The thing about this book is I really didn’t like it and wasn’t feeling it until I suddenly did and I can’t even pinpoint exactly when that was. This isn’t for everyone and while most reviews are overwhelmingly positive, I’d say it’s probably pretty polarizing in how people feel about it. While this is a love story it isn’t the lightest of reads and it isn’t exactly romantic either.

This book is personal and a labor of love which really shines through in the writing. But it is also slow, and for me, a bit difficult to get through. At times it feels like the Blake is trying almost too hard to say something and just barely missed the mark but then somehow she pulls it all together in the end and it makes sense and clicks. While Blake’s approach to writing, and this story, isn’t for everyone I’m glad I pulled through and finished because ultimately I did end up loving this story and the undeniably human feeling it gave.

Thank you TorPublishing and NetGalley for the ARC! Since I'm new on NetGalley, this is is the first book I requested and got approved for, so it's very special to me.

Let me start by saying that I've never read anything like this book. At first, it was a little hard to get into because of the "stage directions" and narrator comments that interrupted my reading. I understand that this was probably a stylistic choice to set the scene and break the fourth wall, but I don't think that it was necessary for the story (which is the only reason I won't rate it 5 stars).
However, I couldn't stop reading and found myself devouring this book in 1 and a half days, which I wasn't expecting at all. The more I read the better the story got. I liked the imperfections and flaws of the characters and the mental health representation a lot, especially whenever stream of consciousness was used to show how the characters thought and felt in certain situations. However, it was the author's acknowledgment that made me tear up in the end because it was so honestly written and highlighted how much this book means to her.
Because I liked this book so much, I'm thinking about buying a physical copy, taking more time to reread it, and annotate it.

I'm also planning on posting about the book on my bookstagram account (@pageosaurus) on its official release date.

4.5 stars. I saved dozens of quotes from this book because Olivie Blake's writing in Alone with the Ether is...chef's kiss. There I am reading, and all of a sudden another truth bomb of a quote explodes off the page. Without warning?! Warn a boy Miss Olivie! Seriously, her middle name should be Wisdom because girl was out here dropping it. This was my introduction to her work and I love me a book that's not only under 300 pages, but makes me think. Sometimes good things do come in small packages and we love to see it.

Two mentally ill Chicagoans have a meet cute in an art museum. Prepare to fall in love with Regan and Aldo's journey - in all of it's chaotic, bee loving glory. I love how Chicago is captured as a setting and there are so many genuine and memorable moments that feel raw and organic. Blake manages to balance complex prose with witty and charming banter that makes you engage with these flawed yet fascinating characters. But it's the nuanced subtext that lies underneath that makes this feel very real.

Alone in the Ether would've been a five star read, but I felt like the mental health representation was a tad bit irresponsible. As someone who takes meds and has a diagnosed mood disorder, I find it very problematic when author's romanticize not taking your meds. For the love of God, medicine and therapy is the only treatment for a mood disorder and you can still live a healthy, vibrant and creative life while on them. I get that Regan struggles with making bad choices and breaking patterns, I just have to be honest and admit that I'm triggered by characters self-destructing and not wanting to take their meds because they think they're a hinderance. That's a myth.

Besides that, this was a one-sitting read for me and I could easily see this as an A24 film adaptation. (Sometimes they like their small and layered romances.) Like I said, so many screenshots of quotes. Special thanks to Tor for the ARC under it's new romance imprint, Bramble. Out October 24th, but the current edition is now available everywhere.

Alone with You in the Ether was everything I thought it would be and so much more. I already knew I enjoyed the author's writing style but the prose in this book still blew me away. The pacing was a little chaotic at times but even that was part of its beauty. It fit the personalities of the characters perfectly. The characters in this story felt so real. They were beautiful and awkward and manic and flawed. The minor interactions that Regan and Aldo shared blew my mind. I learned more about them in a single paragraph of hand holding than I learn about most characters throughout an entire book! This is easily one of my favorite books I've read this year. I don't think I'll be able to get bees and differential equations and quantum formulas out of my head for a very long time.

Thank you to Tor Publishing and Netgalley for this ebook in exchange for an honest review.

“Can you love my brain even when it is small? When it is malevolent? When it is violent? Can you love it even when it does not love me?”

Here's the thing. Will some people find this book pretentious? Yes. Maybe not the best take on specific mental health conditions? Possibly. Somewhat chaotic? Absolutely.

Luckily for me, I'm not one of those people. And just to get the mental health bit out of the way—I don't have this condition, but the author does and addresses this at the end of the book. And I agree with her view on it.

Now, this was fascinating. To see two brains fall in love so completely over the course of six conversations sounds a bit ridiculous, but it did it for me. And it didn't read as pretentious, it read as two people who know and love their respective fields geek out about it. I live for that. Is there anything more charming? I think not.

I found myself constantly smiling at this book, be it for the character interactions, or for the odd narrator bits at the beginning. I would've loved that to continue, and maybe a bit more consistency in tone, but I can believe it Blake let it fade on purpose, given the whole context of the book.

To conclude, pick this up if you're in the mood for something unique and very brainy. You won't regret it. Now I'm off to yell about it to some people.

Thank you to Netgalley and the Publishers for this Advanced Readers Copy of Alone with you in the Ether by Olivie Blake!

I enjoyed Blake's honest and personal account on mental health. Although there are no happy endings or resolutions to life, I do think people will take issue with Regan's issues with her mom and her sexuality and how there was no resolution or much growth. She clearly uses sex as intimacy and although several people called her out on it, she didn't seem to learn much.

The same thing can be said about Regan's refusal to take her meds. I read the acknowledgements and I understand why Blake wrote it this way but once again, I can see people taking issue with this. Many readers like the message of "don't take your meds." I'm fine with it because I don't get advice from fiction but others do. I think the acknowledgement should be at the beginning or some other declarative statement.

I enjoyed Regan as a character. She was complicated and messy and she deserved loved.

I take issue with the execution. I've read Atlas Six and Paradox and Blake's writing has a tendency to be too much. It feels like she has tons of ideas but doesn't know how to focus on a couple of them-she includes all her ideas in her book. For example, why was there playwright style of writing in the beginning but dropped? The time travel theme didn't really go anywhere. I love her writing but it could be so much better with a really good editor.

“Can you love my brain even when it is small? When it is malevolent? When it is violent? Can you love it even when it does not love me?”

I have no idea how to rate this one. As others have said, you will either love it or hate it. While the language can be "pretentious" and flowery, it is also beautiful. I can definitely see how for some people it will be off-putting, while others will find it meaningful and thought-provoking.

Overall, I enjoyed this book. I appreciate love stories about broken people; they feel real to me. Love is messy, heartbreaking and painful. It is also joyful and kind and life changing. This story shows all facets of love... the good, the bad, and the ugly. How your insecurities can try to sabotage it. How you must fight your fickle mind to trust in it. How it can find you at random and change the trajectory of your life forever.

One thing I want to touch on is mental illness. I appreciated the mental illness rep in this book. However, it made me uncomfortable when the author had Regan go off of her meds willy nilly. I understand she writes from her own experience, but this could be a very dangerous narrative for others to read. That part worries me a little. Just be careful when reading this story, and always consult your doctor before making any decisions about your mental health care. Ok, that is all. 🫶🏼

3.75 ⭐️ 's

These characters were so interesting and unique. I really enjoyed hearing from both of their perspectives and figuring out each of their personalities.

This is a very deep and complex love story, not your typical romance. This shows not only the highs, but also the lows. Not only the beauty but also the ugly and complete loss of control that comes with loving someone so intensely.

It covers heavy topics of mental health and mood disorders. The characters are very real and flawed. Their relationship was complex and relatable and handled the topics that people don't like to discuss very well. The writing is beautiful but may be hard to understand at times because, for lack of a better wording, it is written so intelligently. And speaking of words, Olivie was able to put into words some of the things I was never able to properly express so that was really nice to relate to.

This is definitely unlike any love story I have read or probably ever will read. It's not all sunshine and rainbows that most quick sweet romance novels are about. This is real, and i love it for that. It is very much a character driven novel so if you can't relate or connect to the characters you may not enjoy this book so much. I for one, really liked the characters themselves because they were so fleshed out, but I adored their dynamic together the most. What beautiful work this was.

Normally, I find Blake’s work a little hard to follow based on the first two Atlas books; that was still the case in the beginning of Ether. That is no longer the case by the end. I feel like I understand the author and the writing style so much better now.

I wish Ether took off before Atlas. While Atlas left me lost in a mental sense, Ether has left me lost in an emotional sense; Ether has left me reaching for the high that I got off my first read. If I could choose to read any books for the first time again, it would be these: The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern, The Starless Seas by Erin Morgenstern, and Alone with You in the Ether by Olivia Blake.

Blake has turned my world view upside down. I don’t think I’ve ever related to a pair of main characters more either.

Blake’s style is nonlinear even from paragraph to paragraph, but the narrative and poetic style of storytelling give even the most seemingly mundane love stories a sense of whimsy.

Ether is a love story, and I loved it.