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adamagoesit_'s review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
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
I have so many words for how much I loved this book. It has taken me awhile to spring some words together because my thoughts were all over the place. This is my first Tia Williams book and my God, this woman has such a way with words. Her pen is breathingly beautiful and she has made a fan out of me.
You have Eva Mercy who has terrible migraines and a pen vicious enough to write a 15 book series while having amazing powerhouse of a daughter, Audre. When she rekindles with her high-school love, Shane, we are taken back to their past and what made them who they are today. This story is so heartbreaking and the relationship dynamics that were put into these characters make them so relatable. It feels very real and gives a realistic view of how children are treated because of parental neglect while putting their personal agendas at the forefront rather than taking care of their children. Every adult in their past that was involved actually deserves jail time. It sheds light to sometimes, rekindling relationships can come just as much as they can go.
There was so much care and thought being done throughout this book and I appreciated it more than anything. Seeing how Shane is battling his addiction while trying to avenge his past and Eva coping with her chronic illness. You see the depiction of how debilitating it is to constantly show up for yourself everyday while trying to heal from your past and the present. It also shows how love can help you realize that you are worthy of being alive and being loved. Eva and Shane are meant to be and I will stand on that.
Now, go read the book (:
You have Eva Mercy who has terrible migraines and a pen vicious enough to write a 15 book series while having amazing powerhouse of a daughter, Audre. When she rekindles with her high-school love, Shane, we are taken back to their past and what made them who they are today. This story is so heartbreaking and the relationship dynamics that were put into these characters make them so relatable. It feels very real and gives a realistic view of how children are treated because of parental neglect while putting their personal agendas at the forefront rather than taking care of their children. Every adult in their past that was involved actually deserves jail time. It sheds light to sometimes, rekindling relationships can come just as much as they can go.
There was so much care and thought being done throughout this book and I appreciated it more than anything. Seeing how Shane is battling his addiction while trying to avenge his past and Eva coping with her chronic illness. You see the depiction of how debilitating it is to constantly show up for yourself everyday while trying to heal from your past and the present. It also shows how love can help you realize that you are worthy of being alive and being loved. Eva and Shane are meant to be and I will stand on that.
Now, go read the book (:
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness, Chronic illness, Alcoholism, Suicidal thoughts, and Child abuse
Moderate: Suicide attempt, Abandonment, Addiction, and Sexual harassment
dkh's review against another edition
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
sad
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
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness, Self harm, Injury/Injury detail, Chronic illness, Alcoholism, Drug use, and Toxic relationship
pamshenanigans's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
“You burst into my solitude, demanding to be seen. You were overwhelming. Just wild and weird and brilliant, and I never had a choice.”
An evocative romance book about two kindred spirits who bonded over their flaws but lost touch with each other for 15 years. Throughout this 15 years they’ve written about and to each other, both too scared to face the reality: the pull they have towards each other is palpable and inescapable.
I had high expectations for this book and was absolutely FLOORED by how amazing this was. The writing, the subtle but impactful plot, and the flawed yet darkly hilarious and genuine characters were meshed together to create a perfect balance in this literary romance novel.
It was so addicting and compelling to read with gritty lines that you’d think about for days on end. The writing was almost lyrical at times that didn’t require to be lyrical but it was still beautiful and made sense to the way the characters behaved. (in short: it wasn’t too cringey sweet just for the sake of keeping up the romance plot)
At the heart of the novel as well were mothers of different generations and showed how you can be doing your definition of best as a parent which doesn’t necessarily mean that that was what’s best for your child. ”Women are expected to absorb traumas both subtle and loud and move on. Shoulder the weight of the world. But when the world fucks with us, the worst thing we can do is bury it. Embracing it makes us strong enough to fuck the world right back.”
Eva and Audre’s relationship as mother-daughter was so refreshing to read. “Mother and daughter mirrored each other in the most striking of ways.”
I like how it may seem to work out in the end but it was vaguely concluded in a way that as a reader, it implies the start of something new; that their future bears challenges still along the way, but this time, they’ve fully embraced their flawed selves and just face things head on together.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Drug abuse, Chronic illness, and Alcoholism
Moderate: Self harm
Minor: Death
isabelboswinkel's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Suicidal thoughts, Drug use, Domestic abuse, Chronic illness, and Toxic relationship
nata_c's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
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
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual content, Chronic illness, Self harm, and Alcoholism
Minor: Blood, Toxic relationship, Sexual assault, Mental illness, Police brutality, and Racism
katreena's review against another edition
emotional
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
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Drug use, Self harm, Classism, Toxic relationship, Mental illness, Drug abuse, Alcoholism, Racism, Chronic illness, Addiction, and Alcohol
shannon222's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
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
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Self harm, Alcoholism, and Drug abuse
zoe_archambault's review against another edition
way too graphic re self harm. not enough of a fan of the plot / characters to push through
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Self harm, Drug abuse, and Alcoholism
Minor: Death of parent and Blood
lilhappyhermit's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
tense
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? Yes
5.0
This book elicited so many emotions from me while I read it, I was a crying mess by the end of it. Following Eva and Shane as they navigate the present, with their past still haunting them, was such a beautifully raw experience. Seeing where they were at in their lives when they first met, and how that attributed to how intense their seven days together were, and then fast-forwarding to the now and seeing the growth they have made despite their pasts was such an eye-opening experience. Because while there has been so much growth between the both of them, as individuals, they are still held back (to an extent) by their past and their experience with one another. Seeing them break down their walls, after so much time has passed, and allowing one another in was beautiful. I absolutely loved this book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Drug abuse, and Self harm
Moderate: Drug use and Addiction
chrleee's review against another edition
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
sad
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? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Sexual content, Drug abuse, Alcoholism, and Self harm