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eljaytacang's review
dark
inspiring
sad
slow-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
3.5
“I have always known there are other people in the world who are like me, but still in my existence, it has felt unique.”
When the author reached out to me if I would like a copy of the book in exchange for a review, I didn't hesitate to say yes after reading the synopsis. I myself have been dealing with anxiety and (seasonal) depression so I was interested to see how it will be portrayed in the book. I was also really interested to read about how OCD would be tackled as I am not well-educated when it comes to this specific condition.
The first few chapters gave us a peek of how Amy's brain works and how anxiety and OCD manifested in her daily life, and how it takes a turn for the worse when she dips into depression. There were some parts that I could relate to, but it was really interesting for me to see how OCD disrupts her daily routine. From early on, though, it was very clear that Amy has not really processed nor accepted her current situation, and this was also revealed in her dream about the past before OCD and anxiety took over her life. I slowly found myself cheering for her and wanting her to get better.
Now with the people around her, it seems we were only really introduced to her workmates and I assume they're the only friends that Amy has. I really like how Ed is towards Amy. He seems to bring out the best in her. Or bring Amy out of whatever she is in at that moment. Just when she is about to spiral, a little interruption from Ed saves her from going all the way. He even brightens up her day, and I really appreciate how kind he is to her. Sally, well, she kind of struck a nerve with me when she was ranting to Ed and Nathan behind Amy's back so I'm not gonna talk much about her (also we didn't really see much development with her anyways). And with Nathan, he steps up towards the end of the book and takes care of Amy when she was at her worst. I believe because Nathan has had depression before he truly understood more than the others.
Now onto the romance aspect of the book, I have some mixed feelings about it. At first I thought we were gonna have something romantic with Ed, but it was then revealed much later on that he was married. I felt a bit conflicted with it because it kind of came of as a last minute decision to make him a married man. Amy was pretty detailed in describing Nathan's being single and Sally having a husband. So I don't know if it was a deliberate decision to make Ed married and just reveal much later. With Ben, too, they kept on going about the sparks that even other people can see — I honestly didn't. Amy and Nathan had more chemistry than Ben and Amy did, I'm sorry 😅
I do have a bone to pick with the whole job aspect of this book though. It just doesn’t feel realistic to me because of two things:
- The Sydney trip. Maybe because the company I work for is a medium-sized one that I cannot see how a company just goes to an overseas client, bringing the whole team, without it having to pass so many authorisations and approvals. Their trip felt like a “wanna go? okay let’s go!” kind of situation so it didn’t feel realistic to me.
- Another one is Amy’s prolonged absence being acceptable to the company. Again, maybe because it’s different where I am, but it just seems unlikely for a company to keep someone and hire a temp just to cover the work? But I guess they have a different dynamic in their workplace?
This part of the book is pretty much the thing that kind of made it feel like everything fell into place for Amy in the end, which is unrealistic because that is not what really happens in real life.
Overall though, I am glad I read this book. It gave me an inside look on something I knew nothing of, and it made me root for Amy as she faced her daily life. There was a part where it felt a bit raw and kind of took me back to one of my worst days, but I knew what I was getting into so not the author's fault 😂 Either way I’m glad to see that the author didn’t really make it seem like there is an easy way out for Amy, just that there is a way out of it.
When the author reached out to me if I would like a copy of the book in exchange for a review, I didn't hesitate to say yes after reading the synopsis. I myself have been dealing with anxiety and (seasonal) depression so I was interested to see how it will be portrayed in the book. I was also really interested to read about how OCD would be tackled as I am not well-educated when it comes to this specific condition.
The first few chapters gave us a peek of how Amy's brain works and how anxiety and OCD manifested in her daily life, and how it takes a turn for the worse when she dips into depression. There were some parts that I could relate to, but it was really interesting for me to see how OCD disrupts her daily routine. From early on, though, it was very clear that Amy has not really processed nor accepted her current situation, and this was also revealed in her dream about the past before OCD and anxiety took over her life. I slowly found myself cheering for her and wanting her to get better.
Now with the people around her, it seems we were only really introduced to her workmates and I assume they're the only friends that Amy has. I really like how Ed is towards Amy. He seems to bring out the best in her. Or bring Amy out of whatever she is in at that moment. Just when she is about to spiral, a little interruption from Ed saves her from going all the way. He even brightens up her day, and I really appreciate how kind he is to her. Sally, well, she kind of struck a nerve with me
Now onto the romance aspect of the book, I have some mixed feelings about it.
I do have a bone to pick with the whole job aspect of this book though. It just doesn’t feel realistic to me because of two things:
- The Sydney trip. Maybe because the company I work for is a medium-sized one that I cannot see how a company just goes to an overseas client, bringing the whole team, without it having to pass so many authorisations and approvals. Their trip felt like a “wanna go? okay let’s go!” kind of situation so it didn’t feel realistic to me.
- Another one is Amy’s prolonged absence being acceptable to the company. Again, maybe because it’s different where I am, but it just seems unlikely for a company to keep someone and hire a temp just to cover the work? But I guess they have a different dynamic in their workplace?
This part of the book is pretty much the thing that kind of made it feel like everything fell into place for Amy in the end, which is unrealistic because that is not what really happens in real life.
Overall though, I am glad I read this book. It gave me an inside look on something I knew nothing of, and it made me root for Amy as she faced her daily life. There was a part where it felt a bit raw and kind of took me back to one of my worst days, but I knew what I was getting into so not the author's fault 😂 Either way I’m glad to see that the author didn’t really make it seem like there is an easy way out for Amy, just that there is a way out of it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Panic attacks/disorders, and Mental illness
bookellys's review
challenging
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
When the author approached me to read her book I wasn’t sure what to expect - from the blurb I thought Amy maybe lived in a fantasy world and saw things differently… this is partially true, though rather than a fantasy world, she’s living in a nightmare!
I had the pleasure of reading this as part of a buddy read. Whilst this was a relatively quick book to read, it definitely wasn’t an easy read and it initially made me feel anxious being submerged into Amy’s world.
For a character driven book, I don’t feel there was enough character development and there was some discussion in our buddy read group about there not being enough to picture what the characters may look like, though I do wonder if that was on purpose to demonstrate how Amy’s brain is too busy to pick up on detail?
⚠️There are some very triggering subjects covered in this book (in fact the whole book is a trigger) so I would recommend checking them out prior to reading.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, and Suicidal thoughts
frumpkin_'s review
emotional
inspiring
sad
fast-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness
Minor: Suicidal thoughts, Self harm, and Panic attacks/disorders
Anxiety, depression and OCD.
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