Reviews tagging 'Drug use'

The Two Lives of Lydia Bird by Josie Silver

7 reviews

herbodyslikeamodernart's review

Go to review page

emotional hopeful sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

Expand filter menu Content Warnings

hanraee's review against another edition

Go to review page

emotional sad slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes

3.25

This book is full to the brim with wonderful quotes. It isn't a perfectly written book, but it is a good book nonetheless. The first half of the book was heartbreakingly magical. Lydia loses the love of her life and then finds him in another life. The book follows Lydia through her grief and it was beautifully written.
The second half of the book dragged on and felt a bit jumpy. I was particularly disappointed with how Freddies character developed in the other life. Hes prioritising work over his relationship, even leaving their honeymoon! Big ol red flags! It made me believe that Freddie and Lydia wouldn't last in their other life, which was disappointing. Then Jonah and Lydia which I liked but it felt a bit iffy. Obviously they both deserve a happy ending but it just felt a bit off
 
Expand filter menu Content Warnings

stampest's review

Go to review page

emotional inspiring reflective sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

Expand filter menu Content Warnings

ands11's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous emotional lighthearted sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

some spoilers, not detailed but the context might be a spoiler for you!

I liked how Lydia showed her feelings towards the experiences of the two lives she was living. Considering that she was grieving the life of someone she loved, the alternative life (if you will) somehow made her heart whole again and allowed her to somewhat heal. Although it isn't entirely real, the experience itself allowed her to understand that she needed to move on to be healed completely which is kind of the predictable part of the story. The ending was a bit predictable, and I wasn't really a fan of how the story ended. But I did enjoy the writing of the author and the plot (minus the ending).
Expand filter menu Content Warnings

pierrereads's review

Go to review page

It was very boring, uneventful, slow and nonsensical.
Expand filter menu Content Warnings

onlyificanbringabook's review against another edition

Go to review page

challenging emotional 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? It's complicated

4.0

 
This was a gift from a wonderful friend who said I absolutely had to read it. It broke my heart and not in the beautiful way other books have done. It was messy and painful and I had no idea why a friend would do this to me! 

 

Lydia’s story was tragic. She had it all and then suddenly it was gone and she did not cope with it. Her grief is real and the way it unravels not only her life but the lives of those who love her is raw and almost leaves you empty. 

 

I had no idea how much I needed the second half of this book. I loved the Jonah storyline but what really resonated for me was Croatia. It was just perfect. 

 

My grief is so very different from hers but I felt her journey like it was within me. The different places she looked for solace and strength before realising they were inside her. The way she finds herself – “I found the old me, still in here, and the new me sitting right alongside her.” 

 

This book is an exposure of the real life of love. Yes, love can be good and it can be wonderful but it is also messy and painful and hard. Loving someone, be it a relative, friend or lover, can be hard and watching them hurting or, even worse, hurting themselves, is unthinkable but it happens and it is real. This book captures that and drags you way down to rock bottom before offering you any sign of reprieve. 

 

What I really liked about this book was that, despite the best efforts of everyone around her, no one rescued Lydia. She wasn’t magically “fixed” by a new relationship or some big life change at the end of the book. Instead, she found herself, learned to love herself and used this as the cornerstone to rebuild herself. 
Expand filter menu Content Warnings

bunchofbeereads's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous emotional funny hopeful inspiring sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

Expand filter menu Content Warnings
More...