agreements is that they will not have children. The couple manages to weather several small storms over the years by sticking to their rules, but then, one day, Lucy finds out she is pregnant, and the couple must decide if this is a rule they are willing to break.
I probably don't need to tell you that this is a very emotional read. It alternates between the first-person viewpoint of Lucy and letters written over the years by Mickey - many of which are written for therapy or as a way for him to process things after he has come down from a manic state. This helps ground us and gives us a look at the relationship as a whole, which I really appreciated.
Hancock's writing is beautiful and poignant, capturing the complexities of love and marriage with grace and sensitivity. The characters and what they go through feel real and relatable. Mickey's mental health struggles and Lucy's constant health scares would be enough to make any person lose it, but I admired the way they battled through and did their best to rise above. I also really loved the supporting characters - from Lucy's sisters to Mickey's therapist and Lucy's doctors - each played a very significant role, and I loved all of them.
One of the most striking aspects of the novel is how Hancock portrays bipolar disorder. I have a couple of friends and a family member who live with bipolar disorders, and I was amazed at how well Hancock was able to provide a raw and honest look at the struggles that come with the condition, but did it in a very respectful and almost gentle way. Mickey's journey to manage his disorder is both heart-wrenching and inspiring, and the way Lucy stood by him through his struggles - despite dealing with several of her own - was admirable.
That said, the novel is not so much about the struggles that Lucy and Mickey face but about how they manage these roadblocks together. Their promises to each other show their unwavering dedication to one another, and how they show up for each other - even in the darkest of times - is so sweet.
Overall, this is a story of love, resilience, hope and healing. If you like an emotional read, I would highly recommend this one. It does deal with bipolar disorder and cancer, so if those are triggers for you, then stay away. On the other hand, if you are looking for a book that will both warm your heart and break it, then this is the book for you.
A very sad, sad book. Good read if you want to cry. :) I do feel like I learned a bit about bipolar disorder.
I loved this book. It made me laugh, it made me cry. Loved the characters.
I cried a lot while reading this book, so that must mean it's well-written. I will admit that I cheated and skipped ahead to read the ending, so I knew all along that Lucy was going to die. This changed the reading experience for me--I started to get impatient with the long, drawn-out "dying" portion of the book and wanted to move onto the next part in the plot. However, if I hadn't already known that she was dying, I probably would have been more interested in the lead-up to her death, so that's really my own fault.
Anyway, I liked the characters in this book, and I especially enjoyed the dynamics between the three sisters, as their relationships seemed very real and relatable. I liked reading the story from both Lucy's and Mickey's points of view. The only thing I didn't really like was that Lucy seemed to be so perfect. She doesn't really do anything wrong in the whole book. She is the perfect wife, the perfect daughter, the perfect sister, the perfect teacher, and the perfect sufferer through life's afflictions. I think the story could be more compelling if Lucy had a few more character flaws.
Anyway, I liked the characters in this book, and I especially enjoyed the dynamics between the three sisters, as their relationships seemed very real and relatable. I liked reading the story from both Lucy's and Mickey's points of view. The only thing I didn't really like was that Lucy seemed to be so perfect. She doesn't really do anything wrong in the whole book. She is the perfect wife, the perfect daughter, the perfect sister, the perfect teacher, and the perfect sufferer through life's afflictions. I think the story could be more compelling if Lucy had a few more character flaws.
I went into this book knowing it wasn’t my typical read (I don’t do unnecessarily sad stories) but a friend recommended it highly and I decided to give it a try. It’s a fascinating peek into the world of living with bipolar disorder and the story had a simple beauty to it that I enjoyed. It was predictable (and predictably sad) but it was a solid story and I liked being with the characters.