Scan barcode
A review by pastelwriter
We Are All So Good at Smiling by Amber McBride
emotional
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
How am I supposed to put to words how amazing this book was? I loved it so so so much! ðŸ˜
I think it’s best to start off by setting expectations for readers planning to pick this up. This is the kind of novel in verse that isn’t at all about plot. The point of this book is to explore through Whimsy and Faerry’s experiences what it’s like to live with depression, survive trauma, and unearth hidden memories. Not everything in the story is fleshed out fully because at the heart of it are the three things I just mentioned. Those are what are worth developing.
I found this book captured so perfectly what it’s like to live with depression. It also excellently captured this experience in metaphor as well. The Garden, Sorrow, and the Fairy Tales were all woven together perfectly. They were all tiny cuts that came together in the end to offer forth the author’s message.
It didn’t escape my notice either that an undercurrent in the story, as well, was generational trauma. Whimsy and Faerry’s parents are they type who try to help their kids in ways that only hurt everyone more. The only way out is through, and they muddle up the path without really meaning to.
Anyway. If I’m honest, the main reason I was even able to make it through this book was because Whimsy and Faerry’s sorrow is shaped so differently to mine. I resonated with their experience, but it wasn’t to the point that it dragged me down to my own sorrow.
All in all, I’m so glad I picked this up. The cover alone was enough to make this a worthwhile purchase, but the contents of the book are just as beautiful as its cover. Whimsy and Faerry’s live in my heart now.
I think it’s best to start off by setting expectations for readers planning to pick this up. This is the kind of novel in verse that isn’t at all about plot. The point of this book is to explore through Whimsy and Faerry’s experiences what it’s like to live with depression, survive trauma, and unearth hidden memories. Not everything in the story is fleshed out fully because at the heart of it are the three things I just mentioned. Those are what are worth developing.
I found this book captured so perfectly what it’s like to live with depression. It also excellently captured this experience in metaphor as well. The Garden, Sorrow, and the Fairy Tales were all woven together perfectly. They were all tiny cuts that came together in the end to offer forth the author’s message.
It didn’t escape my notice either that an undercurrent in the story, as well, was generational trauma. Whimsy and Faerry’s parents are they type who try to help their kids in ways that only hurt everyone more. The only way out is through, and they muddle up the path without really meaning to.
Anyway. If I’m honest, the main reason I was even able to make it through this book was because Whimsy and Faerry’s sorrow is shaped so differently to mine. I resonated with their experience, but it wasn’t to the point that it dragged me down to my own sorrow.
All in all, I’m so glad I picked this up. The cover alone was enough to make this a worthwhile purchase, but the contents of the book are just as beautiful as its cover. Whimsy and Faerry’s live in my heart now.