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Where Our Closure Begins
Dr. Emma Lamb disappeared after almost dying in her 3rd year at medical school.
Ten years later, in her thirties, she likes to pretend that the circumstances that almost caused her to perish never happened. Living a calm life in London with her father and fiancée is all she ever wanted, and even sometimes the desire to move abroad with her small family, to put more distance between her and the memories, fills her.
But, when she comes across with the only person who still has questions about her disappearance, a Pandora box of memories, questions and grudges opens. Dr. Theodore Eullie, Emma's ex-situationship, offers her an unhinged deal in which each will have what they want: Theo, her help and services as a therapist. Emma, the answers to the decade-long questions that kept her up many nights.
But that would only mean having Theodore back into her life, threatening everything she cares for: her job, her family, and her fiancée. Emma now, who also has to deal with the intention of her siblings to reconnect as their father's health deteriorates, must decide if letting her skeletons walk out the closet is worth it, risking her perfect life. Would it be worth it to dig up the past without knowing how much dirt it would leave on her feet?
Emma knows that closure is a dangerous thing to crave. It just never occurred to her she's been starving for a decade.
CONTENT WARNING: Remembrance of toxic relationship, partial amnesia, mentions of eating disorders, SH and taking one's life.
Ten years later, in her thirties, she likes to pretend that the circumstances that almost caused her to perish never happened. Living a calm life in London with her father and fiancée is all she ever wanted, and even sometimes the desire to move abroad with her small family, to put more distance between her and the memories, fills her.
But, when she comes across with the only person who still has questions about her disappearance, a Pandora box of memories, questions and grudges opens. Dr. Theodore Eullie, Emma's ex-situationship, offers her an unhinged deal in which each will have what they want: Theo, her help and services as a therapist. Emma, the answers to the decade-long questions that kept her up many nights.
But that would only mean having Theodore back into her life, threatening everything she cares for: her job, her family, and her fiancée. Emma now, who also has to deal with the intention of her siblings to reconnect as their father's health deteriorates, must decide if letting her skeletons walk out the closet is worth it, risking her perfect life. Would it be worth it to dig up the past without knowing how much dirt it would leave on her feet?
Emma knows that closure is a dangerous thing to crave. It just never occurred to her she's been starving for a decade.
CONTENT WARNING: Remembrance of toxic relationship, partial amnesia, mentions of eating disorders, SH and taking one's life.
- GenresLGBT
311 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 3, 2023
4 people are currently reading
150 people want to read
About the author
Alex M. Nájera
1 book82 followersAlex M. Nájera is the author of the novel, Where Our Closure Begins. She graduated from UDABOL University with a bachelor in Odontology. Throughout her young adult years, she enjoyed writing BBC Sherlock fan-fiction. Alex works as a private English tutor and spends her free time reading books and reviewing them on her Spanish Booktube page, El Librero de Alex.
Alex is no longer active in Goodreads, if you want to contact her you can do it at: alexnajera5@gmail.com
Alex is no longer active in Goodreads, if you want to contact her you can do it at: alexnajera5@gmail.com
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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
January 3, 2023
MY BOOK IS OUT NOW! thank you so much to everyone who supported me throughout this journey! Now this book belongs to all of you. I hope you enjoy it ♥
Love, Alex.
Love, Alex.
December 10, 2022
Just finished this heart-rending, incredible, delectable story. I was so engrossed in this novel, it became the only thing I could think about for the two days I read this. I'm very picky about how I feel about books and how tangible the characters are with their feelings and how they are written.
Alex hit this spot on. Not only were her characters relatable and detailed, but this book had the best flow. I always say that a good book, movie, etc. is defined by what feelings I feel and how strongly I feel them. In this novel, I laughed, wept, got angry, smiled, chewed my nails, and flipped the pages with such rigor, I'd consider it a new Olympic sport. If you want a book that makes you feel your feelings so deeply to the core, this is a read I HIGHLY recommend.
Keep your eye on this novelist because she is sure to keep popping up with many more great works of literature just waiting to make a delicious appearance.
Alex hit this spot on. Not only were her characters relatable and detailed, but this book had the best flow. I always say that a good book, movie, etc. is defined by what feelings I feel and how strongly I feel them. In this novel, I laughed, wept, got angry, smiled, chewed my nails, and flipped the pages with such rigor, I'd consider it a new Olympic sport. If you want a book that makes you feel your feelings so deeply to the core, this is a read I HIGHLY recommend.
Keep your eye on this novelist because she is sure to keep popping up with many more great works of literature just waiting to make a delicious appearance.
December 4, 2022
Wow. WHERE OUR CLOSURE BEGINS was easily one of the greatest books I've read. Now, it's easy to say that about books. You might be thinking - yeah everyone says that about books they rate 5-stars, but let me tell you, this book was truly mindblowing.
If you want to read a heart-wrenching book about the realities of healing. How it isn't always cut and dry. How during a desire to heal yourself you end up pushing away those who love you most. If you want to indulge in the reality which is complicated family dynamics where grief and life tore them apart, only for those instances to bring them closer than ever. Lastly, if you want a story about to power of love, forgiveness and holding those that mean most close. This is a must-read!
Or if you're like me and just love sobbing your eyes out! Whichever floats your boat!
Venture below for a quick summary, with minor spoilers!
Emma, our main character, is a therapist. Healing others through guided conversation. When she has a run-in with her ex-boyfriend, Theo, at Whole Foods, her world turns on its head. She finds herself transported to nearly a decade ago when Theo was her everything until he broke her. Now Theo needs her help. As a therapist, she knows she shouldn't, yet, as a woman whose life shattered at 21, she indulged in the opportunity to get the answers he failed to give.
They soon begin "therapy" sessions, one at her official office, where she dives into who Theo is now in an attempt to see if the man she once loved has changed himself for the better. A second therapy session for Theo to get answers for himself.
Soon these sessions quickly become out of hand. Theo pushes too closely on Emma's new life. Emma is burdened with the reality of lying to her fiance Josephine and going until everything falls apart.
Emma's family is attempting to come together after the loss of their mother and the declining death of their father. While trying to heal herself, her family desperately works to fix the severed ties. While nothing is easy, they put in the work. Butt heads. Accuse. But most of all, forgive. Not after a tragedy brings them all together once and for all.
A damning tale about healing, family, love, desire, curiously and how far one would go for a sense of closure. WHERE OUR CLOSURE BEGINS will have you crying, screaming, swearing and overall speechless.
If you want to read a heart-wrenching book about the realities of healing. How it isn't always cut and dry. How during a desire to heal yourself you end up pushing away those who love you most. If you want to indulge in the reality which is complicated family dynamics where grief and life tore them apart, only for those instances to bring them closer than ever. Lastly, if you want a story about to power of love, forgiveness and holding those that mean most close. This is a must-read!
Or if you're like me and just love sobbing your eyes out! Whichever floats your boat!
Venture below for a quick summary, with minor spoilers!
Emma, our main character, is a therapist. Healing others through guided conversation. When she has a run-in with her ex-boyfriend, Theo, at Whole Foods, her world turns on its head. She finds herself transported to nearly a decade ago when Theo was her everything until he broke her. Now Theo needs her help. As a therapist, she knows she shouldn't, yet, as a woman whose life shattered at 21, she indulged in the opportunity to get the answers he failed to give.
They soon begin "therapy" sessions, one at her official office, where she dives into who Theo is now in an attempt to see if the man she once loved has changed himself for the better. A second therapy session for Theo to get answers for himself.
Soon these sessions quickly become out of hand. Theo pushes too closely on Emma's new life. Emma is burdened with the reality of lying to her fiance Josephine and going until everything falls apart.
Emma's family is attempting to come together after the loss of their mother and the declining death of their father. While trying to heal herself, her family desperately works to fix the severed ties. While nothing is easy, they put in the work. Butt heads. Accuse. But most of all, forgive. Not after a tragedy brings them all together once and for all.
A damning tale about healing, family, love, desire, curiously and how far one would go for a sense of closure. WHERE OUR CLOSURE BEGINS will have you crying, screaming, swearing and overall speechless.
December 24, 2022
I received a complimentary arc from the author for an honest review and let me tell you, I was not disappointed!
This was so raw. I felt it in my heart what Emma was experiencing. Typically I prefer dual POV but for this it wasn’t needed. This was Emma’s story and it’s written wonderfully. Theo Eullie, the hunky love interest/antagonist, is trying to make amends with the people he’s hurt in his life, without realizing it hurts them as well.
I loved loved this story and I’m so excited for others to fall in love with it, too.
This was so raw. I felt it in my heart what Emma was experiencing. Typically I prefer dual POV but for this it wasn’t needed. This was Emma’s story and it’s written wonderfully. Theo Eullie, the hunky love interest/antagonist, is trying to make amends with the people he’s hurt in his life, without realizing it hurts them as well.
I loved loved this story and I’m so excited for others to fall in love with it, too.
December 11, 2022
First off i want to express how grateful i am to have been sent an ARC of this beautiful and stunning book, it’s my first ever so thank u for the thrust, muchas gracias a la autora.
What a powerful story, it resonated with me on many aspects of my life, so i guess i might be a bit biased lol
To see the Emma make mistakes over and over again was frustrating but i get thats what truly make her real, i felt it at its core, fuck Teodoro.
The eating disorder talk fucked me up and the mom being there to help her heal was almost unbearable, hit very close home.
This is why books with representation and diversity are so important to make, people relate and see themselves reflected in many ways, good or bad, what u don’t talk about doesn’t exist.
Love that christmasy feeling, a book that holds chaotic holidays and family issues is always great to read no matter the season.
Que bella escena de hermandad, amé muchísimo, no spoilers but that’s the true closure really ;)
I really loved the prose, feels and writing can’t wait to read more from this author, que vivan las mujeres autoras !!
In the words of a great philosopher of our time (whom i feel Silvia was playing an homage to<3)
“People go on and on about how you have to forgive and forget to move past something. No, you don’t. You don’t have to forgive and you don’t have to forget to move on. You can move on without any of those things happening. You just become indifferent, and then you move on”
What a powerful story, it resonated with me on many aspects of my life, so i guess i might be a bit biased lol
To see the Emma make mistakes over and over again was frustrating but i get thats what truly make her real, i felt it at its core, fuck Teodoro.
The eating disorder talk fucked me up and the mom being there to help her heal was almost unbearable, hit very close home.
This is why books with representation and diversity are so important to make, people relate and see themselves reflected in many ways, good or bad, what u don’t talk about doesn’t exist.
Love that christmasy feeling, a book that holds chaotic holidays and family issues is always great to read no matter the season.
Que bella escena de hermandad, amé muchísimo, no spoilers but that’s the true closure really ;)
I really loved the prose, feels and writing can’t wait to read more from this author, que vivan las mujeres autoras !!
In the words of a great philosopher of our time (whom i feel Silvia was playing an homage to<3)
“People go on and on about how you have to forgive and forget to move past something. No, you don’t. You don’t have to forgive and you don’t have to forget to move on. You can move on without any of those things happening. You just become indifferent, and then you move on”
February 24, 2023
Este libro tocó muchas fibras en mí, se sintió muy cercano y creo que eso me hizo pensar en muchas cosas. Es doloroso tener a un Theodoro en tu vida, y leer este libro me hizo revivir muchas cosas, sobre todo me hizo sentir mucha rabia. Ya no puedo esperar por hacerle una reseña completa en mi canal!
December 14, 2022
4.5⭐
Antes de empezar con esta reseña/opinion quiero agradecerle mucho a Alex por permitirme ser de las primeras personas en leer su libro antes de que se publique❤️ Estoy muy feliz de haber leído este libro y poder darte una opinion honesta de lo que pensé.
Ahora sí, a lo que venimos (una disculpa que la reseña sea en español, mi ingles no da pa mucho HAHAHA)
Where Our Closure Begins es la novela debut de Alex, y en ella nos cuenta la historia de Emma, una terapeuta que tiene una vida "relativamente buena" con constantes visitas al médico para ayudar a su padre y vivir con su prometida Jo, Emma está en su rutina cotidiana, pero todo va a cambiar cuando en el super se encuentra a su ex (si a esa cosa le podemos llamar ex) Theo.
Ellos dejaron de verse hace 10 años después de que Emma fue internada después de un intento de desvivirse; y a partir de aquí parece avalancha de nieve, sesiones de terapia en donde tratan de descubrir si el cambio para bien, la presión de este a la nueva vida de Emma que la lleva a un punto de colapso y de aquí sigue aumentando esta avalancha.
Primero, quiero decir que estoy sorprendida por la calidad de historia que nos trae Alex, alch te rifaste, la historia de Emma trajo a mi muchos recuerdos que no son tan agradables de lo que se vive cuando tratas de sanar heridas emocionales que te dejan las personas, creo que fue una buena protagonista, pero si en ciertas situaciones no me quedaban más pensamientos que querer sacudirla para dejarse ayudar y es que es MUY TERCA!! y le quería recetar un relájate un chingo mana.
después tenemos a Theo, la basura existente hecha persona, yo personalmente si me uno al club de haters de este individuo y es que omgggg, cada que leía lo que decía, me quería matar, no podia creer el cinismo y victimismo que este hombre irradiaba de su ser y para mi es una piedra en el zapato este hombre...
Jo es un amor de persona, la verdad es la más sensata y cuerda en esta historia haha, no mentira, pero si es una muy buena persona que de verdad quiere lo mejor para Emma y esta ahi para apoyarla y darle soporte en todo momento, la tqm
Además está la familia de Emma que está tratando de curar esos lazos rotos del pasado y esto va muy de la mano con lo que comente de ella, a veces es un poco terca y reacia a no permitirlo, pero vemos como su dinámica familiar va cambiando poco a poco y se van perdonando cosas para bien.
Es una historia que toca tema fuertes, por favor leer los trigger warnings, porque es algo importante en la trama y que de verdad si me calo leer de forma personal.
Es una historia fuerte, en donde te vas a frustrar, sentir ganas de llorar, pero al final sientes que todo tiene un cierre y esto es lo que tratan de buscar estos personajes, un cierre para su pasado y por fin sanar todas esas heridas que estaban ahi, picando hasta el punto de molestar....
Muchas gracias Alex por esta historia, me llevo mucho de ella para reflexionar y sanar❤️
Antes de empezar con esta reseña/opinion quiero agradecerle mucho a Alex por permitirme ser de las primeras personas en leer su libro antes de que se publique❤️ Estoy muy feliz de haber leído este libro y poder darte una opinion honesta de lo que pensé.
Ahora sí, a lo que venimos (una disculpa que la reseña sea en español, mi ingles no da pa mucho HAHAHA)
Where Our Closure Begins es la novela debut de Alex, y en ella nos cuenta la historia de Emma, una terapeuta que tiene una vida "relativamente buena" con constantes visitas al médico para ayudar a su padre y vivir con su prometida Jo, Emma está en su rutina cotidiana, pero todo va a cambiar cuando en el super se encuentra a su ex (si a esa cosa le podemos llamar ex) Theo.
Ellos dejaron de verse hace 10 años después de que Emma fue internada después de un intento de desvivirse; y a partir de aquí parece avalancha de nieve, sesiones de terapia en donde tratan de descubrir si el cambio para bien, la presión de este a la nueva vida de Emma que la lleva a un punto de colapso y de aquí sigue aumentando esta avalancha.
Primero, quiero decir que estoy sorprendida por la calidad de historia que nos trae Alex, alch te rifaste, la historia de Emma trajo a mi muchos recuerdos que no son tan agradables de lo que se vive cuando tratas de sanar heridas emocionales que te dejan las personas, creo que fue una buena protagonista, pero si en ciertas situaciones no me quedaban más pensamientos que querer sacudirla para dejarse ayudar y es que es MUY TERCA!! y le quería recetar un relájate un chingo mana.
después tenemos a Theo, la basura existente hecha persona, yo personalmente si me uno al club de haters de este individuo y es que omgggg, cada que leía lo que decía, me quería matar, no podia creer el cinismo y victimismo que este hombre irradiaba de su ser y para mi es una piedra en el zapato este hombre...
Jo es un amor de persona, la verdad es la más sensata y cuerda en esta historia haha, no mentira, pero si es una muy buena persona que de verdad quiere lo mejor para Emma y esta ahi para apoyarla y darle soporte en todo momento, la tqm
Además está la familia de Emma que está tratando de curar esos lazos rotos del pasado y esto va muy de la mano con lo que comente de ella, a veces es un poco terca y reacia a no permitirlo, pero vemos como su dinámica familiar va cambiando poco a poco y se van perdonando cosas para bien.
Es una historia que toca tema fuertes, por favor leer los trigger warnings, porque es algo importante en la trama y que de verdad si me calo leer de forma personal.
Es una historia fuerte, en donde te vas a frustrar, sentir ganas de llorar, pero al final sientes que todo tiene un cierre y esto es lo que tratan de buscar estos personajes, un cierre para su pasado y por fin sanar todas esas heridas que estaban ahi, picando hasta el punto de molestar....
Muchas gracias Alex por esta historia, me llevo mucho de ella para reflexionar y sanar❤️
December 9, 2022
Did I stay up all night to finish reading this in one sitting? Absolutely, I did.
Alex’s debut is at once poignant and eye-opening, forcing you to sit in the uncomfortable self-awareness and grow alongside Emma throughout the book. You feel as though you are unraveling, too, and even as you want to scream at her for some of her decisions, part of you is peeking out afterward wondering what the results were. There are few books you read in your life that are truly pivotal and life-changing; this is one of them.
There is a beautiful representation of every type of character, just as it is in real life, and each character was developed so thoroughly and beautifully. A truly magnificent job, Alex. It was an honor to read. My quote book is now full of your words. I can’t wait for your future work.
Alex’s debut is at once poignant and eye-opening, forcing you to sit in the uncomfortable self-awareness and grow alongside Emma throughout the book. You feel as though you are unraveling, too, and even as you want to scream at her for some of her decisions, part of you is peeking out afterward wondering what the results were. There are few books you read in your life that are truly pivotal and life-changing; this is one of them.
There is a beautiful representation of every type of character, just as it is in real life, and each character was developed so thoroughly and beautifully. A truly magnificent job, Alex. It was an honor to read. My quote book is now full of your words. I can’t wait for your future work.
February 4, 2023
Spanish/English Review.
Agradezco haber recibido una copia de este libro para leerla a cambio de una reseña honesta.
Empecemos.
Saben, tuve mis dudas cuando un autor menciona Normal People de Sally Rooney como inspiración. Alex, me quitaste la duda en la primera página.
Creo que ha sido de las mejores novelas que he leído en un tiempo. Me dejo pensando más de lo que se imaginarán en múltiples ocasiones. Es directo donde tiene que serlo y ambiguo donde tiene que serlo. Es una novela que tal como su título dice, busca cerrar ciclos y sanar.
Nuestro personaje principal, Emma, es una psicóloga. Todo su trabajo se enfoca en ciclos y ayudar a sus pacientes a sanar y seguir adelante. Después de que se topa a su ex (EL EX, todos tenemos uno) de hace AÑOS en el supermercado, resulta que tal vez no había trabajado lo suficiente en superar lo que vivió. El detalle es que Theo, dicho ex, quiere su ayuda. No debería, pero Emma acepta, queriendo usar esas sesiones a su favor. La verdad es que no imagine el camino que tomaría esta decisión, pero claro, esto se sale de control. Mientras Emma busca sanar sus heridas de hace años, su vida actual peligra, su pareja, su familia.
A pesar de que la novela es contada 100% a través de los ojos de Emma, Alex nos da un contexto gradual no solo de ella, si no de las personas a su alrededor. Personajes como Josephine, novia de Emma, los hermanos de Emma, su padre, entre otros, son involucrados en la trama sin ser olvidados; al contrario, están con Emma y su espiral fuera de control. Fueron relaciones e interacciones reales, conversaciones que llegué a sentir y recordar que he tenido palabra por palabra. Hasta la relación con sus hermanos, especialmente con Sonia, la hermana menor de Emma, resonaron en mi como hermana mayor, tanto en lo bueno como en lo malo.
¿Hasta dónde estamos dispuestos a llegar para cerrar ciclos y sanar? Emma no lo sabe, y conforme avanza, descubre que mucho de lo que creía con certeza haber sanado y superado solo fue suprimido, y volver a tratar con ello, tanto mentalmente como viendo a la encarnación de ese pasado, no sabe si podrá regresar de ello.
Tomen en cuenta las advertencias de contenido si se animan a leer esta novela.
Hay un par de escenas, especialmente aquellas que tratan con desordenes alimenticios, que me pego más de lo que esperaba. Ver cómo lo vivió Emma y en la manera que su propia madre la trato fue algo que resonó conmigo y tal vez no lloré, pero sí que sentí el nudo en la garganta. Este fue un sentimiento que tuve durante casi toda la novela. Pocas historias me han hecho sentir esto, verdaderamente la autora escribió una novela que no solo a mi me impacto, si no que creo que impactará a más lectores.
¡Pueden encontrar el vídeo completo en Youtube aquí!
Sígueme en:
@nocturnal.reads en Instagram
@_nocturnalreads en Twitter
Nocturnal Reads en Youtube
Thank you, Alex for giving me the opportunity to read your novel.
Let’s start.
You know, I had my doubts, because when an author mentions Sally Rooney’s Normal people as inspiration, I pay attention. Alex, you removed any doubt I had in me on the first page.
I believe this is one of the best books I’ve read in a long time. It left me thinking a lot more than you’d imagine on more than one occasion. It’s direct where it has to be and ambiguous where it has to be. The novel, like its title says, is about closure and healing.
Our main character, Emma, is a therapist. Her work is literally about closure and healing with her patients, helping them move on and such. After bumping into her ex (THE EX, we all have one) from her past in the supermarket, turns out she may have not worked that much on her closure. The thing is that Theo, said ex, wants her help. She shouldn’t, but Emma agrees, having the ulterior motive to exploit sessions with Theo to her favor. The truth is that I didn’t imagine the way things would go with this decision, but of course, things spiral out of control. As Emma is trying to heal her past, her current life is spiraling, her partner, her family.
Despite the novel being told 100% through Emma’s eyes, Alex gives us a gradual insight not only on her, but on the rest of the people around her. Characters such as Josephine, Emma’s partner, Emma’s siblings, her father, among others, are involved in the plot without being forgotten, on the contrary, they see Emma through her spiral. There were real relationships and interactions, conversations I felt I had had myself word for word. Even Emma’s relationship with her siblings, especially Sonia, her younger sister, left a mark on me as the eldest sibling, both in the good and bad bits.
How far are we willing to go to get closure and heal? Emma doesn’t know, and as she delves into this, she discovers that what she felt was past and gone was only stashed in the corner of her mind, and dealing with it again, both mentally as well as seeing the embodiment of her past, she’s not sure if she’ll make it back.
Consider the content warnings for this novel.
There are a couple of scenes, specifically those dealing with eating disorders, that hit a bit too close to home. Reading how Emma went through it, and how her own mother treated her was something that resonated with me, and I may have not cried, but I sure did feel that tell-tale knot in my throat. This was something I recurringly had as I read this novel. Few stories have made me feel this, the author truly has written a novel that not only left me with something, but that others will feel this as well.
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@nocturnal.reads on Instagram
@_nocturnalreads on Twitter
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Agradezco haber recibido una copia de este libro para leerla a cambio de una reseña honesta.
Empecemos.
Saben, tuve mis dudas cuando un autor menciona Normal People de Sally Rooney como inspiración. Alex, me quitaste la duda en la primera página.
Creo que ha sido de las mejores novelas que he leído en un tiempo. Me dejo pensando más de lo que se imaginarán en múltiples ocasiones. Es directo donde tiene que serlo y ambiguo donde tiene que serlo. Es una novela que tal como su título dice, busca cerrar ciclos y sanar.
Nuestro personaje principal, Emma, es una psicóloga. Todo su trabajo se enfoca en ciclos y ayudar a sus pacientes a sanar y seguir adelante. Después de que se topa a su ex (EL EX, todos tenemos uno) de hace AÑOS en el supermercado, resulta que tal vez no había trabajado lo suficiente en superar lo que vivió. El detalle es que Theo, dicho ex, quiere su ayuda. No debería, pero Emma acepta, queriendo usar esas sesiones a su favor. La verdad es que no imagine el camino que tomaría esta decisión, pero claro, esto se sale de control. Mientras Emma busca sanar sus heridas de hace años, su vida actual peligra, su pareja, su familia.
A pesar de que la novela es contada 100% a través de los ojos de Emma, Alex nos da un contexto gradual no solo de ella, si no de las personas a su alrededor. Personajes como Josephine, novia de Emma, los hermanos de Emma, su padre, entre otros, son involucrados en la trama sin ser olvidados; al contrario, están con Emma y su espiral fuera de control. Fueron relaciones e interacciones reales, conversaciones que llegué a sentir y recordar que he tenido palabra por palabra. Hasta la relación con sus hermanos, especialmente con Sonia, la hermana menor de Emma, resonaron en mi como hermana mayor, tanto en lo bueno como en lo malo.
¿Hasta dónde estamos dispuestos a llegar para cerrar ciclos y sanar? Emma no lo sabe, y conforme avanza, descubre que mucho de lo que creía con certeza haber sanado y superado solo fue suprimido, y volver a tratar con ello, tanto mentalmente como viendo a la encarnación de ese pasado, no sabe si podrá regresar de ello.
Tomen en cuenta las advertencias de contenido si se animan a leer esta novela.
Hay un par de escenas, especialmente aquellas que tratan con desordenes alimenticios, que me pego más de lo que esperaba. Ver cómo lo vivió Emma y en la manera que su propia madre la trato fue algo que resonó conmigo y tal vez no lloré, pero sí que sentí el nudo en la garganta. Este fue un sentimiento que tuve durante casi toda la novela. Pocas historias me han hecho sentir esto, verdaderamente la autora escribió una novela que no solo a mi me impacto, si no que creo que impactará a más lectores.
¡Pueden encontrar el vídeo completo en Youtube aquí!
Sígueme en:
@nocturnal.reads en Instagram
@_nocturnalreads en Twitter
Nocturnal Reads en Youtube
Thank you, Alex for giving me the opportunity to read your novel.
Let’s start.
You know, I had my doubts, because when an author mentions Sally Rooney’s Normal people as inspiration, I pay attention. Alex, you removed any doubt I had in me on the first page.
I believe this is one of the best books I’ve read in a long time. It left me thinking a lot more than you’d imagine on more than one occasion. It’s direct where it has to be and ambiguous where it has to be. The novel, like its title says, is about closure and healing.
Our main character, Emma, is a therapist. Her work is literally about closure and healing with her patients, helping them move on and such. After bumping into her ex (THE EX, we all have one) from her past in the supermarket, turns out she may have not worked that much on her closure. The thing is that Theo, said ex, wants her help. She shouldn’t, but Emma agrees, having the ulterior motive to exploit sessions with Theo to her favor. The truth is that I didn’t imagine the way things would go with this decision, but of course, things spiral out of control. As Emma is trying to heal her past, her current life is spiraling, her partner, her family.
Despite the novel being told 100% through Emma’s eyes, Alex gives us a gradual insight not only on her, but on the rest of the people around her. Characters such as Josephine, Emma’s partner, Emma’s siblings, her father, among others, are involved in the plot without being forgotten, on the contrary, they see Emma through her spiral. There were real relationships and interactions, conversations I felt I had had myself word for word. Even Emma’s relationship with her siblings, especially Sonia, her younger sister, left a mark on me as the eldest sibling, both in the good and bad bits.
How far are we willing to go to get closure and heal? Emma doesn’t know, and as she delves into this, she discovers that what she felt was past and gone was only stashed in the corner of her mind, and dealing with it again, both mentally as well as seeing the embodiment of her past, she’s not sure if she’ll make it back.
Consider the content warnings for this novel.
There are a couple of scenes, specifically those dealing with eating disorders, that hit a bit too close to home. Reading how Emma went through it, and how her own mother treated her was something that resonated with me, and I may have not cried, but I sure did feel that tell-tale knot in my throat. This was something I recurringly had as I read this novel. Few stories have made me feel this, the author truly has written a novel that not only left me with something, but that others will feel this as well.
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September 20, 2023
Where our closure begins es una novela que trata diversos temas entre ellos: Salud mental, corazones rotos, traumas, fantasmas del pasado, cierres, lazos familiares y duelos.
Personalmente, me gusto mucho como aborda la experiencia de Emma con su relación del pasado y muestra como puede afectar tu salud mental tanto cuando lo estaba viviendo como cuando comienza a revivir aquellos recuerdos enterrados.
También me gusta como aborda la relación con sus hermanos y con su padre, muestra como aún cuando hay amor en las familias a veces pueden llegar a haber malos entendidos por años y que cada uno carga con su propio peso y lidia con las cosas a su manera.
Disfrute mucho de la novela, la historia se desarrolla de manera natural, los personajes tienen diferentes matices y me parecen bastante humanos.
Also, las referencias a Taylor Swift >>>, se agradecen 🫶.
Una frase que me gusto mucho:
“You can move on without forgettin or forgivin, it’s fine”
Personalmente, me gusto mucho como aborda la experiencia de Emma con su relación del pasado y muestra como puede afectar tu salud mental tanto cuando lo estaba viviendo como cuando comienza a revivir aquellos recuerdos enterrados.
También me gusta como aborda la relación con sus hermanos y con su padre, muestra como aún cuando hay amor en las familias a veces pueden llegar a haber malos entendidos por años y que cada uno carga con su propio peso y lidia con las cosas a su manera.
Disfrute mucho de la novela, la historia se desarrolla de manera natural, los personajes tienen diferentes matices y me parecen bastante humanos.
Also, las referencias a Taylor Swift >>>, se agradecen 🫶.
Una frase que me gusto mucho:
“You can move on without forgettin or forgivin, it’s fine”
December 12, 2022
Primero que nada quiero agradecer por qué Alex me envió un ARC y pude leer la historia como beta.
Es uno de los libros que más emocional me han puesto en este año, me enoje y me puse triste y es que los personajes se sienten tan reales. Además sientes que los conoces de hace mucho tiempo por lo que quieres abrazarlos o gritarles con cada decisión que toman.
Transtornos alimenticios, adicciones, relaciones tóxicas y problemas familiares son solo algunos de los temas que se tratan de una forma tan vulnerable, realista que cada personaje toca una fibra sensible.
Hay una cosa que este libro no para de darte y es desarrollo de personaje 👌👌😯
Es uno de los libros que más emocional me han puesto en este año, me enoje y me puse triste y es que los personajes se sienten tan reales. Además sientes que los conoces de hace mucho tiempo por lo que quieres abrazarlos o gritarles con cada decisión que toman.
Transtornos alimenticios, adicciones, relaciones tóxicas y problemas familiares son solo algunos de los temas que se tratan de una forma tan vulnerable, realista que cada personaje toca una fibra sensible.
Hay una cosa que este libro no para de darte y es desarrollo de personaje 👌👌😯
January 10, 2023
Quisiera comenzar agradeciendo a la autora por seleccionarme como parte de su equipo ARC y así poder leer el libro a cambio de una reseña honesta…y vengo aquí a explayarme.
Creo que nunca me había sentido tan reflejada con los pensamientos y sentimientos de un personaje como con los de Emma Lamb y soy consiente de que mi puntuación se ve totalmente reflejada en ese detalle, pero creo que todas las que tuvimos (tenemos) un Theodore Eullie en nuestras vidas estamos de acuerdo que esas 5 estrellas están más que merecidas(si me dejaran le pondría 10 estrellas).
Alex Nájera logró transmitirme a la perfección toda la frustración, rabia, dolor, angustia y resentimiento que sintió y siente todavía Emma en su vida por un cojudo que vuelve sin entender la gravedad de ninguna de sus acciones y que se cree con el derecho de todavía ser parte de esta. Emma siendo una psicóloga y Theo su ex que, ahora, vuelve pidiendo ayuda con sesiones de terapias o si no…bueno, tendrán que leer para saber qué pasa con ese o si no.
La diferencia entre Emma y yo es que definitivamente ella es mejor persona porque yo le hubiera cerrado la puerta en la cara y habría disfrutado de verlo suplicar. Naturalmente nuestra protagonista no hace esto y todo se desemboca en mi pasando página a página gritando “¡No, no, no, noooo! ¿¡Pero qué haces!?” cada que podía.
Suena super dramático, pero era…asfixiante leerte en acciones de Emma porque uno ha estado en su lugar ¿Entienden? Uno ha estado cayendo en la misma piedra por la misma sonrisa, las mismas mentiras, las mismas palabras fríamente calculadas para hacerte sentir algo que te haga volver y anhelar, aunque lo que se anhele ya sea un cierre con una única respuesta. Y muchas veces me quedé mirando la nada, pensando “¿Y si voy y enfrento a mi Theodore Eullie? ¿Y si yo necesito soltarle todas estas palabras?” tuve que cerrar mis ojos, respirar y gritar en mi almohada para no cometer una estupidez nivel Emma, así de profundo me llegó este libro.
Claro no todo fue tener una mano en apretando mi garganta y corazón. Tenemos personajes preciosos que acompañan a Emma y definitivamente Josephine y Benjamín se volvieron de mis favoritos. Ben siendo el hermano que siempre quise pero nunca tuve y Jo la novia de Emma que es su voz de la razón, esa que está que es su hogar, su zona segura, la forma en que la Emma la describía te daban ganas de estirar la mano junto a ella para acariciar su mejilla juntas porque te hace sentir que no hay mejor lugar en el mundo que los brazos de Josephine Nour.
Creo que tengo que recalcar que los “Content Warning” están por algo, más si han pasado por esos pensamientos. Y que si recientemente has perdido a alguien muy cercano a ti (amigo, familiar, mascota, etc) también podrías terminar hecha bolita en la silla de tu trabajo sin poder contener el llanto mientras tu compañera tiene que abrazarte para que dejes de sacudirte por como lloras. LO SÉ, me pasó.
Creo que esto es todo lo que puedo soltar de “Where Our Closure Begins” sin spoilear pero sin duda alguna Alex Nájera no sólo logro que me trague un libro en inglés como si nada (que no es el idioma en el que estoy acostumbrada a leer) también me entregó el primer personaje con el que 100% me puedo sentir identificada con todos sus altos y bajos y además creó una historia que creo que muchos podrán, si tal vez no identificarse (porque Dios espero que sean menos las personas que tengan su propio Theo que las que más) si disfrutar enormemente porque es real. Este libro se sintió 100% real, con metidas de patas humanas, sentimientos y pensamientos morbosamente mortales y frágiles, agridulce como la vida misma.
Creo que nunca me había sentido tan reflejada con los pensamientos y sentimientos de un personaje como con los de Emma Lamb y soy consiente de que mi puntuación se ve totalmente reflejada en ese detalle, pero creo que todas las que tuvimos (tenemos) un Theodore Eullie en nuestras vidas estamos de acuerdo que esas 5 estrellas están más que merecidas
Alex Nájera logró transmitirme a la perfección toda la frustración, rabia, dolor, angustia y resentimiento que sintió y siente todavía Emma en su vida por un cojudo que vuelve sin entender la gravedad de ninguna de sus acciones y que se cree con el derecho de todavía ser parte de esta. Emma siendo una psicóloga y Theo su ex que, ahora, vuelve pidiendo ayuda con sesiones de terapias o si no…bueno, tendrán que leer para saber qué pasa con ese o si no.
La diferencia entre Emma y yo es que definitivamente ella es mejor persona porque yo le hubiera cerrado la puerta en la cara y habría disfrutado de verlo suplicar. Naturalmente nuestra protagonista no hace esto y todo se desemboca en mi pasando página a página gritando “¡No, no, no, noooo! ¿¡Pero qué haces!?” cada que podía.
Suena super dramático, pero era…asfixiante leerte en acciones de Emma porque uno ha estado en su lugar ¿Entienden? Uno ha estado cayendo en la misma piedra por la misma sonrisa, las mismas mentiras, las mismas palabras fríamente calculadas para hacerte sentir algo que te haga volver y anhelar, aunque lo que se anhele ya sea un cierre con una única respuesta. Y muchas veces me quedé mirando la nada, pensando “¿Y si voy y enfrento a mi Theodore Eullie? ¿Y si yo necesito soltarle todas estas palabras?” tuve que cerrar mis ojos, respirar y gritar en mi almohada para no cometer una estupidez nivel Emma, así de profundo me llegó este libro.
Claro no todo fue tener una mano en apretando mi garganta y corazón. Tenemos personajes preciosos que acompañan a Emma y definitivamente Josephine y Benjamín se volvieron de mis favoritos. Ben siendo el hermano que siempre quise pero nunca tuve y Jo la novia de Emma que es su voz de la razón, esa que está que es su hogar, su zona segura, la forma en que la Emma la describía te daban ganas de estirar la mano junto a ella para acariciar su mejilla juntas porque te hace sentir que no hay mejor lugar en el mundo que los brazos de Josephine Nour.
Creo que tengo que recalcar que los “Content Warning” están por algo, más si han pasado por esos pensamientos. Y que si recientemente has perdido a alguien muy cercano a ti (amigo, familiar, mascota, etc) también podrías terminar hecha bolita en la silla de tu trabajo sin poder contener el llanto mientras tu compañera tiene que abrazarte para que dejes de sacudirte por como lloras. LO SÉ, me pasó.
Creo que esto es todo lo que puedo soltar de “Where Our Closure Begins” sin spoilear pero sin duda alguna Alex Nájera no sólo logro que me trague un libro en inglés como si nada (que no es el idioma en el que estoy acostumbrada a leer) también me entregó el primer personaje con el que 100% me puedo sentir identificada con todos sus altos y bajos y además creó una historia que creo que muchos podrán, si tal vez no identificarse (porque Dios espero que sean menos las personas que tengan su propio Theo que las que más) si disfrutar enormemente porque es real. Este libro se sintió 100% real, con metidas de patas humanas, sentimientos y pensamientos morbosamente mortales y frágiles, agridulce como la vida misma.
December 3, 2022
I edited this so I might be a bit biased but oh my god, this book is so full of heart in a very Sally Rooney-esque way. It really highlights the complexity of trauma and healing as well as the tension of romantic and familial relationships. If you’re looking for a raw, emotional story full of both sadness and joy, conflict and resolution, this book is for you. I was honoured to have worked on it and I can’t wait to see others fall in love with it, too.
June 17, 2023
bueno la concha de la lora 😂😭
i received this book as an early copy from the author in exchange for an honest review!
in case you don't know, the author in question is one of my online writing friends. and you know what?? I SHOW UP IN THE ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS AND WITH THE ALFAS WE ARE THE FIRST ONES TO COME UP AAAAAAAAAAAAA AND IT MAKES ME BEYOND HAPPY KNOWING THAT IN SOME WAY I HELPED MY FRIEND TO BECOME A PUBLISHED AUTHOR 😍😍😍🎉🎊🎉🎊
now, back to the seriousness. i knew what the book was about, i knew the synopsis by heart. and yet i didn't expect to hit me full in my gut and leave me so heartbroken. i see so many things of Alex in this book and i see myself so much in Emma that i felt like my friend was actually reading the story outloud for me, to realise some things i've been doing wrong and things i don't want about my life. i actually had the nerve to start it right in the middle of my first ever break up so it definitely was worse and the feelings were bigger. but i loved everything about it: the broken family bonds than can mend after a while, the loving and caring relationship Emma had with her fiancee, how love and support can come from the most unexpected places, how we don't need closure sometimes and to realise what we have before we lose everything. it was too much yet i feel it wasn't enough, i wanted to hug Emma so bad during the entire book and punch Theo you-know-where because there is nothing else i hate more than a guy who was no idea of the damage he's done to someone important to him 😑
sufficient to say, i loved it with my entire being. maybe it will help me to read more adult fiction, who knows, but for now i will continue to shout about this book to the rooftops because it deserves all the love in the world 💕💕
i received this book as an early copy from the author in exchange for an honest review!
in case you don't know, the author in question is one of my online writing friends. and you know what?? I SHOW UP IN THE ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS AND WITH THE ALFAS WE ARE THE FIRST ONES TO COME UP AAAAAAAAAAAAA AND IT MAKES ME BEYOND HAPPY KNOWING THAT IN SOME WAY I HELPED MY FRIEND TO BECOME A PUBLISHED AUTHOR 😍😍😍🎉🎊🎉🎊
now, back to the seriousness. i knew what the book was about, i knew the synopsis by heart. and yet i didn't expect to hit me full in my gut and leave me so heartbroken. i see so many things of Alex in this book and i see myself so much in Emma that i felt like my friend was actually reading the story outloud for me, to realise some things i've been doing wrong and things i don't want about my life. i actually had the nerve to start it right in the middle of my first ever break up so it definitely was worse and the feelings were bigger. but i loved everything about it: the broken family bonds than can mend after a while, the loving and caring relationship Emma had with her fiancee, how love and support can come from the most unexpected places, how we don't need closure sometimes and to realise what we have before we lose everything. it was too much yet i feel it wasn't enough, i wanted to hug Emma so bad during the entire book and punch Theo you-know-where because there is nothing else i hate more than a guy who was no idea of the damage he's done to someone important to him 😑
sufficient to say, i loved it with my entire being. maybe it will help me to read more adult fiction, who knows, but for now i will continue to shout about this book to the rooftops because it deserves all the love in the world 💕💕
February 28, 2023
I don't know why we don't see more family dramas. It's the one thing that every reader can relate to - the struggles to make families work. Whether that means fighting for a marriage or repairing relationships with parents or siblings, we all have context for understanding that conflict. It's a story that can be filtered through almost any genre, from science fiction to romance, but it can stand on its own as well.
That's my favorite aspect of Alex Nájera's debut novel, Where Our Closure Begins. There are so many relationships in the main character's life that need shoring up, and yet she chooses to sabotage them all, like many of us do, by reaching past them for some sense of closure in the one relationship that ultimately brought her mostly humiliation and pain.
The novel focuses on Dr. Emma Lamb, a young professional therapist with a growing practice, who is succeeding at life, growing relationships with her wife, her father, and even her estranged siblings - baby steps, y'all. She's an insightful and effective therapist, perhaps because of her own struggles in the past, with eating disorders and other self-destructive behaviors. At first, she seems completely healed, but then the sudden return of a past lover, the source of much of her pain and shame, throws her world into increasing disorder. In pursuing the titular closure with Theodore, blurring the lines between seeking answers and rekindling lust and emotions, she risks her practice, her marriage, and her relationships with nearly every friend and family member. As she continues to break her own rules and go against her better judgment in pursuit of the past, she dismantles her future one relationship at a time.
For those of us who have been hurt in the past, it's a concept that resonates - the idea of desiring closure or explanation or, God forbid, apologies, so desperately that everything good in our lives becomes secondary. When life is good, we looks at others in that downward spiral and wonder how they could be so stupid, but if we're being honest, there's something paralyzing about hurt and emotional trauma that leaves us stuck in time until we really work through that pain and release it. Some readers might look at Emma and question how she could risk throwing her life away, starting with making unethical career decisions concerning Theodore that could cost her her license and practice for good. But there is a kind of gravity that pulls us in the direction of unresolved hurt that, apparently, even therapists aren't immune to. Nathaniel Hawthorne touched on this concept in The Scarlet Letter when he wrote about the protagonist, Hester Prynne:
“... it may seem marvellous, that this woman should still call that place her home, where, and where only, she must needs be the type of shame. But there is a fatality, a feeling so irresistible and inevitable that it has the force of doom, which almost invariably compels human beings to linger around and haunt, ghost-like, the spot where some great and marked event has given the color to their lifetime; and still the more irresistibly, the darker the tinge that saddens it. Her sin, her ignominy, were the roots which she had struck into the soil.”
Every time I teach The Scarlet Letter, I have at least a few students who ask why Hester doesn't just leave? Why not put Boston behind her and start a new life somewhere else? But there really is something about unresolved trauma that roots us to a place or a person, or both, so that we end up pursuing even more hurt in the name of healing. I see this same dynamic in Emma Lamb. Her Boston is Theodore Eullie, and she can't leave it behind, can't let it go, because she believes that there are answers out there that will somehow make her whole. She desperately clings to Theodore as a potential source of healing, but only sustains more injuries from his callous, deceptive, and manipulative behavior, while her true medicine, her family slips away from her.
In addition, the novel alludes to a day that Emma almost died, somehow connected to and caused by Theodore, which is both the source of much of her pain and the beginning of her climb out of the self-destructive pit. If I had one critique of the novel, it would be that I wanted more foreshadowing of this event. The novel is obviously working toward that revelation, but I wanted some flashes or teases of it on the way. Still, when the reveal comes, it is devastating in its rawness. It satisfies in the sense that it explains much of Emma's trauma and her fixation on Theodore, but it also gives us a sense of how far she has come, the effort she has put into recovery, and the risks she has taken with all of the good things in her life.
Overall, I really enjoyed Where Our Closure Begins, especially for all of its family drama. It is an honest depiction of how we sometimes neglect or even shove aside the ones who love us most in pursuit of some apology or vengeance that is never going to make our life as sweet as the people we lose in the process.
That's my favorite aspect of Alex Nájera's debut novel, Where Our Closure Begins. There are so many relationships in the main character's life that need shoring up, and yet she chooses to sabotage them all, like many of us do, by reaching past them for some sense of closure in the one relationship that ultimately brought her mostly humiliation and pain.
The novel focuses on Dr. Emma Lamb, a young professional therapist with a growing practice, who is succeeding at life, growing relationships with her wife, her father, and even her estranged siblings - baby steps, y'all. She's an insightful and effective therapist, perhaps because of her own struggles in the past, with eating disorders and other self-destructive behaviors. At first, she seems completely healed, but then the sudden return of a past lover, the source of much of her pain and shame, throws her world into increasing disorder. In pursuing the titular closure with Theodore, blurring the lines between seeking answers and rekindling lust and emotions, she risks her practice, her marriage, and her relationships with nearly every friend and family member. As she continues to break her own rules and go against her better judgment in pursuit of the past, she dismantles her future one relationship at a time.
For those of us who have been hurt in the past, it's a concept that resonates - the idea of desiring closure or explanation or, God forbid, apologies, so desperately that everything good in our lives becomes secondary. When life is good, we looks at others in that downward spiral and wonder how they could be so stupid, but if we're being honest, there's something paralyzing about hurt and emotional trauma that leaves us stuck in time until we really work through that pain and release it. Some readers might look at Emma and question how she could risk throwing her life away, starting with making unethical career decisions concerning Theodore that could cost her her license and practice for good. But there is a kind of gravity that pulls us in the direction of unresolved hurt that, apparently, even therapists aren't immune to. Nathaniel Hawthorne touched on this concept in The Scarlet Letter when he wrote about the protagonist, Hester Prynne:
“... it may seem marvellous, that this woman should still call that place her home, where, and where only, she must needs be the type of shame. But there is a fatality, a feeling so irresistible and inevitable that it has the force of doom, which almost invariably compels human beings to linger around and haunt, ghost-like, the spot where some great and marked event has given the color to their lifetime; and still the more irresistibly, the darker the tinge that saddens it. Her sin, her ignominy, were the roots which she had struck into the soil.”
Every time I teach The Scarlet Letter, I have at least a few students who ask why Hester doesn't just leave? Why not put Boston behind her and start a new life somewhere else? But there really is something about unresolved trauma that roots us to a place or a person, or both, so that we end up pursuing even more hurt in the name of healing. I see this same dynamic in Emma Lamb. Her Boston is Theodore Eullie, and she can't leave it behind, can't let it go, because she believes that there are answers out there that will somehow make her whole. She desperately clings to Theodore as a potential source of healing, but only sustains more injuries from his callous, deceptive, and manipulative behavior, while her true medicine, her family slips away from her.
In addition, the novel alludes to a day that Emma almost died, somehow connected to and caused by Theodore, which is both the source of much of her pain and the beginning of her climb out of the self-destructive pit. If I had one critique of the novel, it would be that I wanted more foreshadowing of this event. The novel is obviously working toward that revelation, but I wanted some flashes or teases of it on the way. Still, when the reveal comes, it is devastating in its rawness. It satisfies in the sense that it explains much of Emma's trauma and her fixation on Theodore, but it also gives us a sense of how far she has come, the effort she has put into recovery, and the risks she has taken with all of the good things in her life.
Overall, I really enjoyed Where Our Closure Begins, especially for all of its family drama. It is an honest depiction of how we sometimes neglect or even shove aside the ones who love us most in pursuit of some apology or vengeance that is never going to make our life as sweet as the people we lose in the process.
March 13, 2023
This is a book about a young woman, Emma, who has had her share of trauma and especially with this relationship with Theo. Even though she has moved on and is happy and in love with her fiance Josephine, when Theo appears in her life again, there is the part of her that still looks for closure. And Emma makes mistakes, and Theo crosses boundaries and is coming across as a stalker and Emma as a therapist goes along with trying to help him when he seeks therapy. She also breaks rules as a therapist. There is still that resentment and bitterness she has towards him and what happened all those years ago, and when you go through a traumatic event it changes you somehow. It doesn't really seem to leave you, you find a way to learn to live with it until stops consuming you. But when there are things left unresolved, they will catch up to you in some way. But with all of that search for closure and the trauma she is trying to heal from, Emma doesn't always realize the family that she has in front of her.
And there is also the storyline with her siblings who she has a rocky relationship with and her father who is ill and dying. It reminded me of the loss of a parent I have experienced, also having had an ill parent who was terminal.
And grief, Emma mentions grief and the pain of the loss of Theo and I know so well how heartbreak feels like. I have been there; all that grief, depression, despair, hopelesness. This pain that feels like it reaches your soul and cracks your heart in a million of pieces. I wouldn't wish that on anyone. It takes a long time to heal from that and move on. Even if you don't get closure, you just have to move and one day you may not even want that closure anymore. It may not matter anymore.
And there is also the storyline with her siblings who she has a rocky relationship with and her father who is ill and dying. It reminded me of the loss of a parent I have experienced, also having had an ill parent who was terminal.
And grief, Emma mentions grief and the pain of the loss of Theo and I know so well how heartbreak feels like. I have been there; all that grief, depression, despair, hopelesness. This pain that feels like it reaches your soul and cracks your heart in a million of pieces. I wouldn't wish that on anyone. It takes a long time to heal from that and move on. Even if you don't get closure, you just have to move and one day you may not even want that closure anymore. It may not matter anymore.
August 19, 2023
Se trata de la historia de Emma Lamb, una psicóloga que vive felizmente con su prometida hasta que un sujeto de su pasado vuelve y hace que toda su estabilidad se tambalee.
Al principio pensé que sería una historia de amor en el presente y de terror en el pasado pero las situaciones se fueron complicando cada vez más hasta llegar a un punto dramático que no me esperaba para nada.
Me gustó la manera en la que se van hilando los acontecimientos del pasado con los del presente, las explicaciones y las causas de las acciones que llevaron a Emma a encontrarse en el momento actual.
Acá mi comentario completo.
Al principio pensé que sería una historia de amor en el presente y de terror en el pasado pero las situaciones se fueron complicando cada vez más hasta llegar a un punto dramático que no me esperaba para nada.
Me gustó la manera en la que se van hilando los acontecimientos del pasado con los del presente, las explicaciones y las causas de las acciones que llevaron a Emma a encontrarse en el momento actual.
Acá mi comentario completo.
December 29, 2022
"But how fleeting relief is when you live in a house soaked in memories, where every inch and corner bleeds her scent."
"I love her from a distance//This right here feels like healing. At least for tonight."
Wow wow wow. This book is a rich, poignant deeply moving experience. The prose!! The way every character holds a broken shard but is still a whole entire person worthy of love.
Najera moved mountains in this debut, deftly showing the ways in which people, despite their struggles, are worthy of love. She also gives us a beautiful, painful, redemptive story of healing and grief.
I will be eagerly awaiting more books. MORE MORE MORE!!
"I love her from a distance//This right here feels like healing. At least for tonight."
Wow wow wow. This book is a rich, poignant deeply moving experience. The prose!! The way every character holds a broken shard but is still a whole entire person worthy of love.
Najera moved mountains in this debut, deftly showing the ways in which people, despite their struggles, are worthy of love. She also gives us a beautiful, painful, redemptive story of healing and grief.
I will be eagerly awaiting more books. MORE MORE MORE!!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 14, 2023
Damn. The scenes in this book inspired from personal experience are clear. These scenes are raw, heartbreaking, and so very real. I am confident in saying that this book offers a fresh take on grief and closure. Instead of following the unfortunate trend of glorifying unhealthy and blind recklessness as a way to fabricate enjoyable drama, this book successfully glorifies family, emotional health, and treating loved ones with the kindness and understanding we all desperately yearn for. My one criticism is that there are too many instance of back and forth that end up in the main characters walking away upset. I get the purpose and why some of these instances needed to be included, but they felt excessive and repetitive at times. Other than that, great book, great writing, and I hope more stories like this come along.
January 28, 2023
if you go through my reviews you can see i call a lot of books great and i give many of them 5 stars. so how can i convince you its truly one of the greatest books ive read? i was reading it, PRAYING for the ending that happened. i love character-conversation driven books, i devoured it, at the same time too scared to turn the page because i didnt wanted it to finish. i will not be okay, do not contact me for 10-14 business days. you just have to read it for yourself i guess! and please do. holy shit. amazing. alex just landed on my auto-buy list
January 2, 2023
3.5 ⭐️ First of all thank you Alex for kindly sending me an ARC of your book. I was not sure what to expect from the story going into it, and despite a bit of a slow start (I wasn’t sure if I was going to get into the story) the characters really drew me in. And then tore my heart to little bits. I sat on my couch and cried along with them. Great debut novel and I look forward to other books from Alex.
***slight spoiler*** I really hate Theo.
***slight spoiler*** I really hate Theo.
January 3, 2023
I got an ARC of this and for that i more than thankful. I don’t know how to explain this or express myself. I felt very attacked lol by some of our protagonist was doing and I’m still processing this until now.
I think i need to read this one more time (which I’m doing again) because i couldn’t stop reading and I think I devour this book way to fast to process everything.
I just have to say that if you have the chance to read this please do.
I think i need to read this one more time (which I’m doing again) because i couldn’t stop reading and I think I devour this book way to fast to process everything.
I just have to say that if you have the chance to read this please do.
August 31, 2023
Una historia para mi muy personal, una forma de escritura muy fácil de digerir y directa, la trama te atrapa y te consume, la representación de los personajes esta muy representada hasta el punto que te identificas con muchas cosas que ellos hacen.
En resumen me encantó, lo recomendaría para alguien que este teniendo un bloqueo lector ya que te sacará de él en un abrir y cerrar de ojos.
En resumen me encantó, lo recomendaría para alguien que este teniendo un bloqueo lector ya que te sacará de él en un abrir y cerrar de ojos.
January 11, 2024
gostei muito da escrita, mas a personagem principal é uma chata (ela acha que só os sentimentos dela são válidos, só as opiniões dela importam, etc)
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