Take a photo of a barcode or cover
anyaemilie 's review for:
Did It All Before
by Cynthia Hamill
Content warnings (from publisher's website): death of a close friend (past); discussion of death of a loved one (past); description of terrorist/war violence, gore (past), and scarring from injuries; medical procedures; alcohol abuse (brief mention); depiction of PTSD/ anxiety attack
I have to admit, this is not something I would have picked up on my own, I don't think. I bought a copy because I follow the author on Twitter and it sounded like an interesting (if very heavy) story. Also, supporting LGBTQ+ authors and small presses is always a bonus!
It took me a while to get into it because the pacing is very slow, up until about the halfway point. But I think this was a deliberate choice. It really gives the reader time to delve into the relationship between Scott and Jason. And as it says on the website, this is a slow burn. Probably the slowest burn I've ever read! But I think the payoff is worth it. The story takes place over an almost two-year period, so we get to see how Scott heals (and regresses) over that time period, and how he deals with his trauma. And also how his relationship with Jason changes. First it's small things, from how he goes from calling him Dr. Andrews to Jason, like Jason has been asking him to. To bigger things like how Scott finally feels willing and ready to deal with this huge traumatic event in his past.
Because of the slow pacing of the first half of the story, it did take me longer than usual to get through it (especially considering this book is less than 300 pages long), but I read the second half in less than a day because I was so invested in the resolution of Scott's story and his relationship with Jason.
I really liked the thorough descriptions of Jason's treatment of Scott because it's not something I was at all familiar with, and in a strange way, it was very calming and relaxing just to read. And I also liked how Scott's visions all came together at the end, because they started out seemingly random and unconnected.
There are definitely some very heavy themes in this book, and some graphic descriptions (mentioned in the content warnings above), so be aware of that when going into this book, but I definitely recommend it! I will for sure be checking out her other writing in the future!
I have to admit, this is not something I would have picked up on my own, I don't think. I bought a copy because I follow the author on Twitter and it sounded like an interesting (if very heavy) story. Also, supporting LGBTQ+ authors and small presses is always a bonus!
It took me a while to get into it because the pacing is very slow, up until about the halfway point. But I think this was a deliberate choice. It really gives the reader time to delve into the relationship between Scott and Jason. And as it says on the website, this is a slow burn. Probably the slowest burn I've ever read! But I think the payoff is worth it. The story takes place over an almost two-year period, so we get to see how Scott heals (and regresses) over that time period, and how he deals with his trauma. And also how his relationship with Jason changes. First it's small things, from how he goes from calling him Dr. Andrews to Jason, like Jason has been asking him to. To bigger things like how Scott finally feels willing and ready to deal with this huge traumatic event in his past.
Because of the slow pacing of the first half of the story, it did take me longer than usual to get through it (especially considering this book is less than 300 pages long), but I read the second half in less than a day because I was so invested in the resolution of Scott's story and his relationship with Jason.
I really liked the thorough descriptions of Jason's treatment of Scott because it's not something I was at all familiar with, and in a strange way, it was very calming and relaxing just to read. And I also liked how Scott's visions all came together at the end, because they started out seemingly random and unconnected.
There are definitely some very heavy themes in this book, and some graphic descriptions (mentioned in the content warnings above), so be aware of that when going into this book, but I definitely recommend it! I will for sure be checking out her other writing in the future!