Trigger Warnings
Mental health discussions. Fire/arson. Drug use. Slurs. Sexual content. Death.
Synopsis
Jack and Jill Reed run Northern Lights, a mental health facility. The book follows staff and patients. A lot happens. There's a huge amount of representation, from characters that are people of colour to LGBTQ+ characters. Naturally since it is set in a mental health facility, there is representation of mental health issues.
Characters
This is probably where the book has its strength. All of the main characters are so fully fleshed out and very well crafted. I'll admit that the German twins Hilda and Ute missed the mark a little, but the author even says that their accent was meant to be for comic relief, so I'm kind of OK with glossing over that a bit.
I will say that I read this when I was a bit tired. I wouldn't recommend that. I got lost a couple of times after the big reveal as to who people were.
Plots
This is the downfall. A lot happens, and most of it is related to the characters and their relationships. The two big twists near the end I did not see coming at all. Not every plot is neatly wrapped up, but honestly I quite liked that. Not everything needed to be neatly wrapped up.
Perhaps if I had been less tired when reading the big reveal might have been less of a surprise. I did enjoy it though, despite not seeing it in advance.
Time it took to read
Two hours
Would recommend to
Anyone who has some interest in mental health issues, particularly DID (dis-associative identity disorder). If you're interested in seeing more representation in general, I think this might be a good choice.
Enjoyed with
Maoams and Lift Instant Peach Tea
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