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now_booking's review
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
I will admit that this was a page-turner. But I also found myself incredibly annoyed and frustrated all the way through this. It was difficult to have Chloe as a narrator because of how remarkably unlikeable and unsympathetic she was as a character especially contrasted with perfect Pollyannaic Sam. I think the theme of this series is forgiveness and to create the characters with the ugliest dramas who react in the messiest, most toxic ways and then gaslight the perfect characters into the sort of forgiveness that doesn’t take accountability for its actions. In the previous book, it was Josh’s father and Beth. In this one, it’s definitely Chloe with Sam. I didn’t mind the complexity of the characters this book was proposing, I had a problem with how this book tried to excuse toxicity when it was called out and out the onus on the victims (of said toxicity) to deal with it. I didn’t find the tragic events experienced by some characters an excuse for borderline sociopathic behaviour. And it wasn’t a good look. I also wasn’t a fan of the uneven back and forth pacing of this book. The reason for Chloe’s abandoning her husband was far-fetched and incredibly reach-y. I more or less finished this because I had it. By 5% in, I was already annoyed and that carried throughout. It has interesting content on forgiveness definitely in the messianic scale based on the degree of harm, but to me, the apologies weren’t sincere and I didn’t believe them. So I’m meh about this.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gaslighting, Mental illness, Abandonment, Bullying, Cancer, Grief, and Panic attacks/disorders
Moderate: Infidelity and Sexual harassment
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