the narrative definitely gives off the vibe that its trying too hard, not to mention how inconsistent it is in a few different ways.

Regan struggles to define herself for herself and even many of the bad-faith representations of her she rages against are mostly invented in her mind (Blake has a brilliant moment of narrative crafting when we discover the argument between Regan and her mother is all staged in her head though proceed to assume her fictionalized words are the truth of how she feels about Aldo and Regan). I’m not one usually for a romance novel, but this feels rather different than what one would expect. for me, it had me fascinated from the third page, then almost shoved me out into another breakdown and had me so so stressed the whole time just to pull me back at the last minute, and at the end i’m still confused. i will cherish this book with every fiber of my being for the rest of my life and i want it engraved upon my heart. There would be times, particularly at first, when Regan would attempt to identify the moment things had set themselves on a path to inevitable collision.As someone who can't imagine going off medication atp, the author's story was so relatable and so inspiring. There are some truly troubling messages about ignoring the signs of deteriorating mental health in this story and one harrowing scene in which Regan (having just semi-broken up with Aldo) has graphic thoughts of stabbing him and her family until she runs with blood. There’s even a point in the novel where they have a fight and Regan has thoughts of stabbing Aldo, her family, and herself, all because she cannot have a man that she is literally addicted to because she puts all her value as a human being into one other person. While family is gathered, children playing, and everyone being merry, this book came to me like a gift, packaged with elements of raw, unadulterated beauty. From Olivie Blake, the New York Times bestselling author of The Atlas Six, comes an intimate and contemporary study of time, space, and the nature of love.

It does touch close to the romanticization of mental health struggles being a gateway to good art, which is a troubling perspective, though that doesn’t seem the intent. the writing style felt pretentious to me at first; how dialogues switch from being in first person i to being in third person she or him. it just ended with more pretty, empty prose wrapped around a barely formed concept of time travel, multiverses and soulmates who are not really that. Olivie Blake is the internationally bestselling author of The Atlas Six, Alone with You in the Ether, One For My Enemy, and Masters of Death. She works at a Museum, mostly as a guide, her parents are absent as hell, her mom-destructive and cutting, and her sister, too perfect for words.From the internationally bestselling author of The Atlas Six, Alone With You in the Ether by Olivie Blake is a glimpse into the nature of love, what it means to be unwell, and how to face the fractures of yourself and still love as if you're not broken. Blake delivers seemingly effortless storytelling that loops through exciting metafiction techniques, such as a whole host of narrators intruding in on the story in part 1, including an “overzealous Cubs fan,” or “an aging, arthritic man in possession of many books” as well as stage direction details. i know it says a love story on the front, but this book is very much about mental health + choosing to not be medicated for mental health conditions.