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A review by lena_loves_reading
The Falling in Love Montage by Ciara Smyth
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I'm not sure how I feel about this book...
I loved some parts of it, like Oliver (I wish he would've appeared more often, he's the best), how comfortable the main characters were with their sexuality and the romcom references I didn't get but respected anyways.
I'm gonna be honest, I wanted this to be a sob story and I just wasn't. I've met many people with dementia while vulunteering in the neurological ward and I cannot imagine the struggle of having a parent with early onset dementia. I was so interested in the family situation, the mum being in a care home and the dad moving on. I liked how much attention this got but I really wanted them to talk more about their feelings. Instead the MC Saoirse and her dad fought all the time and then it got revolved almost instantly in the end.
Saoirse is an angsty, self-destructive teenager and while I like far-from-perfect protagonists, her lying to the love interest and arguing made the book frustrating. I struggled with building an emotional connection to her. Again, this would've been fine if the ending was more fleshed out she had a good redemption arc.
I enjoyed the Irish audiobook narrator even though it took me a while to get used to the accent.
I loved some parts of it, like Oliver (I wish he would've appeared more often, he's the best), how comfortable the main characters were with their sexuality and the romcom references I didn't get but respected anyways.
I'm gonna be honest, I wanted this to be a sob story and I just wasn't. I've met many people with dementia while vulunteering in the neurological ward and I cannot imagine the struggle of having a parent with early onset dementia. I was so interested in the family situation, the mum being in a care home and the dad moving on. I liked how much attention this got but I really wanted them to talk more about their feelings. Instead the MC Saoirse and her dad fought all the time and then it got revolved almost instantly in the end.
Saoirse is an angsty, self-destructive teenager and while I like far-from-perfect protagonists, her lying to the love interest and arguing made the book frustrating. I struggled with building an emotional connection to her. Again, this would've been fine if the ending was more fleshed out she had a good redemption arc.
I enjoyed the Irish audiobook narrator even though it took me a while to get used to the accent.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Dementia
Moderate: Terminal illness