Thursday, March 7, 2019

Almost Love by Louise O'Neill: Review + Giveaway

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Hi!

Louise O'Neill's third book (her first written for an adult audience) has recently been released in Paperback format, and I have been very generously offered a copy to give away.


When Sarah falls for Matthew, she falls hard. So it doesn't matter that he's twenty years older. That he sees her only in secret. That, slowly but surely, she's sacrificing everything else in her life to be with him. 

Sarah's friends are worried. Her father can't understand how she could allow herself to be used like this. And she's on the verge of losing her job. But Sarah can't help it. She is addicted to being desired by Matthew.

And love is supposed to hurt. Isn't it?

I read this book upon its initial e-book & hardback release last year, and it's one that has stayed with me - Louise is a master at writing a main character who isn't easy to love. In Almost Love, our protagonist Sarah (as with Asking For It's main character Emma),  isn't someone that most of us would automatically warm to. She makes horrible decisions, she treats people badly, and she does unforgiveable things to her friends. But, does this mean she deserves to be unhappy? 

I assumed that this book would be about an abusive, controlling boyfriend. I should have known better than to assume anything with Louise's writing - this ended up being very reminiscent of a relationship I had when I was younger, which I wasn't expecting to have to face again. As a result I had a degree of empathy towards Sarah - I completely understood her obsession with wanting to be loved by this horrible man, but her inability to recognise (or even cope) when someone truly cared for her. 

It's uncomfortable, it's sharp, it's raw, it will probably make you angry on more than one occasion, but more importantly - it will make you think. Louise O'Neill is one of the most important authors we have in Ireland at the moment - she writes about subjects that resonate with so many young women, but does it in a way that sneaks up and consumes you. 

If you'd like to win a copy of the newly released paperback version of Almost Love, which features an interview with Louise and the wonderful Marian Keyes, please follow the steps in the Rafflecopter widget below.

T&Cs 
This giveaway is open to residents of Ireland & the UK only.

 The winners information will be shared with the publisher for the sole purpose of sending the prize, they will not be added to any database.



a Rafflecopter giveaway

1 comment:

  1. Haven't read anything by Louise yet. Thanks for the recommendation. Getting back into Irish authors again.

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