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Everyone I Know is Dying
A razor-sharp, bleakly funny exploration of mental health crises, the societal pressures on young women, and toxic sexual and romantic relationships from one of the most exciting new literary voices. Perfect for fans of Sorrow and Bliss or Cleopatra and Frankenstein.
When she’s having sex with her boss, Iris likes to have the lights on so he can see how much younger she is than his wife. She likes watching her colleagues eat unhealthy lunches at their desk while her stomach aches with emptiness. She likes coasting at work knowing she’s going to land a big promotion anyway.
So why when it arrives does she find herself sprawled on her hallway floor, crying uncontrollably? Why, instead of a sense of triumph, does a crippling depression threaten to overwhelm her? Why does the support and stability of her family and friends feel so suffocating? And why, torn between her flatmate George – good, kind, reliable George – and cold, indifferent Patrick, does she only seem capable of making choices that cause her pain?
When she’s having sex with her boss, Iris likes to have the lights on so he can see how much younger she is than his wife. She likes watching her colleagues eat unhealthy lunches at their desk while her stomach aches with emptiness. She likes coasting at work knowing she’s going to land a big promotion anyway.
So why when it arrives does she find herself sprawled on her hallway floor, crying uncontrollably? Why, instead of a sense of triumph, does a crippling depression threaten to overwhelm her? Why does the support and stability of her family and friends feel so suffocating? And why, torn between her flatmate George – good, kind, reliable George – and cold, indifferent Patrick, does she only seem capable of making choices that cause her pain?
352 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 18, 2024
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 704 reviews
March 20, 2024
Thanks to the author, netgalley and the publishers for allowing me an ARC in exchange for my review.
2.5
This might be a case of 'it's me, not you'. Maybe I have just grown out of this genre. I found the main character unlikeable, which isn't always a bad thing and something I had enjoyed in other reads. However, she was incredibly frustrating and self sabotaging that it sort of grated on me.
I felt like some parts were unnecessary or made me think it was going one way but in fact it had little relevance to the story regally. Therefore, I felt it might have been better as a short story.
2.5
This might be a case of 'it's me, not you'. Maybe I have just grown out of this genre. I found the main character unlikeable, which isn't always a bad thing and something I had enjoyed in other reads. However, she was incredibly frustrating and self sabotaging that it sort of grated on me.
I felt like some parts were unnecessary or made me think it was going one way but in fact it had little relevance to the story regally. Therefore, I felt it might have been better as a short story.
July 9, 2024
a brutally honest and raw exploration of a mental health crisis that felt far too real and like a personal attack. like hello miss slapper, are you stalking me?
April 26, 2024
One of the most powerful books I’ve ever read.
I’ve never read a book before that describes so perfectly and so realistically how this highly-toxic highly-pressurised world can impact young women.
It was sometimes easy to distance myself from Iris as just an unlikable narcissistic character but then at many points in the book I would find her disturbingly relatable. Or I’d catch myself in real life having Iris-like thoughts/behaviour. This book so bravely holds a mirror up to the shameful parts of ourselves and ultimately made me reflect on myself in a way that no other book has.
Also takes such a unique approach on the topic of mental health - so raw that it’s challenging to read at times, but it’s exactly this which makes it such an important read. It’s also refreshing to read a character struggling with their mental health that isn’t depicted as some sort of fallen angel. For many people the reality of mental health can (understandably) make you selfish and unkind and deeply hurt the ones you love and I found EIKID tackled this so well
Finally this book provides SO many incredibly powerful lines that linger with you for days after reading - I was struggling to not to highlight lines and lines and line of text 😂
Cannot believe this is her debut novel - cannot WAIT to read more from Emily Slapper!!
I’ve never read a book before that describes so perfectly and so realistically how this highly-toxic highly-pressurised world can impact young women.
It was sometimes easy to distance myself from Iris as just an unlikable narcissistic character but then at many points in the book I would find her disturbingly relatable. Or I’d catch myself in real life having Iris-like thoughts/behaviour. This book so bravely holds a mirror up to the shameful parts of ourselves and ultimately made me reflect on myself in a way that no other book has.
Also takes such a unique approach on the topic of mental health - so raw that it’s challenging to read at times, but it’s exactly this which makes it such an important read. It’s also refreshing to read a character struggling with their mental health that isn’t depicted as some sort of fallen angel. For many people the reality of mental health can (understandably) make you selfish and unkind and deeply hurt the ones you love and I found EIKID tackled this so well
Finally this book provides SO many incredibly powerful lines that linger with you for days after reading - I was struggling to not to highlight lines and lines and line of text 😂
Cannot believe this is her debut novel - cannot WAIT to read more from Emily Slapper!!
July 31, 2024
As much as I love a sad girl novel, Iris was unlikable in a way that I couldn’t pine for her, self-sabotaging and boy-obsessed, always asking “am I a bad person?” Then proceeding to be an awful person. I feel like the point the author was trying to get to eventually is that “you don’t need a man to save you” and “love yourself before you can love others”, but the involvement of a love triangle with a insufferable main character who lets herself be excused for being a terrible person to those she loves because she hates being alive, just aren’t the tropes for me.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 22, 2024
Fuck that was depressing
June 20, 2024
Trigger warning: suicide ideation.
This is a very difficult for me to review. On the one hand this is a very accomplished, intense, authentic and powerful portrayal of someone struggling with significant mental health issues in the context of the societal and peer pressures that young women face. And I say that with no authority, as I’m not a young woman, but that’s how it seems to me. And on the other hand, I found reading it a chore. My rating is for the quality and importance of the book that I believe that it is. And I’m attributing my lack of enjoyment down to me being the wrong audience.
Is that fair? I don’t know. It is what it is.
The book is essentially in two parts: the first part (the first 34 chapters, or roughly 90%) is an incredibly raw portrayal of the day-to-day struggles of Iris, a young woman trying to understand what happiness is, whilst searching for it in the reflected judgement of others; the second part (the final 3 chapters) is the resolution. The resolution was exactly what I expected it to be, and also the only thing it possibly could be, and is also totally fitting given what I believe the author is trying to say.
The main body of the book is a brave, genuine, and very difficult portrayal of Iris grappling with her sense of self, identity, and worth. She sees herself only in the reaction she gets from other people; she has no genuine friendships; she is not her authentic self.
Reading the comments about this book from other reviewers makes it clear that there is an audience for this book - people who can directly relate to some of the struggles that Iris had. In the reviews I have read, there are more comments from people who directly relate to Iris, at least in some small part, than from those who don’t. And for those people, I have a sense that the portrayal of Iris has a resonance, depth, and meaning.
If I could relate to Iris, this would probably be a 5-star read. If I were to give a rating solely on my personal, subjective enjoyment of the book, it is a 3-star read. What is a reviewer to do?
Thank you #NetGalley and HQ for the free review copy of #EveryoneIKnowisDying in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
This is a very difficult for me to review. On the one hand this is a very accomplished, intense, authentic and powerful portrayal of someone struggling with significant mental health issues in the context of the societal and peer pressures that young women face. And I say that with no authority, as I’m not a young woman, but that’s how it seems to me. And on the other hand, I found reading it a chore. My rating is for the quality and importance of the book that I believe that it is. And I’m attributing my lack of enjoyment down to me being the wrong audience.
Is that fair? I don’t know. It is what it is.
The book is essentially in two parts: the first part (the first 34 chapters, or roughly 90%) is an incredibly raw portrayal of the day-to-day struggles of Iris, a young woman trying to understand what happiness is, whilst searching for it in the reflected judgement of others; the second part (the final 3 chapters) is the resolution. The resolution was exactly what I expected it to be, and also the only thing it possibly could be, and is also totally fitting given what I believe the author is trying to say.
The main body of the book is a brave, genuine, and very difficult portrayal of Iris grappling with her sense of self, identity, and worth. She sees herself only in the reaction she gets from other people; she has no genuine friendships; she is not her authentic self.
“I can’t understand why people don’t like to be seen as objects when to be seen as an object is to be desired. This is why I keep coming back”She knows that there is something lacking in her life, and she persistently misidentifies it, bouncing from one potential source of happiness to another.
“It’s disconcerting when you realise that getting what you want doesn’t make you feel better”There is an audience for this book, and it isn’t me. That’s not to say that I didn’t get anything from reading it - rather that there was no part of me that could identify with anything that Iris was going through. All I could really do was feel sorry for her. Perhaps I got a deeper understanding of the internal struggle related to certain types of mental health issue. But for that I need to totally rely on the authenticity of what the author is portraying (which I have no reason to doubt) rather than being able to draw on any of my own experience.
Reading the comments about this book from other reviewers makes it clear that there is an audience for this book - people who can directly relate to some of the struggles that Iris had. In the reviews I have read, there are more comments from people who directly relate to Iris, at least in some small part, than from those who don’t. And for those people, I have a sense that the portrayal of Iris has a resonance, depth, and meaning.
If I could relate to Iris, this would probably be a 5-star read. If I were to give a rating solely on my personal, subjective enjoyment of the book, it is a 3-star read. What is a reviewer to do?
Thank you #NetGalley and HQ for the free review copy of #EveryoneIKnowisDying in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
April 16, 2024
4.5 stars
listen it’s never fun when you see parts of yourself in an arguably horrible person but oh boy did i find myself looking the the main character like .. that’s me.
an incredibly unflinching portrayal of mental health to the point where it was almost difficult to read in places yet somehow still enjoyable?
can’t wait to start seeing this on lists on tiktok alongside books like sorrow & bliss and my year of rest and relaxation.
extremely excited to see what else the author has to offer.
(thank you to netgalley for the ARC!!)
listen it’s never fun when you see parts of yourself in an arguably horrible person but oh boy did i find myself looking the the main character like .. that’s me.
an incredibly unflinching portrayal of mental health to the point where it was almost difficult to read in places yet somehow still enjoyable?
can’t wait to start seeing this on lists on tiktok alongside books like sorrow & bliss and my year of rest and relaxation.
extremely excited to see what else the author has to offer.
(thank you to netgalley for the ARC!!)
August 1, 2024
Better than Sally Rooney?!
Unlikable, unreliable, self-obsessed-and-absorbed, confident, but actually extremely insecure Iris.
With activities such as ‘scheduled relaxation', a list of her wake up routine starting at 6:44am, exfoliating before shaving, stepping into the perfume, etc; this almost at times feels like reading a vlogger. A vlogger who is brutally honest and shows us her true self behind the facade.
I think the reason this is receiving such mixed reviews is because it is also so blisteringly true. Iris’s thoughts are definitely thoughts we have had at some point - sarcastically, or hidden deeply; dormant or repressed. Maybe just not as extreme.
As the story progresses, we see Iris realising how stupid her routine is, her perfectionism strained to breaking.
We follow along as Iris starts to yearn for connection, for more in her relationships. She wonders if there is more in looking for meaning rather than a nod in gratification or approval from people she, in reality, barely knows.
I can't understand why people don't like to be seen as objects when to be seen as an object is to be desired. This is why I keep coming back.
I do wish I had the ebook or physical copy so I could highlight and include more quotes in my review as WOW. However, I also loved listening to the audiobook as I think otherwise the monotony of the lists and Iris’s constant inner monologue might have got boring and frustrating for me. Listening to it made it feel like Iris’s very voice was inside my head.
Saying that, after the first 50%, I found I really couldn’t care for the plot or the characters. It started to feel repetitive and it lost that oomph from the start.
This started out ridiculously strong and then stumbled and then fell off.
Trigger warnings for mental health, disordered eating behaviour, and suicidal thoughts.
Thank you to Harper Collins for providing the audiobook in exchange for a review!
Bookstagram
Unlikable, unreliable, self-obsessed-and-absorbed, confident, but actually extremely insecure Iris.
With activities such as ‘scheduled relaxation', a list of her wake up routine starting at 6:44am, exfoliating before shaving, stepping into the perfume, etc; this almost at times feels like reading a vlogger. A vlogger who is brutally honest and shows us her true self behind the facade.
I think the reason this is receiving such mixed reviews is because it is also so blisteringly true. Iris’s thoughts are definitely thoughts we have had at some point - sarcastically, or hidden deeply; dormant or repressed. Maybe just not as extreme.
As the story progresses, we see Iris realising how stupid her routine is, her perfectionism strained to breaking.
We follow along as Iris starts to yearn for connection, for more in her relationships. She wonders if there is more in looking for meaning rather than a nod in gratification or approval from people she, in reality, barely knows.
I can't understand why people don't like to be seen as objects when to be seen as an object is to be desired. This is why I keep coming back.
I do wish I had the ebook or physical copy so I could highlight and include more quotes in my review as WOW. However, I also loved listening to the audiobook as I think otherwise the monotony of the lists and Iris’s constant inner monologue might have got boring and frustrating for me. Listening to it made it feel like Iris’s very voice was inside my head.
Saying that, after the first 50%, I found I really couldn’t care for the plot or the characters. It started to feel repetitive and it lost that oomph from the start.
This started out ridiculously strong and then stumbled and then fell off.
Trigger warnings for mental health, disordered eating behaviour, and suicidal thoughts.
Thank you to Harper Collins for providing the audiobook in exchange for a review!
Bookstagram
January 27, 2025
the romance/love triangle aspect was sooooo unnecessary omg
January 6, 2025
this was such a vulnerable exploration of mental health - i felt seen in so many ways. exquisite !!!!!!
July 18, 2024
Lovers of sad girl fiction, gather round.
As a 20-something, this book was incredibly relatable from the outset. Our protagonist, Iris, navigates the reality of life while searching for happiness—a tale as old as time. However, a sudden loss in her family forces her to realize that the happiness she believed she had found living and working in the big city, feeling as though she escaped the curse of her boring small town upbringing, is a façade. She's simply not fulfilled.
From this point onwards, we follow Iris as she's confronted with the reality of her mental state and struggles with self-actualization. I didn't like Iris as a person and I definitely didn't agree with the choices she made; however, I understood them. This is a testament to how well the characters in this novel were developed and to Slapper's talent.
Thank you, NetGalley and the publishers, for providing me with an eARC. This book is out today (18/7/24)!!
As a 20-something, this book was incredibly relatable from the outset. Our protagonist, Iris, navigates the reality of life while searching for happiness—a tale as old as time. However, a sudden loss in her family forces her to realize that the happiness she believed she had found living and working in the big city, feeling as though she escaped the curse of her boring small town upbringing, is a façade. She's simply not fulfilled.
From this point onwards, we follow Iris as she's confronted with the reality of her mental state and struggles with self-actualization. I didn't like Iris as a person and I definitely didn't agree with the choices she made; however, I understood them. This is a testament to how well the characters in this novel were developed and to Slapper's talent.
Thank you, NetGalley and the publishers, for providing me with an eARC. This book is out today (18/7/24)!!
August 4, 2024
(3.5)
so is she just not ever going to tell george about ? are we meant to assume he knew?
Rep: mc with depression
CWs: disordered eating, self harm, suicidal ideation
so is she just not ever going to tell george about ? are we meant to assume he knew?
Rep: mc with depression
CWs: disordered eating, self harm, suicidal ideation
November 22, 2024
3.75 stars. While I could relate to our protagonist I still couldn't understand why she would sleep with someone while being in a relationship. People have different coping mechanisms and those can tend to be destructive, I get that. That still doesn't excuse her behavior. Her eating disorder felt too close to home. I felt bad for her because she didn't have any real friends. No support system.
August 20, 2024
this book felt very personal. like pages from my diary.
“I use the alone time to re-perfect myself, but also to let out the person I’ve been pushing down whilst I was at Patrick's. I cry until I lose my breath, stare gormlessly into space, picture the bliss of being able to turn my existence off, lie down in an empty bath and press my fingernails into the flesh of my body. And then I snap myself out of it and wash my hair.”
“I use the alone time to re-perfect myself, but also to let out the person I’ve been pushing down whilst I was at Patrick's. I cry until I lose my breath, stare gormlessly into space, picture the bliss of being able to turn my existence off, lie down in an empty bath and press my fingernails into the flesh of my body. And then I snap myself out of it and wash my hair.”
January 18, 2025
Raw and relatable. I wish I had of read this before letting my life play out so similarly in my early twenties. I still don’t like myself but I find it easier to practice kindness, and let myself be loved by the people around me. A worthy read for anyone who has struggled mentally.
October 10, 2025
honestly i loved this. iris’ actions were realistic and human even though sometimes i wanted to reach my hands through the book to shake her shoulders and ask her “WHY WOULD YOU DO THAT!!!”
February 6, 2026
2.0/5
the sad girl trope has become an epidemic and i have outgrown them
the sad girl trope has become an epidemic and i have outgrown them
November 20, 2024
Ich bin so DANKBAR, dass ich nicht mehr Mitte 20 bin.
Iris als Charakter ist unglaublich nachempfindbar. Ungeschont in den narzisstischen, egoistischen, unreflektierten Gedanken und Taten, in der Destruktivität, in der Beziehung zum eigenen Körper und dem Versuch, sich über den Male Gaze Bestätigung zu holen, der Verachtung für das Banale. Und in der Depression. Oft war es beklemmend, das Buch zu lesen, weil es so schonungslos und soghaft ist.
ABER.
Trotzdem muss ich am Ende anderthalb Sterne abziehen.
Da ist zum Einen (relativ am Anfang, daher kein Spoiler) die finanzielle Situation durch das Erbe. Hier erschien mir der Versuch etwas bemüht, einen Weg zu finden, sich nicht auf finanzielle Schwierigkeiten konzentrieren zu müssen. Das ist total legitim, wird aber nicht mehr aufgegriffen und wirkt dabei als Mittel zum Zweck.
Das Ende. Nicht das Ende-Ende, das war erwartbar und nötig, aber die letzte Begegnung im Pub (unnötig! entlässt Iris aus einer emotionalen Verantwortung!) wie auch generell mein Wunsch, dass es... ohne Mann geht, so to speak.
Trotzdem. Große Empfehlung.
Iris als Charakter ist unglaublich nachempfindbar. Ungeschont in den narzisstischen, egoistischen, unreflektierten Gedanken und Taten, in der Destruktivität, in der Beziehung zum eigenen Körper und dem Versuch, sich über den Male Gaze Bestätigung zu holen, der Verachtung für das Banale. Und in der Depression. Oft war es beklemmend, das Buch zu lesen, weil es so schonungslos und soghaft ist.
ABER.
Trotzdem muss ich am Ende anderthalb Sterne abziehen.
Da ist zum Einen (relativ am Anfang, daher kein Spoiler) die finanzielle Situation durch das Erbe. Hier erschien mir der Versuch etwas bemüht, einen Weg zu finden, sich nicht auf finanzielle Schwierigkeiten konzentrieren zu müssen. Das ist total legitim, wird aber nicht mehr aufgegriffen und wirkt dabei als Mittel zum Zweck.
Das Ende. Nicht das Ende-Ende, das war erwartbar und nötig, aber die letzte Begegnung im Pub (unnötig! entlässt Iris aus einer emotionalen Verantwortung!) wie auch generell mein Wunsch, dass es... ohne Mann geht, so to speak.
Trotzdem. Große Empfehlung.
July 21, 2025
Brilliant book at times, but the second half of it was just a wee bit too much
August 4, 2024
Depressing tbh
August 15, 2024
Unhappy insecure people experiencing life with the most insecure people around them. Yes, it’s pretty trying and tiring to read this one.
March 4, 2024
*Thank you to the author, publishers and Netgalley got access to the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review*
Wow, what can I say about this book? It has left me with a whirlwind of emotions that I can hardly put into words. It's a rare experience to find a book that can have such a profound effect on you, and this one has definitely done that for me.
The protagonist, Iris, is not someone that I would necessarily call likable, yet I found myself rooting for her throughout the story despite her self-centred and spiteful behaviour. This is because I could empathise with her struggles and wanted nothing more than for her to overcome them.
What makes this book even more remarkable is how the author has managed to infuse humour into the intense emotional journey of the story. It's a testament to the author's writing skills how well she has portrayed the complexities of mental illness, especially the emotional numbness that comes with it.
Overall, this book stands out as one of the best portrayals of mental illness that I have ever read. I am truly impressed with the author's writing skills, and I have no doubt that she has a successful writing career ahead of her. As for me, I need to take a moment to process all the emotions that this book has stirred up in me, so I'm going for a lie down!
Wow, what can I say about this book? It has left me with a whirlwind of emotions that I can hardly put into words. It's a rare experience to find a book that can have such a profound effect on you, and this one has definitely done that for me.
The protagonist, Iris, is not someone that I would necessarily call likable, yet I found myself rooting for her throughout the story despite her self-centred and spiteful behaviour. This is because I could empathise with her struggles and wanted nothing more than for her to overcome them.
What makes this book even more remarkable is how the author has managed to infuse humour into the intense emotional journey of the story. It's a testament to the author's writing skills how well she has portrayed the complexities of mental illness, especially the emotional numbness that comes with it.
Overall, this book stands out as one of the best portrayals of mental illness that I have ever read. I am truly impressed with the author's writing skills, and I have no doubt that she has a successful writing career ahead of her. As for me, I need to take a moment to process all the emotions that this book has stirred up in me, so I'm going for a lie down!
October 21, 2024
'Sometimes I feel so ashamed. I know I have so much more than most people, I'm so privileged and yet I'm not okay... I can't manage to be okay. I haven't even got anything to cope with - no responsibilities, no problems, no trauma. And yet it's a constant struggle - just being aliveʼ
I don’t know how to feel about it. On the one hand, it was truthful and very real, on the other hand, it was flat and superficial. Apparently depression is different for everyone, however, it doesn’t just disappear when you decide to fuck someone else and then regret it. The way Iris developed was rather fictional. I don’t think there is anyone who could randomly get better after a mistake. I really have mixed feelings about it. Yes, it was real, yet I felt like depressed people were mocked?? If you’re fucked, you don’t randomly just get better.
I don’t know how to feel about it. On the one hand, it was truthful and very real, on the other hand, it was flat and superficial. Apparently depression is different for everyone, however, it doesn’t just disappear when you decide to fuck someone else and then regret it. The way Iris developed was rather fictional. I don’t think there is anyone who could randomly get better after a mistake. I really have mixed feelings about it. Yes, it was real, yet I felt like depressed people were mocked?? If you’re fucked, you don’t randomly just get better.
July 17, 2024
I devoured this in the space of a few days - the writing is compelling and the characters stuck with me long after I’d finished. Especially Iris and George.
The author has a way of articulating things I have thought or felt without knowing how to myself, which is really powerful and validating. Sometimes this is in small thoughts Iris has, but sometimes in bigger ways of describing how her mental health manifests. One of the most raw, honest and authentic books I’ve ever read. Can’t wait to read everything else she writes!
The author has a way of articulating things I have thought or felt without knowing how to myself, which is really powerful and validating. Sometimes this is in small thoughts Iris has, but sometimes in bigger ways of describing how her mental health manifests. One of the most raw, honest and authentic books I’ve ever read. Can’t wait to read everything else she writes!
March 13, 2025
I usually enjoy contemporary women's fiction and don't hate a 'woe be me' tone, but this one missed the mark. The protagonist just felt selfish and insufferable. We weren't provided enough insight into their relationships, making it impossible to care when they fell apart. And while the book attempts to discuss mental health genuinely in the end, after how insincerely it was handled throughout, the ending felt unearned.
January 5, 2025
It’s January 5th and I already found my favorite book of 2025
August 16, 2025
It started off reminding me of American Psycho (which I love), then My year of rest and relaxation (which I love), and then the Bell Jar (which I love) and then it got a little too real. The protagonist isn’t perfect and neither is the ending, but this slight annoyance only adds to the charm, I must admit.
May 6, 2025
Life doesn't need reason or purpose to be valid.This was so boring and superficiallllll. Mid-twenties girlie works at a successful firm and crashes out after getting a promotion. Like, there is stuff there to explore - working towards an achievement only to be left empty and fucked up and burnt out is a topic that def resonates with many ppl!!! but instead we follow along as she mopes about all day, waits to get saved by her handsomely perfect flatmate only to then cheat on him because life got too boring with him around ONLY TO CRAWL BACK TO HIM BECAUSE OOPS I WANT TO FEEL LOVED AND COMFORTED. this book wanted to be The worst person in the world (2021) so bad but just ended up being the worst. an assortment of tiktok level mental health takes for people who became self-aware in their late twenties lol. ALSO the fucking blurb is literally like the first 10 pages of the book so don't expect it to even be a trashy edgy read. GOD i haven't read anything this bad in ages.
March 22, 2024
This book was absolutely brilliant.
A novel about our protagonist Iris, who is a lost 20 something character we can all resonate with. A trope that is done often in lit fic.
So you might be thinking, what makes this different?
The depiction of mental health in this book was so raw it felt actually invasive at times to read. It’s the kind of blunt that knocks the wind out of you, and it was absolutely incredible. Iris had such a realistic portrayal of depression that I almost couldn’t believe this is fiction.
This book made me really reflect on love, and the different types of love, and how being loved will not make you whole.
I also would like to mention I really liked George as a character, he was really well written.
If you enjoy lit fic I 100% recommend this!
Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for my early copy!
A novel about our protagonist Iris, who is a lost 20 something character we can all resonate with. A trope that is done often in lit fic.
So you might be thinking, what makes this different?
The depiction of mental health in this book was so raw it felt actually invasive at times to read. It’s the kind of blunt that knocks the wind out of you, and it was absolutely incredible. Iris had such a realistic portrayal of depression that I almost couldn’t believe this is fiction.
This book made me really reflect on love, and the different types of love, and how being loved will not make you whole.
I also would like to mention I really liked George as a character, he was really well written.
If you enjoy lit fic I 100% recommend this!
Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for my early copy!
August 25, 2024
I knew it won’t be an easy breezy book. But that’s what was so appealing for me. From the beginning Iris was not easily likeable. For me, it was because I knew her every thought and followed her down a dark road of selfdestructive behaviour. And I was often mad at her. Because many times, this book felt very true. The way she thought about herself and others, the toxic femininity, friendships and relationships.
Iris felt like a friend you desperately want to help, but can’t. But also like a mirror.
It’s an excellent book that explores mental health issues, all kinds of toxicity and the social pressure on young women. But please, be in a good headspace when reading.
Iris felt like a friend you desperately want to help, but can’t. But also like a mirror.
It’s an excellent book that explores mental health issues, all kinds of toxicity and the social pressure on young women. But please, be in a good headspace when reading.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 704 reviews