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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
chloenfp's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Suicide, Death of parent, Self harm, and Suicidal thoughts
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