You need to sign in or sign up before continuing.
Take a photo of a barcode or cover
4.16 AVERAGE
4.16 AVERAGE
emotional
hopeful
reflective
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
challenging
dark
funny
tense
medium-paced
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I loved this book!!! (Spoilers ahead). My favorite thing about this book was the plot structure; Mason weaves a cohesive narrative through an interesting, incredible, and creative sprawling timeline. I’ve read books with multiple timelines, but nothing that has covered so much ground and lacked a direct linear plot line while doing so in a way that remains engaging and tied together even as it is continuing/ sprawling. {If I was ever going to write a memoir, I’d write it in this format.}
I love love loved Martha’s relationship with her father. A quiet, humble, inspiring, compassionate, bookish poet is such a cute and comforting character for a father.
I also was surpisried by how much I loved Martha’s mother at the end; I think their resolution was the best in the book, greater than that of Martha and Patrick although the book supposedly centers around the couple. The resolution between mother and daughter floating up from beneath the surface to take the lead as the best and most full-circle resolution, I believe, has to do with the fact that one of the [secret] main points of this book is relationships between women/ mothers and daughters. Martha’s relationship to her unborn child is a passing down of and impacted by Martha’s complex relationship to her mother. It’s similar to Gilmore Girls in the sense that the main relationship is between Rory and Lorelei, but Lorelei’s relationship with Emily is also a prominent ‘Gilmore girl’ relationship, and the two relationships between mother and daughter in this case also reflect and refract each other in meaning and being. {I loved the scenes when Martha was calling her mother everyday, it reminded me a bit of my life.}
I don’t necessarily have either a love or hatred of Patrick, just of his words and actions. I think this book was very real and down to earth in its portrayal of relationships; I did not swoon over Patrick loving Martha since she was 13 and I also did not declare it unreasonable or not sweet. I appreciated the good things Patrick did but also saw the reality of everything for what it was. Sometimes I was most likely looking through Martha’s character when I didn’t like something Patrick did or said.
While the end of the book started to feel a bit too ‘feel-good resolution-y’ (although I actually really liked that; especially Winsome becoming human to the whole family), I think where Mason left us with Patrick and Martha made me feel like she ended the story in the middle of a chapter. Maybe the point is that there is neither no fully reconstructed marriage (happy fairytale ending) nor a firm choice of post-divorce independence, and while I think the lack of a conclusive ending leaves questions and can feel quite annoying (almost what’s the point of mapping out a book over the timeline of a failing marriage and its reasons if there is no full resolution), I also think it is an interesting was to conclude the story and can allow to ask ourselves what else was resolutions were just as/more important than any decisive ending between Martha and the meaning of/ just her relationship status. For example, her restored relationship with her mother, finally getting a diagnosis and continuing to become more hopeful, family resolutions with Winsome, her deep, unwavering relationship to her sister, etc.
Overall, I loved the structure of the book, many of the characters, the exploration of mental health (which I thought was relatable to me in some areas; it put thoughts I’ve had into words in such a healing way), and the resolutions between family members/ of a family. However, I give this book 4.5 stars because although I have considered reasons for the sudden ending, it did feel like an unsatisfying place to end, in terms of the plot progression (not in terms of the character arcs -in the case of character, it made sense to end here).
I also loved Peregrine, and forgot about/ was disgusted by Johnathan.
I love love loved Martha’s relationship with her father. A quiet, humble, inspiring, compassionate, bookish poet is such a cute and comforting character for a father.
I also was surpisried by how much I loved Martha’s mother at the end; I think their resolution was the best in the book, greater than that of Martha and Patrick although the book supposedly centers around the couple. The resolution between mother and daughter floating up from beneath the surface to take the lead as the best and most full-circle resolution, I believe, has to do with the fact that one of the [secret] main points of this book is relationships between women/ mothers and daughters. Martha’s relationship to her unborn child is a passing down of and impacted by Martha’s complex relationship to her mother. It’s similar to Gilmore Girls in the sense that the main relationship is between Rory and Lorelei, but Lorelei’s relationship with Emily is also a prominent ‘Gilmore girl’ relationship, and the two relationships between mother and daughter in this case also reflect and refract each other in meaning and being. {I loved the scenes when Martha was calling her mother everyday, it reminded me a bit of my life.}
I don’t necessarily have either a love or hatred of Patrick, just of his words and actions. I think this book was very real and down to earth in its portrayal of relationships; I did not swoon over Patrick loving Martha since she was 13 and I also did not declare it unreasonable or not sweet. I appreciated the good things Patrick did but also saw the reality of everything for what it was. Sometimes I was most likely looking through Martha’s character when I didn’t like something Patrick did or said.
While the end of the book started to feel a bit too ‘feel-good resolution-y’ (although I actually really liked that; especially Winsome becoming human to the whole family), I think where Mason left us with Patrick and Martha made me feel like she ended the story in the middle of a chapter. Maybe the point is that there is neither no fully reconstructed marriage (happy fairytale ending) nor a firm choice of post-divorce independence, and while I think the lack of a conclusive ending leaves questions and can feel quite annoying (almost what’s the point of mapping out a book over the timeline of a failing marriage and its reasons if there is no full resolution), I also think it is an interesting was to conclude the story and can allow to ask ourselves what else was resolutions were just as/more important than any decisive ending between Martha and the meaning of/ just her relationship status. For example, her restored relationship with her mother, finally getting a diagnosis and continuing to become more hopeful, family resolutions with Winsome, her deep, unwavering relationship to her sister, etc.
Overall, I loved the structure of the book, many of the characters, the exploration of mental health (which I thought was relatable to me in some areas; it put thoughts I’ve had into words in such a healing way), and the resolutions between family members/ of a family. However, I give this book 4.5 stars because although I have considered reasons for the sudden ending, it did feel like an unsatisfying place to end, in terms of the plot progression (not in terms of the character arcs -in the case of character, it made sense to end here).
I also loved Peregrine, and forgot about/ was disgusted by Johnathan.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Medical trauma, Pregnancy, Abandonment
Moderate: Alcoholism, Child death, Confinement, Emotional abuse, Infertility, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Vomit, Medical content, Grief, Stalking, Abortion, Gaslighting, Sexual harassment
A touching book from the perspective of a woman living with an undiagnosed mental illness. I thought this book did a really good job getting you to both sympathize with the main character, but also her friends and family who suffered as they tried to support her throughout her life. There were also some really strong descriptive passages in terms of conveying how she felt at different points in her life.
The first half was a little bit slower but the story really picked up in the second half as all of the details came together.
I thought it was an interesting choice to not name the diagnosis the main character suffered from in the end. I thought the book was grounded enough in reality that she probably could have just named it - not sure it would have taken away from the story.
The first half was a little bit slower but the story really picked up in the second half as all of the details came together.
Spoiler
I thought it was an interesting choice to not name the diagnosis the main character suffered from in the end. I thought the book was grounded enough in reality that she probably could have just named it - not sure it would have taken away from the story.
I’ll be honest. The amount of times I DNF’d this in 1 month is embarrassing. But here I am, giving this book 5 ⭐️. I can barely write this review without crying. This was one of the most touching, emotional books on mental illness that I have ever read or come across. It’s so REAL. Martha wasn’t a character with a bunch of random symptoms that the author googled. She was a real person with real depression and apathy and irritability. You know how hard it is to pull off a character like that? To make them not be stereotypical or a caricature? Really difficult. So I really want to congratulate Mason on that.
This book was truly a whirlwind. I thought this would just be about an older woman who was depressed. But it became so much more than that. Martha took us on a long journey, one where she showed us her childhood, her adolescence, her adult years that were embedded in sadness, her growing love for Patrick, their special marriage, the slow destruction of their marriage. Honestly, my favorite bits were about her and Patrick. I think through her flashbacks with Patrick, I was better able to understand them both. We have Martha, who seemed consumed in her illness. And we have Patrick who stood beside her all those years, literally absorbing her illness. They were flawed. Neither was perfect.
The structure was genius. It was told in a series of fragments, starting with the ending of Martha and Patrick’s marriage. And it ended around that time. I really love circular endings, because by the time you’re done (if it’s well-written), I’m emotionally attached to all the characters. And this proved to be the case for this book.
Another thing I loved about this was the family aspect. Obviously, Martha’s family was completely flawed. Sometimes they were nice, and other times they were too harsh and abrasive. It made me think about how we as a society respond to people with mental illnesses. Some of us are empathetic and understanding, trying to be there for a person (like Peregrine). Some of us are understanding, but are almost afraid to address the elephant in the room (Martha’s father). Some of us don’t want to get down to the root, get dismissive, but later on become sympathetic (Martha’s mom). Some of us, having grown tired, give up (Patrick and Ingrid). And some of us lack complete sympathy and blame the victim (Jonathan). I think it’s so special that Mason really embodied society’s response to mental illness in every single character. Genius.
It was beautifully written. Although the tone was very melancholic and bleak, humor was sprinkled throughout. I really loved this book. I cherished my time reading it. I wanted to take my time to really just sit in it, but I also wanted to see what happened—not because I viewed Martha as entertainment, but because I wanted to see her growth. I wanted a note of redemption for her.
Mason did a FANTASTIC job. I’m very curious to read more from her. I HIGHLY recommend this. Please read it. I tried to look for flaws and I found none.
This book was truly a whirlwind. I thought this would just be about an older woman who was depressed. But it became so much more than that. Martha took us on a long journey, one where she showed us her childhood, her adolescence, her adult years that were embedded in sadness, her growing love for Patrick, their special marriage, the slow destruction of their marriage. Honestly, my favorite bits were about her and Patrick. I think through her flashbacks with Patrick, I was better able to understand them both. We have Martha, who seemed consumed in her illness. And we have Patrick who stood beside her all those years, literally absorbing her illness. They were flawed. Neither was perfect.
The structure was genius. It was told in a series of fragments, starting with the ending of Martha and Patrick’s marriage. And it ended around that time. I really love circular endings, because by the time you’re done (if it’s well-written), I’m emotionally attached to all the characters. And this proved to be the case for this book.
Another thing I loved about this was the family aspect. Obviously, Martha’s family was completely flawed. Sometimes they were nice, and other times they were too harsh and abrasive. It made me think about how we as a society respond to people with mental illnesses. Some of us are empathetic and understanding, trying to be there for a person (like Peregrine). Some of us are understanding, but are almost afraid to address the elephant in the room (Martha’s father). Some of us don’t want to get down to the root, get dismissive, but later on become sympathetic (Martha’s mom). Some of us, having grown tired, give up (Patrick and Ingrid). And some of us lack complete sympathy and blame the victim (Jonathan). I think it’s so special that Mason really embodied society’s response to mental illness in every single character. Genius.
It was beautifully written. Although the tone was very melancholic and bleak, humor was sprinkled throughout. I really loved this book. I cherished my time reading it. I wanted to take my time to really just sit in it, but I also wanted to see what happened—not because I viewed Martha as entertainment, but because I wanted to see her growth. I wanted a note of redemption for her.
Mason did a FANTASTIC job. I’m very curious to read more from her. I HIGHLY recommend this. Please read it. I tried to look for flaws and I found none.
challenging
dark
funny
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
hopeful
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
emotional
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
emotional
funny
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Moderate: Chronic illness, Infertility, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Grief, Suicide attempt