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book_perk's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a digital copy in exchange for an honest review. The concept of following a love story in reverse is extremely creative and intriguing. In the first few chapters the writing is absolutely phenomenal and I truly felt the heartbreak. Unfortunately, I found the remainder of the book a little dull and the characters to be lacking in depth.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Suicidal thoughts, and Miscarriage
Minor: Child abuse, Drug abuse, Pregnancy, Sexual assault, and Sexism
amanda_marie's review against another edition
dark
emotional
funny
relaxing
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
5.0
I loved this. The concept is beautiful and unique, and allows us to end on the best part: the potential.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Gaslighting, Emotional abuse, and Domestic abuse
summersnitch's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
It was a nice idea, but I didn't really enjoy it too much. It felt unsatisfying most of the time, because everything was always at least a bit miserable and there rarely really was a time where they actually enjoyed their life. Solid book and a cool idea, but would not read again.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders and Mental illness
Moderate: Alcohol
Minor: Biphobia, Vomit, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual assault, Physical abuse, Miscarriage, Eating disorder, and Domestic abuse
charlottehere's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
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? It's complicated
4.25
I really liked this book. The development of the main character is amazing and is so interesting as it is told backwards. The author does a great job in allowing your perspective change of certain characters.
Content Warnings
Minor: Suicidal thoughts
lilacteaandbooks's review against another edition
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Miscarriage, and Sexual assault
rdh's review against another edition
emotional
sad
slow-paced
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
I left a review for this book yesterday, and was up all night thinking about it. Perhaps this makes this book better than I had originally thought-- I keep thinking about it. But here's the thing: I did not like it. And I've been running through my head, trying to puzzle together the reason why.
Let's start with the positives, because there are wonderful positives:
Hayes's prose is wonderful. She's got this witty grit to her writing, and the narrative weaves past and the-even-farther-past together in a way that reads the same way that we think. There's long tangents, distant thoughts, this sort of rambling quality that never feels pointless.
The premise of this book is also deeply interesting. A love story told in reverse. You know going in that the conclusion will be the start, and that the beginning is really the end, and it leaves you with this desire to pick up the book again and read it backwards.
The moments with Lena and Claudine were the most engaging, fascinating bits of the book. Chuck the rest out, honestly. No spoilers, but the few scenes with those characters in them commanded so much energy and tension, far more than the rest of the book.
Now, for the negatives. For me, there are a fair few:
The main character was deeply unrelatabe for me. I found this strange while reading -- that I could feel so distant from a protagonist that embodies so much of myself. I too love to write. I too feel anxious more often than not. I too am ambiguous in my sexuality. The problem was, I didn't like the protagonist. Was it because she was too like me? I don't know. But I felt a distinct wall between us when I read, and no matter how emotional the prose or the confessions got, I couldn't bring myself to feel anything for her, because I had never been convinced that she was someone to root for. The love interest was similarly disinteresting (and honestly, a bit pathetic) but I don't begrudge the book that. It was the point -- I get that.
I couldn't help but feel like the protagonist was just a Mary Sue/self-insert of Hayes herself. It was distracting when I read because the character was just so like her that I couldn't sit myself into a world that I was told was fictional. I felt uncomfortable, like I was prying into something Hayes had not explicitly said was for us to see. It left the whole world with this hollow, bitter quality.
The book is trying to do too much without really accomplishing anything. There are hints of deeply interesting themes in this book. What it means to be Irish; what it means to be an emigrant. Class, race, feminism, sexuality. What it means to love someone whose political beliefs do not align with your own. Domestic violence, depression, derealization, anxiety.
There are so many things happening here, and none of them are adequately explored. Hayes's love for Ireland is beautifully expressed here, but it doesn't translate to the non-Irish reader. It feels at times like an inside joke we are not in on, only serving to isolate us further from the protagonist. We get hints of what it means to be a working class Irish woman, especially surrounded by the flamboyantly rich and conservative crowd our protagonist knows in London. But we never get a complete understanding, and it left me feeling unfulfilled.
The scenes regarding the protagonist's sexuality stood out to me as the strongest in the whole book. It's reassuring to see a bi/pan/ambiguously queer woman confident in her sexuality, not addressing it because it doesn't need addressing. But the richness and intrigue of those scenes made the rest of the book pale in comparison. They felt like interludes with no real effect on the protagonist's growth. I didn't care about the protagonist's life other than her interaction with women.
And without giving away any spoilers, the way domestic violence and trauma are addressed in this book feels like backstory for backstory's sake. It does not make the character richer; it does not make the book better. It's just trauma we are expected to empathize with, even though it is addressed so late into the book that it doesn't make the character more empathetic at all. It feels like an add-on that's supposed to pack a punch but does not. I didn't care about the protagonist this whole time, and now I'm supposed to feel some way about her that I don't. Incidentally, a sentiment the protagonist addresses in the book itself. At least we have solidarity on that front.
I didn't star this review, because I found it rather impossible to quantify my feelings about the book that way. Reading other reviews, clearly people connected with this book in a way I don't. I don't think those reviews are any less correct because our experiences with the text were different. Ultimately, Hayes's novel fulfills its promise to its readers. This is a love story told in reverse. It's sad and funny and hopeful in a heartbreaking way.
Hayes is an incredible writer. Her prose is delightful, and it will only improve as she writes more books. I will 100% be buying other stuff she writes, I just think this book missed its mark. There are so many missed opportunities. It feels a bit like a watered down Normal People, when it had every opportunity to make itself its own.
Let's start with the positives, because there are wonderful positives:
Hayes's prose is wonderful. She's got this witty grit to her writing, and the narrative weaves past and the-even-farther-past together in a way that reads the same way that we think. There's long tangents, distant thoughts, this sort of rambling quality that never feels pointless.
The premise of this book is also deeply interesting. A love story told in reverse. You know going in that the conclusion will be the start, and that the beginning is really the end, and it leaves you with this desire to pick up the book again and read it backwards.
The moments with Lena and Claudine were the most engaging, fascinating bits of the book. Chuck the rest out, honestly. No spoilers, but the few scenes with those characters in them commanded so much energy and tension, far more than the rest of the book.
Now, for the negatives. For me, there are a fair few:
The main character was deeply unrelatabe for me. I found this strange while reading -- that I could feel so distant from a protagonist that embodies so much of myself. I too love to write. I too feel anxious more often than not. I too am ambiguous in my sexuality. The problem was, I didn't like the protagonist. Was it because she was too like me? I don't know. But I felt a distinct wall between us when I read, and no matter how emotional the prose or the confessions got, I couldn't bring myself to feel anything for her, because I had never been convinced that she was someone to root for. The love interest was similarly disinteresting (and honestly, a bit pathetic) but I don't begrudge the book that. It was the point -- I get that.
I couldn't help but feel like the protagonist was just a Mary Sue/self-insert of Hayes herself. It was distracting when I read because the character was just so like her that I couldn't sit myself into a world that I was told was fictional. I felt uncomfortable, like I was prying into something Hayes had not explicitly said was for us to see. It left the whole world with this hollow, bitter quality.
The book is trying to do too much without really accomplishing anything. There are hints of deeply interesting themes in this book. What it means to be Irish; what it means to be an emigrant. Class, race, feminism, sexuality. What it means to love someone whose political beliefs do not align with your own. Domestic violence, depression, derealization, anxiety.
There are so many things happening here, and none of them are adequately explored. Hayes's love for Ireland is beautifully expressed here, but it doesn't translate to the non-Irish reader. It feels at times like an inside joke we are not in on, only serving to isolate us further from the protagonist. We get hints of what it means to be a working class Irish woman, especially surrounded by the flamboyantly rich and conservative crowd our protagonist knows in London. But we never get a complete understanding, and it left me feeling unfulfilled.
The scenes regarding the protagonist's sexuality stood out to me as the strongest in the whole book. It's reassuring to see a bi/pan/ambiguously queer woman confident in her sexuality, not addressing it because it doesn't need addressing. But the richness and intrigue of those scenes made the rest of the book pale in comparison. They felt like interludes with no real effect on the protagonist's growth. I didn't care about the protagonist's life other than her interaction with women.
And without giving away any spoilers, the way domestic violence and trauma are addressed in this book feels like backstory for backstory's sake. It does not make the character richer; it does not make the book better. It's just trauma we are expected to empathize with, even though it is addressed so late into the book that it doesn't make the character more empathetic at all. It feels like an add-on that's supposed to pack a punch but does not. I didn't care about the protagonist this whole time, and now I'm supposed to feel some way about her that I don't. Incidentally, a sentiment the protagonist addresses in the book itself. At least we have solidarity on that front.
I didn't star this review, because I found it rather impossible to quantify my feelings about the book that way. Reading other reviews, clearly people connected with this book in a way I don't. I don't think those reviews are any less correct because our experiences with the text were different. Ultimately, Hayes's novel fulfills its promise to its readers. This is a love story told in reverse. It's sad and funny and hopeful in a heartbreaking way.
Hayes is an incredible writer. Her prose is delightful, and it will only improve as she writes more books. I will 100% be buying other stuff she writes, I just think this book missed its mark. There are so many missed opportunities. It feels a bit like a watered down Normal People, when it had every opportunity to make itself its own.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, and Suicidal thoughts
Moderate: Vomit
Minor: Miscarriage
sara_m_martins's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
(PS. i could write a book about this book, but i'm not sure i have the words)
Okay firstly, Hazel is one of my favourite creators - as in TOP 3 favourites; she might even have that #1 spot to be completely honest. i think about something of hers almost everyday - i adore Septem and i think about TOTM August every time i'm not feeling great. I used a otter bookmark too, which i recommend for maximum enjoyment.
Her personality shines through her work, and Out of Love was no exception - rather, you can see so much more of the range of her persona in a single art work - from her humor to how she handles heavier, sensitive topics (mental health, domestic abuse and abusive/toxic relationships - #ownvoices). And OOL balances these perfectly.
I was so enthralled by this book that i read it the whole way through a first time, only to finish and start a re-read right after - this time taking time to underline (pretty much everything) and trying to catch all the cross-references. I feel there's so much thought behind each word and so many connections (with chapters before and/or after) - due to both her writing and the story being told from finish to start - that i'm not smart enough to catch.
I really enjoy her writing - you can feel the backdrop of film making in it. One of the moments this jumps out the most in my memory is the final scene of the Summer Skin chapter.
WHICH SPEAKING OF - i broke down in tears finishing that chapter at 3AM, and went into all my social media bios and removed "bi" from them, leaving just the rainbow flag, as i entered a process that is still ongoing (this had been building up, but Hazel's words clicked the button to open the floodgates). Which is pretty ironic considering that Hazel is bisexual herself. I cannot express what that final scene did for me. But it was literally life-changing.
Summer Skin and Canadian Geese (i too am a daughter to a mom of 3, with absent fathers) are chapters that i see myself going back to over and over again
Surely, i should talk more about the relationship aspect of the book, you know the central plot line... But there's so much to read and think about with this book. I didn't even touch on all the great topics revolving around feminism on this book which are SO MANY and SO WELL DONE and so relatable (to me at least - like the motherhood bit!!! holy shit). And this is already so long. But, you know, it's not even about the relationship per say, is it- the relationship is just the conductive line though which we see the character's life unfolding (backwards. folding? idk).
It encapsulates the whole human experience because that's what life is - you are living and there's always so much happening and it's all so hard and complicated, but also strange and curious and interesting - and Hazel took it all and put it in words and made funny or made it heartbreaking and even a little bit of both and isn't that such a magnificent feat.
I think that's why I love this book so much: it has Life in it.
Okay firstly, Hazel is one of my favourite creators - as in TOP 3 favourites; she might even have that #1 spot to be completely honest. i think about something of hers almost everyday - i adore Septem and i think about TOTM August every time i'm not feeling great. I used a otter bookmark too, which i recommend for maximum enjoyment.
Her personality shines through her work, and Out of Love was no exception - rather, you can see so much more of the range of her persona in a single art work - from her humor to how she handles heavier, sensitive topics (mental health, domestic abuse and abusive/toxic relationships - #ownvoices). And OOL balances these perfectly.
I was so enthralled by this book that i read it the whole way through a first time, only to finish and start a re-read right after - this time taking time to underline (pretty much everything) and trying to catch all the cross-references. I feel there's so much thought behind each word and so many connections (with chapters before and/or after) - due to both her writing and the story being told from finish to start - that i'm not smart enough to catch.
I really enjoy her writing - you can feel the backdrop of film making in it. One of the moments this jumps out the most in my memory is the final scene of the Summer Skin chapter.
WHICH SPEAKING OF - i broke down in tears finishing that chapter at 3AM, and went into all my social media bios and removed "bi" from them, leaving just the rainbow flag, as i entered a process that is still ongoing (this had been building up, but Hazel's words clicked the button to open the floodgates). Which is pretty ironic considering that Hazel is bisexual herself. I cannot express what that final scene did for me. But it was literally life-changing.
Summer Skin and Canadian Geese (i too am a daughter to a mom of 3, with absent fathers) are chapters that i see myself going back to over and over again
Surely, i should talk more about the relationship aspect of the book, you know the central plot line... But there's so much to read and think about with this book. I didn't even touch on all the great topics revolving around feminism on this book which are SO MANY and SO WELL DONE and so relatable (to me at least - like the motherhood bit!!! holy shit). And this is already so long. But, you know, it's not even about the relationship per say, is it- the relationship is just the conductive line though which we see the character's life unfolding (backwards. folding? idk).
It encapsulates the whole human experience because that's what life is - you are living and there's always so much happening and it's all so hard and complicated, but also strange and curious and interesting - and Hazel took it all and put it in words and made funny or made it heartbreaking and even a little bit of both and isn't that such a magnificent feat.
I think that's why I love this book so much: it has Life in it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders, Mental illness, Emotional abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Domestic abuse, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Eating disorder
Minor: Alcoholism, Sexual violence, and Addiction
lilmcwebber's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, Suicidal thoughts, and Mental illness
Minor: Incest and Sexual assault
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