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3.77 AVERAGE
3.77 AVERAGE
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
emotional
hopeful
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
emotional
hopeful
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I’ll be honest — I wanted to DNF this book at least three times. The only thing that kept me going was realizing I was already halfway through, and part of me hoped the second half would redeem the experience. Unfortunately, it didn’t quite get there.
Helen, the main character, is difficult to connect with. She comes across as cold, closed off, and often judgmental — not in the “flawed but relatable” way, but in a way that made it hard to root for her. Grant, on the other hand, swings too far in the opposite direction. He’s overly needy and emotionally dependent, which added to the imbalance in their dynamic.
The main romance revolves around trauma bonding, and while that’s a valid (and often poignant) theme in fiction, the execution here felt repetitive. Their cycle of hooking up, emotionally imploding, and pushing each other away happened so many times that it started to feel like the story was stuck on a loop. Instead of growing together, it felt like they were emotionally stunting each other — and I found myself more frustrated than invested.
To give credit where it’s due, Kuang’s writing has moments of sharp emotional insight, and the behind-the-scenes look at a writers’ room was interesting. But ultimately, the characters’ emotional immaturity overshadowed the story’s deeper themes of grief and healing.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders, Car accident
Moderate: Death, Suicide
Minor: Suicidal thoughts
emotional
hopeful
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
emotional
funny
hopeful
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
emotional
funny
reflective
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
emotional
hopeful
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
emotional
funny
hopeful
fast-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
Why was this so good!?
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
i wanted so badly to like this book more—it was really well-written, its premise was unique, and it started out really strong, but it felt to me like two different books. about 1/3 of the way through, it felt to me like helen’s character did almost a complete 180; the enemies-to-lovers dynamic also wasn’t really there. i liked both helens, but they are two almost completely different people and it felt strange that the stoic, stiff, but very self-conscious and relatable helen was so swiftly replaced with this goofy, outspoken, and in-love helen that wasn’t there at the start. the plot also really dragged once it became clear that helen was determined to consistently throw wrenches into their relationship with her arbitrary and confusing rules. it was hard to understand her at times and i have a hard time understanding how grant took her back after everything she put him through after just a few months of their.. whatever it was. relationship in every way but name.
however, i will say that it was at times an incredibly beautiful and heartbreaking portrayal of grief and loss and i did (mostly) like grant and new helen’s relationship, when it wasn’t being sabotaged. i feel like a lot of it can be chalked up to the possibly different writing style the author is used to, and the fact that this is her debut novel. i’m looking forward to watching the emily henry adaptations she’s working on and whatever book projects she is hopefully planning to put out—i hope she continues to use her unique screenwriting background and LA experience in her future works.
however, i will say that it was at times an incredibly beautiful and heartbreaking portrayal of grief and loss and i did (mostly) like grant and new helen’s relationship, when it wasn’t being sabotaged. i feel like a lot of it can be chalked up to the possibly different writing style the author is used to, and the fact that this is her debut novel. i’m looking forward to watching the emily henry adaptations she’s working on and whatever book projects she is hopefully planning to put out—i hope she continues to use her unique screenwriting background and LA experience in her future works.