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A review by alyh2000
The Soulmate by Sally Hepworth
2.0
I really was not a fan of this one. The chapters were short and choppy, which led to a fast read, but I kept waiting for the story to pick up… and then it never quite did.
Spoilers ahead************
And while the book was overall meh for me, I literally hated the ending. I love it when a writer ties together all of the Easter eggs they’ve scattered throughout the book into a perfect little bow in the end. This was more like toddler’s shoelaces trailing behind them as they run. It’s as if the book just ended and then… poof… Oh by the way, the two male main characters are related. Even after reading this BIG reveal (and by big, I mean inconsequential) I literally put the book down and said, “So?”
Other things I disliked about this book:
-The portrayal of mental illness. While I appreciate that the importance of seeking help/treatment/medication was mentioned, I just felt that the author slapped a label of bipolar disorder on a character and proceeded to perpetuate stereotypes. Mental health issues can be used in plot points and can still be dealt with compassionately… this book was not an example of that.
-Pippa- This woman dealt with issues with her husband severe enough that her entire family moved close to her and would not let her be alone with him, and yet we are led to believe that nobody had a conversation voicing concerns with her prior to that point? Yes… that’s completely believable.
-Asha- Gabe has a child outside the marriage and we’re supposed to believe that Pippa just takes her in as her own like it’s nothing. She literally just brushes it off like it’s no big deal.
-Max jumping to his death because he lost his soulmate? PLEASE! First of all, typically when someone is your soulmate, you will at some point have told them how much you loved and cared about them. If not, certainly you have shown them… this was not the case in this marriage. Second, Max spoke throughout the book about how much suicide had affected his family, to the point where he said there was no way Amanda could have jumped knowing what that would do to him. The man didn’t want children for this same reason. But then he randomly walks off the cliff in front of two people so that they too can be traumatized for life? Come on!
Apparently, I felt more strongly about this book than I realized, because I kind of went off on a tangent here. Needless to say, I was less than thrilled with how this turned out.
Spoilers ahead************
And while the book was overall meh for me, I literally hated the ending. I love it when a writer ties together all of the Easter eggs they’ve scattered throughout the book into a perfect little bow in the end. This was more like toddler’s shoelaces trailing behind them as they run. It’s as if the book just ended and then… poof… Oh by the way, the two male main characters are related. Even after reading this BIG reveal (and by big, I mean inconsequential) I literally put the book down and said, “So?”
Other things I disliked about this book:
-The portrayal of mental illness. While I appreciate that the importance of seeking help/treatment/medication was mentioned, I just felt that the author slapped a label of bipolar disorder on a character and proceeded to perpetuate stereotypes. Mental health issues can be used in plot points and can still be dealt with compassionately… this book was not an example of that.
-Pippa- This woman dealt with issues with her husband severe enough that her entire family moved close to her and would not let her be alone with him, and yet we are led to believe that nobody had a conversation voicing concerns with her prior to that point? Yes… that’s completely believable.
-Asha- Gabe has a child outside the marriage and we’re supposed to believe that Pippa just takes her in as her own like it’s nothing. She literally just brushes it off like it’s no big deal.
-Max jumping to his death because he lost his soulmate? PLEASE! First of all, typically when someone is your soulmate, you will at some point have told them how much you loved and cared about them. If not, certainly you have shown them… this was not the case in this marriage. Second, Max spoke throughout the book about how much suicide had affected his family, to the point where he said there was no way Amanda could have jumped knowing what that would do to him. The man didn’t want children for this same reason. But then he randomly walks off the cliff in front of two people so that they too can be traumatized for life? Come on!
Apparently, I felt more strongly about this book than I realized, because I kind of went off on a tangent here. Needless to say, I was less than thrilled with how this turned out.