Reviews tagging 'Mental illness'

Songs in Ursa Major by Emma Brodie

35 reviews

liv_lovesbooks's review against another edition

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dark emotional funny lighthearted mysterious 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

4.25

Super fast read and I had a blast reading it

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kyrajg's review

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emotional reflective slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

This one is a difficult book for me to review. I absolutely tore through it and couldn't put it down. But I felt there were some major issues with pacing and a few of the plot points felt really rushed/characters weren't fully flushed out. I also wish the epilogue had given a bit more closure as I still had a lot of questions. It's not as well put together as Daisy Jones and the Six, but if you liked that book you'll probably enjoy this one too.

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emmlxxi's review against another edition

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dark emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

the characters are lovable with the exception of Jesse. Idc that he had his character developement, he still gives me the ick✊🏻

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katiejohns's review

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emotional hopeful reflective sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0


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mommarex1221's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional mysterious tense
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No

4.0

Perfect for those riding the 70s fictional rock roller coaster that is Daisy Jones and perfect for those who wanted to like Daisy but struggled with the interview format. But it's so much more than that! Ursa Major branches off in unexpected ways and ended most in a satisfying manner. I truly enjoyed this debut and look forward to her next book, whatever it may be.

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deedeeroo's review

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adventurous challenging hopeful reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character

4.25


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janae_reads's review against another edition

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medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

I won’t lie, I mainly picked this up to fill the Daisy Jones & The Six-shaped hole in my heart. I’m also just a huge fan of 60s/70s music and culture, so I’m usually always ready and raring to consume any sort of period piece that takes place during this time. So this book checked off a lot of boxes: another story about musicians who fall for each other and also set in the late 60s. 
But, to my disappointment, this book was just…okay. I want to make it clear: I was not comparing this book to DJATS while reading. They’re two separate books and it wouldn’t be fair to compare them. With that being said though, I just couldn’t find myself liking these characters. Jane and Jesse were both fairly unlikeable, and every other character was simply forgettable. The plot was also, I mean, it was just alright; really nothing to write home about. 
I’ll be honest, the main thing this story had going for it was its lyrics which I enjoyed reading. Aside from that, a few of the character interactions were nice and funny at times but that’s about it. Don’t get me wrong, the book isn’t bad, but I wouldn’t re-read it. 

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jdawg1's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional 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

4.5


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sophiao's review against another edition

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emotional inspiring fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.75

Personally not a favorite of mine because it moved into the story super fast. Marketed as a romance story when that really isn't the main focus of the book and the romance seems forced and unrealistic. Would like to see the story lean into its historical context a bit more.

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eviecheesepuff's review against another edition

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dark emotional inspiring 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

4.25

Let’s set the scene ✨it’s 1969✨ you're in a Jesse Reid concert…but a band you’ve never heard of comes on stage. You’re upset and about to leave. Then the singer opens her mouth and…well, now you’re glad you're here to witness the birth of a legend. That is Jane Quinn and she doesn’t know yet, but this won’t be the last time her fate and Jesse Reid’s gets intertwined.

Look 👀 the blurb says that this is a love story. It's so much more. Don’t get me wrong! There is a love story in here but a very bittersweet and turbulent one. So if you’re looking for a sweet rom-com this is NOT it fam! 😭

Our mc Jane is a firecracker with no filter. This makes it hard for her to navigate the music world of sexism she’s thrown into. That was definitely my favorite theme in here👩‍🎤

Mental illness was a very big part of the story. I really liked how the author portrayed dealing with addiction and the boundaries you must set in order to heal from it. It was written in a really kind and understanding manner, which was lovely to see.

We also have some LGBTQ+ representation. We stand!

A lot of people are comparing this book to Daisy Jones and the Six and tbh the vibe is definitely matched but there are differences.
DJATS is a beautifully knitted story. The characters...I didn’t really like as people... but I was drawn to them by their flaws and personalities throughout the interviews.
Songs In Ursa Major is the opposite, I like the characters and I want them to thrive but the storytelling is not as impactful.

The songs however…are amazing. I need these songs to be recorded in real life so I can listen to them ❤️

Lessons learned

- Be more like Jane and do not lower your standards because society thinks you should. You know what you want, go out there and get it.

-Appreciate the family that stays instead of dwelling on those who left.

notes

- Inspired by the affair between Joni Mitchell & James Taylor BUT in my head ✨ Harry Styles & Victoria De Angelis ✨ were cast as the mcs. Not even sorry… 

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