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A review by ellieschaben
Out of the Woods by Hannah Bonam-Young
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
I really loved this one!!! Sarah and Caleb are so enjoyable and relatable.
Sarah’s problems, while annoying, are so valid. I also would like to marry a rich man so that I don’t have to work 😅😅 but I get the feeling of loosing yourself in a relationship and/or not feeling like you have a direction to move in.
I thought Caleb’s empathy and progression of understanding Sarah’s feelings were frustrating but real. The communication struggles can happen no matter how long a couple is together.
I also really thought Hannah did a great job of showing a couple that is childless/doesn’t want kids in the future. This POV isn’t shown a lot in fictional books, and I liked the representation and the fact that this was vocalized in the relationship and not changed throughout the book. The importance of seeing this as a valid option for your future!!!!!!
I didn’t love the epilogue/where Sarah ended up though. Sarah goes back to college, and her first book is a bestseller, is adapted for a play, and her friend (who is now famous) stars in the play?! I wish that Sarah could have been happy just finding her place as an aspiring author, and we could have been happy for her just getting one novel written/published. I wanted to celebrate the wins, even when they’re not the biggest ones. I wanted her to feel pride in herself, even if she doesn’t have a bestselling novel and a play adapted. I wanted her friends that she made to support her in the smallest of wins - her college graduation, her first book signing, her release date of her book. Such a small part of the book, but I feel like it could’ve been so impactful to the people aspiring to do big things, that even the small wins are important.
Sarah’s problems, while annoying, are so valid. I also would like to marry a rich man so that I don’t have to work 😅😅 but I get the feeling of loosing yourself in a relationship and/or not feeling like you have a direction to move in.
I thought Caleb’s empathy and progression of understanding Sarah’s feelings were frustrating but real. The communication struggles can happen no matter how long a couple is together.
I also really thought Hannah did a great job of showing a couple that is childless/doesn’t want kids in the future. This POV isn’t shown a lot in fictional books, and I liked the representation and the fact that this was vocalized in the relationship and not changed throughout the book. The importance of seeing this as a valid option for your future!!!!!!
I didn’t love the epilogue/where Sarah ended up though. Sarah goes back to college, and her first book is a bestseller, is adapted for a play, and her friend (who is now famous) stars in the play?! I wish that Sarah could have been happy just finding her place as an aspiring author, and we could have been happy for her just getting one novel written/published. I wanted to celebrate the wins, even when they’re not the biggest ones. I wanted her to feel pride in herself, even if she doesn’t have a bestselling novel and a play adapted. I wanted her friends that she made to support her in the smallest of wins - her college graduation, her first book signing, her release date of her book. Such a small part of the book, but I feel like it could’ve been so impactful to the people aspiring to do big things, that even the small wins are important.