**Thank you to Netgalley and Aionios Books for providing me a review copy in exchange for an honest review.**
Down in the Belly of the Whale is sweet, thoughtful, funny, and it taught me something, as all good books should do. I’d like to acknowledge the care Bowles put into writing this book. I won’t spoil anything, but as YA authors often do, she took a hard topic, one not often written about for teens, and made it accessible and teachable. A lot of YA deals with the dramatic and shocking aspects of mental illness and the culture surrounding it, but this book cuts to the bone of the issue, tackling the reality of many families’ situations regarding depression, self-harm, and suicidal thoughts with respect. I liked the plot, I think it was very well paced, and definitely well planned. The ending did feel a bit sudden, but I think I was enjoying myself so much I forgot the book had to end! This book actually features supportive, loving parents, instead of sending them away with a mysterious excuse and leaving the protags to figure things out, and I think that's positive and important! Harper’s parents and her uncle are there for her, to help her and Cora through the events in the story, and I think it’s a good reminder that not all teens have to have their experiences alone. Parents are helpful, and letting teens think they must deal with problems alone is a problem in and of itself. My biggest problem was fairly minor, and didn’t really prevent me from enjoying the book. At times, I felt like Harper’s voice was a bit young. She was supposed to be in high school, and the issues discussed were very heavy and serious, but because of the writing style, she read more as a middle-schooler to me. The fact that she wasn’t surprised me when I found out part way through that she and Cora, her best friend, were in high school. She did grow as a character, and she did gain self-confidence, which I loved, but at the end, she still read as young to me. Because of this, I was a bit put off by the romance, but nevertheless, it was cute. In the grand scheme of things, I liked many elements of this story, which earn it 4 stars in my heart. Go forth and read!
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The BaronessHey, I'm Shreya! I love to read, write, travel, and drink tea. Disclosure: I am an affiliate of bookshop.org and I will earn a small commission if you click the above link and make a purchase.
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