kori_krc 's review for:

And Then You Were Gone by R.J. Jacobs

2.0

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This was a quick read and it ended up being okay. Not much of a twist ending, but I do have some thoughts on how we got there. The writing felt a little oddly paced at certain times. The beginning felt rushed, barely touching on the relationship between Emily and Paolo. It almost felt as though the year long relationship that Emily was describing was surface level at best as she didn't want him to know that she couldn't swim or her trauma relating to her fear. This is odd to me, because, usually, by the year mark, people would have disclosed on some level, their fears and reasons for them - at least in the type of relationship that Emily describes them as having. Post Paolo's disappearance, Emily goes through some indirectly related legal trouble. This is the start of my next issue. I felt as though the timeline was either not clear or very confusing. It felt as though the proceedings of her legal issues and the ramifications of what happened afterward was kind of rushed through. The way it was written felt as though she was in the hospital longer than it took to wrap up her legal issue - which by the sounds of her injury as well as what she was battling, it shouldn't have worked out that way (but then again, it might just be my knowledge of the legal field being that I currently have a career in it). I know this wasn't a main point in the plot and that it is being used to show that Emily is becoming unhinged, but it just felt a little unnecessary. Continuing on to how Emily is perceived, it feels like an uncomfortable choice. It is a "big" point in the plot that she has bipolar disorder. However, it almost feels like an unnecessary addition that is used to make the reader feel more and more like she is really unhinged and crazy - even going as far to have other characters call her out for being a "pill-popper" and "crazy", which is not the best depiction of those with that neurodivergent disorder. I guess if it was a major plot point, I don't see why her condition wasn't taken more seriously by literally any character, especially the ones close to her. She didn't seem to really care about taking her medication; her mom, her supervisor, nor the judge during her legal battle seemed to think that she should be monitored/in therapy for her condition or to get counseling for what happened to her boyfriend? Overall, it just felt like a lot of things were haphazardly thrown together in order to make things more dramatic without a lot of substance. Without all the unnecessary plot points thrown in, it was a really solid plot. The ending was nicely wrapped up and explained, which was nice (even though the ending-ending seemed a little out of left field? Did not get that vibe at all).