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A review by _chrstnlvly
Alone with You in the Ether by Olivie Blake
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.5
Two words: underwhelming and disappointing.
Yeah, it had good mental health representation. I have clinical depression and my husband has bipolar disorder. This book perfectly depicted what living with mental illness feels like. However, it was not the best book just like what most people say.
I know in the acknowledgments Olivie said "This is not a book about how pills are bad, but about finding the acceptance we need to feel both well and alive." I get that. But it's harmful to write a book about characters not willing to take their medications, then only put a one-sentence disclaimer at the end of the book. I know Olivie also suffers from bipolar disorder, so it was quite surprising for me that this is the route she chose.
Yes, acceptance is important. Yes, loving someone completely despite everything is great (though honestly, this is arguable because the book focused too much on sex that it became apparent sex equates to love). However, she had the opportunity to educate people with no mental illness how living with the disease feels like, so why did she miss to grab the opportunity to educate people who DO suffer from mental illness how vital medications and therapy are. There was a part where because of Regan's rage, she was imagining stabbing everyone, but this was not addressed at all in therapy because "love" is apparently enough.
The first 30% of this book, I was in awe of the writing. It's a character-driven book, and I love character-driven books, but it got boring. It became pretentious. There was a point where there were 2 long paragraphs in one page. I was dreading reading it because it was too much. This makes me so scared because I have a copy of The Atlas Six. If this is the way she writes, then I'm doomed.
1.5 stars (1 star because it perfectly described mental illness, 0.5 star since I enjoyed the good writing for the first 30% of the book)
Yeah, it had good mental health representation. I have clinical depression and my husband has bipolar disorder. This book perfectly depicted what living with mental illness feels like. However, it was not the best book just like what most people say.
I know in the acknowledgments Olivie said "This is not a book about how pills are bad, but about finding the acceptance we need to feel both well and alive." I get that. But it's harmful to write a book about characters not willing to take their medications, then only put a one-sentence disclaimer at the end of the book. I know Olivie also suffers from bipolar disorder, so it was quite surprising for me that this is the route she chose.
Yes, acceptance is important. Yes, loving someone completely despite everything is great (though honestly, this is arguable because the book focused too much on sex that it became apparent sex equates to love). However, she had the opportunity to educate people with no mental illness how living with the disease feels like, so why did she miss to grab the opportunity to educate people who DO suffer from mental illness how vital medications and therapy are. There was a part where because of Regan's rage, she was imagining stabbing everyone, but this was not addressed at all in therapy because "love" is apparently enough.
The first 30% of this book, I was in awe of the writing. It's a character-driven book, and I love character-driven books, but it got boring. It became pretentious. There was a point where there were 2 long paragraphs in one page. I was dreading reading it because it was too much. This makes me so scared because I have a copy of The Atlas Six. If this is the way she writes, then I'm doomed.
1.5 stars (1 star because it perfectly described mental illness, 0.5 star since I enjoyed the good writing for the first 30% of the book)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Drug use and Mental illness
Moderate: Sexual content and Toxic relationship