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lottie1803's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
suzyh5317's review
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
sippycup's review against another edition
“his suit was light grey like a Macbook Pro” ???????? 😵💫
chelbiird's review against another edition
3.0
okay so i didn’t love this… i kinda oscar and just generally didn’t think he and mina were good together? a lot of times the characters’ motivation felt really unclear
awhittz's review
4.25
The story of Mina and Oscar, and the ups, downs, pains and frustrations of having - or being close to someone with - severe depression, will stay with me for a long time.
sakeriver's review against another edition
5.0
It can be hard to write a story about depression and suicide that doesn’t become didactic or heavy-handed but this book handled its portrayal very sensitively, I thought. There’s not a resolution, exactly, and I think that the story and its ending can be read in more than one way, but I think this makes it all the more authentic. Nor is the book a downer—there’s a lot of tenderness and intimacy in its exploration of different kinds of human connection. What really sticks with me is how great a job this book did in depicting both the experience of depression and the experience of infatuation.
fengyuseah's review against another edition
3.0
probably more of a 3.5 stars
hit way too close to home but also i think it's a pretty honest portrayal of mental illness so. also the writing is quite beautiful in parts.
hit way too close to home but also i think it's a pretty honest portrayal of mental illness so. also the writing is quite beautiful in parts.
samarareads's review against another edition
5.0
"If you are fighting with your own sadness or love someone who is, this note is for you." - Author's Note, Rowan Hisayo Buchanan
Rowan manages to present struggles with depression in a way only those who have lived it can. Through the eyes of the protagonist, Mina, and her husband, Oscar, Starling Days explores mental illness, sexuality, racial identity, and relationships in a very familiar and relatable way.
Still, her references to women in classical mythology adds an ethereal quality to the story, though I would have liked to have seen Rowan take a greater risk and blur the lines between the women of her myths and her reality.
Rowan manages to present struggles with depression in a way only those who have lived it can. Through the eyes of the protagonist, Mina, and her husband, Oscar, Starling Days explores mental illness, sexuality, racial identity, and relationships in a very familiar and relatable way.
Still, her references to women in classical mythology adds an ethereal quality to the story, though I would have liked to have seen Rowan take a greater risk and blur the lines between the women of her myths and her reality.
anneklein's review
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5