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A review by alibookedup
Alone with You in the Ether by Olivie Blake
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-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
4.0
Wow...Olivie Blake has written one of the most stunning romance books of the year. She has given us a beautifully fragmented love story of Regan, a woman struggling with mental illness, and Aldo, a man lives strictly by tedious routine. Their first meeting is a spark that builds up in a satisfying slow burn and becomes an all consuming fire.
I really enjoyed this book more than I thought I would. When it first started out, I was worried the play-like writing style would be too chaotic for me, but once I found it's rhythm I was able to fall into the story. I even began to see that without this chosen style, the story would lose so much of what makes it brilliant. It helps pull you into the chaotic mind of Regan and the formulaic rules of Aldo. You ARE the mind of Regan and Aldo.
Besides the writing, the actual love story was a wild ride. The budding of an odd friendship flowering into a very intense romance was amazing to experience. It was wrought with curiosity, peculiarity, and so much sexual tension. I never thought a hand hold could be so intimate - Olivie sure did deliver on that one. I also loved that it was so different than a "conventional" and "traditional" love story. I loved that it's about not being perfect, normal, or okay and that you can still be loved even if you are labeled unhealthy, dysfunctional, or sick. It held a beautiful message about love, relationships, mental illness, and life itself. It's hard to even describe - you can tell the author really opened herself up into these characters and I commend her for her bravery.
Lastly, the narrators did a wonderful job. They really encapsulated Regan's and Aldo's contradictory energies. With that being said, I think I might have enjoyed this book a bit more if I had read it versus listening to it. I think I needed to be able to soak up the words and the pages myself to really let it become a part of me. Regardless, definitely recommend this book to others if you are looking for something different and dynamic!
Thank you Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for a first look!
I really enjoyed this book more than I thought I would. When it first started out, I was worried the play-like writing style would be too chaotic for me, but once I found it's rhythm I was able to fall into the story. I even began to see that without this chosen style, the story would lose so much of what makes it brilliant. It helps pull you into the chaotic mind of Regan and the formulaic rules of Aldo. You ARE the mind of Regan and Aldo.
Besides the writing, the actual love story was a wild ride. The budding of an odd friendship flowering into a very intense romance was amazing to experience. It was wrought with curiosity, peculiarity, and so much sexual tension. I never thought a hand hold could be so intimate - Olivie sure did deliver on that one. I also loved that it was so different than a "conventional" and "traditional" love story. I loved that it's about not being perfect, normal, or okay and that you can still be loved even if you are labeled unhealthy, dysfunctional, or sick. It held a beautiful message about love, relationships, mental illness, and life itself. It's hard to even describe - you can tell the author really opened herself up into these characters and I commend her for her bravery.
Lastly, the narrators did a wonderful job. They really encapsulated Regan's and Aldo's contradictory energies. With that being said, I think I might have enjoyed this book a bit more if I had read it versus listening to it. I think I needed to be able to soak up the words and the pages myself to really let it become a part of me. Regardless, definitely recommend this book to others if you are looking for something different and dynamic!
Thank you Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for a first look!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Mental illness