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emilyhays 's review for:
Before I Let Go
by Marieke Nijkamp
First of all, TW: suicide, emotional abuse and manipulation.
I'm not even sure how to begin this review. I'm not sure what'll constitute a spoiler or not, so I'm just going to write, but I'm also going to warn you that if you still plan on reading this book and care about spoilers to approach this review with caution.
The book opens up when Corey first find out that her best friend, Kyra, has drowned because she fell through a crack in the ice (she lives in Alaska - Corey used to live in Alaska, but she moved to Winnepeg). From there, weirdness ensues.
I understand what the author was trying to do with this novel. She's trying to depict what it's like to have bipolar disorder and projects it onto this little Alaskan town. She turns it into a mystery, and several tropes, and magical realism. I think this might've worked had it been maybe written by someone else, and maybe as an adult book. Or maybe if it was just less strange. But the way Kyra's character is depicted feels... insulting? To people who have bipolar disorder? I don't, so correct me if I'm wrong.
This felt like a rip-off, YA version of The Yellow Wallpaper, that's the easiest way I can describe this book. I'm still not sure how to really feel about it all, but don't go into this book thinking it's a mystery about two best friends and a suicide that might actually be a murder.
On top of that, the characters have no depth whatsoever. Kyra and Corey are supposed to be best friends, but I have never read a friendship so plain in my entire life. The plot becomes so repetitive, and it's absolutely infuriating. There are like 2 or 3 chapters near the end written screenplay style, for what seems to be no reason. If we're looking at a plot graph, this book has an inciting incident and then a whole bunch of fluff, no climax, and somewhat of a resolution.
Honestly this book could be a good 150 pages shorter and you would still get the gist and not have to skim read the last half of the book like I did.
That's all I feel like I can say without spoilers. But if you have any questions about the trigger warnings please feel free to message me here on goodreads or on Twitter (@emilyxspeaks).
I'm not even sure how to begin this review. I'm not sure what'll constitute a spoiler or not, so I'm just going to write, but I'm also going to warn you that if you still plan on reading this book and care about spoilers to approach this review with caution.
The book opens up when Corey first find out that her best friend, Kyra, has drowned because she fell through a crack in the ice (she lives in Alaska - Corey used to live in Alaska, but she moved to Winnepeg). From there, weirdness ensues.
I understand what the author was trying to do with this novel. She's trying to depict what it's like to have bipolar disorder and projects it onto this little Alaskan town. She turns it into a mystery, and several tropes, and magical realism. I think this might've worked had it been maybe written by someone else, and maybe as an adult book. Or maybe if it was just less strange. But the way Kyra's character is depicted feels... insulting? To people who have bipolar disorder? I don't, so correct me if I'm wrong.
This felt like a rip-off, YA version of The Yellow Wallpaper, that's the easiest way I can describe this book. I'm still not sure how to really feel about it all, but don't go into this book thinking it's a mystery about two best friends and a suicide that might actually be a murder.
On top of that, the characters have no depth whatsoever. Kyra and Corey are supposed to be best friends, but I have never read a friendship so plain in my entire life. The plot becomes so repetitive, and it's absolutely infuriating. There are like 2 or 3 chapters near the end written screenplay style, for what seems to be no reason. If we're looking at a plot graph, this book has an inciting incident and then a whole bunch of fluff, no climax, and somewhat of a resolution.
Honestly this book could be a good 150 pages shorter and you would still get the gist and not have to skim read the last half of the book like I did.
That's all I feel like I can say without spoilers. But if you have any questions about the trigger warnings please feel free to message me here on goodreads or on Twitter (@emilyxspeaks).