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angelicathebookworm's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
informative
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
This fast-paced narrative is insightful but written in prose that’s easy to read and makes Amy, the main character and our narrator, seem quite relatable and realistic. The characters were definitely the strongest element of the novel as they’re all relatable in their own way yet distinct from one another. It’s something I always enjoy coming across when reading a new book but it’s quite a difficult thing to achieve. I especially liked reading about the characters of Ed, Ben, and Nathan who are all just really lovely throughout. There are also quite a few realistic scenarios peppered through the narrative and the characters’ speech seemed quite authentic which is, again, something I don’t see as often as I’d like in books. Riva also does a wonderful job of evoking various emotions throughout the text and there is also some strong mental health representation that I thought was well executed. This contemporary novel which includes some important messages has quite an interesting plot and also includes some budding romances that appear and develop naturally and not in a forced and predictable manner.
The only issue that I really had with the novel was that I didn’t get on very well with Riva’s writing style. I found it quite clunky and jarring in places. I also found Riva’s writing style to be quite formal which made for quite a weird juxtaposition with the very informal and chatty tone presented by the main character and the everyday elements of the plot. There’s also a lack of descriptions throughout the text in places where I thought they were necessary or would have at least enhanced the narrative. For example, when the characters go to Australia it would have been nice to have some passages of text dedicated to the scenery that makes it really obvious to the readers the differences between Australia and their place of work back home.
(I received a free review copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.)
For more reviews like this one, check out https://angelicacastilloking.wordpress.com/
The only issue that I really had with the novel was that I didn’t get on very well with Riva’s writing style. I found it quite clunky and jarring in places. I also found Riva’s writing style to be quite formal which made for quite a weird juxtaposition with the very informal and chatty tone presented by the main character and the everyday elements of the plot. There’s also a lack of descriptions throughout the text in places where I thought they were necessary or would have at least enhanced the narrative. For example, when the characters go to Australia it would have been nice to have some passages of text dedicated to the scenery that makes it really obvious to the readers the differences between Australia and their place of work back home.
(I received a free review copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.)
For more reviews like this one, check out https://angelicacastilloking.wordpress.com/
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Mental illness, and Cursing
frostyreads's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
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
3.0
tw: mental health issues, suicidal thoughts.
i was kindly sent a copy of this book from lana in exchange for an honest review.
⭐️⭐️⭐️
finished in a gorgeous teal colour, the sophistication of the cover drew me to the book instantly. much like the cover, the plot is very simple (a bit too much for my personal liking). i know that this was done intentionally to capture the all-consuming nature of mental illness, and although this effective, it would have been nice to have another element to the story in my opinion.
despite this, the depictions of amy’s mental illnesses were raw, unedited and interesting. she was (sadly!) relatable, and i learnt a lot from her inner monologues and experiences. i loved that new information was slowly trickled into the book, keeping me on my toes until the end. as well, it was heart-warming to watch amy’s support network expand to provide her with a happy ending. overall, this is a good little debut novel, and a must-read if you want to expand your knowledge of mental health issues.
i was kindly sent a copy of this book from lana in exchange for an honest review.
⭐️⭐️⭐️
finished in a gorgeous teal colour, the sophistication of the cover drew me to the book instantly. much like the cover, the plot is very simple (a bit too much for my personal liking). i know that this was done intentionally to capture the all-consuming nature of mental illness, and although this effective, it would have been nice to have another element to the story in my opinion.
despite this, the depictions of amy’s mental illnesses were raw, unedited and interesting. she was (sadly!) relatable, and i learnt a lot from her inner monologues and experiences. i loved that new information was slowly trickled into the book, keeping me on my toes until the end. as well, it was heart-warming to watch amy’s support network expand to provide her with a happy ending. overall, this is a good little debut novel, and a must-read if you want to expand your knowledge of mental health issues.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness and Suicidal thoughts
milliep's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness
Minor: Suicidal thoughts
frumpkin_'s review against another edition
emotional
inspiring
sad
fast-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness
Minor: Suicidal thoughts, Self harm, and Panic attacks/disorders
Anxiety, depression and OCD.
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