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eyreibreathe's reviews
369 reviews
Long Bright River by Liz Moore
dark
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
What was the last book that shattered you? When I added Long Bright River to my TBR back in 2019, I knew I would need to emotionally prepare for this read. It took me nearly five years and a little nudge from Moore's recent release (The God of the Woods - one of my favorites this year!) to finally pick up this long-neglected book. It was well worth the wait, friends. This book was simply stunning.
Through Long Bright River, I gained a visceral, first-hand glimpse into the opioid crisis. The narrative follows two sisters on opposite sides of the epidemic: Mickey, a Philadelphia beat cop who witnesses the devastation daily, and her younger sister Kacey, long trapped in the grips of addiction. Seeing both sides allows readers to fully experience the destruction, despair, and agony that permeate this crisis - for both the addicts and their anguished families.
Gritty, dark, and profoundly eye-opening, Long Bright River is a book I will not soon forget.
Through Long Bright River, I gained a visceral, first-hand glimpse into the opioid crisis. The narrative follows two sisters on opposite sides of the epidemic: Mickey, a Philadelphia beat cop who witnesses the devastation daily, and her younger sister Kacey, long trapped in the grips of addiction. Seeing both sides allows readers to fully experience the destruction, despair, and agony that permeate this crisis - for both the addicts and their anguished families.
Gritty, dark, and profoundly eye-opening, Long Bright River is a book I will not soon forget.
How to Hide in Plain Sight by Emma Noyes
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
One thing I love most about the bookish world is that, through writing, an author is able to present a unique viewpoint, a real and raw account of what it's like to live with xyz.... You can fill this blank with so many things, obviously. Author Emma Noyes, in How to Hide in Plain Sight, gives a voice to those who live with OCD. Because she herself lives with the condition, she is able to depict it with utmost truth, shedding those stereotypes of cutesy, quirky, endearing OCD that we too often see presented in mainstream media.
Reading this, I was gutted at the internal battle that Eliot endures through her intrusive thoughts. The feelings of isolation, worthlessness, and fear she experiences were heartbreaking; and even more devastating is the fact that this is all internal, so others don't see it. I also had a huge soft spot for Eliot's best friend Manuel. His support, his heart, his drive to learn about OCD and dig deep to see and understand Eliot's struggles...absolute perfection. The only thing I personally had a hard time with with was the ending. I was so deeply invested in this story, and the ending felt quite abrupt. I would have loved to see it fleshed out more or for there to be an epilogue. All in all, however, I very much enjoyed this book and am thankful to have read it as I feel like it enabled me to better understand what it can be like to live life with OCD and better support those in my life who struggle with it.
Reading this, I was gutted at the internal battle that Eliot endures through her intrusive thoughts. The feelings of isolation, worthlessness, and fear she experiences were heartbreaking; and even more devastating is the fact that this is all internal, so others don't see it. I also had a huge soft spot for Eliot's best friend Manuel. His support, his heart, his drive to learn about OCD and dig deep to see and understand Eliot's struggles...absolute perfection. The only thing I personally had a hard time with with was the ending. I was so deeply invested in this story, and the ending felt quite abrupt. I would have loved to see it fleshed out more or for there to be an epilogue. All in all, however, I very much enjoyed this book and am thankful to have read it as I feel like it enabled me to better understand what it can be like to live life with OCD and better support those in my life who struggle with it.
House of Glass by Sarah Pekkanen
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
I was craving an addictive thriller a couple weeks ago, so I finally picked up House of Glass and dived in. Sadly, this one left me slightly underwhelmed. It had a lot of the key elements I gravitate toward in a thriller, and the mystery surrounding a young girl who collects sharp objects and refuses to speak was certainly intriguing, but...it just never quite "got there" for me. It was...fine, I guess? I mean, I didn't dread picking it up, by any means, and I looked forward to seeing how everything would play out in the end, but semi-flat characters and a sluggish pace kind of hindered me from being fully invested.
How to Age Disgracefully by Clare Pooley
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
There are times as a reader when I just need a fun, uplifting book. Often, this need arises when I've been lost in some rather heavy reads, as was the case when I picked up How to Age Disgracefully, by Clare Pooley. I desperately needed to laugh, and this book absolutely delivered. In fact, I don't remember the last time I laughed as hard as I did while hanging out with this unlikely gang of senior citizens. This quirky cast characters not only had me cackling, but also had me saying more than once to my husband, "I hope I'm as cool as these guys when I'm 70." Boom. New life goal. 😎 If you need a little dose of happy in your own reading life, I highly urge you to check out How to Age Disgracefully. You may just find yourself falling for this unconventional bunch as hard as I did.
The Days I Loved You Most by Amy Neff
emotional
hopeful
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
* See more of my reviews on Instagram at eyre_i_breathe
Oof. This book, you guys... From time to time, I crave a love story full of richness, depth, and beautiful writing. It's a hard balance to achieve - it's so easy to go overboard and veer into overly saccharine and cheesy or land on the other side of the balance beam and leave the reader underwhelmed and wanting more. The Days I Loved You Most managed to land right in that sweet spot.
I loved that we as readers get to follow Evelyn and Joseph's love story from the very beginning - from that heady newfound teenage romance to the comfort and depth of 60 years later, at the end of a life spent together. The magic and the butterflies are there, yes, but there is real life between these pages as well - the joys and raw heartache of parenting, the losses incurred along the way, those stages in life where you feel as if you've lost your way and lost yourself somewhere in there also, the times in which you cling to one another in blind faith... This story was real and poignant and utterly beautiful. I cannot believe this is Amy Neff's debut novel.
Oof. This book, you guys... From time to time, I crave a love story full of richness, depth, and beautiful writing. It's a hard balance to achieve - it's so easy to go overboard and veer into overly saccharine and cheesy or land on the other side of the balance beam and leave the reader underwhelmed and wanting more. The Days I Loved You Most managed to land right in that sweet spot.
I loved that we as readers get to follow Evelyn and Joseph's love story from the very beginning - from that heady newfound teenage romance to the comfort and depth of 60 years later, at the end of a life spent together. The magic and the butterflies are there, yes, but there is real life between these pages as well - the joys and raw heartache of parenting, the losses incurred along the way, those stages in life where you feel as if you've lost your way and lost yourself somewhere in there also, the times in which you cling to one another in blind faith... This story was real and poignant and utterly beautiful. I cannot believe this is Amy Neff's debut novel.
The Wedding People by Alison Espach
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
As a bookstagrammer who thoroughly enjoys staying up to speed on new releases, who pores over reviews and adds books to my wish list long before they hit shelves, nothing fills me with such polarized emotions as hyped books. Yay, anticipation! Eek, built-up expectations! Well, I'm here to say The Wedding People most certainly lived up to the hype for me.
I won't go into much detail about this particular novel because I think it's one that is best to go into blind. I've heard it described as a love letter to life, and I'd say that is spot on. I felt so many emotions while reading this beautiful book, and the tone of the writing was just absolutely perfect for the story... introspective, reflective, sprinkled with humor, and always so engaging that I couldn't get enough. I found myself looking forward to getting back to it each time I had to lay it down. The Wedding People does delve into a heavy subject matter, but I closed this book with a feeling of my spirit being refreshed...like I was personally a better, more contented person for having read it.
I won't go into much detail about this particular novel because I think it's one that is best to go into blind. I've heard it described as a love letter to life, and I'd say that is spot on. I felt so many emotions while reading this beautiful book, and the tone of the writing was just absolutely perfect for the story... introspective, reflective, sprinkled with humor, and always so engaging that I couldn't get enough. I found myself looking forward to getting back to it each time I had to lay it down. The Wedding People does delve into a heavy subject matter, but I closed this book with a feeling of my spirit being refreshed...like I was personally a better, more contented person for having read it.