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A review by annabarnardwright
Out of Love by Hazel Hayes
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.5
I have followed Hazel Hayes online for years and was initially dubious about this book as the vast majority of “Youtuber books” I’ve read have been absolutely terrible. However, it’s clear that Hazel is a genuinely talented author and this book was very well written! Overall I did enjoy it and am glad I read it.
I think I would have enjoyed it more if it didn’t already “know” Hazel, I found it impossible not to read the main character as Hazel herself because there were so many similarities, especially with the character’s name never being revealed. I often got distracted wondering if any scenes actually happened and if Theo was based on her public relationships with Jack Howard or Ollie Smyth, or both? I’ll be interested to see if Hazel can write another good book with a completely different main character.
The reverse story format was interesting. Although I hated Theo at the start, I’d forgotten why by the end and was starting to like him. I do think putting dates on each chapter would have helped the reader as I kept having to check back the start of the previous paragraph to remember where the story had picked up again. The book did drag on a bit, there were a lot of really detailed scenes that didn’t add anything to the plot.
I think I would have enjoyed it more if it didn’t already “know” Hazel, I found it impossible not to read the main character as Hazel herself because there were so many similarities, especially with the character’s name never being revealed. I often got distracted wondering if any scenes actually happened and if Theo was based on her public relationships with Jack Howard or Ollie Smyth, or both? I’ll be interested to see if Hazel can write another good book with a completely different main character.
The reverse story format was interesting. Although I hated Theo at the start, I’d forgotten why by the end and was starting to like him. I do think putting dates on each chapter would have helped the reader as I kept having to check back the start of the previous paragraph to remember where the story had picked up again. The book did drag on a bit, there were a lot of really detailed scenes that didn’t add anything to the plot.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Mental illness, Domestic abuse, Alcoholism, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, and Physical abuse