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3.93 AVERAGE
3.93 AVERAGE
This one is a story that is fractured, with narratives that overlap and fight for attention, the individual viewpoints of Aldo and Regan fighting with each other and themselves to be seen. To be heard. Reading this is inviting in the chaos and the order that are continually at odds, depending on who is in focus, Aldo or Regan, or both.
The internal dialogue of mental illness, of how each of their brains categorizes and rebels against various constraints, is a highlight. We can see how quickly the mind spirals, creating multiple realities and fixating on things that are not always absolutes. We can see them both try to find where the lies and the truths are in themselves and each other (or where they might be hiding and willfully ignored).
Can you love a brain that is broken? Can you fix someone else (or ask that they fix themselves) in order to have your love? What is love - an obsession, a compulsion, a need, or a want?
I think this story is well suited to the audiobook format (the version I finished it in), as the narration highlights just how much of the internal dialogues underlie actual conversations that can seem much more tame. The narration drops you into the maelstrom that is Regan, and guides you along the sharp angles that are Aldo. The writing is sharp, minimal, and yet entirely immersive in these two individuals trying to find how they fit with each other, and see themselves.
The internal dialogue of mental illness, of how each of their brains categorizes and rebels against various constraints, is a highlight. We can see how quickly the mind spirals, creating multiple realities and fixating on things that are not always absolutes. We can see them both try to find where the lies and the truths are in themselves and each other (or where they might be hiding and willfully ignored).
Can you love a brain that is broken? Can you fix someone else (or ask that they fix themselves) in order to have your love? What is love - an obsession, a compulsion, a need, or a want?
I think this story is well suited to the audiobook format (the version I finished it in), as the narration highlights just how much of the internal dialogues underlie actual conversations that can seem much more tame. The narration drops you into the maelstrom that is Regan, and guides you along the sharp angles that are Aldo. The writing is sharp, minimal, and yet entirely immersive in these two individuals trying to find how they fit with each other, and see themselves.
Sigh. I really should just stick with her YA books.
A brief history of me and Olivie Blake's writing: I read The Atlas Six a few years ago because it was popular and I couldn't tell you a single thing that happened in it. There was so much philosophy in it, everyone spoke in riddles, and not much plot occurred. I gave the author another chance by reading the YA novel My Mechanical Romance, written under the name Alexene Farol Follmuth, and I loved it for its depiction of STEM and the chemistry between the two characters. The writing had none of the pretentiousness/aloofness that originally turned me off from The Atlas Six, and I figured I would give Olivie Blake and her adult writing another shot. I've seen this book online a lot, and it was pretty short so it was a good one to try. Unfortunately, I think her adult writing just isn't for me and I'll have to stick with her YA novels.
This book, despite having a similar writing style to The Atlas Six, started out pretty well to me. I was listening to it on audiobook, and quickly noticed that the format was different than a regular novel - there was an intermittent giving stage directions, and it made for an interesting reading experience. The beginning of the plot was easy to follow, with the two main characters eventually meeting and hanging out more often. The writing was, yes, pretentious, and it wasn't surprising to me because the characters are 1. an artist and 2. a mathematician. Both sort of belong in the pretentious category (I am also a mathematician, so Aldo talking about how he could learn abstract algebra for years and years and still not know anything really spoke to the part of me who did not like that class).
For a bit, the story was moving along, although sometimes the conversations became boring. Characters would just go off about something for a while, and while there are for sure a lot of quotable lines in this book, each one means a bit less to me when pretty much the entire book is made to sound the same. And then in the 60-80% section, the plot just sort of disappeared and long conversations about how special Regan and Aldo were commenced using superfluous descriptions. One thing I don't like is when books tell me a character is really special without any evidence as to why I should believe it, and this portion made me space out a bit. The ending was alright, and I did like how it related back to the beginning when they met.
But I don't really think I've gotten anything super special out of this book. It was a good and short listen, and now I know for sure that Olivie Blake's writing just isn't for me. If you're into lush prose and very character-driven stories, her adult books may work for you!
A brief history of me and Olivie Blake's writing: I read The Atlas Six a few years ago because it was popular and I couldn't tell you a single thing that happened in it. There was so much philosophy in it, everyone spoke in riddles, and not much plot occurred. I gave the author another chance by reading the YA novel My Mechanical Romance, written under the name Alexene Farol Follmuth, and I loved it for its depiction of STEM and the chemistry between the two characters. The writing had none of the pretentiousness/aloofness that originally turned me off from The Atlas Six, and I figured I would give Olivie Blake and her adult writing another shot. I've seen this book online a lot, and it was pretty short so it was a good one to try. Unfortunately, I think her adult writing just isn't for me and I'll have to stick with her YA novels.
This book, despite having a similar writing style to The Atlas Six, started out pretty well to me. I was listening to it on audiobook, and quickly noticed that the format was different than a regular novel - there was an intermittent giving stage directions, and it made for an interesting reading experience. The beginning of the plot was easy to follow, with the two main characters eventually meeting and hanging out more often. The writing was, yes, pretentious, and it wasn't surprising to me because the characters are 1. an artist and 2. a mathematician. Both sort of belong in the pretentious category (I am also a mathematician, so Aldo talking about how he could learn abstract algebra for years and years and still not know anything really spoke to the part of me who did not like that class).
For a bit, the story was moving along, although sometimes the conversations became boring. Characters would just go off about something for a while, and while there are for sure a lot of quotable lines in this book, each one means a bit less to me when pretty much the entire book is made to sound the same. And then in the 60-80% section, the plot just sort of disappeared and long conversations about how special Regan and Aldo were commenced using superfluous descriptions. One thing I don't like is when books tell me a character is really special without any evidence as to why I should believe it, and this portion made me space out a bit. The ending was alright, and I did like how it related back to the beginning when they met.
But I don't really think I've gotten anything super special out of this book. It was a good and short listen, and now I know for sure that Olivie Blake's writing just isn't for me. If you're into lush prose and very character-driven stories, her adult books may work for you!
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Minor: Addiction, Drug use, Mental illness
4.5
I’m at a loss for words. this book made me think deeply about love, life, time, art (bees and hexagons…iykyk). the writing was kind of manic, which makes sense because the main character is dealing with mania.. but the writing was also beyond beautiful and complex. it expresses a sense of intimacy and humanness that other romance novels fail to do. I’ll be thinking about this book for a long time, in relation to my own life, the ideas about time, quantum physics, and what not. okay that’s all. I’m done with my rant of a review now.
I’m at a loss for words. this book made me think deeply about love, life, time, art (bees and hexagons…iykyk). the writing was kind of manic, which makes sense because the main character is dealing with mania.. but the writing was also beyond beautiful and complex. it expresses a sense of intimacy and humanness that other romance novels fail to do. I’ll be thinking about this book for a long time, in relation to my own life, the ideas about time, quantum physics, and what not. okay that’s all. I’m done with my rant of a review now.
I absolutely loved the prose in this book.
I normally hate long chapters, or in this case a lack thereof, however it worked well for the story being told. I think it made sense and could be seen as a representation of the spiralling thoughts of Aldo's depression and anxiety and Rage 's mood disorder.
I absolutely love the discussion of time, space and the significance of an individual and their choices. It was a compelling thought experiment as a reader and a very interesting and immersive plot tool.
Both Aldo and Ragen are deeply, and intentionally flawed which makes for interesting and well rounded characters. I especially love the sections where Ragen's internal monologueis spiralling and creating scenarios where she is being chastised or catastrophizing. The part where she visualizes different emergencies she could create to force Aldo to come home. I find these to be a great depiction of what intrusive and compulsive thoughts can be like.
I normally hate long chapters, or in this case a lack thereof, however it worked well for the story being told. I think it made sense and could be seen as a representation of the spiralling thoughts of Aldo's depression and anxiety and Rage 's mood disorder.
I absolutely love the discussion of time, space and the significance of an individual and their choices. It was a compelling thought experiment as a reader and a very interesting and immersive plot tool.
Both Aldo and Ragen are deeply, and intentionally flawed which makes for interesting and well rounded characters. I especially love the sections where Ragen's internal monologue
challenging
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
this altered my brain chemistry. i fear i will be thinking of aldo and regan for a long time.
oh, and fuck marc.
oh, and fuck marc.
Very interesting romance. Such a spotlight on loving someone with mental illness.
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I’ve never read anything like this book.
I’m seriously not the same person I was before I read it.
Would definitely read it again and maybe again and again.
I wanted to cry when I finished it because it was very painful.
I’m seriously not the same person I was before I read it.
Would definitely read it again and maybe again and again.
I wanted to cry when I finished it because it was very painful.
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes