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El arte de ser luminosa
«Pero ¿acaso no es eso el arte? ¿No es eso de lo que tratan la vida y el amor? De arriesgarse. De mirar la muerte a los ojos, con el corazón bien abierto. Recuerda, no hay alegría sin tristeza (y viceversa).»
Minnie Sloe y sus hermanas saben lo que es crecer sin padres y tener una vida excéntrica. Y también saben lo que es tener una madre artista, que tiene altibajos cuando se trata de salud mental. Pero cuando su madre desaparece, Minnie, que se supone que debía seguir sus pasos, empieza a ver el mundo en un solo color. Literalmente. Entonces, ¿cómo puede crear arte cuando todo es blanco y negro?
Mientras el dolor por la pérdida de su madre amenaza con separar a las tres hermanas, Minnie se da cuenta de que podría perderlo todo: su familia, su futuro, su primer amor… e incluso, su salud mental. Quizás, literalmente, siga los pasos de su madre.
El arte de ser luminosa es una novela que irradia color, con una prosa lírica y una historia sobre lo que ocurre después de una tragedia. A fin de cuentas, la vida va de creer en uno mismo y del poder del amor, ¿no?
Minnie Sloe y sus hermanas saben lo que es crecer sin padres y tener una vida excéntrica. Y también saben lo que es tener una madre artista, que tiene altibajos cuando se trata de salud mental. Pero cuando su madre desaparece, Minnie, que se supone que debía seguir sus pasos, empieza a ver el mundo en un solo color. Literalmente. Entonces, ¿cómo puede crear arte cuando todo es blanco y negro?
Mientras el dolor por la pérdida de su madre amenaza con separar a las tres hermanas, Minnie se da cuenta de que podría perderlo todo: su familia, su futuro, su primer amor… e incluso, su salud mental. Quizás, literalmente, siga los pasos de su madre.
El arte de ser luminosa es una novela que irradia color, con una prosa lírica y una historia sobre lo que ocurre después de una tragedia. A fin de cuentas, la vida va de creer en uno mismo y del poder del amor, ¿no?
352 pages, Paperback
First published April 30, 2019
37 people are currently reading
2462 people want to read
About the author
Harriet Reuter Hapgood
4 books232 followersHarriet Reuter Hapgood is the author of THE SQUARE ROOT OF SUMMER and HOW TO BE LUMINOUS. Her first-ever professional writing credit was for Just Seventeen magazine, and she's been YA-obsessed ever since. She likes burritos, cats, Gwyneth Paltrow and young adult fiction, which she plans to write more of, though she's also considering a PhD in Dawson’s Creek. Her surname is Reuter Hapgood, not Hapgood, and she will go ahead and realphabetise her books in your home or bookshop if you file her under H.
Follow her on Twitter: @hapgoodness and on Instagram: @hapgoodness if you like pictures of tacos and gardens.
Follow her on Twitter: @hapgoodness and on Instagram: @hapgoodness if you like pictures of tacos and gardens.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 115 reviews
April 27, 2024
This book taught me about the power of perseverance.
My mom read this book before me due to a comedy of errors, a handful of small devastating events, and 3-5 mixups, and she liked it and told me and told me to tell her what I thought.
So in order to commit to my lifelong quest to never be awkward for even one moment, I was determined to like it too.
That was a f*cking quest, let me tell you.
This features an almost impossible to like protagonist, cheating, mean sisters, slut-shaming, a mixed bag of mental illness treatment, and more irritations seemingly designed to punish me, and only me.
BUT I HAD TO LIKE IT.
And ultimately, I did force myself. In moments. It is about sisters, after all, and art and London and funny banter and Healing. And that stuff is good.
Bottom line: Not sure if I can recommend this? But I can say I didn't hate it, and that's what counts.
---------------
pre-review
a minor packing tragedy led to my mom reading this book, and she said she liked it. so now i have to or things will be kind of awkward for like 5 minutes (unacceptable).
update: it took a lot of energy for me to continually like this book. but i did it.
review to come / 3.5ish
---------------
challenging myself to read as many review copies as possible this month because i'm addicted to projects!
ARC 1: spaceman of bohemia
ARC 2: in search of us
ARC 3: aerialists
ARC 4: the sound of drowning
ARC 5: unleaving
ARC 6: the other side of luck
ARC 7: romanov
ARC 8: the storm keeper's island
ARC 9: gut check
ARC 10: when force meets fate
ARC 11: sisters in hate
ARC 12: before i disappear
ARC 13: big time
ARC 14: stolen science
ARC 15: have a little faith in me
ARC 16: invitation to a bonfire
ARC 17: the splendor
ARC 18: how to be luminous
My mom read this book before me due to a comedy of errors, a handful of small devastating events, and 3-5 mixups, and she liked it and told me and told me to tell her what I thought.
So in order to commit to my lifelong quest to never be awkward for even one moment, I was determined to like it too.
That was a f*cking quest, let me tell you.
This features an almost impossible to like protagonist, cheating, mean sisters, slut-shaming, a mixed bag of mental illness treatment, and more irritations seemingly designed to punish me, and only me.
BUT I HAD TO LIKE IT.
And ultimately, I did force myself. In moments. It is about sisters, after all, and art and London and funny banter and Healing. And that stuff is good.
Bottom line: Not sure if I can recommend this? But I can say I didn't hate it, and that's what counts.
---------------
pre-review
a minor packing tragedy led to my mom reading this book, and she said she liked it. so now i have to or things will be kind of awkward for like 5 minutes (unacceptable).
update: it took a lot of energy for me to continually like this book. but i did it.
review to come / 3.5ish
---------------
challenging myself to read as many review copies as possible this month because i'm addicted to projects!
ARC 1: spaceman of bohemia
ARC 2: in search of us
ARC 3: aerialists
ARC 4: the sound of drowning
ARC 5: unleaving
ARC 6: the other side of luck
ARC 7: romanov
ARC 8: the storm keeper's island
ARC 9: gut check
ARC 10: when force meets fate
ARC 11: sisters in hate
ARC 12: before i disappear
ARC 13: big time
ARC 14: stolen science
ARC 15: have a little faith in me
ARC 16: invitation to a bonfire
ARC 17: the splendor
ARC 18: how to be luminous
July 12, 2022
3,5
Reseña completa http://letraslibrosymas.blogspot.com/...
Pocas veces me pasa que abro una novela y descubro una historia que no esperaba y encima me encanta y con “El arte de ser luminosa” me ha sucedido. Es una novela juvenil con un tono y un mensaje distintos que llega al lector y le regala una historia muy especial que nos habla de la pérdida y el duelo, de la salud mental, el arte, la familia, encontrarse a uno mismo y la esperanza.
Puede que sea una historia sencilla, pero está tan bien escrita que cala y enamora, los sentimientos están muy bien explicados, los personajes son muy peculiares y la parte del arte es importante porque forma parte de la vida de la protagonista pero no ha resultado demasiado, ni ha quitado ritmo a la historia está muy bien incluido.
La pluma de la autora me ha gustado mucho así que me encantaría leer algo más de ella, tiene una narración delicada, casi poética, donde priman los sentimientos y evolución de los personajes. Aunque tiene bastante carga emocional y dramática lo maneja muy bien, pero ya os digo que es un libro un poco duro. Los personajes son complejos y tienen unas personalidades muy marcadas, además la autora juega mucho con sus luces y sombras lo que hace que aunque no conectes del todo con ellos sí que tengas emociones fuertes hacia ellos y sus acciones, en muchas ocasiones he sentido mucha impotencia y hasta he llegado a odiarlos, pero me ha gustado porque son muy humanos. Y las relaciones entre ellos son muy auténticas, tiene mucha importancia la familia pero también tiene cabida el amor y el desamor. En cuanto a personajes, tenemos a la narradora Minnie, sus hermanas Emmy-Kate y Niko; su pareja Ash, el vecino y amigo de su madre El profesor y Felix que llega a la vida de Minnie para ponerla patas arriba y mostrarle otra cara.
Duelo y esperanza, salud mental y familia en un libro único.
Reseña completa http://letraslibrosymas.blogspot.com/...
Pocas veces me pasa que abro una novela y descubro una historia que no esperaba y encima me encanta y con “El arte de ser luminosa” me ha sucedido. Es una novela juvenil con un tono y un mensaje distintos que llega al lector y le regala una historia muy especial que nos habla de la pérdida y el duelo, de la salud mental, el arte, la familia, encontrarse a uno mismo y la esperanza.
Puede que sea una historia sencilla, pero está tan bien escrita que cala y enamora, los sentimientos están muy bien explicados, los personajes son muy peculiares y la parte del arte es importante porque forma parte de la vida de la protagonista pero no ha resultado demasiado, ni ha quitado ritmo a la historia está muy bien incluido.
La pluma de la autora me ha gustado mucho así que me encantaría leer algo más de ella, tiene una narración delicada, casi poética, donde priman los sentimientos y evolución de los personajes. Aunque tiene bastante carga emocional y dramática lo maneja muy bien, pero ya os digo que es un libro un poco duro. Los personajes son complejos y tienen unas personalidades muy marcadas, además la autora juega mucho con sus luces y sombras lo que hace que aunque no conectes del todo con ellos sí que tengas emociones fuertes hacia ellos y sus acciones, en muchas ocasiones he sentido mucha impotencia y hasta he llegado a odiarlos, pero me ha gustado porque son muy humanos. Y las relaciones entre ellos son muy auténticas, tiene mucha importancia la familia pero también tiene cabida el amor y el desamor. En cuanto a personajes, tenemos a la narradora Minnie, sus hermanas Emmy-Kate y Niko; su pareja Ash, el vecino y amigo de su madre El profesor y Felix que llega a la vida de Minnie para ponerla patas arriba y mostrarle otra cara.
Duelo y esperanza, salud mental y familia en un libro único.
April 29, 2019
All the color disappeared from her world along with her mother. While trying to remedy the situation, Minnie worries that she might have inherited more than her mother's artistic ability.
My love for grief and loss books was really satisfied by How to Be Luminous. This book was beautiful, heartbreaking, and poignant. Hapgood's exploration of grief was well executed, and she did a beautiful job capturing the different ways people deal with great losses.
The story was told from the point of view of Minnie, the middle Sloe daughter, but her sisters also played a big role in the story. The three young women were dealing with their mother's disappearance in vastly different ways, and I always appreciate, when the complexities of people's sorrow is shown from different perspectives, because grief is not a one-size-fits-all thing. Hapgood show the good, the bad, and the ugly sides of mourning, and was really able to convey the emotions attached with this process.
The Sloe sisters had put their mother on a pedestal, and would explain away her moods as "starlight and sinkholes". After much soul-searching, and the discovery of a box of prescription drugs, they realized that there was an explanation for their mother's behavior. It was sad to see the girls finally accept that their mother's highs and lows were symptoms of her mental illness, and I felt their pain and anguish with having to admit it to themselves. This conflicted with their vision of who their mother was, and it was obvious how difficult it was for the teens to comes to terms with it.
Throughout the story, Minnie was trying to deal with her emotions, her monochromatism, and the ghost of her mother. By examining the past and making some poor decisions, Minnie was able to process her grief as she discovered new things about herself.
In addition to grief and loss, I love stories with siblings, and this was one interesting trio. Each sister was dealing with the loss of their mother, but there were also some old wounds to contend with. Things were touch and go with the sisters for a while, but in the end, they were there for each other, and I was really pleased with the way Hapgood handled their situation.
Overall: This was a beautifully written book about how people grieve and struggle to come to terms with their loss.
*ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.
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My love for grief and loss books was really satisfied by How to Be Luminous. This book was beautiful, heartbreaking, and poignant. Hapgood's exploration of grief was well executed, and she did a beautiful job capturing the different ways people deal with great losses.
The story was told from the point of view of Minnie, the middle Sloe daughter, but her sisters also played a big role in the story. The three young women were dealing with their mother's disappearance in vastly different ways, and I always appreciate, when the complexities of people's sorrow is shown from different perspectives, because grief is not a one-size-fits-all thing. Hapgood show the good, the bad, and the ugly sides of mourning, and was really able to convey the emotions attached with this process.
The Sloe sisters had put their mother on a pedestal, and would explain away her moods as "starlight and sinkholes". After much soul-searching, and the discovery of a box of prescription drugs, they realized that there was an explanation for their mother's behavior. It was sad to see the girls finally accept that their mother's highs and lows were symptoms of her mental illness, and I felt their pain and anguish with having to admit it to themselves. This conflicted with their vision of who their mother was, and it was obvious how difficult it was for the teens to comes to terms with it.
Throughout the story, Minnie was trying to deal with her emotions, her monochromatism, and the ghost of her mother. By examining the past and making some poor decisions, Minnie was able to process her grief as she discovered new things about herself.
In addition to grief and loss, I love stories with siblings, and this was one interesting trio. Each sister was dealing with the loss of their mother, but there were also some old wounds to contend with. Things were touch and go with the sisters for a while, but in the end, they were there for each other, and I was really pleased with the way Hapgood handled their situation.
Overall: This was a beautifully written book about how people grieve and struggle to come to terms with their loss.
*ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.
BLOG | INSTAGRAM |TWITTER | BLOGLOVIN | FRIEND ME ON GOODREADS
April 7, 2019
Want to see more bookish things from me? Check out my youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfer...
*I was sent a copy of this book by the publisher in exchange for my honest review*
Minnie and her two sisters have always been eccentric, taking after their artistic mother. When their mother goes missing, each sister copes in their own way. Minnie finds herself struggling with the loss of her colours, seeing the world in monochrome. She doesn't know how she will be able to be an artist if she sees the world in black and white. She is also worried that she may be taking after her mothers wild mood swings she sometimes experienced. This is Minnie's story.
I think this book did an excellent job dealing with some very difficult topics in a sensitive manner. It covers grief, loss, suicide, mental illness and much more. The book is heavily focused on loss and grief and how it can be different for different people. I liked seeing how each sister handled the loss of their mother but all came together to support one another in the end. I also really enjoyed how this book handled mental illness and medication as well. It showed that it can be scary and hard to handle, but with a good support system it will be okay, although it may still be difficult at times. I also really liked that the author included a list of phone numbers to call in case the reader was struggling with their own mental illness.
I liked Minnie for the most part, but at times she frustrated me with the decisions she made. Some of them were extremely selfish, which is understandable in her situation and the mental state she was in. I found her to be very impulsive and I wish she had stopped and thought about her actions a bit more. I liked that the author included a deaf character and how the sisters and those around her were constantly communicating in BSL. I thought it was a nice addition to the story.
Overall, I did really enjoy the story and I thought it was a great portrayal of the different stages of grief.
*I was sent a copy of this book by the publisher in exchange for my honest review*
Minnie and her two sisters have always been eccentric, taking after their artistic mother. When their mother goes missing, each sister copes in their own way. Minnie finds herself struggling with the loss of her colours, seeing the world in monochrome. She doesn't know how she will be able to be an artist if she sees the world in black and white. She is also worried that she may be taking after her mothers wild mood swings she sometimes experienced. This is Minnie's story.
I think this book did an excellent job dealing with some very difficult topics in a sensitive manner. It covers grief, loss, suicide, mental illness and much more. The book is heavily focused on loss and grief and how it can be different for different people. I liked seeing how each sister handled the loss of their mother but all came together to support one another in the end. I also really enjoyed how this book handled mental illness and medication as well. It showed that it can be scary and hard to handle, but with a good support system it will be okay, although it may still be difficult at times. I also really liked that the author included a list of phone numbers to call in case the reader was struggling with their own mental illness.
I liked Minnie for the most part, but at times she frustrated me with the decisions she made. Some of them were extremely selfish, which is understandable in her situation and the mental state she was in. I found her to be very impulsive and I wish she had stopped and thought about her actions a bit more. I liked that the author included a deaf character and how the sisters and those around her were constantly communicating in BSL. I thought it was a nice addition to the story.
Overall, I did really enjoy the story and I thought it was a great portrayal of the different stages of grief.
March 1, 2019
Still mulling over my full thoughts on this story. In some respects, it really was quite interesting — especially as a story about grief and anger over the loss of someone beloved.
September 20, 2024
Well, I have both, much and nothing to say about this book.
It's a book that I enjoyed, but I won't read it again. It had moments where I didn't want to stop reading, and others where I wanted to add it to my DNF.
Semi spoilers!!
As someone who's been having a difficult time coping with the deaths of someone very dear to me, almost a parent, I felt seen in this book, I gotta say that.
Now, Minnie, the MC, I feel like she's a complicated person, well made, she felt like a real person, and as a senior I felt so much of me in her. Now, I don't like her, but I don't dislike her either, I am neutral towards her. Her actions were wrong, but she was going through a lot, not an excuse but an explanation (yet does not justify the infidelity).
Talking about the relationships, I like how after everything Minnie didn't stay with ash as what she did was super wrong and with Felix it was not a yes (maybe it will, but I guess I can live with that) .
I didn't like the ending, I don't know but I feel around page 230 it got really rushed but that might be just me, they could've worked certain things better than they did.
Final thoughts? It's a good idea, it could've been an amazing book but I feel they didn't exploit it's full potential. Maybe if certain things were managed better this book would be better. A good book that is definitely not for everyone, but you might enjoy it. 6.5-7/10
It's a book that I enjoyed, but I won't read it again. It had moments where I didn't want to stop reading, and others where I wanted to add it to my DNF.
Semi spoilers!!
As someone who's been having a difficult time coping with the deaths of someone very dear to me, almost a parent, I felt seen in this book, I gotta say that.
Now, Minnie, the MC, I feel like she's a complicated person, well made, she felt like a real person, and as a senior I felt so much of me in her. Now, I don't like her, but I don't dislike her either, I am neutral towards her. Her actions were wrong, but she was going through a lot, not an excuse but an explanation (yet does not justify the infidelity).
Talking about the relationships, I like how after everything Minnie didn't stay with ash as what she did was super wrong and with Felix it was not a yes (maybe it will, but I guess I can live with that) .
I didn't like the ending, I don't know but I feel around page 230 it got really rushed but that might be just me, they could've worked certain things better than they did.
Final thoughts? It's a good idea, it could've been an amazing book but I feel they didn't exploit it's full potential. Maybe if certain things were managed better this book would be better. A good book that is definitely not for everyone, but you might enjoy it. 6.5-7/10
June 1, 2022
“Sé como podría pintar un autorretrato de mí misma: soy el sonido que hace el hielo al romperse…”
El arte de ser luminosa nos habla sobre el dolor y de las diferentes maneras de procesarlo y entenderlo.
Minnie, Niko y Emmy-Kate son tres hermanas que se enfrentan a la desaparición de su madre, su única tutora y una artista famosa. Las tres hermanas llevan el dolor de diferentes maneras, pero a Minnie le ha afectado de una forma particular, siendo una artista, ha perdido la visión de los colores.
Este libro es precioso y doloroso, la autora nos hace procesar el dolor junto con Minnie, sentir su depresión y tristeza acumulada. Que nadie la entiende, que todos saludan pero casi nadie se acerca y lo difícil que es relacionarse de igual forma con las otras personas, y tratar de llevar tu vida normal. Vamos recorriendo el extraño y doloroso camino de la tristeza junto con Minnie, quien de a poco va entendiéndose a sí misma, pero sobre todo, reconociendo que tiene y necesita de otras personas, que no necesita sobrellevar todo sola.
A través de esta obra entendemos lo importante que es la salud mental, de no restarle importancia. De encontrar como expresar nuestro dolor y aunque tal vez este nunca se vaya, poder reconocerlo y encontrar las maneras de soportarlo.
Lo que más me ha gustado es como nos hace vivir y entender los sentimientos de Minnie, cuando en ciertos capítulos parece que se repite lo mismo una y otra vez, es porque así siente su dolor.
Muchas gracias a Urano Uruguay por este ejemplar.
El arte de ser luminosa nos habla sobre el dolor y de las diferentes maneras de procesarlo y entenderlo.
Minnie, Niko y Emmy-Kate son tres hermanas que se enfrentan a la desaparición de su madre, su única tutora y una artista famosa. Las tres hermanas llevan el dolor de diferentes maneras, pero a Minnie le ha afectado de una forma particular, siendo una artista, ha perdido la visión de los colores.
Este libro es precioso y doloroso, la autora nos hace procesar el dolor junto con Minnie, sentir su depresión y tristeza acumulada. Que nadie la entiende, que todos saludan pero casi nadie se acerca y lo difícil que es relacionarse de igual forma con las otras personas, y tratar de llevar tu vida normal. Vamos recorriendo el extraño y doloroso camino de la tristeza junto con Minnie, quien de a poco va entendiéndose a sí misma, pero sobre todo, reconociendo que tiene y necesita de otras personas, que no necesita sobrellevar todo sola.
A través de esta obra entendemos lo importante que es la salud mental, de no restarle importancia. De encontrar como expresar nuestro dolor y aunque tal vez este nunca se vaya, poder reconocerlo y encontrar las maneras de soportarlo.
Lo que más me ha gustado es como nos hace vivir y entender los sentimientos de Minnie, cuando en ciertos capítulos parece que se repite lo mismo una y otra vez, es porque así siente su dolor.
Muchas gracias a Urano Uruguay por este ejemplar.
July 14, 2024
Medio punto por todas las menciones De artistas, escritores y cantantes
Y otro medio punto por las frases cliches
Básicamente la historia trata de Minnie la protagonista cuya madre se suicida y entonces tiene que vivir con eso, pero ella, sus hermanas y su mamá son todas Artistas (punto muy importante en el libro porque es de lo unico que se habla) entonces ella pierde los colores y tiene "bloqueo artistico"
Primer punto en contra:
Durante todo el libro nadie trata de investigar qué le pasó a la mamá ni de buscar el cuerpo o pistas.
Nos dicen todo el tiempo que la mamá tenia bajones y momentos de hiperactividad y que estaba medicada pero nunca dicen que tenia
(Encontraron la caja con pastillas pero nadie se animo a leer el diagnostico)
Segundo punto en contra:
En ningún momento del libro la protagonista piensa que sus hermanas probablemente estén sufriendo. Ella cree que es el centro del mundo y que es la más loca y la que más sufre y que eso justifica todo su comportamiento
Tercer punto:
Nunca se trata el tema de la salud mental, la protagonista está todo el libro diciendo que está loca y que seguro su futuro es suicidarse como su mamá. Pero nunca le dan un diagnóstico ni tampoco habla de eso con nadie, nisiquiera al final del libro pide ayuda, si no que parece que se cura por arte de magia y "ahora la vida no es tan mala, aunque si hay altibajos y blablabla"
Cuarto punto:
Con la excusa anterior de que esta loca y triste empieza a hablar con un chico que también perdió a su madre porque se siente "identificada" y porque le gusta, (mientras ella ya tiene un novio al cual no le cuenta nada de lo que siente y lo evita)
Y volviendo a la excusa de la tristeza se besa no una si no 4 veces en distintos lugares con el otro chico en cuestión hasta que sus hermanas y su novio la descubren
(que alguien me explique que clase de trastorno mental justifica la infidelidad porque no creo que la depresión te haga infiel)
Quinto punto:
El final del libro es mediocre. Llegando a las últimas 40 páginas a la protagonista le da un "atacazo artistico" donde pinta la calle con aerosoles y escribe una clase de poema (en mi país a eso le llamamos bandalismo) pero no conforme con eso después va al taller de la mamá y destroza todas las piezas de cerámica hasta que llegan sus hermanas y tienen una especie de discusión, recién ahí la protagonista se da cuenta que sus hermanas también sufren y tienen una especie de reconciliacion
Mi opinión:
Los temas de salud mental están mal tratados considerarte loca no es gracioso y mucho menos compararte con artistas o escritores suicidas
No entiendo cual es el punto de este libro, porque no aprendí nada de salud mental, ni tampoco como artista siento que encontré "el camino"
Me gusto que nombrara un sin fin de obras de arte, pero cuando se refería a los artistas siempre hablaba de la manera en la que se suicidaron
Como si ser un artista famoso implicará haberte suicidado y dando a entender que la protagonista va a ser la excepción porque ella no quiere terminar como su mamá.
Si durante el libro hubiera 1 personaje adulto que ayudara a estas chicas quizá la historia hubiera sido otra pero el único adulto es su vecino y su utilidad en la historia es cenar con ellas y darle mini charlas de que no tienen que faltar a la escuela o cosas así.
En ningún momento hay un personaje que les sugiera a estas chicas visitar un terapeuta, ni tampoco hay alguien con quien puedan tener una charla de como se sienten. Todo lo abordan solas, recién al final se dan cuenta que "se tienen la una a la otra" después de tratarse mal todo el libro
Y por último la construcción de personajes es malisima la autora tomo un estereotipo y dijo 🪄vos vas a ser artista u te va a gustar la cerámica 🪄vos vas a ser artista y te va a gustar escribir 🪄vos vas a ser artista y te va a gustar la natación 🪄vos vas a ser artista depresivo y 🪄vos vas a ser músico
Y eso es todo. Imagínense que pesada seria la gente si llevara un libro a todos lados y se pusiera a leer cuando le estas hablando, o llevará una guitarra y se pusiera a tocar de la nada, o un pincel y se pusiera a pintar en el medio de una cena ¿? Tus hobbies no son tu personalidad, y además podes tener más de un solo hobbie es extremadamente incómodo cuando las personas solo hablan de si mismas y todo el tiempo quieren desviar el tema al arte por ejemplo o a la música o lo que sea. Algún día tenes que tener una charla de política o sobre alguna peli, o sobre algo profundo. Pero no, en este libro todas las conversaciones son sobre arte y hasta yo que lo amo me pareció un montón
15 días me tarde en leerlo, aveces leía 2 capítulos y lo abandonaba y sinceramente me force a terminarlo porque tengo 20.000 pendientes que quiero leer
Conclusión: no lo lean
Y otro medio punto por las frases cliches
Básicamente la historia trata de Minnie la protagonista cuya madre se suicida y entonces tiene que vivir con eso, pero ella, sus hermanas y su mamá son todas Artistas (punto muy importante en el libro porque es de lo unico que se habla) entonces ella pierde los colores y tiene "bloqueo artistico"
Primer punto en contra:
Durante todo el libro nadie trata de investigar qué le pasó a la mamá ni de buscar el cuerpo o pistas.
Nos dicen todo el tiempo que la mamá tenia bajones y momentos de hiperactividad y que estaba medicada pero nunca dicen que tenia
(Encontraron la caja con pastillas pero nadie se animo a leer el diagnostico)
Segundo punto en contra:
En ningún momento del libro la protagonista piensa que sus hermanas probablemente estén sufriendo. Ella cree que es el centro del mundo y que es la más loca y la que más sufre y que eso justifica todo su comportamiento
Tercer punto:
Nunca se trata el tema de la salud mental, la protagonista está todo el libro diciendo que está loca y que seguro su futuro es suicidarse como su mamá. Pero nunca le dan un diagnóstico ni tampoco habla de eso con nadie, nisiquiera al final del libro pide ayuda, si no que parece que se cura por arte de magia y "ahora la vida no es tan mala, aunque si hay altibajos y blablabla"
Cuarto punto:
Con la excusa anterior de que esta loca y triste empieza a hablar con un chico que también perdió a su madre porque se siente "identificada" y porque le gusta, (mientras ella ya tiene un novio al cual no le cuenta nada de lo que siente y lo evita)
Y volviendo a la excusa de la tristeza se besa no una si no 4 veces en distintos lugares con el otro chico en cuestión hasta que sus hermanas y su novio la descubren
(que alguien me explique que clase de trastorno mental justifica la infidelidad porque no creo que la depresión te haga infiel)
Quinto punto:
El final del libro es mediocre. Llegando a las últimas 40 páginas a la protagonista le da un "atacazo artistico" donde pinta la calle con aerosoles y escribe una clase de poema (en mi país a eso le llamamos bandalismo) pero no conforme con eso después va al taller de la mamá y destroza todas las piezas de cerámica hasta que llegan sus hermanas y tienen una especie de discusión, recién ahí la protagonista se da cuenta que sus hermanas también sufren y tienen una especie de reconciliacion
Mi opinión:
Los temas de salud mental están mal tratados considerarte loca no es gracioso y mucho menos compararte con artistas o escritores suicidas
No entiendo cual es el punto de este libro, porque no aprendí nada de salud mental, ni tampoco como artista siento que encontré "el camino"
Me gusto que nombrara un sin fin de obras de arte, pero cuando se refería a los artistas siempre hablaba de la manera en la que se suicidaron
Como si ser un artista famoso implicará haberte suicidado y dando a entender que la protagonista va a ser la excepción porque ella no quiere terminar como su mamá.
Si durante el libro hubiera 1 personaje adulto que ayudara a estas chicas quizá la historia hubiera sido otra pero el único adulto es su vecino y su utilidad en la historia es cenar con ellas y darle mini charlas de que no tienen que faltar a la escuela o cosas así.
En ningún momento hay un personaje que les sugiera a estas chicas visitar un terapeuta, ni tampoco hay alguien con quien puedan tener una charla de como se sienten. Todo lo abordan solas, recién al final se dan cuenta que "se tienen la una a la otra" después de tratarse mal todo el libro
Y por último la construcción de personajes es malisima la autora tomo un estereotipo y dijo 🪄vos vas a ser artista u te va a gustar la cerámica 🪄vos vas a ser artista y te va a gustar escribir 🪄vos vas a ser artista y te va a gustar la natación 🪄vos vas a ser artista depresivo y 🪄vos vas a ser músico
Y eso es todo. Imagínense que pesada seria la gente si llevara un libro a todos lados y se pusiera a leer cuando le estas hablando, o llevará una guitarra y se pusiera a tocar de la nada, o un pincel y se pusiera a pintar en el medio de una cena ¿? Tus hobbies no son tu personalidad, y además podes tener más de un solo hobbie es extremadamente incómodo cuando las personas solo hablan de si mismas y todo el tiempo quieren desviar el tema al arte por ejemplo o a la música o lo que sea. Algún día tenes que tener una charla de política o sobre alguna peli, o sobre algo profundo. Pero no, en este libro todas las conversaciones son sobre arte y hasta yo que lo amo me pareció un montón
15 días me tarde en leerlo, aveces leía 2 capítulos y lo abandonaba y sinceramente me force a terminarlo porque tengo 20.000 pendientes que quiero leer
Conclusión: no lo lean
July 31, 2019
This is a really beautifully told story about coping with loss and mental health and how that affects not only yourself but the people around you.
For so long during this book I was thinking "I just can't support this main character (Minnie)" but I realised once I had finished it and viewed her story as a whole that I completely understood her and her actions. She does some reckless, silly, unforgivable things and yet you can't help empathise with someone who is struggling through such a dufficult situation.
I never like to give spoilers when I review so I'm keeping things vague here but I do just want to say I love that the ending isn't perfectly wrapped up. It's the perfect mix of melancholy and hopefulness.
Really, really enjoyed this and cannot give anymore props to Harriet Reuter Hapgood.
Thanks to Pan Macmillan and NetGalley for providing me with a copy for review.
For so long during this book I was thinking "I just can't support this main character (Minnie)" but I realised once I had finished it and viewed her story as a whole that I completely understood her and her actions. She does some reckless, silly, unforgivable things and yet you can't help empathise with someone who is struggling through such a dufficult situation.
I never like to give spoilers when I review so I'm keeping things vague here but I do just want to say I love that the ending isn't perfectly wrapped up. It's the perfect mix of melancholy and hopefulness.
Really, really enjoyed this and cannot give anymore props to Harriet Reuter Hapgood.
Thanks to Pan Macmillan and NetGalley for providing me with a copy for review.
January 27, 2020
How To Be Luminous is Harriet Reuter Hapgood’s second book and well, it didn’t quite hit all the notes that The Square Root Of Summer did for me. I was quite excited to read How To Be Luminous. This is the sort of book where I was expecting the writing to be lovely and some interesting imagery as well as to really care about the characters. I did get some of those expectations met, however, this was not 1000% the book for me, and that’s just fine. Read my full review here
January 13, 2019
A mix of Where'd You Go Bernadette and The Bell Jar, I sometimes felt this books didn't know what it wanted to be. Also, other than the age of the main character (17), I'd have a difficult time classifying this as YA, and I don't think I'd recommend it to most teenagers. I also would have liked to have seen more growth from the main character.
I received an advanced reader copy of this title from NetGalley.
I received an advanced reader copy of this title from NetGalley.
April 19, 2019
I won this book through a Goodreads Giveaway. The beginning was a little slow for me but once I became invested in the sisters’ story, I couldn’t put it down. The author really portrayed the sisters’ grief well with each of them processing it differently. I felt as though there were a varied amount of characters in the story with flaws and all. I like the way the book ended.
May 25, 2024
I DNFed this book at 10% and it takes a lot for me to stop reading a book..
But this was not it. The writing did nothing for me, I tried 4 times to get into this story and failed. Definitely not for me.
But this was not it. The writing did nothing for me, I tried 4 times to get into this story and failed. Definitely not for me.
April 26, 2019
After Hapgood's previous novel, The Square Root of Summer, I was really excited to pick up her latest book. While it was well-written, I couldn't help but feel like I've read similar stories and that there wasn't maybe as much originality as I wanted there to be.
This book follows seventeen-year-old Minnie. After the disappearance and presumed death of her famous artist mother four months ago, Minnie has lost all the colour in her life. Instead of vibrant colours, her entire world has turned grayscale, and she has no idea why. While she tries to navigate her new family life with her two sisters, Min also has to deal with Ash, her sweet, non-artist boyfriend. She has trouble letting him into the world of her mind and to her art. When she meets Felix, the similarly grieving new kid, she finds a kindred spirit. But how can she decide who to be with when her own world is crumbling around her?
Just to get this out of the way, this book does have a love triangle. I have to say, it's been quite a while since I've read a book with a love triangle, I'm not sure they're as common these days as they once were and it took me a minute to figure out what was happening, I couldn't quite believe it at first. Subsequently, there is a bit of cheating/overlap that happens in the book, and while Min's internal commentary addresses that she knows what she is doing isn't right, she makes no real move to discuss it out loud.
Despite the issues within the family, I did really enjoy the family aspect of the story. Each of Min's sisters has been affected by their mother's disappearance in different, but also similar ways. Min's youngest sister, Emmy-Kate, doesn't know that their mother is likely dead, and not just missing and is dealing with that by acting out and immersing herself in her mother's things. Min's older sister, Niko, is now their guardian and has to juggle that with going to school.
Niko, Min's older sister is also Deaf, and the characters use both BSL (the book is set in England), as well as "home-signing." I have only read a couple of books with Deaf characters and I was happy to see how well Hapgood was able to seamlessly include signing in the book. It wasn't just thrown in as a plot point, and it wasn't forgotten along the way - even when the characters were talking fast or having an argument, Hapgood made sure that someone was communicating to Niko as well.
My main issue with this book, however, was that it wasn't really anything new. It felt fairly similar to This Adventure Ends by Emma Mills with the slightly pretentious art lingo and deeper subject matter. I also felt like the characters themselves weren't super unique from one another - they each seemed to have their 'thing,' but beyond that, I don't know if I could really tell you who they were.
Overall, I think it was a good book, but I'm not sure it is one that I needed to read.
This book follows seventeen-year-old Minnie. After the disappearance and presumed death of her famous artist mother four months ago, Minnie has lost all the colour in her life. Instead of vibrant colours, her entire world has turned grayscale, and she has no idea why. While she tries to navigate her new family life with her two sisters, Min also has to deal with Ash, her sweet, non-artist boyfriend. She has trouble letting him into the world of her mind and to her art. When she meets Felix, the similarly grieving new kid, she finds a kindred spirit. But how can she decide who to be with when her own world is crumbling around her?
Just to get this out of the way, this book does have a love triangle. I have to say, it's been quite a while since I've read a book with a love triangle, I'm not sure they're as common these days as they once were and it took me a minute to figure out what was happening, I couldn't quite believe it at first. Subsequently, there is a bit of cheating/overlap that happens in the book, and while Min's internal commentary addresses that she knows what she is doing isn't right, she makes no real move to discuss it out loud.
Despite the issues within the family, I did really enjoy the family aspect of the story. Each of Min's sisters has been affected by their mother's disappearance in different, but also similar ways. Min's youngest sister, Emmy-Kate, doesn't know that their mother is likely dead, and not just missing and is dealing with that by acting out and immersing herself in her mother's things. Min's older sister, Niko, is now their guardian and has to juggle that with going to school.
Niko, Min's older sister is also Deaf, and the characters use both BSL (the book is set in England), as well as "home-signing." I have only read a couple of books with Deaf characters and I was happy to see how well Hapgood was able to seamlessly include signing in the book. It wasn't just thrown in as a plot point, and it wasn't forgotten along the way - even when the characters were talking fast or having an argument, Hapgood made sure that someone was communicating to Niko as well.
My main issue with this book, however, was that it wasn't really anything new. It felt fairly similar to This Adventure Ends by Emma Mills with the slightly pretentious art lingo and deeper subject matter. I also felt like the characters themselves weren't super unique from one another - they each seemed to have their 'thing,' but beyond that, I don't know if I could really tell you who they were.
Overall, I think it was a good book, but I'm not sure it is one that I needed to read.
June 25, 2019
After really enjoying The Square Root of Summer, I was eager to dive back in to one of Harriet Reuter Hapgood's stories. How to Be Luminous delivers on the same gut-wrenching emotion, paired with a twist of magic realism, made all the more enjoyable because this is a book about creatives and creation, and the light and dark sides that are often present in people we would label creative geniuses.
I love how the central conceit of this book - Minnie's loss of her ability to see colour - is used so thoroughly to explore all the different, difficult and conflicting emotions that Minnie and her sisters are experiencing. They are in an impossible situation, and their reactions to it, and to each other, ring so true. This isn't a story of sisters banding together to overcome the difficulty of losing their mother - it's the story about how they're each falling apart in their own way, and how they take that out on each other. It's raw, occasionally brutal, and so utterly believable.
Lyrical, beautiful and cathartic, this is a story for anyone who has ever loved and lost, but particularly for the creatives out there who have struggled to overcome their own mental health challenges and return to their art - be that painting or writing or music or whatever. Like me, maybe you'll find great comfort in reading Minnie's story, knowing that there's someone who just 'gets it'.
I was sent a free copy in exchange for an honest review.
I love how the central conceit of this book - Minnie's loss of her ability to see colour - is used so thoroughly to explore all the different, difficult and conflicting emotions that Minnie and her sisters are experiencing. They are in an impossible situation, and their reactions to it, and to each other, ring so true. This isn't a story of sisters banding together to overcome the difficulty of losing their mother - it's the story about how they're each falling apart in their own way, and how they take that out on each other. It's raw, occasionally brutal, and so utterly believable.
Lyrical, beautiful and cathartic, this is a story for anyone who has ever loved and lost, but particularly for the creatives out there who have struggled to overcome their own mental health challenges and return to their art - be that painting or writing or music or whatever. Like me, maybe you'll find great comfort in reading Minnie's story, knowing that there's someone who just 'gets it'.
I was sent a free copy in exchange for an honest review.
January 22, 2024
I picked this up in a clearance sale. I read some of the reviews. And so I went into reading this with very low expectations... however, I was pleasantly surprised to find I didn't have any of the issues that were mentioned in other reviews.
The author refers to her books as weird books about grief... but I found it quite relatable.
Each of the three Sloe sisters are grieving the sudden disappearance of their famous, artistic mum. Each of the sisters is artistic too having grown up with a mum who lived and breathed art.
The oldest sister Niko is at university old enough to become the guardian of her sisters. She's also deaf and the sisters use British Sign Language as well as their own home signing.
All three sisters are naturally lost with the sudden loss of their mum, but a longtime family friend lives next door and checks in on the girls. We also eventually discover that they were a huge help to Niko in managing the legalities.
The story is told by Minnie, the middle sister. She found a letter from their mum in her art studio the day she disappeared and then discovered that she could no longer see in colour. We follow the time after through her lonely journey of grieving.
I've tabbed instances of recognition of their mother's mental health, when Minnie likens herself to her mum, Minnie's grieving, and the few optimistic & moments of working through her grief.
In my opinion, this isn't a middle grade book due to the themes and experiences in this book.
As with any book, this one may not be for everyone, but I'm glad I read it despite the number of low reviews.
The author refers to her books as weird books about grief... but I found it quite relatable.
Each of the three Sloe sisters are grieving the sudden disappearance of their famous, artistic mum. Each of the sisters is artistic too having grown up with a mum who lived and breathed art.
The oldest sister Niko is at university old enough to become the guardian of her sisters. She's also deaf and the sisters use British Sign Language as well as their own home signing.
All three sisters are naturally lost with the sudden loss of their mum, but a longtime family friend lives next door and checks in on the girls. We also eventually discover that they were a huge help to Niko in managing the legalities.
The story is told by Minnie, the middle sister. She found a letter from their mum in her art studio the day she disappeared and then discovered that she could no longer see in colour. We follow the time after through her lonely journey of grieving.
I've tabbed instances of recognition of their mother's mental health, when Minnie likens herself to her mum, Minnie's grieving, and the few optimistic & moments of working through her grief.
In my opinion, this isn't a middle grade book due to the themes and experiences in this book.
As with any book, this one may not be for everyone, but I'm glad I read it despite the number of low reviews.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 4, 2019
When seventeen-year-old Minnie Sloe's mother disappears, so does her ability to see color. How can young artist Minnie create when all she sees is black-and-white?
Middle child Minnie and her two sisters have always been able to get through anything together: growing up without fathers, living the eccentric artist lifestyle, and riding out their mother's mental highs and lows. But when they lose their mother, Minnie wonders if she could lose everything: her family, her future, her first love . . . and maybe even her mind.
----
What can I say? I have a soft spot for book that deal with mental health so sue me! I fell in love with Minnie and her two sisters as they took on the words through grief, loss and mental health.
This book was deep, extreme tear-jerker right here so make sure to grab some tissues while reading this baby!
I loved how Hapgood put so much love and emotion into this story. The characters were heart-wrenchingly real as if I could feel their pain through the words on the pages in front of me.
From start to finish, I loved every page that I devoured as my mind was in awe of how beautiful this book was. Even though it was extremely sat mind you, I loved how the details were as though they were seated in front of me on a silver platter.
There is definitely a trigger warning for suicide so please be mindful while reading.
Middle child Minnie and her two sisters have always been able to get through anything together: growing up without fathers, living the eccentric artist lifestyle, and riding out their mother's mental highs and lows. But when they lose their mother, Minnie wonders if she could lose everything: her family, her future, her first love . . . and maybe even her mind.
----
What can I say? I have a soft spot for book that deal with mental health so sue me! I fell in love with Minnie and her two sisters as they took on the words through grief, loss and mental health.
This book was deep, extreme tear-jerker right here so make sure to grab some tissues while reading this baby!
I loved how Hapgood put so much love and emotion into this story. The characters were heart-wrenchingly real as if I could feel their pain through the words on the pages in front of me.
From start to finish, I loved every page that I devoured as my mind was in awe of how beautiful this book was. Even though it was extremely sat mind you, I loved how the details were as though they were seated in front of me on a silver platter.
There is definitely a trigger warning for suicide so please be mindful while reading.
April 27, 2019
Thank you to Net Galley and Roaring Brook Press for a digital copy of this ARC in return for an honest review.
In How to Be Luminous by Harriet Reuter Haphood Minnie and her two sisters, Niko and Emmy-Kate, are suddenly left without their mother. Minnie, the middle sister, finds a suicide note in her mother’s art studio but no sign of her body. Niko has to take over as guardian, Minnie loses all her color, and Emmy-Kate is going out at all hours of the night. Their mother was an artist, as well as the three girls, so losing color makes things very difficult, but Minnie doesn’t want to tell anyone, including her boyfriend.
I thought this was a really good book about mental illness and suicide, and I thought all the art was really interesting. I also love whenever one of the characters is deaf.
I thought there might be some sex in the beginning, and I wasn’t a fan of that in a YA novel, but it ended up not happening and being okay. It was also hard for me to get past some of the words the author used to make the story appeal to youth (“eff” and “WTFasaurus”).
How to Be Luminous will be released on April 30.
In How to Be Luminous by Harriet Reuter Haphood Minnie and her two sisters, Niko and Emmy-Kate, are suddenly left without their mother. Minnie, the middle sister, finds a suicide note in her mother’s art studio but no sign of her body. Niko has to take over as guardian, Minnie loses all her color, and Emmy-Kate is going out at all hours of the night. Their mother was an artist, as well as the three girls, so losing color makes things very difficult, but Minnie doesn’t want to tell anyone, including her boyfriend.
I thought this was a really good book about mental illness and suicide, and I thought all the art was really interesting. I also love whenever one of the characters is deaf.
I thought there might be some sex in the beginning, and I wasn’t a fan of that in a YA novel, but it ended up not happening and being okay. It was also hard for me to get past some of the words the author used to make the story appeal to youth (“eff” and “WTFasaurus”).
How to Be Luminous will be released on April 30.
June 18, 2019
Thank you to NetGalley for providing me access to this rather unusual exploration of mental health.
Our narrator, Minnie, is one of three daughters. Their mother, a celebrated artist, has gone missing. Since the day Minnie discovered a note in her mother’s studio she’s carried the burden of thinking her mother committed suicide...and she believes she’s lost colour.
We follow Minnie as she tries to learn to live with the absence of a parent, but also on a journey of self-discovery as she struggles to make sense of her own feelings.
A rather abstract exploration of mental health, but an intriguing one. Whether you like art or not doesn’t matter, you get drawn into Minnie’s way of seeing the world.
Our narrator, Minnie, is one of three daughters. Their mother, a celebrated artist, has gone missing. Since the day Minnie discovered a note in her mother’s studio she’s carried the burden of thinking her mother committed suicide...and she believes she’s lost colour.
We follow Minnie as she tries to learn to live with the absence of a parent, but also on a journey of self-discovery as she struggles to make sense of her own feelings.
A rather abstract exploration of mental health, but an intriguing one. Whether you like art or not doesn’t matter, you get drawn into Minnie’s way of seeing the world.
did-not-finish
March 22, 2023DNF @ 18 %.
Je sais que le personnage principal est très clairement en dépression... mais je n'ai aucun intérêt à découvrir comment elle s'en sort. Les personnages ne m'intéressent pas du tout.
L'aspect entourant l'art me semblait intéressant et j'aimais les courts chapitres d'énumération de couleurs... mais ils étaient trop peu nombreux par rapport aux chapitres d'histoires.
Je sais que le personnage principal est très clairement en dépression... mais je n'ai aucun intérêt à découvrir comment elle s'en sort. Les personnages ne m'intéressent pas du tout.
L'aspect entourant l'art me semblait intéressant et j'aimais les courts chapitres d'énumération de couleurs... mais ils étaient trop peu nombreux par rapport aux chapitres d'histoires.
June 1, 2021
Really good book.. I love the author’s style, she uses metaphors all the time but in a way that’s not overwhelming, just gives the reader an almost unspoken understanding of what’s happening. Good read.
Read
October 15, 2022Graded By: Brian
Cover Story: Printer Jam
Drinking Buddy: White Wine
Testosterone Estrogen Level: Faded Love
Talky Talk: Black and White
Bonus Factors: Color Blindness, Deaf
Bromance Status: (Photo) Negative
Read the full book report here.
Cover Story: Printer Jam
Drinking Buddy: White Wine
Talky Talk: Black and White
Bonus Factors: Color Blindness, Deaf
Bromance Status: (Photo) Negative
Read the full book report here.
June 22, 2024
i wanted to hate this book so bad but i just couldn’t
June 4, 2019
3.5*
~ I received an ARC of this book on Netgalley in exchange for an honest review~
I should have absolutely loved How To Be Luminous, but I didn't. I liked it, I just didn't love it. In saying that, there were some elements I did love about it, but overall, I just liked it. Yeah, so I'm throwing love and like around a whole lot so let's just get to my actual review before I keep going.
How To Be Luminous centres around Minnie, the middle Sloe sister and our narrator, as she and her sisters grieve their mother's disappearance/suicide. Her body was never found, so apart from the letter their mum left in a specific place for Minnie to find, they don't really know what happened to her. In the wake of the loss of her mum, Minnie loses her sight of colour, which is a terrible thing when you are trying to find your groove as an artist and follow in your mum's footsteps. Minnie begins to realise she may be more like her mum than she ever knew, as her loss of colour, her disconnection to her own self, her mum, her sisters and her boyfriend fall apart in an array of chaos. Meanwhile, her sisters Niko and Emmy-Kate are grieving in different ways alone and all three of them forget they are all sharing the same pain.
Here are the things I loved about this book, in no particular order. I loved the writing style and how Harriet Reuter Hapgood incorporated creativity, colour and art into the narrative. Her writing was vivid, unique and poetic. I loved how Minnie's loss of colour was a symptom of her grief and a way through which she had to learn to come out on the other side. I loved how each of the Sloe sisters had their own character, their own voice and role in the story. I loved the quirkiness of their mum, Rachel Sloe, who you only meet in flashbacks or Minnie's visions. I loved the inclusion of art, the exploration of mental illness and the way loss in death was depicted. I loved the sunshine optimism of Minnie's boyfriend Ash and the charming darkness in the new boy, Felix Waters. I loved the sections between chapters listing descriptions of the colours Minnie had lost.
Unfortunately, even though it sounds like I loved a lot of things about this book, I simply came out of it feeling letdown. The problem I have with this book is that it took me too long to really get into. I'm not sure if it's just my reading of it, but I couldn't connect with the story or Minnie for the first few chapters and I don't really know why. I probably got into it around the halfway mark, though I couldn't tell you at which point that was, and that meant for me it just felt like the book ended too quickly and with many things open ended. I wanted more development from the characters. I didn't see enough of the Sloe sisters relationship with one another and with their mum. Minnie was constantly blamed for being selfish and hateful by her sisters, which frustrated me because really, they were being a bit hypocritical. I get that the whole mess between the sisters was because of their grief, and even though I enjoyed reading their personal feelings and the outcomes of sharing, I wanted to see them come together earlier and more so. I also felt like Ash and Felix's roles in the book were kind of props for Minnie finding her way through her grief, or even that their characters were there just for extra drama. There were parts of their roles I really liked, but I just wish they'd added more to the story than just creating more drama in Minnie's life as she went through her own personal breakdown.
So, to sum up, I guess I have a lot of mixed feelings about this book. I really wanted to love it, and sure there were parts I did, but when it comes to my overall feeling about this book, I'm simply left wishing there was more. I feel as though the depth this book went into only skimmed the potential of the characters, the sense of searching for identity and belonging, and the discussion of mental illness. Perhaps, though I adored the poetic, colourful language, I just didn't quite understand the messages the words were giving. Like many artworks, this book is a piece of art, and some people will get more out of it than others.
~ I received an ARC of this book on Netgalley in exchange for an honest review~
I should have absolutely loved How To Be Luminous, but I didn't. I liked it, I just didn't love it. In saying that, there were some elements I did love about it, but overall, I just liked it. Yeah, so I'm throwing love and like around a whole lot so let's just get to my actual review before I keep going.
How To Be Luminous centres around Minnie, the middle Sloe sister and our narrator, as she and her sisters grieve their mother's disappearance/suicide. Her body was never found, so apart from the letter their mum left in a specific place for Minnie to find, they don't really know what happened to her. In the wake of the loss of her mum, Minnie loses her sight of colour, which is a terrible thing when you are trying to find your groove as an artist and follow in your mum's footsteps. Minnie begins to realise she may be more like her mum than she ever knew, as her loss of colour, her disconnection to her own self, her mum, her sisters and her boyfriend fall apart in an array of chaos. Meanwhile, her sisters Niko and Emmy-Kate are grieving in different ways alone and all three of them forget they are all sharing the same pain.
Here are the things I loved about this book, in no particular order. I loved the writing style and how Harriet Reuter Hapgood incorporated creativity, colour and art into the narrative. Her writing was vivid, unique and poetic. I loved how Minnie's loss of colour was a symptom of her grief and a way through which she had to learn to come out on the other side. I loved how each of the Sloe sisters had their own character, their own voice and role in the story. I loved the quirkiness of their mum, Rachel Sloe, who you only meet in flashbacks or Minnie's visions. I loved the inclusion of art, the exploration of mental illness and the way loss in death was depicted. I loved the sunshine optimism of Minnie's boyfriend Ash and the charming darkness in the new boy, Felix Waters. I loved the sections between chapters listing descriptions of the colours Minnie had lost.
Unfortunately, even though it sounds like I loved a lot of things about this book, I simply came out of it feeling letdown. The problem I have with this book is that it took me too long to really get into. I'm not sure if it's just my reading of it, but I couldn't connect with the story or Minnie for the first few chapters and I don't really know why. I probably got into it around the halfway mark, though I couldn't tell you at which point that was, and that meant for me it just felt like the book ended too quickly and with many things open ended. I wanted more development from the characters. I didn't see enough of the Sloe sisters relationship with one another and with their mum. Minnie was constantly blamed for being selfish and hateful by her sisters, which frustrated me because really, they were being a bit hypocritical. I get that the whole mess between the sisters was because of their grief, and even though I enjoyed reading their personal feelings and the outcomes of sharing, I wanted to see them come together earlier and more so. I also felt like Ash and Felix's roles in the book were kind of props for Minnie finding her way through her grief, or even that their characters were there just for extra drama. There were parts of their roles I really liked, but I just wish they'd added more to the story than just creating more drama in Minnie's life as she went through her own personal breakdown.
So, to sum up, I guess I have a lot of mixed feelings about this book. I really wanted to love it, and sure there were parts I did, but when it comes to my overall feeling about this book, I'm simply left wishing there was more. I feel as though the depth this book went into only skimmed the potential of the characters, the sense of searching for identity and belonging, and the discussion of mental illness. Perhaps, though I adored the poetic, colourful language, I just didn't quite understand the messages the words were giving. Like many artworks, this book is a piece of art, and some people will get more out of it than others.
February 15, 2021
Where. do. I. even. begin..
This book should come with a pack of tissues, because promise me, you’ll need them.
All the colour disappeared from Minnie’s world, along with her mother, and she can’t seem to understand why she left. She continues to tell herself that her mum will come back, but the longer it takes, the less likely it is for her to come back. The story is told from Minnie’s point of view but also focuses a lot on her two sisters, and how they all deal with their mothers disappearance in their own way. This book was so so beautifully written, and the story sucked me in the moment I turned the first page.
This book is such a good representation of someone dealing with mental health issues, and how it not only affects them, but also the people around them. This is also the first book that I’ve read that has a deaf character in it.
Trigger warning: suicide, grief, depression
This book should come with a pack of tissues, because promise me, you’ll need them.
All the colour disappeared from Minnie’s world, along with her mother, and she can’t seem to understand why she left. She continues to tell herself that her mum will come back, but the longer it takes, the less likely it is for her to come back. The story is told from Minnie’s point of view but also focuses a lot on her two sisters, and how they all deal with their mothers disappearance in their own way. This book was so so beautifully written, and the story sucked me in the moment I turned the first page.
This book is such a good representation of someone dealing with mental health issues, and how it not only affects them, but also the people around them. This is also the first book that I’ve read that has a deaf character in it.
Trigger warning: suicide, grief, depression
September 16, 2019
When Minnie’s mother disappears, presumed to have committed suicide, she loses her ability to see color and becomes concerned she too is mentally ill.
I never connected with HOW TO BE LUMINOUS, though I’m sure Harriet Reuter Hapgood’s latest novel will find an enthusiastic audience. Hapgood’s lyrical prose and creative storytelling are the best parts of HOW TO BE LUMINOUS. I also enjoyed how the sisters processed their mother’s death/disappearance differently. Niko, the eldest sister, was deaf, adding an additional dimension to her character.
HOW TO BE LUMINOUS made no sense to me. I can’t picture a teenager, losing her ability to see color, not googling what it means and how to fix it. Even if Minnie feared going to the doctor and being diagnosed with a mental illness, she’d want to know how to fix it, especially given she’s an artist. Because I couldn’t buy into her that, I couldn’t buy into her character.
Also, mental illness and grief can explain certain behaviors and attitudes, but isn’t an excuse for treating others poorly. I understood Minnie’s disregard for the feelings of others, but had a hard time finding empathy for her.
If the blurb for HOW TO BE LUMINOUS makes you say, I want to read this, do it. If you’re on the fence, skip it.
I never connected with HOW TO BE LUMINOUS, though I’m sure Harriet Reuter Hapgood’s latest novel will find an enthusiastic audience. Hapgood’s lyrical prose and creative storytelling are the best parts of HOW TO BE LUMINOUS. I also enjoyed how the sisters processed their mother’s death/disappearance differently. Niko, the eldest sister, was deaf, adding an additional dimension to her character.
HOW TO BE LUMINOUS made no sense to me. I can’t picture a teenager, losing her ability to see color, not googling what it means and how to fix it. Even if Minnie feared going to the doctor and being diagnosed with a mental illness, she’d want to know how to fix it, especially given she’s an artist. Because I couldn’t buy into her that, I couldn’t buy into her character.
Also, mental illness and grief can explain certain behaviors and attitudes, but isn’t an excuse for treating others poorly. I understood Minnie’s disregard for the feelings of others, but had a hard time finding empathy for her.
If the blurb for HOW TO BE LUMINOUS makes you say, I want to read this, do it. If you’re on the fence, skip it.
January 25, 2019
Net Galley provided me an ARC of this book. The plot developed in this book nicely. The story moved along at a great pace and I was interested in finding out what happened to all of the characters throughout the story. I wasn't very impressed with the main character at times, I didn't feel like I could feel sorry for her or sympathize with her. She didn't seem to progress as a person, and I wasn't rooting for her at the end. I would maybe categorize this as older young adult--I'm not sure a middle school student would be interested in this or if they could understand some of the artistic descriptions/references. This would be appropriate for a 14-18 year old possibly. I would ultimately recommend this book to peers, it was a quick read and informative on a sensitive topic of depression and mental illness.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 29, 2022
I couldn’t finish this. The main character was so incredibly ridiculous! She so annoying that I couldn’t keep reading. The story was also very slow. It was just boring. The characters also were written in a way that made them seem younger than they were supposed to be. The younger sister, who was supposed to be fifteen was talked about like she was twelve! The book just felt like it was missing half the plot.
July 16, 2024
I wasn’t too sure how to feel going into this. Looking back I didn’t hate my time that much, I think I just didn’t like the characters. Or the plot. Or the ending. Like miss girl he literally is in love with you and you don’t run to him? Sure sure very believable. I don’t even know what I was reading when I was reading it. Edit: gurl if I had I guy in love with me I would at least acknowledge it before running out on him…maybe…
March 28, 2022
- Este ha sido el primer libro que leo de la autora, y la verdad, no sabía muy bien a qué atenerme.
- Lo primero que llama la atención de este libro, sin lugar a dudas, es la edición tan cuidada y colorida que nos trae la editorial, Puck, a quienes agradezco el envío del ejemplar.
- Este es uno de esos libros que entra por los ojos, y que después, una vez iniciada la lectura, descubres que lo que hay dentro, es igual o más bonito que su envoltorio.
- Un libro lleno de reflexiones, de debates internos, de buscar el camino a la felicidad o, al menos, a algo que se le parezca. Qué está bien y qué está mal. Por qué nos sentimos mal con alguien cercano, y nos abrimos a desconocidos. Cómo es posible que alguien a quien apenas conoces, vea a través de ti y te descubra de una forma que ni tú imaginas. De plantearte un futuro nuevo que no encaja con lo que estaba predestinado para ti. Enfermedades mentales, locura, delirios, visiones, dudas. Confianza, amor, amistad, decisiones importantes que, por casualidad, llegan a las manos de uno sin ser el momento ni el lugar. El huir de lo que duele, de lo que nos hace daño, de intentar encontrar respuestas a preguntas que quedaron en el aire, y jamás serán respondidas... Este sería más menos un buen resumen del libro, intensito como podéis ver.
- Con un estilo cuidado y cercano, la autora nos hace profundizar en lo más oscuro de la mente, esa que, a veces, nos juega malas pasadas, haciéndonos imaginar cosas que no están o no existen. Un vocabulario muy bien elegido, para trasladarnos al centro de la historia y sus protagonistas, haciéndonos empatizar con ellos y conociéndonos de una forma cercana.
- Con capítulos cortitos, muy amenos, que te enganchan desde el principio. Un libro ágil y de lectura rápida que te mantiene pendiente de lo que pueda ocurrir.
- En esta historia conoceremos a Minnie, Niko y . Tres hermanas, con prácticamente nada en común, excepto el arte que corre por sus venas y sale por cada poro de su piel. Tres jóvenes, a las que la vida les ha dado un revés sin pretenderlo. Excéntricas, cada una a su manera, son el conjunto ideal para esta historia.
- Minnie, a la que después de la desaparición de su madre, a punto de entrar en la universidad de bellas artes, se le han fugado los colores. Todo lo ve en blanco y negro. Mientras ella intenta averiguar la forma de volver a ver el mundo a color, y no solo en una escala de grises, a su alrededor la vida pasa, sin ser consciente de que ella, no es la única que sufre, lo pasa mal e intenta huir de una situación que le asfixia. En este proceso de volver a ver el mundo de forma policromática, conoce a Félix. Un joven melancólico con una vida difícil, que respira arte y es un gran admirador de la madre de Minnie.
- El inicio del libro entra directo al corazón, y hace que te enganches al libro y a su trama desde el principio.
- La parte central es amena, difícil por momentos, con una sonrisa otros, viendo como evolucionan los personajes y salen del pozo oscuro donde se hayan.
- El final es bueno, aunque para mi gusto, demasiado abierto y con temas importantes que quedan en el aire.
- El gran fallo, para mí, de este libro, es la falta de epílogo, con lo importantes que son! Y más cuando toca temas tan importantes como la orfandad, la depresión, el abandono, la salud mental...
- Un libro que profundiza en la mente humana con respeto, educación y mimo. Con un amor profundo al arte por parte de la autora, que te hace descubrir cómo es ver el mundo a través de los ojos de un artista.
- Una historia amena, bonita, tierna, que he disfrutado mucho y que os recomiendo mucho.
7/10🌟
Nos vemos en www.instagram.com/leyendoentresabanas
- Lo primero que llama la atención de este libro, sin lugar a dudas, es la edición tan cuidada y colorida que nos trae la editorial, Puck, a quienes agradezco el envío del ejemplar.
- Este es uno de esos libros que entra por los ojos, y que después, una vez iniciada la lectura, descubres que lo que hay dentro, es igual o más bonito que su envoltorio.
- Un libro lleno de reflexiones, de debates internos, de buscar el camino a la felicidad o, al menos, a algo que se le parezca. Qué está bien y qué está mal. Por qué nos sentimos mal con alguien cercano, y nos abrimos a desconocidos. Cómo es posible que alguien a quien apenas conoces, vea a través de ti y te descubra de una forma que ni tú imaginas. De plantearte un futuro nuevo que no encaja con lo que estaba predestinado para ti. Enfermedades mentales, locura, delirios, visiones, dudas. Confianza, amor, amistad, decisiones importantes que, por casualidad, llegan a las manos de uno sin ser el momento ni el lugar. El huir de lo que duele, de lo que nos hace daño, de intentar encontrar respuestas a preguntas que quedaron en el aire, y jamás serán respondidas... Este sería más menos un buen resumen del libro, intensito como podéis ver.
- Con un estilo cuidado y cercano, la autora nos hace profundizar en lo más oscuro de la mente, esa que, a veces, nos juega malas pasadas, haciéndonos imaginar cosas que no están o no existen. Un vocabulario muy bien elegido, para trasladarnos al centro de la historia y sus protagonistas, haciéndonos empatizar con ellos y conociéndonos de una forma cercana.
- Con capítulos cortitos, muy amenos, que te enganchan desde el principio. Un libro ágil y de lectura rápida que te mantiene pendiente de lo que pueda ocurrir.
- En esta historia conoceremos a Minnie, Niko y . Tres hermanas, con prácticamente nada en común, excepto el arte que corre por sus venas y sale por cada poro de su piel. Tres jóvenes, a las que la vida les ha dado un revés sin pretenderlo. Excéntricas, cada una a su manera, son el conjunto ideal para esta historia.
- Minnie, a la que después de la desaparición de su madre, a punto de entrar en la universidad de bellas artes, se le han fugado los colores. Todo lo ve en blanco y negro. Mientras ella intenta averiguar la forma de volver a ver el mundo a color, y no solo en una escala de grises, a su alrededor la vida pasa, sin ser consciente de que ella, no es la única que sufre, lo pasa mal e intenta huir de una situación que le asfixia. En este proceso de volver a ver el mundo de forma policromática, conoce a Félix. Un joven melancólico con una vida difícil, que respira arte y es un gran admirador de la madre de Minnie.
- El inicio del libro entra directo al corazón, y hace que te enganches al libro y a su trama desde el principio.
- La parte central es amena, difícil por momentos, con una sonrisa otros, viendo como evolucionan los personajes y salen del pozo oscuro donde se hayan.
- El final es bueno, aunque para mi gusto, demasiado abierto y con temas importantes que quedan en el aire.
- El gran fallo, para mí, de este libro, es la falta de epílogo, con lo importantes que son! Y más cuando toca temas tan importantes como la orfandad, la depresión, el abandono, la salud mental...
- Un libro que profundiza en la mente humana con respeto, educación y mimo. Con un amor profundo al arte por parte de la autora, que te hace descubrir cómo es ver el mundo a través de los ojos de un artista.
- Una historia amena, bonita, tierna, que he disfrutado mucho y que os recomiendo mucho.
7/10🌟
Nos vemos en www.instagram.com/leyendoentresabanas
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