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A review by amandasbookreview
And Then You Were Gone by R.J. Jacobs
2.0
You all probably know by now that I have a weakness for audiobook thrillers. So it is no surprise that I picked And Then You Were Gone by R.J. Jacobs and read by Amy McFadden. The story introduces Emily Firestone, a child psychologist and who is also bipolar. One weekend, she and her boyfriend Paolo go sailing. When she wakes up after a deep sleep, Paolo is gone. There is no way he drowned, but then what happened to him. His assumed death is linked to his work as a scientist coming up with a vaccination for a deadly disease that had taken the life of Emily’s father when she was younger. However, due to her instability, she immediately becomes a suspect. She recruits the help of Paolo’s best friend, but more mysterious deaths begin to happen. Can they find answers before it is too late?
UGHHHHHHH! I had high hopes for this book. I saw that fans of Alice Feeney would enjoy this book. Welp. I did not enjoy it. Where to begin? First of all, I love when authors discuss mental illness to reduce the stigma. When they first mention that Emily is bipolar, I was thrilled. They discuss what she experiences and how everyone is different. That is absolutely wonderful. I started listening to the book thinking that this book will be phenomenal. As the book went on, I discovered that Emily’s bipolar disorder is the only thing that defines her. I feel that discussing mental illness is one thing, but those who suffer from any mental illness are not defined by it. It felt like she mentioned bipolar every single time she spoke. I struggle with OCD and anxiety. It wreaks havoc on my life daily. But it is not the only thing about me. Emily is not the only character that lacks dimension. It seems like all the characters in the story are very similar. Also, for how much Emily claims she isn’t an alcoholic, she sure drinks a lot. She seems like she is always drinking and even gets a DUI. But nope, alcohol is not a problem. (sarcasm)
I have not quite decided what the problem is with my next issue. I can’t tell if it is the dialogue, the narration, or perhaps both? The author was trying to give Emily wit and sarcasm and it just came off cheesy and cringeworthy. The narration did not help it. I can’t quite describe it but the way Emily’s voice was portrayed, came off annoying.
Lastly, the pace of this novel is unbelievably slow. And the twist? Predictable. So, unfortunately, I have to rate this book 2 out of 5 stars. I appreciate what the author was trying to do with shedding light on mental illness but it was not executed well.
Oh! Merry Christmas! Sorry, this is not a more positive and happy blog post! I hope you all have a wonderful time filled with happiness and joy beyond measure!
UGHHHHHHH! I had high hopes for this book. I saw that fans of Alice Feeney would enjoy this book. Welp. I did not enjoy it. Where to begin? First of all, I love when authors discuss mental illness to reduce the stigma. When they first mention that Emily is bipolar, I was thrilled. They discuss what she experiences and how everyone is different. That is absolutely wonderful. I started listening to the book thinking that this book will be phenomenal. As the book went on, I discovered that Emily’s bipolar disorder is the only thing that defines her. I feel that discussing mental illness is one thing, but those who suffer from any mental illness are not defined by it. It felt like she mentioned bipolar every single time she spoke. I struggle with OCD and anxiety. It wreaks havoc on my life daily. But it is not the only thing about me. Emily is not the only character that lacks dimension. It seems like all the characters in the story are very similar. Also, for how much Emily claims she isn’t an alcoholic, she sure drinks a lot. She seems like she is always drinking and even gets a DUI. But nope, alcohol is not a problem. (sarcasm)
I have not quite decided what the problem is with my next issue. I can’t tell if it is the dialogue, the narration, or perhaps both? The author was trying to give Emily wit and sarcasm and it just came off cheesy and cringeworthy. The narration did not help it. I can’t quite describe it but the way Emily’s voice was portrayed, came off annoying.
Lastly, the pace of this novel is unbelievably slow. And the twist? Predictable. So, unfortunately, I have to rate this book 2 out of 5 stars. I appreciate what the author was trying to do with shedding light on mental illness but it was not executed well.
Oh! Merry Christmas! Sorry, this is not a more positive and happy blog post! I hope you all have a wonderful time filled with happiness and joy beyond measure!