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bamboopanda's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
I did not expect that.
Amazingly weird, but also breathtakingly sad.
Amazingly weird, but also breathtakingly sad.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, and Mental illness
Moderate: Car accident
Minor: Child death and Death
guessgreenleaf's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-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
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Child death, and Grief
Minor: Car accident
kayelina's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Moderate: Mental illness, Grief, Death, Pedophilia, and Car accident
Minor: Violence
thazell's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
fast-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
Wow, this was my first time reading a book that mixed magical realism with mental health, it was brilliant. The novel is about a young woman named Rose Colter who has her car broken down, in the silence of the night she hears a message from the radio tower from her dead best friend, Gaby. The same message was left before her best friend died. Rose follows the lights only to find herself in Lotus Valley, a town with prophets. The third most accurate prophet, Cassie, tells her that due to her arrival, in three days a flood will destroy the town.
The mental health representation, the prose, the characters, all of it was brilliant and beautiful. Now, you may be wondering, if you love it so why did you give it a rating of three stars rather than four or five? Well, at the start of the novel, I found myself confused about lots of it. It wasn't quite clear about the flashbacks of the character and sure it might be a personal style of the author, but it just pulled me out of the novel largely. That's really my only complaint about the novel was how confusing it was right off the bat.
Later, everything was cleared up and tied perfectly into the character and plot. I thoroughly enjoyed the entirety of the novel, especially how the magical elements were presented. It was beautiful and, well magical. It was also, as I said, mixed into the mental health rep in such a beautiful and unexpected way. The ending as well also was poetic. This had to be the best story I've read with PTSD representation, as well as mental health in general. I found myself relating to the character. There were also queer couples and I loved that!
Anyone looking for mental illness, mental health or PTSD rep should read this book!
The mental health representation, the prose, the characters, all of it was brilliant and beautiful. Now, you may be wondering, if you love it so why did you give it a rating of three stars rather than four or five? Well, at the start of the novel, I found myself confused about lots of it. It wasn't quite clear about the flashbacks of the character and sure it might be a personal style of the author, but it just pulled me out of the novel largely. That's really my only complaint about the novel was how confusing it was right off the bat.
Later, everything was cleared up and tied perfectly into the character and plot. I thoroughly enjoyed the entirety of the novel, especially how the magical elements were presented. It was beautiful and, well magical. It was also, as I said, mixed into the mental health rep in such a beautiful and unexpected way. The ending as well also was poetic. This had to be the best story I've read with PTSD representation, as well as mental health in general. I found myself relating to the character. There were also queer couples and I loved that!
Anyone looking for mental illness, mental health or PTSD rep should read this book!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness
Moderate: Car accident and Alcohol
ashlikes's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
medium-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
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Car accident, Panic attacks/disorders, and Death
Minor: Sexual violence, Domestic abuse, and Abandonment
beckycarter97's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Car accident, Panic attacks/disorders, Grief, and Mental illness
Moderate: Abandonment
This book particularly engages with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, which the main character lives with and experiences throughout the book, including flashbackshello_lovely13's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness, Car accident, and Grief
Moderate: Death
Minor: Abandonment
lizzyc_16's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
This. Book. Was. So. Fricking. Good.
I really started loving it around 60%, though the whole thing was fantastic.
The plot was so unique, the message so important, and the little romance subplot so. Fricking. Adorable. (More on that later).
The story was so insanely original, when I started to look for similar books I couldn't find anything that seemed anywhere near the same. (if anyone has recs that have the same ~vibes~ as The Valley and the Flood, they are more than welcome :D)
The depictions of PTSD, Intrusive thoughts, and grief were so well written. It's really hard to write things like that but Rebecca Mahoney did it fantastically. Additionally, in the end of the book there was a "resources" section with information on PTSD, and a list of s**c*de hotlines. More books should have things like this.
Ok. The Alex x Felix romance?? andlksf;dkdsaksflflfasnla;saksfsfhjkal it was lowkey one of the highlights of the book. The like lowkey hating eachother and like the denial and angst and alksfksfal;dsdgjalks. I was chopping cabbage while listening to this on Overdrive and I quite literally dropped the knife and almost chopped off my feet when they kissed. I could rant abt how much I love
them for hours
There is currently nothing I want more than this book to get the hype it deserves. (and a sequel, though thats unlikely 😔) people need to read this so I can't rant lmho.
I really started loving it around 60%, though the whole thing was fantastic.
The plot was so unique, the message so important, and the little romance subplot so. Fricking. Adorable. (More on that later).
The story was so insanely original, when I started to look for similar books I couldn't find anything that seemed anywhere near the same. (if anyone has recs that have the same ~vibes~ as The Valley and the Flood, they are more than welcome :D)
The depictions of PTSD, Intrusive thoughts, and grief were so well written. It's really hard to write things like that but Rebecca Mahoney did it fantastically. Additionally, in the end of the book there was a "resources" section with information on PTSD, and a list of s**c*de hotlines. More books should have things like this.
Ok. The Alex x Felix romance?? andlksf;dkdsaksflflfasnla;saksfsfhjkal it was lowkey one of the highlights of the book. The like lowkey hating eachother and like the denial and angst and alksfksfal;dsdgjalks. I was chopping cabbage while listening to this on Overdrive and I quite literally dropped the knife and almost chopped off my feet when they kissed. I could rant abt how much I love
them for hours
There is currently nothing I want more than this book to get the hype it deserves. (and a sequel, though thats unlikely 😔) people need to read this so I can't rant lmho.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders, Cursing, Death, Grief, Car accident, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Medical content and Medical trauma
Minor: Blood and Self harm
fungivibes's review
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Mental illness, and Grief
Moderate: Car accident
antarcticsloth's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
fast-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
5.0
The characters were lovable and the humor was well-timed! Lots of interesting concepts and a great look into grief and PTSD with a side of the supernatural.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders, Car accident, and Death
The book deals a great deal with the characters PTSD so definitely be aware of that and proceed as is comfortable for you.