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sungmemoonstruck's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-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
4.0
It took me a minute to sink into the rhythm of the story but I wound up really liking this bittersweet love story told in reverse. The structure is really clever and it feels both so specific to these characters and universal in a deeply relatable way. My favorite part, because I am a bit of a sap, was their meet-cute and giddy falling for each other but Hayes is so good at capturing how a relationship can be both a wonderful thing and not meant to last. I also really enjoyed the role that female friendship plays here and the deep bond between our narrator and Maya. Readers who enjoyed Good Material by Dolly Alderton might also really like this one.
makaylasanafaye's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
5.0
looking4alexis's review against another edition
2.0
an interesting take on love, it started out strong but by 50 percent i lost interest honestly. the ending was fitting. i have so many tabs in this book and i felt for the mc but for 400 some pages i think it could have been shorter and a lot easier to read.
maggiebook's review against another edition
5.0
Out of Love is a well written book that dives into a relationship. Up front you are told the relationship ended then in reverse chronological order you are let in on the story of the relationship.
Absolutely loved the writing. The story telling totally captivated me. The characters were believable. Really enjoyed the exploration of the relationship not only of what happened but where the characters came from--what baggage they brought into the relationship and other outside influences.
Recommend this book if you enjoy a thought provoking book that doesn't follow the usual relationship tropes, that can be relatable in parts, as well as heartbreaking then joyous and isn't tied up neatly at the end. It was a 5 star read for me.
Absolutely loved the writing. The story telling totally captivated me. The characters were believable. Really enjoyed the exploration of the relationship not only of what happened but where the characters came from--what baggage they brought into the relationship and other outside influences.
Recommend this book if you enjoy a thought provoking book that doesn't follow the usual relationship tropes, that can be relatable in parts, as well as heartbreaking then joyous and isn't tied up neatly at the end. It was a 5 star read for me.
awalter99's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
1madchild's review against another edition
4.75
Wow wow wow.
Hazel is an incredible writer and a fantastic audio narrator, I’m so glad she did it herself.
Flew through this in about three days. My favorite was the first half.
It did drag in parts, but is just so beautifully written I don’t mind.
This Is a book really hit me at this time
Hazel is an incredible writer and a fantastic audio narrator, I’m so glad she did it herself.
Flew through this in about three days. My favorite was the first half.
It did drag in parts, but is just so beautifully written I don’t mind.
This Is a book really hit me at this time
fairiesdust's review against another edition
funny
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
maraiah's review against another edition
5.0
highlight of the story is the main character and her wit! she’s so great and written so well (i can’t help but wonder why she has no name to her and is referred to only as angel)
domenicar's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-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
5.0
okevamae's review against another edition
5.0
Out of Love is a bittersweet story about finding and losing love, told in reverse. We start with their messy breakup and move backward through their relationship, seeing how it fell apart, and then how it began. This is an unusual structure, but a very interesting one, as each chapter gradually sheds light on the future we’ve already seen, and places into context the chapters we’ve already read, slowly building to the full picture. We see all the ways this couple was bad for each other, but also all the ways they were good for each other, and the ways in which they grew as a result of their relationship, even though it ended badly.
As the book goes on, each chapter takes place further in the past, and that’s easy to track. But some chapters switch back and forth from the present to various flashbacks within the same rough time period, and the timeline within those flashbacks is harder to track. You really have to pay close attention to what’s written in present tense and what’s in past tense, as sometimes that’s the only indication as to whether we’re really in the present or not. But that’s a very minor complaint. Overall, the writing is gorgeous and really well done.
The book also takes a stark look at mental illness, as the narrator suffers from depression and anxiety. It does a good job of showing how depression never completely goes away, even when life is good, even when you “have nothing to be depressed about.” Depression doesn’t need a reason. It insinuates itself into the dark spaces in your life and burrows in, and it is always waiting. It dulls the shine of the good times and makes the bad times so much worse. We watch as the narrator has both good days and bad, frequently doubts herself, and has some very dark moments, but when we take a look at the story as a whole we see that in the end (beginning) she persists, she survives, and she has hope. I feel like that kind of story, and that kind of honest look at depression and anxiety (with a hopeful ending) is very important to portray.
Representation: Bisexual main character, Black side character, mentally ill main character
TW: depression, suicidal ideation, alcoholism, sexual situations with dubious consent, past domestic abuse, past child abuse, past sexual abuse, miscarriage
I received an ARC of this ebook from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
As the book goes on, each chapter takes place further in the past, and that’s easy to track. But some chapters switch back and forth from the present to various flashbacks within the same rough time period, and the timeline within those flashbacks is harder to track. You really have to pay close attention to what’s written in present tense and what’s in past tense, as sometimes that’s the only indication as to whether we’re really in the present or not. But that’s a very minor complaint. Overall, the writing is gorgeous and really well done.
The book also takes a stark look at mental illness, as the narrator suffers from depression and anxiety. It does a good job of showing how depression never completely goes away, even when life is good, even when you “have nothing to be depressed about.” Depression doesn’t need a reason. It insinuates itself into the dark spaces in your life and burrows in, and it is always waiting. It dulls the shine of the good times and makes the bad times so much worse. We watch as the narrator has both good days and bad, frequently doubts herself, and has some very dark moments, but when we take a look at the story as a whole we see that in the end (beginning) she persists, she survives, and she has hope. I feel like that kind of story, and that kind of honest look at depression and anxiety (with a hopeful ending) is very important to portray.
Representation: Bisexual main character, Black side character, mentally ill main character
TW: depression, suicidal ideation, alcoholism, sexual situations with dubious consent, past domestic abuse, past child abuse, past sexual abuse, miscarriage
I received an ARC of this ebook from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.