4 out of 4 stars
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Kate never believed she was someone that would ever get stalked. As far as she was concerned, only people with money had stalkers or gorgeous celebrities with crazy fans. She wasn’t special enough to have a stalker. Therefore, by the time Kate realized she was the object of someone’s crazed obsession, her relationship of six years had been sabotaged, she had lost her job, and she had ended up in jail. Nonetheless, her living nightmare had only begone.
MIND the gaps by Abigail Mansfield is one of those books you cannot judge by its cover. It’s dark, it’s edgy, with humor effortlessly weaved in either via the characters’ banter, or Mansfield’s choice of words describing people or situations. Nothing is as it seems, and the twists and turns keep coming. The story flowed at a steady, measured pace but picked up halfway into the book. The plot unfolded from the perspective of the three main characters, Kate, her girlfriend Alex, and the unknown stalker. This style of writing gave the story a well-rounded tone, making it possible for the reader to not only appreciate what these key figures were going through but to also better understand their reactions depending on the situations they’ve found themselves. The book had richly developed and very relatable characters.
I like how Kate’s character growth didn’t just occur overnight, not even after she hit rock bottom when she took to binge drinking. Her journey was a hard and bitter one, and it took facing death at the hands of her stalker for her to see how she had come close to wilfully destroying what was most precious to her.
One of my favorites in the book was the Jeffs, a stereotypical gay couple who share the same first name. Their over-the-top banter and general playful demeanor added some humor to the otherwise dark theme of the book. I was glad to learn Mansfield based them on real people in her life. The world needs more folks like them. Lucy, Alex’s fraternal twin sister, and her filter-less opinions regarding Alex’s love/sex life were also laugh-out-loud hilarious.
What I liked most about the book was Mansfield’s attempt to bring awareness to mental health and depression. It is of utmost importance to maintain an open dialogue on mental health. There was also the subject of blood and bone marrow donations, especially the need to help sick kids whose lives depend on them.
The book appears professionally edited with very few grammar errors. My only problem with it was how colorful the language got from time to time. However, this is a personal preference. Overall, it was a highly satisfying and well-written book. Considering this, I wholeheartedly award this book 4 out of 4 stars.
MIND the gaps is not for kids. It contains strong vulgar language and explicit sex scenes, most of which are same-sex in nature. I would recommend it to readers who enjoy romance and mystery novels and are not squeamish about language vulgarity and graphic sex scenes.
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MIND the gaps
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