Reviews tagging 'Cursing'

Alone with You in the Ether by Olivie Blake

25 reviews

readerette's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

A well written story about two imperfect people trying to make their way in life, who find an imperfect love with one another.

If you are bothered by relationship drama, this may not be a story for you, but I enjoyed the philosophical musings of both characters enough to balance out the drama (I especially resonated with Aldo). I've never had exactly the thoughts or obsessions these two had, but some of their wonderings and worries definitely struck a chord for me that made the book quite an emotional journey.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cursing

Moderate: Mental illness and Sexual content

Minor: Alcohol, Drug abuse, Toxic relationship, and Drug use

elderwoodreads's review against another edition

emotional hopeful 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

5.0

Went into this on the recommendation of a friend with not a lot of info and I loved it! The end really sold it for me and I loved how Blake played with different writing styles throughout. I really felt like I was in it with the characters. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness

Moderate: Sexual content, Cursing, Drug use, and Emotional abuse

Minor: Alcohol, Pregnancy, Drug use, Toxic relationship, Blood, and Violence

biobeetle's review

emotional reflective 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Mental illness, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Drug abuse, Gaslighting, Cursing, Suicide attempt, Drug use, and Alcohol

_charliesbooks_'s review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful 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? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug use, Sexual content, Mental illness, Cursing, Alcohol, Addiction, Toxic relationship, Self harm, Panic attacks/disorders, Gaslighting, Forced institutionalization, and Emotional abuse

writerres27's review against another edition

emotional hopeful inspiring reflective tense fast-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

4.25

4.25 stars for Alone with You in the Ether by Olivie Blake. I found the story very satisfying, real, and raw. I enjoyed the vulnerability of the story, the ability to see yourself within the characters (especially in their flaws), and the honesty of the plot progression. Love as a compulsion is a hard thing to capture without seeming flamboyant, but this book certainly does it. It hit me where it hurts in all the right ways, and I have highlights all over my copy.

Because the story is heavily character-driven, I will not be writing separate review sections for the plot and the characters, but instead will write one comprehensive entry.

This story explores the journey of two individuals, floating through life in their own troubled and often conflicting ways. Yet, when their paths cross, everything suddenly seems to make sense, and the things that don't make sense are now something to admire rather than something to...fix. Or avoid. Or destroy. No, these two unlock hidden portions of each other, Aldo finding an element of humanity he otherwise programmed out of himself and Regan discovering the safety necessary to be herself without pretense. Both find something to live for, to die for, something they did not previously realize was possible for themselves. They need it, and yet they are afraid of it. They want it, and yet neither truly has faith in it. Their journey takes twists and turns (pun intended), ultimately circling one central truth: through prosperity or destruction, they will always return Here. It may look different, the route may change, but Here, alone together in the Ether, they will always gravitate back.

Love can be ugly. It can be terrifying. It can be obsessive, compulsive, hyperfixating, addicting, earth-shattering, uplifting, revealing. Blake conveys all of this in its purest form, no sugarcoating or romanticizing (well...maybe a little. it is a romance, after all), just demonstrating. Feeling and understanding and allowing you to feel and understand it, too. This book shows the good, the bad, the ups, the downs, the challenges and rewards of seeking out a companion in the tumultuous, turbulent course of life, especially for those of us who are mentally ill. But in the end, regardless of what it took to get there, the characters are still better for it, and you close the book with a soft smile.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction and Mental illness

Moderate: Emotional abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual content, Drug abuse, and Drug use

Minor: Cursing, Suicide attempt, Abandonment, and Toxic relationship

cassidylee's review against another edition

emotional reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

Listening to this audiobook was immersive and intriguing, almost consuming. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug use, Mental illness, and Sexual content

Moderate: Cursing and Medical content

Minor: Blood and Addiction

arturo_luzen's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Drug use, Toxic relationship, Addiction, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, Cursing, Suicidal thoughts, Gaslighting, and Emotional abuse

Moderate: Drug use, Eating disorder, Body shaming, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual content, Addiction, Toxic relationship, Self harm, Panic attacks/disorders, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Mental illness, Emotional abuse, Cursing, and Classism

embelle's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

I don’t even know what to write for this review, as I still haven’t fully processed this book. I feel like I could read this book 5 times and still not be able to process it. I’m convinced that this book is unlike anything I’ve ever read before or anything that I’ll ever read in the future. Just wow wow wow. The Acknowledgements from Olivie Blake also totally had me in my feelings too 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Suicide, Toxic relationship, Chronic illness, Cursing, Self harm, Sexual content, and Suicidal thoughts

Moderate: Abandonment, Suicide attempt, Drug use, and Infidelity

ninahuynh's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

 "A Love Story". Turmoil and recognition. Love and addiction. Lost and denial. Yearning and fear. Regan and Aldo's relationship has more waves than the ocean. While they both understand their own flaws, they're both volatile and have so much inner turmoil that many of us may recognize in ourselves and relate to. While they seem to be opposites, their polarity is what brings them together.

As much as I don't want to like it, their relatability (inner dialogue) is what keeps me chewing through. That acknowledgement! 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Addiction, Alcohol, Misogyny, Sexual content, Drug use, and Mental illness

Moderate: Cursing

Minor: Suicidal thoughts and Suicide attempt

sarasreading's review against another edition

reflective relaxing sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

Yet another book where my expectations were different from the actual content of the book, and I actually read a blurb before reading. I suppose because of the title, the blurb, and the cover, I thought there was going to be some sci-fi/magical realism aspects to this book, which would have taken it to another level for me. 

I wasn't expecting it to just be contemporary romance. Granted, beautifully written, with well crafted unhealthy characters using unhealthy coping mechanisms, but contemporary romance all the same. 

And I was bored. The thought provoking writing kept me going for sure, but it wasn't enough to elevate the story into something truly special for me. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Sexual content, and Cursing