Scan barcode
Reviews
Heartsick: Three Stories of Falling in Love . . . And What Happens After it Ends by Jessie Stephens
littlesophie's review against another edition
4.0
Prompted by her own series of painful heartbreaks, Australian journalist Stephens sets out to retell the stories of three different people in her debut book. Patrick, Ana and Claire are from different generations and backgrounds but they all share the experience of having relationships that they thought would last forever, suddenly breaking apart. Stephens transforms hours of conversation into three fictionalized stories in a set up that reminded me strongly of Lisa Taddeo's "Three Women". While intriguing, gripping and easy to read, I can't help but feel that by focusing on the relaionship before the break-up, Stephens slightly misjudges her own premise. Relatively little space is allocated to the actual break-ups, much less to the healing process that hopefully followed. I also feel that more voices with higher focus might have served the subject better. Nonetheless, this is a thoughtful book on an all too human experience, which is rarely this specifically written about otherwise.
bec104's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
informative
reflective
sad
medium-paced
4.5
clarehilsz's review against another edition
4.0
I wasn’t sure what book was going fill the void after finishing Shuggie Bain without failing and falling short. ( You know that feeling when you regretfully finish an exquisite book and are craving something new but worry nothing will ever be as good or pull you in ??
jesikasbookshelf's review against another edition
emotional
sad
fast-paced
2.5
For those looking to read a non-fiction romance, this is for you! The book charts the love and losses of Ana, Patrick and Claire over the course of relationships they feel define their lives.
The book is a look at the real life implications on a person's life when they have the grief of heartbreak to carry without any societal acceptance of heartbreak being a valid grief. It is a great basis for a book and I read it quickly as I always wanted to get to the next chapter of each of the points of view.
I didn't, however, feel emotionally attached to any of them. It felt like I should, like that would help me to feel connected to this. Most adults have experienced the feeling of the world pulling at your insides because you are heartbroken - this book didn't manage to convey that for me. It is non-fiction but reads like fiction, without the clear focus of either genre towards some sort of meaning for those depicted. Ultimately, as much as I see the merit in this topic, I'm not convinced jt should have been centred around these particular people. J enjoyed the introduction and the end essay buy the author more than the book itself.
The book is a look at the real life implications on a person's life when they have the grief of heartbreak to carry without any societal acceptance of heartbreak being a valid grief. It is a great basis for a book and I read it quickly as I always wanted to get to the next chapter of each of the points of view.
I didn't, however, feel emotionally attached to any of them. It felt like I should, like that would help me to feel connected to this. Most adults have experienced the feeling of the world pulling at your insides because you are heartbroken - this book didn't manage to convey that for me. It is non-fiction but reads like fiction, without the clear focus of either genre towards some sort of meaning for those depicted. Ultimately, as much as I see the merit in this topic, I'm not convinced jt should have been centred around these particular people. J enjoyed the introduction and the end essay buy the author more than the book itself.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Miscarriage
jessbrooker's review against another edition
5.0
‘Where does all the love go, he asks himself, when there’s nowhere to put it?’
This is my top book so far for 2021. Such a beautifully written narrative non-fiction that perfectly depicts the entire process of heartbreak. The first half of the book was so warm, learning about the three relationships and how they blossomed and the second half so utterly heartbreaking. These stories don’t try to find hope or joy in the pain of a relationship breakup, but rather feeling it all, sitting in the pain and recognising the physical and mental sickness one goes through after a terrible break up. The way Jessie writes about heartbreak is all too relatable - no one has ever described the true pain of heartbreak in the way that she has. Absolutely beautiful.
This is my top book so far for 2021. Such a beautifully written narrative non-fiction that perfectly depicts the entire process of heartbreak. The first half of the book was so warm, learning about the three relationships and how they blossomed and the second half so utterly heartbreaking. These stories don’t try to find hope or joy in the pain of a relationship breakup, but rather feeling it all, sitting in the pain and recognising the physical and mental sickness one goes through after a terrible break up. The way Jessie writes about heartbreak is all too relatable - no one has ever described the true pain of heartbreak in the way that she has. Absolutely beautiful.