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andreac713's review
emotional
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
4.5
meredithmc's review against another edition
3.0
well, i liked this book. i certainly didn't love it. i felt equally engrossed in both oscar & alba's stories and the letters from the library. when those began intertwining, the story dropped off a bit for me. the ending felt rushed, like "here's the conclusion, yay, the end!" don't get me wrong, i appreciated the direction the characters took at the novel's end but it felt a bit too perfect. all in all, a good read.
amielizabeth's review
4.0
Very engrossing but the more I reflected on it, it just seemed like the characters, and their backstories, were a bit too cliched. I do recommend it.
dreamofbookspines's review against another edition
4.0
What a sad, beautiful little book! I appreciate books that can tie past and present together, which this one does admirably. It goes from painfully real to fantastical in the span of a few pages. Really enjoyed this quick read.
ampersammich's review
4.0
A love story of two people broken in very different ways. What's not to like?
cuiomae's review
Aardig boek, leest lekker weg (heb de Nederlandse vertaling gelezen). Niet zo bijzonder als ik had gehoopt, maar de personages zijn geweldig. Het plot wordt op een gegeven moment een beetje saai.
georgiareadz's review
emotional
hopeful
reflective
slow-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
3.0
Only thirty pages in and this book will have you rooting for its main characters, Oscar and Alba. The ending disappointed me a little, felt like there could have been more to say about their ending.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness and Panic attacks/disorders
Moderate: Addiction
Minor: Sexual assault
anygivenmemory's review
4.0
At first I wasn't completely in love with this book. It seemed like it was going to be like any other book about people with mental illness or addictions. It redeemed itself the further I read. I especially like how the story of the patient from the past was interwoven with the current story happening between Oscar and Alba.
Oscar is a classic example of someone not addressing their true issues, opting instead to drown them under drug use. Alba is suppressed under a "well-meaning" father, having had mental instability for most of her life. Is this an inherited sickness from her mother, or a side effect of not being able to truly live? Oddly enough it appears that Oscar and Alba need each other to be able to finally face their demons once and for all.
Mary was a patient at the asylum many years ago when treatments were more torture than helpful and she was locked away by an unloving husband and was never allowed to see her children again. Her story and ultimately even the story of her son is a sad one, and from it Alba learns to see a bit of the truth in her own situation.
Oscar is a classic example of someone not addressing their true issues, opting instead to drown them under drug use. Alba is suppressed under a "well-meaning" father, having had mental instability for most of her life. Is this an inherited sickness from her mother, or a side effect of not being able to truly live? Oddly enough it appears that Oscar and Alba need each other to be able to finally face their demons once and for all.
Mary was a patient at the asylum many years ago when treatments were more torture than helpful and she was locked away by an unloving husband and was never allowed to see her children again. Her story and ultimately even the story of her son is a sad one, and from it Alba learns to see a bit of the truth in her own situation.
zoe_m's review
4.0
I positively gobbled this book up. It was well written with thought-provoking characters and situations.
This is the story about two rehab patients who meet while struggling with their respective problems -- alcoholism and combination of manic depression. Interwoven throughout is the discovered letters of a patient from decades earlier, forming a love story between mother and child.
It is a powerful story of overcoming the evils your mind puts upon you, and therefore resonates deeply with me. Highly recommended.
And I am determined to be Lisa Carey when I grow up.
This is the story about two rehab patients who meet while struggling with their respective problems -- alcoholism and combination of manic depression. Interwoven throughout is the discovered letters of a patient from decades earlier, forming a love story between mother and child.
It is a powerful story of overcoming the evils your mind puts upon you, and therefore resonates deeply with me. Highly recommended.
And I am determined to be Lisa Carey when I grow up.
booksandbosox's review
3.0
Alba is crazy. She's been institutionalized off and on since she was fifteen. Oscar is an addict. He doesn't believe he's hit rock bottom or think that his using of drugs is a problem. These two people meet when both are committed to Abenaki Hospital in rural Maine. From their first meeting, a spark of something that could take them both beyond their troubles appears. Is it possible to find love in the asylum?
This book was not quite what I expected as I got further into it. Alba and Oscar are both very real and interesting characters, but I found the story's strength in the intertwining narrative of Mary X. At first, I was put off by what I saw as an intrusion in the story of Alba and Oscar but soon, I changed my tune. The Mary X story was incredibly unique and interesting and, I think, ended up a stronger story than that of Alba and Oscar. I was happy that Alba stumbled upon Mary X's story and used it to propel her own story further. Well done, but lacks some polish. Will probably read other Lisa Carey in the future.
This book was not quite what I expected as I got further into it. Alba and Oscar are both very real and interesting characters, but I found the story's strength in the intertwining narrative of Mary X. At first, I was put off by what I saw as an intrusion in the story of Alba and Oscar but soon, I changed my tune. The Mary X story was incredibly unique and interesting and, I think, ended up a stronger story than that of Alba and Oscar. I was happy that Alba stumbled upon Mary X's story and used it to propel her own story further. Well done, but lacks some polish. Will probably read other Lisa Carey in the future.