A review by hannahbailey
Sorrow and Bliss by Meg Mason

challenging dark emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

<b>TW: mental illness, toxic relationships, domestic abuse, suicidal thoughts, miscarriage, alcoholism, emotional abuse, grief </b>

Absolutely sped through this. Had I owned a copy on kindle, I would be sharing probably hundreds of highlights right now. 

Written so effortlessly, with a style of prose that is just a pleasure to read despite the heavy themes. Actually, it's probably this writing style that makes the themes so digestible. Really enjoyed the lack of 'perfect' characters and the unreliable narration. Found the narrative we tell ourselves about how we're perceived by others when suffering with mental illness to be very relatable. This portrayal of mental illness, teen-to-adulthood and managing relationships is not only relatable but quite soothing to see published into the mainstream. The narrative voice was very compelling as was the jumping to different parts of the timeline. 

Took me 3 days to finish which is a record this year as everything else I pick up in 2024 has taken me much longer to get through!
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