Review:
*I received a free ecopy of this book via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.*
*Note: I believe this book has been updated. My review is for the version I read in 2016.*
This was a very character-focused book, all about Grey and Saint and their inner struggles and relationship with each other. It was slow-paced, but that’s not a complaint at all because it never dragged, and the pace worked well with the character-focused aspect and feel of the book.
I also liked that this book included the topic of mental health and seemed to handle it well. Grey was struggling with depression and suicidal thoughts (plus one actual attempt at the very beginning), and the book really delved into his mind in order to explain what depression feels like, or at least what it felt like to him. And Saint, while not quite depressed, had his own struggles too, trying to cope with not knowing who he was, with not being human, with grief for all the men he loved, and with the insecurity of feeling like no one could love the monster that he saw himself as.
*SPOILER ALERT (I’m going to discuss the mood/feel of the book and whether it has a happy ending or not)* That being said, this book wasn’t the dark, heart-wrenching thing I was expecting from all the other reviews I’d read. It was more hopeful and sweet with a supportive romance (that does not cure Grey’s depression but does help him see light in the darkness). So while it could be triggering for anyone with depression or suicidal thoughts, the overall story was not a depressing one in the end. *END SPOILER ALERT*
Last but not least, I want to mention that I loved the beautiful, lyrical style of writing. It was still plenty easy to understand, but the descriptions of the characters, the emotions, the passion, the intimacy, etc. were wonderful.
So overall, this was a very character-focused paranormal book that really delved into the topic of mental illness, and the beautiful writing made it a pleasure to read!
Recommended For:
Anyone who likes slow-paced, character-focused books, the topic of depression/suicide, and M/M romance with a light paranormal aspect.
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I quite enjoy slow-burn romance when done well. And fae? Yes! I like darker stories and character-driven books can be so good sometimes. I’ll have to add this to my TBR! Thanks for the review 🙂
If you like fae and character-driven books and are interested in reading one about depression, then yeah, you might like this one 🙂
I haven’t read a lot of stories that deal with depression, and mixing that up with a fae story is kinda cool. Especially a fae who doesn’t want to be quite so destructive lol. I usually like the fae to be pretty nasty but in this case the fact that he’s lamenting what he has to do to survive sounds like a different take. And it seems to look at depression with a bit of hope while not sugar coating it. Which is nice.
I’ve read a couple this year that dealt with depression, but in one of them he was just instantly cured and a whole new person at the end, which is… no. So yeah, it was nice that this one didn’t happen like that. You do have a thing for the nasty fae lol, but the tortured hero who sees himself as a monster and hates it is actually pretty typical of paranormal romance love interests. Though in Saint’s case, he wasn’t killing strangers, he was literally killing the people he fell in love with, so that aspect was different. I think anyone would lament that, haha.
I think a slow pace can work really well with a character focused book as there’s enough going on with the characters that it’s not a bad thing the story doesn’t move as quickly. But with the focus on depression and suicidal thoughts I don ‘t think this would be a book i enjoy. I am glad you enjoyed this one and the character focused part with some paranormal thrown in does sound like a nice combination.
Slow-paced does work well with character-focused books, which is why I like a slow pace when it’s done well. Yeah, I know you don’t like reading about things like depression, but thanks 🙂 It wasn’t quite what I expected, but I enjoyed it.
Lovely review! I do like the sound of this one. I’m a big fan of m/m fiction and I like that this one is paranormal. I like that the focus on mental illness is done well too.
I’ll be sharing a link to your review on Tuesday!
Thank you! I’m also a m/m fiction fan, and I love paranormal, but to find books with those two things plus any sort of illness is a rare combination! And thanks in advance for linking to my review, I’ll have to go check out the post 🙂
Awesome review! I hadn’t heard of this before so I added it to my TBR. Thanks for spreading the word. I’ll have to wait for the right time to read it though. I’m still working out the right meds for my depression and anxiety so I don’t want to overwhelm or trigger myself.
Thanks, I’m glad I could help you find a book you’re interested in! But definitely take care of yourself first since it could be triggering, no need to rush into the book. Good luck finding the right meds that work for you, and I’d love to know your thoughts if you do eventually read this!
Hmm this sounds interesting. I love character driven books and I don’t mind a slow paced book if it’s done right. I may have to add this one to my to read list! Wonderful review. 😀
Slow-paced books have a bad rap, but they’re great when the pace is used well to delve into the characters. Thanks!
I’m adding this on to my tbr. I enjoy slow romances and character driven books. I ‘ve read books with depression before and i want to see how it is handled in Shatterproof. Thanks for the review
Glad I could help you find a book! I’ll be curious to know what you think about how the depression is handled and the book in general if you do read it.