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A review by aldoregan
My Heart and Other Black Holes by Jasmine Warga
2.0
I don’t really have that much to say about this book.
This tackled important issues but tends to sugarcoat it, creating an easy way out for the characters. The end seemed a little too convenient and unrealistic. It was sudden and underdeveloped. The representation wasn’t as compelling and the characters’s feelings seemed a little too forced sometimes. Like it was trying too hard to make their mental illness believable. Maybe that’s just me, but I just didn’t find anything good about the representation of mental illness in this book and the way it was handled— the way that they kind of just romanticize depression (like so many other YA novels that tackle mental illness do). I think the idea for the storyline was good but the execution was not. However, there were certain parts that I did like. I really enjoyed the poetic writing style. And even the family aspect that we get to see from this book. There were some quotes that I found to be really relatable as well.
Mental illness is always going to be a difficult subject matter when it comes to stories that’s why it’s either a hit or miss for me. Fortunately, I didn’t set high expectations for this book so the bar was set pretty low. I wasn’t as disappointed as I probably would’ve if I’d thought differently. If the romance wasn’t as big of a plot device, then I would’ve liked this more. However, it is a beautifully written book and an easy read. I can see why some have adored it.
This tackled important issues but tends to sugarcoat it, creating an easy way out for the characters. The end seemed a little too convenient and unrealistic. It was sudden and underdeveloped. The representation wasn’t as compelling and the characters’s feelings seemed a little too forced sometimes. Like it was trying too hard to make their mental illness believable. Maybe that’s just me, but I just didn’t find anything good about the representation of mental illness in this book and the way it was handled— the way that they kind of just romanticize depression (like so many other YA novels that tackle mental illness do). I think the idea for the storyline was good but the execution was not. However, there were certain parts that I did like. I really enjoyed the poetic writing style. And even the family aspect that we get to see from this book. There were some quotes that I found to be really relatable as well.
Mental illness is always going to be a difficult subject matter when it comes to stories that’s why it’s either a hit or miss for me. Fortunately, I didn’t set high expectations for this book so the bar was set pretty low. I wasn’t as disappointed as I probably would’ve if I’d thought differently. If the romance wasn’t as big of a plot device, then I would’ve liked this more. However, it is a beautifully written book and an easy read. I can see why some have adored it.