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A review by _coldpasta
Out of Love by Hazel Hayes
emotional
funny
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This book has an admittedly interesting concept, a love story told in reverse. While it's easy to think you'll remember that, it's easier to forget and find yourself reading it as a traditional story of a couple growing closer, not how they drifted apart. I found myself laughing at the last 2 chapters of the book, completely forgetting that they don't end up together until the last line of the book.
Hazel Hayes does a great job of making a book that is centered around but not about mental health. The protagonist's anxiety is a huge part of the way she makes decisions but is not what the whole book is about. It doesn't market itself as a mental health story, but instead a love story. I think this sort of stuff is really important to have in books.
All of the side characters did exactly what they needed too without becoming tedious or main characters. My favorite is Maya. She's the brutally honest best friend that I think everyone has come out of a book wanting before. The protagonist's mom is a shining example of a mom and I loved her to bits.
I wish there was more of a date system put with the chapters, like even a simple "[amount of time] until the end" or something ominous like that. All in all, it was a really good first book and I'm excited to see what else Hazel Hayes does in her career.
Hazel Hayes does a great job of making a book that is centered around but not about mental health. The protagonist's anxiety is a huge part of the way she makes decisions but is not what the whole book is about. It doesn't market itself as a mental health story, but instead a love story. I think this sort of stuff is really important to have in books.
All of the side characters did exactly what they needed too without becoming tedious or main characters. My favorite is Maya. She's the brutally honest best friend that I think everyone has come out of a book wanting before. The protagonist's mom is a shining example of a mom and I loved her to bits.
I wish there was more of a date system put with the chapters, like even a simple "[amount of time] until the end" or something ominous like that. All in all, it was a really good first book and I'm excited to see what else Hazel Hayes does in her career.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, and Emotional abuse
Moderate: Sexual assault and Alcoholism