What We Broke

[3.3] i know this rating may seem low when i say this book leans on the positive side of the MV spectrum for me, but i'm starting to realize the “then”/“now” switcheroo structure more often than not undermines the juicy emotional beats and fails to engage me as much as linear storytelling does. bearing in mind the level of grief that some characters were facing, there were several moments that my mind came back to later thinking: if only i had known this piece of information that i know now earlier; i would've been left devastated and distraught! (the biggest example of which would have to be Leo and Raine's precious relationship) another niggle was the transition from rock bottom, borderline never-to-get-back-up-again Leo to vulnerable, time-for-a-change Leo, which felt very instantaneous in the grand scheme of the story. we see the steps he takes as a result of this mindset shift, but the depiction and detailed picking of his brain in terms of what exactly triggered said shift (aside from the obvious) faltered a bit.

that said, i love a marriage in distress and the general character arc of discovering what it's like to be standing in a loved one's shoes - you can never go wrong with an eye opening character development moment!

i know this review sounds like a bit of a downer when i read it back, but please don't let my review deter you from giving it a chance. many have loved it, so it's certainly a me situation