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rachenation's review against another edition
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
lauralhart's review against another edition
5.0
I quickly finished this one, and wow. It's quiet and lovely, until you notice—just barely—that something seems off. Claustrophobic is a great word to describe the second half of the novel, and I would also say dissociative and dark. The narrator is obsessive and panicked, really panicked. I was surprised and a little disturbed to see how easily I morphed into the narrator while reading, how easily I sympathized and identified with her. Her world was so easy to visualize, and it was all so clear. I'm a sucker for the "stranger in a strange land" type of story, and this one did not disappoint. It really is, like I told my boss, about the emptinesses and what's not there, even though the effect of the story is claustrophobic. It isn't exactly plot-driven; rather, it's a compounding of days and actions that slowly start to change their meaning and ultimately lose it. I think that's brilliant. I also thought the writing was lovely. I kept underlining passages as I read, and they stuck with me long after I'd moved on.
thebooktroup's review against another edition
3.0
This is a quick quirky little read about a mother’s unraveling sanity after finding herself isolated living overseas in Geneva with her young children and “workaholic” husband. I didn’t hate this book but I didn’t love it either. I found Erika somewhat relatable since we recently completed an overseas move. I understand how in the beginning everything seems shiny and perfect, but then the honeymoon period wears off, the vacation-feel of the move is shaken off, and the monotony of everyday life prevails. Unfortunately, this is where the relatibility stops because I began to question her decision making and the likelihood of such possible isolation. The majority of the book is her inner monologue and her journey to complete madness. I could not grasp why she made choices she did... I found myself racing through pages to get to the climax, but ultimately it left me feeling very confused and perhaps a bit unhinged. I honestly don’t even know if I understood what exactly happened in the end and if the other characters actually existed outside of her head. Part of me wants to go back and reread the last bit but the other part of me thinks there are too many books out there to backtrack on something that didn't strike my fancy.
girlglitch's review against another edition
5.0
Maybe it's a side-effect of reading this book in lockdown, but I found Little Bandaged Days intensely claustrophobic. The depiction of isolation, of slowly recessing deeper into the shadows of your own mind, felt so real, I found it almost hard to read, as if I might be swept along with it.
Wilder has a wonderful way with words: it's the kind of prose you could spend hours unpicking. The plot is pretty predictable - you know from the start how it's going to end - but in many ways this inevitability only makes the denouement more poignant.
Compelling and oppressive, Little Bandaged Days is a smart exploration of the self-destructive selflessness of motherhood.
*Thank you to Netgalley for the arc in exchange for an honest review*
Wilder has a wonderful way with words: it's the kind of prose you could spend hours unpicking. The plot is pretty predictable - you know from the start how it's going to end - but in many ways this inevitability only makes the denouement more poignant.
Compelling and oppressive, Little Bandaged Days is a smart exploration of the self-destructive selflessness of motherhood.
*Thank you to Netgalley for the arc in exchange for an honest review*
nickymaund's review against another edition
4.0
A young mother moves to Switzerland with her husband and two young children thanks to his new job. His new job that has him working all manner of hours and is hardly ever home. Leaving the mum home alone with the kids in a different country, with different customs and a different language that she can’t speak or understand. She’s completely isolated and has no support at all. Little Bandaged Days is her story as her mental health declines and her grasp of reality becomes more and more muddled. Leaving the reader confused as you question whether what you have read is fact or her confused view on reality. Written in an unusual manner as there’s no traditional form of speech in the book and the only name mentioned in the book is the made up name she invents for another mum she comes across in her daily travels. Her children and husband are only referred to by their first initial - keeping the reader detached from these characters as you go along with the mum as her health worsens, and it also helps add to the confusion of her story. You really feel for her whilst she was in the middle of the frightening moments. What was also really poignant for me was how her husband, when he did come home (apparently) spotted no change in his wife’s health and (apparently) did little to support her. Added to the confusion was the snippets interspersed in the book where the mum is (apparently) talking to visitors whilst she’s in a hospital. A really good (confusing) story that was just a little too long in parts.
routergirl's review against another edition
3.0
Kyra Wilder is definitely a writer. There are some beautifully written things in this, which add to the psychological thrill of it - you're reading beautiful words describing a terrible situation. Like this bit:
"The days melted into each other. I felt it overwhelming sometimes that I was expected, all the time, to be a person. I woke in pieces. I was a random collection of parts. One shoulder but not the other, one ear. The skin on my face was raw, peeled open. I was so tired that it was really like that. It won’t last I thought. This is a phase, this is only now and now isn’t always. This minute is only this minute and this minute is only one minute long."
This book almost...almost had it. It was a creepy read, definitely got under my skin, and I loved (and worried about) the main character so much. I worried about the kids, I worried about how isolated she was, and that all she had was the husband who was clearly not a great guy.
What threw me were the chapters written later - identified by italics, clearly of someone in a different place. It never really came together. It never jibed, and when I hit the ending I was surprised. Because someone who can write like this? You believe they will pull it together by the end, but in this case it didn't happen.
"The days melted into each other. I felt it overwhelming sometimes that I was expected, all the time, to be a person. I woke in pieces. I was a random collection of parts. One shoulder but not the other, one ear. The skin on my face was raw, peeled open. I was so tired that it was really like that. It won’t last I thought. This is a phase, this is only now and now isn’t always. This minute is only this minute and this minute is only one minute long."
This book almost...almost had it. It was a creepy read, definitely got under my skin, and I loved (and worried about) the main character so much. I worried about the kids, I worried about how isolated she was, and that all she had was the husband who was clearly not a great guy.
What threw me were the chapters written later - identified by italics, clearly of someone in a different place. It never really came together. It never jibed, and when I hit the ending I was surprised. Because someone who can write like this? You believe they will pull it together by the end, but in this case it didn't happen.
annika123's review against another edition
4.0
I don’t usually write reviews but this book rattled me. It was amazing and confusing. Do I feel like I completely understood this book? No, but I kind of feel like that’s the point. It gave me so much anxiety and heaviness in my chest. If you struggle with depression or anxiety, especially postpartum this one might be too much for you.
pinksy's review against another edition
4.0
This was a very difficult but riveting read. Watching the impact of isolation and the early years of motherhood unfold.
It was so well written that I could sense the feeling of confusion and depression that was putting the main characters children at risk.
Could be triggering if post-natal depression has ever impacted you. Contains child abuse so some sensitivity is needed to protect yourself before reading.
It was so well written that I could sense the feeling of confusion and depression that was putting the main characters children at risk.
Could be triggering if post-natal depression has ever impacted you. Contains child abuse so some sensitivity is needed to protect yourself before reading.