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jellichor's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
slow-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
3.5
It took me until half way through to figure out whether I liked the book or not, but by 60% I had decided that it was worth the journey. I have read many of Cecelia Ahern's books -she was a favourite of mine when I was a tween -and have found myself picking up more of her recent novels lately, which are quite different to her earlier work... She has a wonderful way of writing and her stories are consistently emotional and heart heavy, but always hopeful and endearing. This story was quite different... there is hope towards the end - and in the character of Naomi who was wonderful - but the first part of the story was so sad and triggering (do check the TWs) for someone who has experienced childhood trauma, and as a mother. I am all too aware of how much of a role we play in our Littles' lives, but it REALLY made me look at myself.
Alice is 8 years old when she realises she can see peoples' emotions as colourful auras around their bodies. With time she learns what the different shades mean, and as she grows she realises people are more than just one predominant colour. Cecelia Ahern often writes with a little touch of magic and I loved how she infused this idea into everyday life, such as how newborns glow pure and gold, how pregnancy affected her focus and ability, and how 'the one' doesn't exist - we all have multiple people who are 'right' for us around the world.
This is a story about gut instincts, coping mechanisms, and the experiences which lead us to develop them. Of family dynamics, mental health, how emotions (good and bad) can be absorbed - especially by young children - and how the choices we make are more than what has happened to us. Alice journeys through life with this curse/gift, making mistakes, learning lessons, trying to live with/in spite of it. She does make friends, have lovers, jobs, and this story takes us through her life until the end.
So did I like the book in the end? Yes, but it was a challenge, as books should be sometimes. We read to escape, to remember, to learn and grow. For fun and entertainment, to experience different lives and cultures. And although it can be uncomfortable at times, some books are here to make us think and reflect, in a thousand different ways.
Thank you to Netgalley and HarperCollins UK for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Alice is 8 years old when she realises she can see peoples' emotions as colourful auras around their bodies. With time she learns what the different shades mean, and as she grows she realises people are more than just one predominant colour. Cecelia Ahern often writes with a little touch of magic and I loved how she infused this idea into everyday life, such as how newborns glow pure and gold, how pregnancy affected her focus and ability, and how 'the one' doesn't exist - we all have multiple people who are 'right' for us around the world.
This is a story about gut instincts, coping mechanisms, and the experiences which lead us to develop them. Of family dynamics, mental health, how emotions (good and bad) can be absorbed - especially by young children - and how the choices we make are more than what has happened to us. Alice journeys through life with this curse/gift, making mistakes, learning lessons, trying to live with/in spite of it. She does make friends, have lovers, jobs, and this story takes us through her life until the end.
So did I like the book in the end? Yes, but it was a challenge, as books should be sometimes. We read to escape, to remember, to learn and grow. For fun and entertainment, to experience different lives and cultures. And although it can be uncomfortable at times, some books are here to make us think and reflect, in a thousand different ways.
Thank you to Netgalley and HarperCollins UK for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Gaslighting, Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, Sexual content, Mental illness, Drug abuse, Abandonment, and Addiction
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