stewartj0421's reviews
176 reviews

Unspeakable Things by Jess Lourey

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challenging dark sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

Pineapple Street by Jenny Jackson

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hopeful sad fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

I really quite thoroughly enjoyed this read, although I found the falling action and resolution to be a little bit slapped together, like the author was ready to wrap up and didn’t quite know how to get the characters where she wanted them without just… suddenly putting them there.

My Lovely Wife by Samantha Downing

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dark sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus

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challenging dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective sad slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

I would like to give this book one million stars.

Reconstruction Quest: A Neurodivergent Journey by John F. Gerrard

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hopeful informative reflective medium-paced

3.0

Review courtesy of a free ARC and originally shared on Discovery: https://reedsy.com/discovery/book/reconstruction-quest-a-neurodivergent-journey-john-gerrard#review

Reconstruction Quest: A Neurodivergent Journey is a personal recounting of the challenges, successes and revelations that author,John Gerrard has faced. Beginning in childhood, Gerrard describes the trials and tribulations that formed his existence to date, in particular those that were symptoms, side effects, or catalysts of varying degrees of mental illness.

While Gerrard's writing at times feels rudimentary and scrambled — the latter perhaps an apt reflection of the book’s theme — there belies a poignant image of what it is to be neurodivergent. Gerrard writes both of the great benefits and pitfalls of neurodivergency, touching on the great creative inspirations and unique perspectives that stem from a non-typical brain, while also making a point of describing how, for some, those would-be perks can evolve into delusions of grandeur, eventually crashing one into the depths of anxiety, depression, and worse.

Gerrard's analysis of his neurodivergent experiences are thoroughly genuine and reflective, a refreshingly personal account of an experience that is often clinicalized. However, there were some technical issues that impacted my enjoyment of the short memoir.

Gerrard frequently oscillates back and forth between past and present tense perhaps erroneously, making it difficult to understand whether he is narrating his present- or past-self thoughts. More than a few times I read a paragraph under the impression that Gerrard was monologuing as his current self, only to be whiplashed back to the past as the story suddenly progressed into some past-tense setting.

Perhaps more jarringly, much of the book is spent explaining his inner thoughts or telling us the lesson to be gleaned from a briefly described experience, rather than showing us through storytelling. The narrative sequences that do exist in the book are captivating and immersive - a testament to Gerrard's storytelling potential. I found myself wishing these sections wouldn't end, but knowing all too well they would wrap up much sooner than expected. Gerrard's experiences are harrowing, yet his reflections on those events are enlightening, encouraging the reader to reflect on their own experiences, whether similarly tragic or any other varying degree of challenging. These narrative moments really encapsulate the value of the book: They are opportunities for the reader to find catharsis, to realize that someone else in the world has dealt with difficult things, too, and has come out of the other side.

Ultimately, despite technical flaws, this is an endearing and empowering read. The clunky structure of the novel is overcome by a message of hope, resilience and strength. Gerrard is to be applauded for his raw honesty and empathetic reflection of the self, and readers can rest assured this memoir represents an authentic experience of mental illness challenges and triumphs.

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