I vacillated on how many stars to give this book. Four stars? The story idea is great and if it isn’t a true story, it sure comes off as one. The dialogue is top notch.
Two stars? I got lost. I had to ask myself several times, where am I now? Why can’t the author at least make the setting clear each time the character goes back and forth in time? What year is it when we are in the present? How old is this character now? She was born in 1964, but when we are in the present some of the things mentioned don’t sound like today. The ending is meant to be a cliffhanger so you’ll read the next book. Okay. But the type of cliffhanger isn’t fair. This book should have told us who she is really seeing in the end. That would be the cliffhanger. This ending irritated me. The characters aren’t likeable. The main character is extremely selfish and disrespectful, even when far beyond her teenage years. Ah, wait. She does have redeeming qualities. She wants to work. She wants to be productive. She wants to conquer her mental illness, and the illness she has is major. Conquering it can’t be an easy feat. Finally, the book needs to be edited by a pro. There are misspelled words, wrong words, formatting errors and odd tense choices throughout.
Back to four stars? In some ways this book is brilliant, and it is always interesting. If the storytelling is irritating and lacks clarity it is because it is mimicking the predicament of its main character. Everything is through her eyes and since she is off, the storytelling has to be off. In the end it works.
So I split the difference and gave the book three stars. It won’t be for everyone, but for readers fascinated by mental illness and how a person copes, this book is perfect. It certainly is unique. I’m glad I read it.
Two stars? I got lost. I had to ask myself several times, where am I now? Why can’t the author at least make the setting clear each time the character goes back and forth in time? What year is it when we are in the present? How old is this character now? She was born in 1964, but when we are in the present some of the things mentioned don’t sound like today. The ending is meant to be a cliffhanger so you’ll read the next book. Okay. But the type of cliffhanger isn’t fair. This book should have told us who she is really seeing in the end. That would be the cliffhanger. This ending irritated me. The characters aren’t likeable. The main character is extremely selfish and disrespectful, even when far beyond her teenage years. Ah, wait. She does have redeeming qualities. She wants to work. She wants to be productive. She wants to conquer her mental illness, and the illness she has is major. Conquering it can’t be an easy feat. Finally, the book needs to be edited by a pro. There are misspelled words, wrong words, formatting errors and odd tense choices throughout.
Back to four stars? In some ways this book is brilliant, and it is always interesting. If the storytelling is irritating and lacks clarity it is because it is mimicking the predicament of its main character. Everything is through her eyes and since she is off, the storytelling has to be off. In the end it works.
So I split the difference and gave the book three stars. It won’t be for everyone, but for readers fascinated by mental illness and how a person copes, this book is perfect. It certainly is unique. I’m glad I read it.
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