I featured this book in a new release video prior to publication and was very excited to read about someone struggling with depersonalization. The description promises a mind bending narration style as well as a lot of emotional punches. I was also able to get my hands on a physical copy and MY GOD she's gorgeous. Will update when final review posts, but I'm expecting 5 stars!

This one was not for me. It was a bit of a slog to get through and pretty confusing at times. Maybe my own head space wasn't in the place for this, but it fell pretty flat for me.

The format is a bit of a climb to get into but once I was able to acclimate, I think this is a really well done debut, taking you inside the experience of navigating mental illness & trauma & relationships as a queer daughter of immigrants. If you like stream of consciousness type stories, this is a must read.The format is a bit of a climb to get into but once I was able to acclimate, I think this is a really well done debut, taking you inside the experience of navigating mental illness & trauma & relationships as a queer daughter of immigrants. If you like stream of consciousness type stories, this is a must read.

Such a unique and captivating story. Exploring queerness, love and family, this story strikes all the emotional chords. And the cover is stunning to boot.

arc via netgalley

This story is told alternatively between twenty-seven-year-old Norma’s stream of consciousness, various sessions with her new therapist, and her barely fictional fiction.

Norma’s diagnosed with depersonalization/derealization disorder. As she works to complete her manuscript, Norma is haunted by Oblivion™️, her girlfriend’s kindness, and SSRI side effects.

Existential, vocal of futuristic dread, and portraying the wonders of trying to get better through modern medicine and any other possible alternative for salvation from your own thoughts.

Personally, stream of consciousness narrations can be hit or miss: here it manages to truly showcases spiral thought process, and even be relatable.

Of course, therapy is different for everyone. I really enjoyed how things slowly came together as the story progressed, you came to realize things about the protagonist along side her.

If you have been itching to read about the modern horrors (as in, 2020’s onward), the complexities of being human, queer, surviving with mental illness, and love: maybe this is for you.

Spectacular!! It was a wild lesbian roller coaster and I loved every minute of it. I was very intrigued with the story and was so happy to be able to read it early.

A book about a haunting woman's stream of consciousness about this dark cruel world? Sign me right up. This was more than that though because it also addressed mental health. There was so much representation in this book and I can see many people being touched after finishing this. At first it was hard to get into because the formatting of this book is different, maining being told from inside the MCs head. Following Norma along on her journey after she receives a diagnosis from her therapist as she navigates it. However once I got used to it, I was hooked and rooting for her to find her way. I would even say at times she was unreliable as a narrator which I love in books. This is definitely for those looking for a moody book, worth the read.

This cover is so gorgeous and the premise sounded so intriguing, and I got about 24% in. This book is so trippy and I loved the many layers to the story telling. Unfortunately this is the kind of book, for me, where it needs to be read in one big gulp because stopping made it hard to pick it back up again.

2.5 stars
First, let me say that "Please Stop Trying to Leave Me" is an excellent title. Perhaps it set my expectations up for a book I did not receive. I've been struggling to find the right words for why I did not enjoy reading this book. The closest I can come is that it feels very specific. Like, maybe the author would enjoy reading it and maybe a close friend or two, but I cannot imagine why anyone else would care. That sounds harsh, and I can see that others on Goodreads liked it, but it feels like the main character goes out of her way to make herself unrelatable. Even though she and I share many of the same characteristics and life experiences, she felt alien, unbelievable, and not just a little insufferable.

I honestly really loved this book, but I understand why some may find it a bit disjointed and/or hard to follow. Personally speaking, I enjoy "stream-of-consciousness" style writing and — while I do agree with some of my peers in that reading PSTtLM *did* feel very much like a wild fever dream — thought said style was executed very well. This book is also quite ambitious with its overall plot and how it's structured, which I ultimately feel is about learning how to find/rediscover love & joy & just.... the will to truly *live* again after trauma & reconciling with one's demons. I just found it all to be very beautiful, if not quite sad at times, and found myself thinking on a lot of its themes long after I finished. Would definitely rec checking this one out if you can (+ is the cover not just GORGEOUS?!)

Please Stop Trying to Leave Me was an excellent read. I loved the character study and the writing felt propulsive. I would read more from this author again.

What a fever dream of a book! Very stream of consciousness, very meta, very unhinged. Like nothing I have read before.

This novel follows Norma and is told through her therapy appointments and her short stories she writes. She has gotten a new therapist after having a mental breakdown which has pushed her into a state of trauma induced dissociation that she calls oblivion (a term I am now going to be using). We listen in on her therapy appointments where she describes seeing signs from god, finding reasons to breakup with her girlfriend, and going on rants that are 1/2 crazy and 1/2 true. It is like sitting next the weirdo on the bus and getting stuck in an oddly spiritual conversation. Very interesting experience and shockingly funny at times!

It does get more and more serious and easier to distinguish the actual plot as time goes on. And in the end we get a beautiful story about love, healing, and patience.

The author has a lot of interesting tactics with her writing. The lack of quotations, the random capitalizations, the characters which are named vs not named. I loved this but also felt like there may be some deeper meanings behind these decisions I’m too dense to understand… who knows? But you may have a good time cracking the codes if literary analysis is your thing? If not (like me) it is still an enjoyable story told in a unique way.

Lastly have to shout out the beautiful cover! Was definitely a big factor in deciding to read this book and I’m glad I was not duped by a pretty cover, there was an equally pretty story within.

Please Stop Trying to Leave Me by Alana Saab is a breathtaking debut that expertly balances dark humor, mental health struggles, and the complexities of love and identity. Saab’s writing pulls you into the fragmented, stream-of-consciousness world of Norma, a protagonist grappling with depersonalization/derealization disorder. The blend of her therapy sessions and excerpts from her unfinished manuscript creates a unique narrative structure that mirrors her unraveling mind, making for an engrossing, emotionally charged read.

Norma's journey is as heart-wrenching as it is relatable, touching on themes of trauma, queerness, family, and the blurred lines between fiction and reality. Saab's portrayal of mental health feels raw and unflinching, yet there are moments of unexpected humor that lighten the weight of the subject matter. The book explores not just survival, but how one rebuilds after emotional devastation, with the relationships—especially Norma's with her girlfriend—anchoring the story in love and vulnerability.

This novel will resonate deeply with anyone who has ever felt disconnected from themselves or the world around them, offering both a mirror and a hand to hold. Saab’s voice is fresh, bold, and unforgettable—this is a book that will stay with you long after you turn the last page.

Highly recommended for fans of experimental, queer, and literary fiction, especially those who appreciate stories that challenge the boundaries between sanity and chaos, love and loss.

Thank you to Vintage and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I'm all for unlikable women protagonists but at nearly 40% into this book the protagonist was still going around in the same circles with monologues that went nowhere thrown in here and there.

I didn't finish this book because it felt chaotic, overwhelming, and disjointed. What I expected to be a meaningful exploration of depression turned into an overly existential, tangential narrative that tried to tackle too many big issues at once, from politics to climate change, making it hard to follow or connect with. The stream-of-consciousness writing style felt messy, and the characters were difficult to relate to. Ultimately, it didn’t resonate with me and left me frustrated rather than engaged.

If I were to even try to explain this book to you I don’t think I would be doing it justice.

I knew from the minute I saw the cover and the synopsis that this was going to be a favorite for me. I love to read books about characters that are deeply complex and frankly, weird. I love weird. Those are my people. And while I absolutely LOVED this one and already know a few people I am going to immediately recommend it to, it’s definitely not for everyone.

This story is about Norma and is told primarily through her stream of consciousness, therapy sessions, and short stories. It can definitely be confusing at times, and very dark, and also some of the middle dragged a bit, but the ending made it all worth it. I really don’t think I will ever forget Norma, or her story, and that is exactly why I read.

This is probably one of the most unique stories I have read. I can’t believe it’s a debut.

Read this one if you like weird character with darkness and light that make you examine your whole existence.

I wanted to like this book. I was really excited to read something a bit different, but the writing style just wasn't for me. I might return to this book in a few months or years and see if I'm in a better mindset to finish it.

This will definitely not be for everyone and almost was not for me. Its a weird fever dream of a book but there were elements I was able to connect with, and others that lost me.

This was such a beautiful and special take on mental health rep, and I loved every minute of it. The timelines of going back into the past of the female main character and how it’s affected her future was amazing. I’m still thinking about this book to today.

DNF @ 52%

I am very sad to say that I couldn’t get through this book. It felt very hopeless (don’t get me wrong, I know that’s a big aspect for this book) and the writing/story didn’t feel engaging enough to truck through all the doom. I also might not be the right audience as I specifically stay off certain apps to not doomscroll. In a way, this felt like a different version of doomscrolling. This one just felt a little too sad and repetitive. I also didn’t care to read Norma’s actual manuscript which felt like it dragged the storyline down even more.

On the bright side, Saab’s writing made me feel connected to the character/ made her situation very relatable. I think in 10 years this would be interesting to look back on how people coped during our continuous history-making moments, but right now it just feels like watching the news/world burn instead of enjoying my free time.

Thank you to NetGalley and Vintage for an eARC in exchange for an honest review!