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rashellnicole's review against another edition
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
tense
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
4.5
This book cracked me in two. Two unlikeable characters meet by happenstance in an art museum, going about their daily lives. A thief and a mathematician who thinks the key to time travel is bees. How much more enticing of a premise is that?
Regan makes rash decisions and lives life by the seat of her pants. She doesn't particularly like her boyfriend, Marc (and neither do her parents), but she keeps him around as long as he's interesting. She uses sex to cope with her inability to be genuine and connect with others.
Aldo is different. Introvert, theoretical mathematician by pure coincidence (it was the one subject that continued to hold his interest over the years), doesn't connect well with others because he doesn't care to. He's kind, but to the point in every interaction, so he's disliked by many people (especially his students). And he's trying to solve the problem that is time travel by studying bees and their hexagonal patterns.
They meet and agree to six conversations. Unsurprisingly, they're life-altering.
They open up to each other over the course of these conversations and they both get closer to understanding what makes the other person tick. In short, they fall in love. Like the death of star, the relationship burns quickly until a fateful evening when it explodes. They can't help but gravitate back to each other, though. It ends on a rather satisfying note: they're both average humans to people, but are everything to each other.
They seem to feed into each other's obsessive qualities and it doesn't feel healthy at any point. But god, it's enticing. It's easy to see from both of their perspectives and put yourself in their positions - really understand what they see in each other, even as ruined, tragic people. Several times it made me fantasize about being in a similar situation. Definitely had to check myself emotionally throughout the book.
This book made me tear up, struggle and spiral out a bit, so here are some of my favorite quotes and passages that fucked with me (not always in the best way).
"When you learn a new word, you suddenly see it everywhere. The mind comforts itself by believing this to be coincidence but it isn't - it's ignorance falling away. Your future self will always see what your present self is blind to. This is the problem with mortality, which is in fact a problem of time." (p. 31)
"In her experience, curiosity about a person was never a good sign. Curiosity was unspeakably worse and far more addicting than sexual attraction. Curiosity usually meant a kindling of something highly flammable, which wasn't at all what Regan wanted from this." (p. 43)
“Fascinating, really, to see what she saw. Bewildering that she could turn something in her mind into something real. Practical magic.
He wandered to the hall closet, noting the places she’d been.
Here. Here. There.
His mind retraced the shape of her touch, replicating its patterns and shapes; linking observations together. The speed of her hesitation. The force of her breath. He turned her over in his head, facts and details and observations, wrapping his mind around her the way his fingers had done.” (p. 97)
“That its reflex never died; the little song of Don’t go, just stay. Settle over me like the tide, cover me like a blanket, wrap around me like the sun.
Don’t go, don’t go, don’t go.” (p. 105)
"I want you to say everything, anything. I want to have your thoughts, I want to bottle them, I want to put them in my drawer for safekeeping." (p. 176)
"Yes it does, he doesn't want to be the person she hides from, he wants to be the person she hides with." (p. 177)
"'Sometimes I feel like I"m just waiting for something that will never happen,' he said. 'Like I'm just existing from day to day but will never really matter. I get up in the morning because I have to, because I have to do something or i'm just wasting space, or because if I don't answer the phone my dad will be alone. But it's an effort, it takes work. I have to tell myself, every day, get up. Get up, do this, move like this, talk to people, be normal, try to be social, be nice, be patient. On the inside I just feel like, I don't know, nothing. Like I'm just an algorithm that someone put in place.'" (p. 193)
"When Aldo spoke of Regan his voice had a tendency to change, illumination rising near his cheeks. 'You should see her work,' he would say the same way someone else might have said: Come outside, come look at the stars." (p. 200) I mean really, who doesn't want to be thought of this way by someone they love?
"He would come to share her joys until he could no longer separate them from his own, and then one day, maybe turning to her at a party or rushing to ask in a text message, he would say: What's that thing I like? And she would know the answer. She would know everything. Eventually, all the answers to all that he was would be cradled in the palms of her hands." (p. 222)
"People thought addiction was a craving, but the difference was this: Cravings were wishes that could be satisfied, but compulsions were needs that must be met." (p. 237)
Regan makes rash decisions and lives life by the seat of her pants. She doesn't particularly like her boyfriend, Marc (and neither do her parents), but she keeps him around as long as he's interesting. She uses sex to cope with her inability to be genuine and connect with others.
Aldo is different. Introvert, theoretical mathematician by pure coincidence (it was the one subject that continued to hold his interest over the years), doesn't connect well with others because he doesn't care to. He's kind, but to the point in every interaction, so he's disliked by many people (especially his students). And he's trying to solve the problem that is time travel by studying bees and their hexagonal patterns.
They meet and agree to six conversations. Unsurprisingly, they're life-altering.
They seem to feed into each other's obsessive qualities and it doesn't feel healthy at any point. But god, it's enticing. It's easy to see from both of their perspectives and put yourself in their positions - really understand what they see in each other, even as ruined, tragic people. Several times it made me fantasize about being in a similar situation. Definitely had to check myself emotionally throughout the book.
This book made me tear up, struggle and spiral out a bit, so here are some of my favorite quotes and passages that fucked with me (not always in the best way).
"In her experience, curiosity about a person was never a good sign. Curiosity was unspeakably worse and far more addicting than sexual attraction. Curiosity usually meant a kindling of something highly flammable, which wasn't at all what Regan wanted from this." (p. 43)
“Fascinating, really, to see what she saw. Bewildering that she could turn something in her mind into something real. Practical magic.
He wandered to the hall closet, noting the places she’d been.
Here. Here. There.
His mind retraced the shape of her touch, replicating its patterns and shapes; linking observations together. The speed of her hesitation. The force of her breath. He turned her over in his head, facts and details and observations, wrapping his mind around her the way his fingers had done.” (p. 97)
“That its reflex never died; the little song of Don’t go, just stay. Settle over me like the tide, cover me like a blanket, wrap around me like the sun.
Don’t go, don’t go, don’t go.” (p. 105)
"I want you to say everything, anything. I want to have your thoughts, I want to bottle them, I want to put them in my drawer for safekeeping." (p. 176)
"Yes it does, he doesn't want to be the person she hides from, he wants to be the person she hides with." (p. 177)
"'Sometimes I feel like I"m just waiting for something that will never happen,' he said. 'Like I'm just existing from day to day but will never really matter. I get up in the morning because I have to, because I have to do something or i'm just wasting space, or because if I don't answer the phone my dad will be alone. But it's an effort, it takes work. I have to tell myself, every day, get up. Get up, do this, move like this, talk to people, be normal, try to be social, be nice, be patient. On the inside I just feel like, I don't know, nothing. Like I'm just an algorithm that someone put in place.'" (p. 193)
"When Aldo spoke of Regan his voice had a tendency to change, illumination rising near his cheeks. 'You should see her work,' he would say the same way someone else might have said: Come outside, come look at the stars." (p. 200) I mean really, who doesn't want to be thought of this way by someone they love?
"He would come to share her joys until he could no longer separate them from his own, and then one day, maybe turning to her at a party or rushing to ask in a text message, he would say: What's that thing I like? And she would know the answer. She would know everything. Eventually, all the answers to all that he was would be cradled in the palms of her hands." (p. 222)
"People thought addiction was a craving, but the difference was this: Cravings were wishes that could be satisfied, but compulsions were needs that must be met." (p. 237)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness
Moderate: Addiction, Self harm, and Toxic relationship
lainiereads's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse and Mental illness
Moderate: Addiction, Drug abuse, Infidelity, Sexual content, and Toxic relationship
krisalexcole's review against another edition
emotional
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.25
Don't stop taking your meds, kids.
So the first half of this book is beautiful. Two fucked up and healing people stumbling into one another by chance and starting up a relationship. Five stars for the first half. I was considering buying a copy I was so into it.
But then, the second half... It seemed to romanticise going off of your psychiatric medication for "art" and "love."
I know this is a work of fiction and shouldn't be viewed as like a how-to guide for life or whatever, but I still found it to be problematic.
If I had read this like 10+ years ago when I was still in intensive therapy, I probably would've adored it. But I'm in a good place mentally now, so... yeah. 🤷🏼♀️
So the first half of this book is beautiful. Two fucked up and healing people stumbling into one another by chance and starting up a relationship. Five stars for the first half. I was considering buying a copy I was so into it.
But then, the second half... It seemed to romanticise going off of your psychiatric medication for "art" and "love."
I know this is a work of fiction and shouldn't be viewed as like a how-to guide for life or whatever, but I still found it to be problematic.
If I had read this like 10+ years ago when I was still in intensive therapy, I probably would've adored it. But I'm in a good place mentally now, so... yeah. 🤷🏼♀️
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness and Toxic relationship
Minor: Addiction, Cancer, Drug use, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, and Alcohol
azrah786's review against another edition
3.5
**I was provided with an ARC through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review**
CW: mental illness, suicidal ideation, drug use/abuse, alcohol, addiction, toxic relationship, panic attacks, emotional abuse, infidelity, sexual content, abandonment
--
Olive Blake is an expert at writing messy, chaotic characters that you can’t help but be engrossed by and highly introspective narratives that really get you thinking.
Alone With You in the Ether is not your conventional love story. It’s about two people whose lives colliding sets them both on a journey of finding love and acceptance of themselves, of each other and of their place in the world. As made evident in the author’s note/acknowledgements it is a deeply personal book and after reading that part and seeing the idea at the core of the story it really enhanced the meaning behind everything.
However, I would be lying if I said I didn’t have issues with it and this for the most part comes down to the writing. Sporadic and inconsistent is probably the best way to describe it which I guess sort of reflected the protagonists themselves but it did also get confusing at times. At first you’d have random cut off where external narrators would jump in and say their piece in between the main story. Eventually I thought this was pretty cool, I mean characters breaking the fourth wall to add a detail every now and again gave the story a film like feel. Bu then this then stopped happening midway and diverged into chunky monologues from the leading characters. Now I’ve personally come to realise that I don’t exactly vibe with the rambling monologue narrative style which is probably why I didn’t wholly enjoy it.
Though I will say that I really enjoyed the “conversations” section of the book, it was the part that hooked me onto the characters the most. Blake has shaped two beautifully realistic and flawed characters through her words and I found that I couldn’t help but fall in love with the deep bond that formed between them despite elements of their relationship coming across as a little toxic.
If you pick this one up it is without a doubt going to stick in your mind for a long while.
Final Rating – 3.5/5 Stars
CW: mental illness, suicidal ideation, drug use/abuse, alcohol, addiction, toxic relationship, panic attacks, emotional abuse, infidelity, sexual content, abandonment
--
Olive Blake is an expert at writing messy, chaotic characters that you can’t help but be engrossed by and highly introspective narratives that really get you thinking.
Alone With You in the Ether is not your conventional love story. It’s about two people whose lives colliding sets them both on a journey of finding love and acceptance of themselves, of each other and of their place in the world. As made evident in the author’s note/acknowledgements it is a deeply personal book and after reading that part and seeing the idea at the core of the story it really enhanced the meaning behind everything.
However, I would be lying if I said I didn’t have issues with it and this for the most part comes down to the writing. Sporadic and inconsistent is probably the best way to describe it which I guess sort of reflected the protagonists themselves but it did also get confusing at times. At first you’d have random cut off where external narrators would jump in and say their piece in between the main story. Eventually I thought this was pretty cool, I mean characters breaking the fourth wall to add a detail every now and again gave the story a film like feel. Bu then this then stopped happening midway and diverged into chunky monologues from the leading characters. Now I’ve personally come to realise that I don’t exactly vibe with the rambling monologue narrative style which is probably why I didn’t wholly enjoy it.
Though I will say that I really enjoyed the “conversations” section of the book, it was the part that hooked me onto the characters the most. Blake has shaped two beautifully realistic and flawed characters through her words and I found that I couldn’t help but fall in love with the deep bond that formed between them despite elements of their relationship coming across as a little toxic.
If you pick this one up it is without a doubt going to stick in your mind for a long while.
Final Rating – 3.5/5 Stars
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Drug abuse, Drug use, Infidelity, Mental illness, Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, and Alcohol
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, and Abandonment
devin_raquel's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
A love story like I’ve never read before, “Alone With You In The Ether” is a masterpiece! From the very first page, I was hooked. Blake’s writing style is so unique, you forget you’re reading a novel and not conversing with the characters. Her descriptive language pulls you into the plot instantly, and if you’ve ever visited New York City it’s an easy setting to visualize.
Having a mood disorder myself, I found Regan very endearing, and the idea that love amid the chaos comforting. Her dialogue about medication, family life, and self-expression felt like my thoughts were regurgitated into a page; I find it comforting to feel understood, even if it’s by characters in a fictional universe.
100% would recommend this novel, and would would even go as far as saying to read it in one sitting. I’m so excited to read “Atlas Six” by Blake, and am hopeful I will enjoy that novel as much as I’ve enjoyed this one.
Having a mood disorder myself, I found Regan very endearing, and the idea that love amid the chaos comforting. Her dialogue about medication, family life, and self-expression felt like my thoughts were regurgitated into a page; I find it comforting to feel understood, even if it’s by characters in a fictional universe.
100% would recommend this novel, and would would even go as far as saying to read it in one sitting. I’m so excited to read “Atlas Six” by Blake, and am hopeful I will enjoy that novel as much as I’ve enjoyed this one.
Content Warnings
Minor: Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, and Suicide attempt
kou_'s review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
medium-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
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness
Moderate: Addiction, Drug use, and Toxic relationship
Minor: Emotional abuse
adeliab's review against another edition
hopeful
reflective
sad
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Drug use, Mental illness, and Sexual content
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts and Toxic relationship
Minor: Addiction and Violence
kylahken's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
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
5.0
One of the best self destructive love stories i’ve ever read. perfectly combines love, addiction, mental health, and just the overall tone and poetic language is fantastic. also love that each part was written in a different style, really interesting addition to the narrative!
Content Warnings
Minor: Addiction, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, and Toxic relationship
booksdogsandcoffee's review against another edition
emotional
informative
inspiring
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
A profound and moving stream of consciousness that delves into what it means to be in love, live and deal with mental illness.
Alone with you in the ether is so real and raw and very much captures the thoughts that go through our minds, the dark ones, the ones of the future, the ones of failure, the ones of love and fear. So much of this book is a love letter saying it is ok to love and be broken.
This is so different than any romance novel I have read in a while. It is everything all at once. The writing is so beautiful and makes you really think. You can see how much Olivie put her self and life experience into this book. I think so many people will be able to relate to this book.
Cow
Alcohol
Over dose mentioned
Emotional abuse
Mental illness
Drug use
Addiction
Toxic relationships
Sexual content
Alone with you in the ether is so real and raw and very much captures the thoughts that go through our minds, the dark ones, the ones of the future, the ones of failure, the ones of love and fear. So much of this book is a love letter saying it is ok to love and be broken.
This is so different than any romance novel I have read in a while. It is everything all at once. The writing is so beautiful and makes you really think. You can see how much Olivie put her self and life experience into this book. I think so many people will be able to relate to this book.
Cow
Alcohol
Over dose mentioned
Emotional abuse
Mental illness
Drug use
Addiction
Toxic relationships
Sexual content
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Drug abuse, Drug use, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Toxic relationship, and Alcohol
Moderate: Sexual content
jazzyiz87's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Mental illness
Minor: Drug use, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, and Toxic relationship