Reviews tagging 'Death of parent'

The No-Show by Beth O'Leary

61 reviews

megelizabeth's review against another edition

emotional mysterious sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix

3.5

"...how futile it was to try not to love Joseph Carter; accepting the agony of it all has been a peculiar kind of relief."

This is a difficult book for me to review, as it essentially consists of three intertwined storylines and two of them I adored but one I absolutely couldn't stand. I did largely work out where the overarching plot was going, but that didn't bother me, as I still thought it was so ambitious and cleverly-done, and also because there was so much I loved in Jane's and Siobhan's storylines; there are brilliantly important conversations, excellent building of tension, relationships that feel agonisingly real, and climaxes that shattered my heart and then went some way to putting it back together.

I found Miranda annoying and difficult to connect to all the way through (and you're clearly supposed to root for all three protagonists), but I'd feel more forgiving because of how much I was drawn into everything else that was happening if it wasn't for the way Miranda's last chapter ended. I just cannot fathom how the author possibly thought what happened could be seen as anything other than downright insensitive, let alone supposedly 'romantic'.

So, yeah, very mixed feelings on this one. It definitely had a huge impact on me, and I'd still say I'm glad I read it because it has an extremely intriguing set-up and because I loved Jane's and Siobhan's characters so much; it just could have been so much better with an equally compelling third protagonist and a far less frustrating end to her story. I did, however, apparently unlike a lot of reviewers, really like Joseph for the most part, and I definitely found his character arc to be a super compelling one.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness and Death

Moderate: Miscarriage and Self harm

Minor: Death of parent

samchase112's review against another edition

emotional hopeful reflective sad slow-paced

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

2.5

Mehhhh. Just, meh. I found myself skimming this one quite early as it trudged along to the big finale twist. Honestly, none of the characters grabbed me — except maybe Miranda and her flirtation with AJ — and I really didn't care about what happened to them, Joseph Carter–related or not. O'Leary certainly went for an interesting experiment with this one, but for me, at least, it simply didn't land.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Toxic relationship, Sexual harassment, and Cursing

Minor: Death of parent, Cancer, and Sexual content

bookishjae's review against another edition

emotional hopeful reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Dementia, Sexual harassment, Infidelity, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Grief, Emotional abuse, and Gaslighting

Minor: Alcohol, Pregnancy, and Death of parent

olivia_v's review against another edition

emotional hopeful mysterious tense medium-paced

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

3.5

Beth O’Leary is one of my favourite authors and this was another good read (although not my favourite of hers). 

It’s so cleverly written that when the different timelines are revealed everything falls perfectly in to place. I spent the majority of the book flipping between rooting for and hating Joseph, and being so perplexed how he was juggling three women at once. When you get that first clue that it’s not all happening at the same time, it really makes your brain tick with trying to figure it all out.

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Content Warnings

Minor: Death, Self harm, Dementia, Sexual harassment, Death of parent, and Mental illness

cheypreston's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful mysterious sad medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death, Car accident, and Grief

Minor: Death of parent, Miscarriage, Emotional abuse, and Sexual harassment

lindseybarnett's review against another edition

adventurous emotional funny mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death, Death of parent, Miscarriage, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Dementia, Alcohol, Cursing, Gaslighting, Grief, and Emotional abuse

meredith_williams_'s review against another edition

emotional reflective 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

4.0

I picked up “The No-Show” expecting a light, John-Tucker-Must-Die type of romantic comedy, but was pleasantly surprised by a much more heartfelt story about the importance of intimacy and connection. I liked that the story was told from the three separate points of view of the main women. It gives the reader an interesting insight into the different facets of the characters and makes the twist at the end that much more unexpected. The beginning of the book started a bit slow and it took me awhile to straighten out all of the side characters in each story line, but towards the midway point the pace picks up and the plot becomes more engaging. This is certainly more of a romantic drama than it is a comedy, so if you’re looking for a light read, this isn’t the book for you. Overall, I think it’s worth the read and will definitely pick up more of O’Leary’s work! 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Car accident, Sexual harassment, Grief, and Dementia

Moderate: Alcohol and Mental illness

Minor: Death of parent and Self harm

krisrow's review against another edition

emotional funny

• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death and Grief

Moderate: Miscarriage, Self harm, Pregnancy, Panic attacks/disorders, Mental illness, Death of parent, Stalking, and Injury/Injury detail

takarakei's review against another edition

emotional mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

What an absolute wild ride. Definitely a unique 'romance' book, but be sure to prepare yourself for pain. This one is not all sunshine and rainbows. I thoroughly enjoyed the mysterious reveal of the plot. I related to all the characters on different levels. It broke me, but in the best way possible.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Car accident, and Grief

Moderate: Dementia, Alcohol, Miscarriage, and Sexual harassment

Minor: Death of parent, Pregnancy, and Sexual content

rgreen2704's review against another edition

funny hopeful lighthearted relaxing medium-paced

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death of parent, Grief, and Death