I LOVED this book. Reading it wasn’t hard or tedious, it was enjoyable and kept me going through each chapter (especially when my iPad died at a key plot twist!), such that even the repeated time changes between 2020 and 1985 weren’t disorientating or taking away from the drive of the plot.
It came across a little slow to pick up at the beginning, as a stand alone it has a lot to set up to readers, and it often feels like there’s a huge number of characters working to keep track of but, as more is revealed, you become invested as a reader to the outcomes and journeys of each one. The string throughout is Nicola’s humanity and deep emotions (where most with her condition are often portrayed in media as cold and clinical) which served to keep me engaged with the people she cared for where I knew nothing. This was certainly necessary for some of the side characters who weren’t perhaps as expanded as they could have been.
I practically inhaled this book in a matter of days, there is some confusion in the middle but that feels natural to the characters as well as readers, and I’m excited that more people will now get to see what they think!