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moon_bun07's review
dark
hopeful
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
3.0
I did eventually finish this book but my god it was difficult. While the main character Beth certainly goes through it, I found her super unlikeable and got very frustrated by her actions. The second half definitely makes up for the first half. Themes in this books are definitely heavy so be forewarned.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide attempt
Moderate: Child abuse
Minor: Mental illness
herceia's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
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
4.0
It took me a second to get into it but I’m really glad so stayed. The narrative is lovely and simple and very relatable to me, and I felt that journey and could empathize with it. At times it made me furious, bc I could detect the patterns of self destruction, but I always felt more empathy than judgment, which was nice. It’s a high school journey that I’m familiar with, and it really hit home.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Suicide attempt, Panic attacks/disorders, and Mental illness
princess72's review
emotional
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
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness and Suicide attempt
Moderate: Child abuse
jessy_reads's review
dark
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
If it was only based on enjoyment, this book would have gotten 4.5 stars. This book was great. When I started reading, I had no idea what I was getting into, but this is exactly the type of story that I love reading. I'm so glad I picked it up. After only a few pages, I fell in love with the group of friends, their unique personalities, and the way they shine just that bit brighter when they are together. Add to that Gilbert's beautiful writing, simple yet mesmerizing, and this story seems to be made just for me.
Unfortunately, I wish I could have gotten to read more about Jason's recovery and Jason's father's motives. This is what led to the lower rating than the premise of the story and the writing deserved. The ending was not entirely satisfying to me, but I know that it is very difficult for me to find a book focused on mental health that has a satisfying ending. Wrap it up neatly, and it seems unrealistic. Give a realistic ending by letting the character continue to suffer, and it won't feel like an ending.
Still, I loved this story. I loved the characters and just wanted to get to know them intimately. I loved their discussions, which I could recognize myself in. I loved how concerned they were for Jason, how considerate, while feeling so powerless too, and it is something that each of us can relate to. Finally, I thought Gilbert was able to achieve a nice balance between darkness and the "romantic" scenes. It is hard to do, build a romance while also showing the darkest side of the characters, but their friendship had built a solid foundation for the next step romantically. I loved getting to know Beth and Jason.
So, didn't know what i was getting into, but I'm so glad I picked this up! This is exactly my jam.
Unfortunately, I wish I could have gotten to read more about Jason's recovery and Jason's father's motives. This is what led to the lower rating than the premise of the story and the writing deserved. The ending was not entirely satisfying to me, but I know that it is very difficult for me to find a book focused on mental health that has a satisfying ending. Wrap it up neatly, and it seems unrealistic. Give a realistic ending by letting the character continue to suffer, and it won't feel like an ending.
Still, I loved this story. I loved the characters and just wanted to get to know them intimately. I loved their discussions, which I could recognize myself in. I loved how concerned they were for Jason, how considerate, while feeling so powerless too, and it is something that each of us can relate to. Finally, I thought Gilbert was able to achieve a nice balance between darkness and the "romantic" scenes. It is hard to do, build a romance while also showing the darkest side of the characters, but their friendship had built a solid foundation for the next step romantically. I loved getting to know Beth and Jason.
So, didn't know what i was getting into, but I'm so glad I picked this up! This is exactly my jam.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment, Child abuse, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Suicide attempt, and Violence
thetealdeal's review
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide, Suicide attempt, Mental illness, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Panic attacks/disorders, Domestic abuse, and Child abuse
wenwanzhao's review
dark
emotional
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
3.75
The narrator will stress you out! Every ten pages I was thinking, “someone please help her.” Very captivating book though.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Abandonment, Mental illness, and Suicide attempt
xoodlebooks'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
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Grief, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide attempt
Moderate: Racism
Minor: Medical content
melaniereadsbooks's review
challenging
emotional
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
This book was extremely hard for me to read because of the content! I also really could not connect with the main character in any way. She was so one-track-minded about staying with her friends that she didn't even have a real personality for almost the entire book. Then I thought the ending stretched out too long and this book could have been a lot shorter. The writing was pretty good, but everything was just so slow.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Abandonment, Grief, Mental illness, and Panic attacks/disorders
Moderate: Vomit
enchantedtoreadyou's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
When We Were Infinite was a hard read. It covered a lot of hard topics. That normally wouldn’t bother me, but since the pacing felt so slow it just seemed like the longest, saddest book. Beth wasn’t the best MC. She was bratty and pessimistic. I was much more interested in her friend’s stories. The ending was hopeful though, and that honestly saved this book for me.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide attempt, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, and Mental illness
Moderate: Racism
betweentheshelves's review
emotional
sad
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
4.0
Thanks to Simon and Schuster and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this to review! While I hadn’t read any of Gilbert’s books previously, this one hits on subjects that I often read a lot about. There are a lot of heavy topics dealt with in this book, and Gilbert tackles them head-on, making them feel real.
First, the cons. There was something about the voice that felt off to me, which I couldn’t quite pinpoint. There were periods of time that went by really quickly, and there were also sections where it seemed like Beth was telling this story from a time in the future. I think there were just sections that didn’t seem to transition well, which threw off the voice for me.
However, what is done well is Beth’s feelings and anxiety. She has panic attacks throughout the book and they feel realistic. There are some great discussions about mental health to be had throughout the book. What I also appreciated was Beth’s deep-seated fear about things changing because it’s definitely something we can all relate to. Keeping close with her friends from high school is her way of keeping some sort of comfort when everything else is changing.
There are also a lot of great conversations about Asian culture in this book. Beth is distanced from it, while Jason is not. Beth feels like she’s missing out on something because of this and it really leads to some great discussion.
All in all, this is a really in-depth novel that will give you a lot to think about. Not the most light-hearted, but important all the same.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Suicide attempt, Panic attacks/disorders, and Mental illness
Moderate: Racism and Racial slurs