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therapybard2021 's review for:
It's Always Been You
by Elin Annalise
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I really wanted to like this. There are many good ideas, but this feels like a first draft where the author threw in whatever plot thread came to mind. So many characters and plot points could have been cut to give room to the romance. You know, the point of the book. Instead, it's very rushed and I don't even up liking either characters. Courtney should have fessed up to Sophie immediately. Not doing so was very, very immoral. I think the story awknowledges that but never really deals with the fall out. I mostly just feel bad for Sophie, who's biggest crime is being a pushover as a teen. She still doesn't have much personality. I don't care about any of the side characters, either.
None of this is helped by the very rushed ending.It feels like the abuse plotline was written into the story to distract the MCs from their conflict, so they'd fall in love despite never grappling with what caused the conflict to begin with.
I think I get some of what the book was trying to do. Multiple moments point to a general theme of "trust people to know their own lived experience better than you do". This works good with the asexual moments, as well as Sophie's Ex. However, I feel weird about where things go with the Hypochondriac plot.She ended up really being sick and now everyone feels bad for shitting on it. The problem is, health anxiety is a real thing. It's a real disorder. It's not only valid if something actually ends up being ill. I suffer from this, and it sucks. I've called my mom crying at 1am convinced I'd die in my sleep, and nothing was physically wrong. Do I only deserve sympathy if I'm actually dying? Or does the book mean to imply that my anxiety disorder is actually right and I should listen to that voice in my head insisting I have cancer because I feel tired one day? IDK. That just rubbed me the wrong way.
None of this is helped by the very rushed ending.
I think I get some of what the book was trying to do. Multiple moments point to a general theme of "trust people to know their own lived experience better than you do". This works good with the asexual moments, as well as Sophie's Ex. However, I feel weird about where things go with the Hypochondriac plot.