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A review by naomi_hyde
Seven Days in June by Tia Williams
dark
hopeful
medium-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
3.5
3.5 stars
I am really not sure what to think of this book.
To start with the positives, I loved the writing style of this book. It was descriptive and balanced a colloquial, modern tone with beautiful writing. The characters were well-developed with unique and dark pasts which added layers to the characters and how they interacted with the world and each other. I liked that the author didn't just focus on the two main protagonists but also crafted well thought out side characters such as Cece, Audre, and even Ty. I particularly liked how the author would shift perspective when there was a short focus on one of the side characters and include the same level of detail about the character and their life that one would expect for a protagonist. A good example is when Ty goes to meet O-Mike and the story jumps straight into the brief moment he's experiencing and details how he's feeling. Instead of just telling the reader that this happened we're thrust into the narrative for a brief moment, making it feel more real and tangible. There are a couple more examples of this which I loved.
I particularly loved the 2019 romance between Shane and Eva, I thought it was beautifully written and the chemistry between them was palpable. I also really liked that, despite being a romance novel, the book explored other types of relationship dynamics and the impact of these on our main protagonists.
HOWEVER, I could not get over the fact that Shane and Eva's relationship is based on (initially) only knowing each other for SEVEN DAYS at EIGHTEEN in which both of them were high or sedated on drugs/alcohol the entire time. The book is sold to us as this big romantic love story between two people who were madly in love, lost touch but never forgot about each other, and then one day they find each other again and rekindle their relationship. But in reality, they were two teenagers who bonded over shared trauma and then spent seven days doing drugs together and falling into a very unhealthy and co-dependent relationship. How can you mistake that for love?? And maybe they did "fall in love" in that time, but there's a different between loving someone and clinging onto them because they're the only thing in your life that makes you feel less alone. And OK, they may have also had great chemistry, but it was SEVEN drug-fuelled days they spent together, they barely knew each other!! And the fact that they both romanticise this relationship through their books for the next fifteen years and don't see a problem with it??
And I get that by the time we meet them both in 2019, they have overcome their vices and matured, so their attraction and chemistry makes sense in 2019. But it still feels wrong given that they don't <i> actually </i> know each other very well, and the last time they saw each other they were both wasted on drugs, like how would that not be extremely triggering?
Another thing I disliked about the book was the ending. Shane misses brunch with Eva and Audre because his mentee is shot and dies in hospital. Shane then finds Eva to apologise and then breaks up with her because he's not ready to forgive himself and doesn't think he deserves a family. Eva agrees because ??, and then flashforward like one month and they've decided to give up on the breakup because they love each other too much... Shane declaring that he's not ready for a relationship seemed so irrelevant given that they get back to get 10 pages later. Like either bring in this conflict earlier in the book to make it worthwhile exploring or just skip to the happy ending without this added bullshit. Reading the epilogue honestly made me so mad, like I knew they were going to get back together so why add unnecessary pages creating a will they/won't they scenario at the last minute? No thanks.
Overall, I thought this was a good book and I enjoyed parts of it but their teenage toxic relationship really ruined the whole vibe for me.
I am really not sure what to think of this book.
To start with the positives, I loved the writing style of this book. It was descriptive and balanced a colloquial, modern tone with beautiful writing. The characters were well-developed with unique and dark pasts which added layers to the characters and how they interacted with the world and each other. I liked that the author didn't just focus on the two main protagonists but also crafted well thought out side characters such as Cece, Audre, and even Ty. I particularly liked how the author would shift perspective when there was a short focus on one of the side characters and include the same level of detail about the character and their life that one would expect for a protagonist. A good example is when
I particularly loved the 2019 romance between Shane and Eva, I thought it was beautifully written and the chemistry between them was palpable. I also really liked that, despite being a romance novel, the book explored other types of relationship dynamics and the impact of these on our main protagonists.
HOWEVER, I could not get over the fact that Shane and Eva's relationship is based on (initially) only knowing each other for SEVEN DAYS at EIGHTEEN in which both of them
And I get that by the time we meet them both in 2019, they have overcome their vices and matured, so their attraction and chemistry makes sense in 2019. But it still feels wrong given that they don't <i> actually </i> know each other very well, and the last time they saw each other they were both wasted on drugs, like how would that not be extremely triggering?
Another thing I disliked about the book was the ending.
Overall, I thought this was a good book and I enjoyed parts of it but their teenage toxic relationship really ruined the whole vibe for me.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, and Self harm