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A review by megelizabeth
The No-Show by Beth O'Leary
emotional
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
3.5
"...how futile it was to try not to love Joseph Carter; accepting the agony of it all has been a peculiar kind of relief."
This is a difficult book for me to review, as it essentially consists of three intertwined storylines and two of them I adored but one I absolutely couldn't stand. I did largely work out where the overarching plot was going, but that didn't bother me, as I still thought it was so ambitious and cleverly-done, and also because there was so much I loved in Jane's and Siobhan's storylines; there are brilliantly important conversations, excellent building of tension, relationships that feel agonisingly real, and climaxes that shattered my heart and then went some way to putting it back together.
I found Miranda annoying and difficult to connect to all the way through (and you're clearly supposed to root for all three protagonists), but I'd feel more forgiving because of how much I was drawn into everything else that was happening if it wasn't for the way Miranda's last chapter ended. I just cannot fathom how the author possibly thought what happened could be seen as anything other than downright insensitive, let alone supposedly 'romantic'.
So, yeah, very mixed feelings on this one. It definitely had a huge impact on me, and I'd still say I'm glad I read it because it has an extremely intriguing set-up and because I loved Jane's and Siobhan's characters so much; it just could have been so much better with an equally compelling third protagonist and a far less frustrating end to her story. I did, however, apparently unlike a lot of reviewers, really like Joseph for the most part, and I definitely found his character arc to be a super compelling one.
This is a difficult book for me to review, as it essentially consists of three intertwined storylines and two of them I adored but one I absolutely couldn't stand. I did largely work out where the overarching plot was going, but that didn't bother me, as I still thought it was so ambitious and cleverly-done, and also because there was so much I loved in Jane's and Siobhan's storylines; there are brilliantly important conversations, excellent building of tension, relationships that feel agonisingly real, and climaxes that shattered my heart and then went some way to putting it back together.
I found Miranda annoying and difficult to connect to all the way through (and you're clearly supposed to root for all three protagonists), but I'd feel more forgiving because of how much I was drawn into everything else that was happening if it wasn't for the way Miranda's last chapter ended. I just cannot fathom how the author possibly thought what happened could be seen as anything other than downright insensitive, let alone supposedly 'romantic'.
So, yeah, very mixed feelings on this one. It definitely had a huge impact on me, and I'd still say I'm glad I read it because it has an extremely intriguing set-up and because I loved Jane's and Siobhan's characters so much; it just could have been so much better with an equally compelling third protagonist and a far less frustrating end to her story. I did, however, apparently unlike a lot of reviewers, really like Joseph for the most part, and I definitely found his character arc to be a super compelling one.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness and Death
Moderate: Miscarriage and Self harm
Minor: Death of parent