A review by mer3bear
We Are Not Ourselves by Matthew Thomas

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

I really wasn't sure if I was going to like this book at first. The first 200 pages are SO SLOW. But then once the "deeper psychological shift" of Eileen's husband and the "inescapable darkness" come into play, it becomes such a powerful story of grief, family, the immigrant experience, and the American dream. Eileen and her son Connell are genuinely such annoying characters at first but since this book is of such huge scope, it feels like you've lived their entire lives with them and learn to care about them so deeply. The last third of the book really broke me down and made me cry so many times... chapter 98>>>. I wish I could give it 5 stars because of how much it moved me but because I wasn't as into the first chunk of the novel I'll have to bump it down to 4. I don't recommend this for people who aren't into slow reads but if it sounds like it's for you I'd go for it.