I can see why some people will adore this book, and why some people will hate it. It’s very character driven, it’s slow and while a lot happens from a character perspective, there’s not a lot of twists and turns and adventure so if you’re very much a plot first kind of reader, you may not enjoy this. 

The writing is like nothing I’ve read before. It’s chaotic, yes, but I think that is super intentional and it really resonated with me as someone who also experiences a mental illness. It felt like I was reading a book that was written the same way my brain is. 

I really connected with the characters through the good and the bad and the ugly, and I felt so seen and understood through their experiences. I was rooting for them the whole time. 

I think Olivia Blake really a really stellar job with this. I was buzzing about this book while I was reading. The only thing I’ll say that was a bit “negative” for me is that it did feel heavy at times and I felt a bit impacted by some of the mental health themes and how close to home they hit so if you also might be affected in this way, take your time with this book. 

Finally, the authors acknowledgements page made me cry when she talked about her husband loving her brain enough so that one day she might love it too. That punched me right in the guts. Feels.