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3.7 AVERAGE
3.7 AVERAGE
**Yes there are spoilers**
Here we go again... In hindsight, I think we need more books that have to deal with POC/black characters who deal with mental illness and create more awareness on the subject. However, I also think there was a way to execute mental disorders that were presented in this book without tying it to a horrible end. For instance,
Christine had both BPD and Bipolar disorder, and when you look at statistics for those who have these disorders and that commit su*c*de, I felt as though there should have been a different ending for a character such as herself.
I do think this book was more of a therapeutic book for the Author, therefore, I do not know if it is right to comment on so much on this story because it deals with heavy topics. Because the story has such heavy topics it makes you wonder how much research has the author done or is this based on experience, or from others around her that she knows. I am not sure, so I will comment on the positives I loved from the story and what could have been better.
Pros:
Emmett/Rye: I think he was a well-written character, and maybe because he was written from the female gaze that made me adore his character. I wanted him to be okay and seeing his sensitive side, his grief being expressed made me feel for him at every moment. He was intriguing. He loved to cook, he had aspirations, an overall likable character despite his flaws when it comes to the email situation
Pop-culture references, made the characters feel much more real and the world much more realistic.
The timing: I forgot this all happened in a matter of three days no matter how much it was mentioned, it felt like a build-up over time
Cons:
Tallie: I don't think she was a bad character, I just think she was not written as well as Rye, maybe because I tried so hard to love her and adore her but it kept falling short. She seemed like she was compassionate and she cared, but at the same time she seemed so dis-ingenuine, There are too many moments where I felt as though she did not really care for Rye, really she took care of him because she did not want to take care of herself. She also needed therapy and yet she did not get it. I know she is not perfect and I think that is the most real thing about her, I think because she was not put on this peddle stool, I also didn't leave any room for her. However, I kept trying to find that room in my head and heart to adore her, but I could not altogether.
Why did she sleep with Rye on the same night, but also in that night she was jealous if she suspected Nico had a date, but she was also still mad about her ex-husband...like Ma'am pick a man, and give me a break.
That is another thing, the author built up Rye as this relatable character, yet in the end, Nico was the winning man and the audience doesn't even know him. 300 pages of Rye went to Nico as the winning man, and maybe that is like real life but then you start to wonder what was this book for
?
If it is about hope, fate, and faith, then write a book on that. You can build a beautiful, meaningful, PLATONIC relationship. Tallie and Rye did not have to sleep together, because the ending would have still been the same. That's the crazy part, the sleeping together worked as a catalyst in order to launch a specific part of the story, but it was not needed if they were not going to be together, so why not build a beautiful friendship? I'm a sucker for beautiful healthy friendships.
Telling instead of showing: This book told a lot, and I say this in a way where Tallie has to be seen as a good person; she donates to stop sex trafficking, and Rye say's "you're an actual good person" but as the readers, we did not really need to hear that to see that, correct? There were too many moments like that; it was as though the readers did not get a chance to form an opinion on these characters. it is basically Tallie=good person, Rye = broken, but no one is 100% good and no one is broken, people aren't broken beings; they are complex and filled with intricate layers of all the terrible and beautiful things of this world.
Right person, wrong timing: This book makes you believe that there's hope, and you can be okay. Correct, that is the lovely part. But, it makes it seem like those who deal with mental illness are not capable of being with others unless they fix this "broken" part, no matter if you agree or disagree with that, it is not the absolute truth of the world. It simply isn't fact. Therefore, you see Tallie and Rye fall for each other, but cannot possibly be together because life happens for us, not to us. They move on with their lives, no matter if they liked or even loved these bits and pieces they knew about one another. The right person is timeless...but the right person who was timeless is Nico, and that breaks my heart every time I think about it.
**End of that list**
We are led to believe that Rye was the runner-up, he was the right person for her. Yet, he was not, was the author trying to say "broken" people are not the right person? I do not think that is her intention. This was my first book by her and I do not know if I would read her work again, maybe I will, but at the same time maybe another one of her books might resonate with me.
I would like to say, I did cry at the end of the book. I cried so hard, the headache type of cry. It was this bittersweet ending. I would like to note that I read this book in less than 24 hours, so I couldn't put it down, but I wish there could have been more for these two characters.
To be fair, I like that it showed that mental health is not this romanticized or fantasized thing; it is messy, hurts you, and impacts those around you. So maybe Ms. Cross-Smith did get it right because when you are okay, things around you start looking like that and you attract that.
This book really shows you that life does not work out the way you expect it, it shows that from the past and the present, and maybe that was the hardest pill to swallow with this book. Maybe I am mad at this book because all of it was hard to swallow, and I can at least thank the author for that.
Here we go again... In hindsight, I think we need more books that have to deal with POC/black characters who deal with mental illness and create more awareness on the subject. However, I also think there was a way to execute mental disorders that were presented in this book without tying it to a horrible end. For instance,
Christine had both BPD and Bipolar disorder, and when you look at statistics for those who have these disorders and that commit su*c*de, I felt as though there should have been a different ending for a character such as herself.
I do think this book was more of a therapeutic book for the Author, therefore, I do not know if it is right to comment on so much on this story because it deals with heavy topics. Because the story has such heavy topics it makes you wonder how much research has the author done or is this based on experience, or from others around her that she knows. I am not sure, so I will comment on the positives I loved from the story and what could have been better.
Pros:
Emmett/Rye: I think he was a well-written character, and maybe because he was written from the female gaze that made me adore his character. I wanted him to be okay and seeing his sensitive side, his grief being expressed made me feel for him at every moment. He was intriguing. He loved to cook, he had aspirations, an overall likable character despite his flaws when it comes to the email situation
Pop-culture references, made the characters feel much more real and the world much more realistic.
The timing: I forgot this all happened in a matter of three days no matter how much it was mentioned, it felt like a build-up over time
Cons:
Tallie: I don't think she was a bad character, I just think she was not written as well as Rye, maybe because I tried so hard to love her and adore her but it kept falling short. She seemed like she was compassionate and she cared, but at the same time she seemed so dis-ingenuine, There are too many moments where I felt as though she did not really care for Rye, really she took care of him because she did not want to take care of herself. She also needed therapy and yet she did not get it. I know she is not perfect and I think that is the most real thing about her, I think because she was not put on this peddle stool, I also didn't leave any room for her. However, I kept trying to find that room in my head and heart to adore her, but I could not altogether.
Why did she sleep with Rye on the same night, but also in that night she was jealous if she suspected Nico had a date, but she was also still mad about her ex-husband...like Ma'am pick a man, and give me a break.
That is another thing, the author built up Rye as this relatable character, yet in the end, Nico was the winning man and the audience doesn't even know him. 300 pages of Rye went to Nico as the winning man, and maybe that is like real life but then you start to wonder what was this book for
?
If it is about hope, fate, and faith, then write a book on that. You can build a beautiful, meaningful, PLATONIC relationship. Tallie and Rye did not have to sleep together, because the ending would have still been the same. That's the crazy part, the sleeping together worked as a catalyst in order to launch a specific part of the story, but it was not needed if they were not going to be together, so why not build a beautiful friendship? I'm a sucker for beautiful healthy friendships.
Telling instead of showing: This book told a lot, and I say this in a way where Tallie has to be seen as a good person; she donates to stop sex trafficking, and Rye say's "you're an actual good person" but as the readers, we did not really need to hear that to see that, correct? There were too many moments like that; it was as though the readers did not get a chance to form an opinion on these characters. it is basically Tallie=good person, Rye = broken, but no one is 100% good and no one is broken, people aren't broken beings; they are complex and filled with intricate layers of all the terrible and beautiful things of this world.
Right person, wrong timing: This book makes you believe that there's hope, and you can be okay. Correct, that is the lovely part. But, it makes it seem like those who deal with mental illness are not capable of being with others unless they fix this "broken" part, no matter if you agree or disagree with that, it is not the absolute truth of the world. It simply isn't fact. Therefore, you see Tallie and Rye fall for each other, but cannot possibly be together because life happens for us, not to us. They move on with their lives, no matter if they liked or even loved these bits and pieces they knew about one another. The right person is timeless...but the right person who was timeless is Nico, and that breaks my heart every time I think about it.
**End of that list**
We are led to believe that Rye was the runner-up, he was the right person for her. Yet, he was not, was the author trying to say "broken" people are not the right person? I do not think that is her intention. This was my first book by her and I do not know if I would read her work again, maybe I will, but at the same time maybe another one of her books might resonate with me.
I would like to say, I did cry at the end of the book. I cried so hard, the headache type of cry. It was this bittersweet ending. I would like to note that I read this book in less than 24 hours, so I couldn't put it down, but I wish there could have been more for these two characters.
To be fair, I like that it showed that mental health is not this romanticized or fantasized thing; it is messy, hurts you, and impacts those around you. So maybe Ms. Cross-Smith did get it right because when you are okay, things around you start looking like that and you attract that.
This book really shows you that life does not work out the way you expect it, it shows that from the past and the present, and maybe that was the hardest pill to swallow with this book. Maybe I am mad at this book because all of it was hard to swallow, and I can at least thank the author for that.
Whew. This book had me hooked immediately and I was nervous to put it down. It's never rushing, but the day by day narrative style made me feel like I might miss something if I stopped reading. And I didn't want to miss anything.
challenging
emotional
inspiring
sad
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide attempt
I grappled with a few aspects of this book. The plot is: woman does emotional labor for man who doesn't know how to take care of himself and... They fall in love?? Not here for that.
The main character is more of a prototype than a character (perfectionist business owner with a beautiful house who loves everything autumn, scented candles, Target, etc). It was hard to relate to her and she was predictable.
Everything was so picturesque. Each setting and detail. I just don't prefer that.
Lastly, the ending was flat.
The writing was alright, there was some mystery, and I enjoyed the dialogue.
The main character is more of a prototype than a character (perfectionist business owner with a beautiful house who loves everything autumn, scented candles, Target, etc). It was hard to relate to her and she was predictable.
Everything was so picturesque. Each setting and detail. I just don't prefer that.
Lastly, the ending was flat.
The writing was alright, there was some mystery, and I enjoyed the dialogue.
I got a little teary with this one.
Two people dealing with difficult situations are brought together by chance and share a remarkable weekend helping each other heal and move forward. The book is all about heavy, heavy topics (mental health, profound grief, suicidal thoughts) but handles them with great care and consideration. The tone is cozy and gentle, and its reassuring sincerity kept me going even when the characters made questionable decisions (and wow, there are a whole bunch). I found myself willing to forgive them because the warm writing sold the characters as imperfect well-intentioned human beings struggling to do their best.
I really appreciated when the book would “pause” during painful moments to briefly celebrate small positive moments (a familiar song, homemade food, a warm blanket). It’s such a simple yet effective way to (re)connect and regroup, and a good reminder to try putting into practice more often.
3.5, landing on 3.
Two people dealing with difficult situations are brought together by chance and share a remarkable weekend helping each other heal and move forward. The book is all about heavy, heavy topics (mental health, profound grief, suicidal thoughts) but handles them with great care and consideration. The tone is cozy and gentle, and its reassuring sincerity kept me going even when the characters made questionable decisions (and wow, there are a whole bunch). I found myself willing to forgive them because the warm writing sold the characters as imperfect well-intentioned human beings struggling to do their best.
I really appreciated when the book would “pause” during painful moments to briefly celebrate small positive moments (a familiar song, homemade food, a warm blanket). It’s such a simple yet effective way to (re)connect and regroup, and a good reminder to try putting into practice more often.
3.5, landing on 3.
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
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
Well... it took a while for this one to get going. I liked the twist but not enough to suspend belief on everything else. The main character is a 40 year old therapist, Tallie. The protagonist is a 20-something guy Tallie saves from jumping off a bridge as she drives by. They spend the weekend together, lying to each other the whole time. Eventually there's a reckoning, but it all felt implausible to me. Emmett not picking up that Tallie is a therapist, Tallie welcoming a suicidal stranger into her house despite being a therapist, Emmett catfishing Tallie's ex-husband - it was all just a lot. Tallie's character felt very immature and it generally all felt a bit YA masquerading as literary fiction. 2 stars for me just because I think Emmett's backstory felt much more well done though it was very incongruous with the fluffy nature of the rest of the story.
I don't know what to say about this book. It was well written and thought provoking. Mental health is a whirlwind. Everyone struggles with it from time to time, no matter if it is self worth, ghosts of the pasts haunting you, or any other number of things, you matter. This book encompassed that very important message. There were times that the book were moving slow for me, yet, I was still intrigued enough to want to keep reading - it was never dull. I am so, so glad both Rye and Tillie were able to find some peace with their past and build new futures with hope.
3.25 - I really liked the book but I had hoped for a different ending!!!