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serendipitysbooks's review
emotional
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? It's complicated
4.25
The Truth Must Dazzle Gradually is a family drama, one which focussed on the impact of severe depression, not just on the individual but the wider family. The novel opens on Christmas Eve with the Moone family searching for Maeve. Sadly her body is eventually found and it is clear she has taken her own life. The remainder of the novel unfolds in two parts. The first goes back in time to Maeve’s teen years, how she met and married Murtagh, their move to small island off the coast of Ireland and the growth of their family. The second part focusses on the after - how Murtagh and their four children coped with the loss of Maeve, and how it impacted them in the years that followed. I found this to be beautifully written, a compassionate look at mental illness. The author was able to get the reader to walk alongside Maeve, share her thoughts and struggles, share her emotions - particularly her despair as she felt depresssion encroaching again and feeling she would never be free from it. Her belief that she was failing her children, that they would be better off without her was heartbreaking. I couldn’t help wonder if a different choice made early in the couple’s marriage would have resulted in a different outcome.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide, Grief, Homophobia, and Mental illness
wordsofclover's review
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
On Christmas Eve, Maeve Moone disappears and it's not long before her worried friends and family find her - and discover something awful. The story flips back to the start of Maeve's relationship with her husband Murtagh, their marriage and children, as well as how her death affect her husband and children after she's gone.
This is a book I couldn't really make my mind up about. From the start, the story deals very heavily with mental illness and you know the character of Maeve does take her own life - leaving a devastated family behind. Which means as you're reading the past storyline, you're doing it with a heavy heart, knowing what's coming for everyone, and the torture and pain Maeve is going to go through as her depression takes hold.
While I appreciate books shining a light on mental illness, and the terrible things it can do to a family, there was something about this story that made me feel uncomfortable. It may be because it seemed that Maeve (despite being treated as a teenager in the US) never seemed to seek help or her family never encouraged her to see someone and receive therapy or medication for her dark down days. And when you get Maeve's POV, her thoughts are very painful to read ("It's better to love a dead mother than a mad one" - no, on so many levels).
The LGBT storyline was one I did not see coming at all, and it did shock me a nit when I realised things were going that way but it was also lovely. I really liked seeing this type of storyline for a character who is older and coming into their own identity in a way that may have been impossible or even harder when they were younger. There was a sad scene of homophobia in the book near the end but it was made better by a rather wonderful lecture from the parish priest (who would have thought?) and a showing out of the village in support that brought a lump to my throat.
There were certainly elements of this book I liked but there were too many bits that made me feel weird and sad that I don't think I can articulate properly so it can't be higher than a 3-star for me.
I listened to this on audiobook narrated by Gerry O'Brien and wouldn't rate it highly either. The female voices, and American accents were a bit silly and painful.
This is a book I couldn't really make my mind up about. From the start, the story deals very heavily with mental illness and you know the character of Maeve does take her own life - leaving a devastated family behind. Which means as you're reading the past storyline, you're doing it with a heavy heart, knowing what's coming for everyone, and the torture and pain Maeve is going to go through as her depression takes hold.
While I appreciate books shining a light on mental illness, and the terrible things it can do to a family, there was something about this story that made me feel uncomfortable. It may be because it seemed that Maeve (despite being treated as a teenager in the US) never seemed to seek help or her family never encouraged her to see someone and receive therapy or medication for her dark down days. And when you get Maeve's POV, her thoughts are very painful to read ("It's better to love a dead mother than a mad one" - no, on so many levels).
The LGBT storyline was one I did not see coming at all, and it did shock me a nit when I realised things were going that way but it was also lovely. I really liked seeing this type of storyline for a character who is older and coming into their own identity in a way that may have been impossible or even harder when they were younger. There was a sad scene of homophobia in the book near the end but it was made better by a rather wonderful lecture from the parish priest (who would have thought?) and a showing out of the village in support that brought a lump to my throat.
There were certainly elements of this book I liked but there were too many bits that made me feel weird and sad that I don't think I can articulate properly so it can't be higher than a 3-star for me.
I listened to this on audiobook narrated by Gerry O'Brien and wouldn't rate it highly either. The female voices, and American accents were a bit silly and painful.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, and Suicide
Minor: Homophobia
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