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A review by stephanimichelle
The Heavens by Sandra Newman
3.0
This is a very strange story. As Kate travels back in time in her sleep constantly, her actions have ripple effects on the current time period, so when she wakes up her life had changed. Sometimes the changes are subtle, Kate doesn’t quite remember meeting some person, or forgets who a celebrity is, but as the story progresses the changes become more extreme, affecting Kate’s own history and actions.
I loved the portrayal of mental illness in this story, as Kate can no longer keep track of what happened in which reality, her family and friends start to turn from away from her. In the beginning Kate is a bit flaky, a bit of a dreamer, but its seen as a bit of fun – that’s just Kate. Her stories of living as an Elizabethan mistress in a parallel life are amusing stories. When Kate’s behaviour gets more erratic, when she starts to need help from people, that’s when her mental illness becomes problematic for her loved ones.
I would not describe this as a love story, I found the character of Ben to be quite weak and disloyal.
There’s also a clear message about the consequences of putting your own success above the greater good.
I’m not sure I agree entirely with the points the author is making, but it is a very interesting novel, which you will be pondering long after you’ve finished reading it.
The writing style is also quite dreamy and evocative. The edition I received was the hardback, which is absolutely stunning, and really gives you a visual clue about the book, with the towering skyscrapers looming over Elizabethan London.
I loved the portrayal of mental illness in this story, as Kate can no longer keep track of what happened in which reality, her family and friends start to turn from away from her. In the beginning Kate is a bit flaky, a bit of a dreamer, but its seen as a bit of fun – that’s just Kate. Her stories of living as an Elizabethan mistress in a parallel life are amusing stories. When Kate’s behaviour gets more erratic, when she starts to need help from people, that’s when her mental illness becomes problematic for her loved ones.
I would not describe this as a love story, I found the character of Ben to be quite weak and disloyal.
There’s also a clear message about the consequences of putting your own success above the greater good.
I’m not sure I agree entirely with the points the author is making, but it is a very interesting novel, which you will be pondering long after you’ve finished reading it.
The writing style is also quite dreamy and evocative. The edition I received was the hardback, which is absolutely stunning, and really gives you a visual clue about the book, with the towering skyscrapers looming over Elizabethan London.