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4.16 AVERAGE
4.16 AVERAGE
A touching book from the perspective of a woman living with an undiagnosed mental illness. I thought this book did a really good job getting you to both sympathize with the main character, but also her friends and family who suffered as they tried to support her throughout her life. There were also some really strong descriptive passages in terms of conveying how she felt at different points in her life.
The first half was a little bit slower but the story really picked up in the second half as all of the details came together.
I thought it was an interesting choice to not name the diagnosis the main character suffered from in the end. I thought the book was grounded enough in reality that she probably could have just named it - not sure it would have taken away from the story.
The first half was a little bit slower but the story really picked up in the second half as all of the details came together.
Spoiler
I thought it was an interesting choice to not name the diagnosis the main character suffered from in the end. I thought the book was grounded enough in reality that she probably could have just named it - not sure it would have taken away from the story.
I’ll be honest. The amount of times I DNF’d this in 1 month is embarrassing. But here I am, giving this book 5 ⭐️. I can barely write this review without crying. This was one of the most touching, emotional books on mental illness that I have ever read or come across. It’s so REAL. Martha wasn’t a character with a bunch of random symptoms that the author googled. She was a real person with real depression and apathy and irritability. You know how hard it is to pull off a character like that? To make them not be stereotypical or a caricature? Really difficult. So I really want to congratulate Mason on that.
This book was truly a whirlwind. I thought this would just be about an older woman who was depressed. But it became so much more than that. Martha took us on a long journey, one where she showed us her childhood, her adolescence, her adult years that were embedded in sadness, her growing love for Patrick, their special marriage, the slow destruction of their marriage. Honestly, my favorite bits were about her and Patrick. I think through her flashbacks with Patrick, I was better able to understand them both. We have Martha, who seemed consumed in her illness. And we have Patrick who stood beside her all those years, literally absorbing her illness. They were flawed. Neither was perfect.
The structure was genius. It was told in a series of fragments, starting with the ending of Martha and Patrick’s marriage. And it ended around that time. I really love circular endings, because by the time you’re done (if it’s well-written), I’m emotionally attached to all the characters. And this proved to be the case for this book.
Another thing I loved about this was the family aspect. Obviously, Martha’s family was completely flawed. Sometimes they were nice, and other times they were too harsh and abrasive. It made me think about how we as a society respond to people with mental illnesses. Some of us are empathetic and understanding, trying to be there for a person (like Peregrine). Some of us are understanding, but are almost afraid to address the elephant in the room (Martha’s father). Some of us don’t want to get down to the root, get dismissive, but later on become sympathetic (Martha’s mom). Some of us, having grown tired, give up (Patrick and Ingrid). And some of us lack complete sympathy and blame the victim (Jonathan). I think it’s so special that Mason really embodied society’s response to mental illness in every single character. Genius.
It was beautifully written. Although the tone was very melancholic and bleak, humor was sprinkled throughout. I really loved this book. I cherished my time reading it. I wanted to take my time to really just sit in it, but I also wanted to see what happened—not because I viewed Martha as entertainment, but because I wanted to see her growth. I wanted a note of redemption for her.
Mason did a FANTASTIC job. I’m very curious to read more from her. I HIGHLY recommend this. Please read it. I tried to look for flaws and I found none.
This book was truly a whirlwind. I thought this would just be about an older woman who was depressed. But it became so much more than that. Martha took us on a long journey, one where she showed us her childhood, her adolescence, her adult years that were embedded in sadness, her growing love for Patrick, their special marriage, the slow destruction of their marriage. Honestly, my favorite bits were about her and Patrick. I think through her flashbacks with Patrick, I was better able to understand them both. We have Martha, who seemed consumed in her illness. And we have Patrick who stood beside her all those years, literally absorbing her illness. They were flawed. Neither was perfect.
The structure was genius. It was told in a series of fragments, starting with the ending of Martha and Patrick’s marriage. And it ended around that time. I really love circular endings, because by the time you’re done (if it’s well-written), I’m emotionally attached to all the characters. And this proved to be the case for this book.
Another thing I loved about this was the family aspect. Obviously, Martha’s family was completely flawed. Sometimes they were nice, and other times they were too harsh and abrasive. It made me think about how we as a society respond to people with mental illnesses. Some of us are empathetic and understanding, trying to be there for a person (like Peregrine). Some of us are understanding, but are almost afraid to address the elephant in the room (Martha’s father). Some of us don’t want to get down to the root, get dismissive, but later on become sympathetic (Martha’s mom). Some of us, having grown tired, give up (Patrick and Ingrid). And some of us lack complete sympathy and blame the victim (Jonathan). I think it’s so special that Mason really embodied society’s response to mental illness in every single character. Genius.
It was beautifully written. Although the tone was very melancholic and bleak, humor was sprinkled throughout. I really loved this book. I cherished my time reading it. I wanted to take my time to really just sit in it, but I also wanted to see what happened—not because I viewed Martha as entertainment, but because I wanted to see her growth. I wanted a note of redemption for her.
Mason did a FANTASTIC job. I’m very curious to read more from her. I HIGHLY recommend this. Please read it. I tried to look for flaws and I found none.
challenging
dark
funny
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
hopeful
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
emotional
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
emotional
funny
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Moderate: Chronic illness, Infertility, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Grief, Suicide attempt
emotional
funny
hopeful
sad
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
This book captured my heart. Well-written, witty, deep, fascinating, sad, but enchanting.
dark
emotional
reflective
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts
Moderate: Alcoholism, Pregnancy
It’s so painfully English and I LOVED that about it. I went into this completely blind and I am leaving it wonderfully wrecked.
This is a beautiful body of work. Great depiction of the rollercoaster that is life in its gloom and glory. I have so many paragraphs highlighted and will think about it for a long, long time.
Kept thinking about my family a lot as I read. All the people who have loved me through and despite my mess. There the tears go again 🥺
This is a beautiful body of work. Great depiction of the rollercoaster that is life in its gloom and glory. I have so many paragraphs highlighted and will think about it for a long, long time.
Kept thinking about my family a lot as I read. All the people who have loved me through and despite my mess. There the tears go again 🥺