Among Other Things

by O. R. Simons

At twenty-eight, Marlene Ellis finds herself pregnant, abandoned by Jack—the married man she was having an affair with—and alone in a city that’s not her home.

Sitting at an abortion clinic, she receives a call from Grace, her twin sister. Mum is dead. Shock propels Marle to leave the clinic and take the next bus back to Baymoore—the small town that she has shunned since the day she left. Marle works hard to pick up the pieces of the life she left behind, but it's no easy task and there are many obstacles along the way. From shadows of the past to Jack and her pregnancy, will Marle succeed in finding her way back home?

Triggers: death, drug use, abortion, miscarriage, infertility

Genres: Fiction

263 pages, Paperback

Published March 14, 2023

Reviews

[Dona's Books · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thank you to the author, Olivia Simons, and KatieandBreyPA for an advanced digital copy of AMONG OTHER THINGS.

Marle discovers she's pregnant by the married man she's been seeing and, after he books her an appointment at an abortion clinic where she finds herself alone and scared, she decides to return to the family and hometown she "escaped" all those years ago. She then berates herself for every one of her decisions for the rest of the book.

I'm not a fan of the self-effacing first person narrator. And also, this book has several points to make and works so hard to make them that the story and character development suffer. For me, theme is maybe the most important element in fiction. Books can make powerful statements. HUNGER GAMES: Everyone deserves to eat. A CHRISTMAS CAROL: Generosity feeds the soul. PRIDE AND PREJUDICE: Don't tell us what to do. And so on. But force a book to do too much of this-- force its mouth full of lessons-- and it becomes not a book, but a person. It becomes the author.

The story here isn't bad; I like homecomings. And despite how weighed down this book is in its own themes, readers who aren't bothered by these elements would enjoy the domestic drama that hovers at the fringes and tries to keep this wild tale hemmed in.

Trigger warning for this book: loss of pregnancy, which for such a serious experience to have, I felt the narrator fairly glossed over it

Rating: 🏘🏘 / 5 hometowns
Recommend? Not this time
Finished: December 2022

[sky • thebookgreenery · Rating 2 out of 5]

Unfortunately, this was not for me.

With this read, I valued the opportunity to support a small, independent author. And I don't want my low rating of the book to cause the give off the wrong impression because the writing was strong. Mostly, I struggled with this one due to the plot being very character-driven and Marlene's, the MC, narration and behavior bothered me quite a bit. Since I never felt compelled to root for her, the story felt slow due to my lack of investment.

I would suggest Among Other Things for those who enjoy flawed characters and depictions of sibling dynamics.

Thank you to Booksprout and Olivia Simons for the eARC.

[Drishty · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Among Other Things" serves as a source of inspiration and motivation for those who have lost their strength and forgotten their potential.

The protagonist, Marle, had already faced several challenges in her life when she found herself unexpectedly pregnant. Uncertain of how to proceed, she found herself trapped in a difficult situation.

Her relationship with a married man, who already had a wife and three children, was further complicated by the news of her pregnancy, which left him in a state of shock.

The book presents a compelling narrative that inspires resilience in the face of adversity. The author deftly expresses the challenges of life and the importance of perseverance.

The story is deeply moving and highlights an often-neglected aspect of human experience. The characters are masterfully crafted and leave a lasting impression on the reader.

The author's skillful exploration of the subject matter makes for a powerful and memorable read. Overall, a job well done.

[Meenal · Rating 2 out of 5]

The cover is beautiful and calming. I like the blurb. While I tend to stay away from such topics, something about this book pulled me in. But that's where the good stuff ends; this isn't a feel-good book. It was difficult to read, and I didn't enjoy it at all, but I guess books about characters that are difficult to love should exist. 

Initially, I enjoyed it despite disagreeing with the decisions of the characters. However, I ended up despising Marlene for drinking wine and smoking cigarettes when she was over six weeks pregnant. In fact, she forgets her pregnancy after moving to her hometown. The only indication that she's pregnant is the nausea that is mentioned fleetingly, but she places no restrictions on physical activity or lifting heavy cartons while moving house. She takes regular painkillers without a prescription, with no regard to her pregnancy. She doesn't think of her becoming a mother or of her growing child. She became the mistress of a married father of three and then expected him to abandon his family and support her baby at the age of forty-seven. I was very relieved when she miscarried because, going by her habits, she couldn't have had a healthy pregnancy. 

Somewhere, the pregnancy plot vanishes, and this book essentially becomes a detailed account of the emotions you experience when losing your beloved mother. She didn't call her mother or ask someone to check on her mother or her twin sister for years. Maybe these are accepted values in American culture, but I hate her. 

A lot of sentences in this book start with "verb+ing... I..." or "verb+ed... I...", and they read amateurish. The quotation marks in dialogues are missing and replaced by a colon. You never know where the dialogue ends and the narration begins. You'd expect dialogues to be formatted like, she asked, "are you home?" I replied, "reaching in a minute." Instead, they are written like, she asked: are you home? I replied: reaching in a minute. 

Towards the end, there were some completely unnecessary chapters that felt of no use to the plot, like the introduction of a random dog. The book ended abruptly, whereas it could've been a bit longer with a proper resolution, although I felt the plot was very freestyle anyway.

I obtained an e-book via Katie & Brey's book tour.

[Patty Baumeister · Rating 4 out of 5]

ARC Book Review
Among Orher Things
A Novel Written By Olivia Simons
Fiction
Published 2023
264 Pages
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This book will be available starting March 14, 2023. It can be preordered now.

This is the author’s debut novel. The author chose to not use quotation marks when writing conversation among characters. I guess this is a thing now. I hope this trend does not catch on. I found it confusing, especially in the beginning.
I did not let the omission of quotation marks affect my rating for this book.

When I first started reading, I did not think I was going to like this book. I ended up liking it more than I thought I would.

The main character and narrator, Marlene Ellis, left her small hometown of Baymoore, Australia when she was 18. She cut ties with her mother and twin sister to live in a big city. Ten years later her life is a mess. Marle returns home after learning of her mother’s sudden and unexpected death. She is alone and pregnant.

Once home Marle struggles with guilt, shame, and regret for the decisions she made that caused her to be estranged from her mother and sister for so long.

There were times while reading that I did not feel sorry for Marle. I felt her poor choices were the cause of her problems. I also found myself rooting for her and hoping she can get her life back together. Being a twin myself, I was hoping the death of their mother would help Marle and her twin sister, Grace, repair their relationship and help each other grieve.

This is a sad story with some funny moments. The story also brings hope. Maybe you can go home again.

“It’s a dark place to be alone when all you want is your mother.”

“Sometimes, all one needs is to have someone there because their presence is all that’s required.”

[Shelves_by_sim · Rating 5 out of 5]

A riveting story about life and tragedy. Marle Ellis lives in the city, a place she escaped to, leaving all friends and family behind, right after graduation. Now, at twenty-eight, while barely being able to cover her rent and buy food at the same time, she finds herself pregnant with a married man's child.

Being forced into an abortion, she finds herself answering a call from her twin sister while in the waiting room of the clinic. Grace, sounding distraught, delivers news that their mother passed away.

Deciding to keep the baby on a whim, she flees the clinic and the city to move back home, Marle sets out to make up for her past behaviour towards the people that love her. The two girls go through their own tradegy's as they grow closer and Marle has a long way to go in order to forgive herself for all the pain she has caused and to overcome the guilt of not being their for her mother.

My thoughts:
I love a good women's fiction story. I haven't read one in a first person perspective before and I really enjoyed that. So much happened, so much tragedy in these two girl's lives. This is a story about the bond between sisters, about forgiveness, love and trust. It was absolutely beautiful and I devoured every last chapter. Marle wasn't a bad person, just lost - a young girl trying to escape small town living and blaming her mother for never having known her father - all she wanted to do was build a life of her own. I get that. She grieved, she fought, she cried but at the end she paved a new life for herself, a better one. She became a better person, one who felt worthy of all the amazing people she had in her side.

[Caitlin · Rating 2 out of 5]

1.5 stars rounded up.
this book intrigued me because i am a huge fan of sibling dynamics in books (especially sisters) and mother-daughter dynamics as well. but the story was generally monotonous and was not executed well enough for there to be any emotional payoff.
it also desperately needed another round or two of editing mainly to polish the writing which became very repetitive but also to fix the format. if you are not going to use quotation marks then you better make sure it is crystal clear who is speaking. also, the dialogue format was flipped on its head near the last 30 pages and was completely inconsistent with what had been previously written. i'm not sure why this happened but it was very distracting.
lastly, these characters were not fleshed out enough. the mc did not have any depth and personally i didn't think she was on the road to making amends for the decisions she so clearly regretted and lamented over. her own trauma was dealt with in a day and promptly never spoken about again not to mention her behaviour during her pregnancy. with all her self-reflection you would think that she would act a little more responsibly to herself and her unborn child.

[Chelsea (2_girls_bookin_it) · Rating 3 out of 5]

I obviously downloaded this book hoping to enjoy it, but for some reason I ended up enjoying it more than I thought I would. Now, I won't lie. The beginning throw me off. There are no quotation marks used for dialogue in this book, but that's honestly my biggest critique.

Marlene was a character I quite enjoyed. She was spacy, but often became aware of it. And in the end, she really tried to do what was right by her sister and herself. I especially liked how she ended up standing up to Jack and getting a new sidekick in the process.

There are some subjects that could be triggering, including miscarrying and mentions of drug use.

Books like these really make me wish Goodreads allowed us to rate in half stars, because the book doesn't deserve a 3, but I can't quite rate it a 4 either. Ideally, I would rate it 3.5 stars.

[Devons book corner · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought I was going to really enjoy this book, but it just wasn't my cup of tea. One thing that actually really annoyed me was the fact that there were no quotation marks. It made it harder for me to follow and keep up, and I had to keep re-reading parts to make sure I was understanding what was going on. I guess I felt like I really had to work at this one. I also felt no attachment to Marlene, and I really wasn't compelled to cheer for her or even feel bad or sympathize. There are some pretty heavy topics in this book, so make sure to look up TW before picking this one up.

[Cindy Spear · Rating 5 out of 5]

‘Grief isn’t beautiful, so why should I try to be?’

This line by twin Marlene Ellis really sums up the heart of this novel. It is a story steeped in remorse, loss and regrets. It displays the many deaths that can occur in a person’s life and in some cases in a short span. Death of a parent, death of a relationship, death of a child (through miscarriage) and even death of hopes and dreams. And none of this paints a pretty picture— for grief is intense sadness that includes shock, numbness, denial and anger. Among Other Things shows these emotions quite well through its two main characters, twin sisters, Marlene and Grace.

But with all the realistic sadness seen in this novel, Among Other Things is not just about a series of gloom and doom twists and turns of life. With the lows, come some pretty special highs that bring change, resurrection and healing: much of which starts with the loss of an only parent. Death is a leveller. It draws a person from the shadows into the light and yes can plunge one into darkness, too. But that’s the starting point, not the finish line. These twin sisters have different reactions to their mother’s passing, for they have lived different lives.

The story is more focused on Marlene as it is told from her point of view. She is the prodigal daughter. Whereas Grace is the one who stayed home, close to her mother, did all the right things and lived the best life. Marlene is the rebel who lost a mother she never really knew. The mother she took for granted, blamed, mistreated and disrespected. She is the one filled with an added grief, because now it is too late to make amends for her bad behaviour. How will she move forward when she cannot receive atonement for her past sins? And when she discovers, through a letter left among her mother’s things, why she never revealed the identity of her father, Marlene understands how much her mother loved and protected her from the ugly truth. She wishes she could turn back the clock and fix the things she has broken—particularly her relationships. But although she cannot pour out her heart to her mother now and receive forgiveness, she still has a sister—and her sibling connection becomes even more precious and must be protected, restored and nurtured into wholeness. Thankfully Grace has a kind heart and will take positive steps towards her undeserving sister. And Marlene will learn to support Grace who is not only dealing with the loss of their mother, too, but also infertility and marital issues.

This novel begins with the words ‘You’re pregnant.’ For some women that is good news but for others—a shocking and unwelcomed revelation. For Marlene it is the worst words she could ever hear as the father of her child is unavailable. When she consults him, his solution is brutal. She is shaken and realises this forbidden relationship must end. This action will come in an unexpected way. While sitting in a clinic, her phone rings. It’s her sister with bad news. In a heartbeat, she gathers her belongings, says goodbye to Rose her landlady and leaves the city. Although her mother’s death is the catalyst that breaks the destructive cycle she has been trapped in, it brings her home to her roots. Being away for ten years means much has changed. But she is determined to restore her relationship with her twin sister. Their reunion is difficult but she tries to make amends while assisting with the funeral arrangements. Many memories are passed between them that ultimately draw them closer. I felt the whole process was quite moving and sincere and the author delivers the scenes and emotions well.

The story is told in first person with Marlene being the speaker. She is a well layered character and even though she has massive flaws and made some terrible mistakes, I feel a lot of what happened to her was a result of a lack of communication with her mother. Marlene’s anger and rebellion towards those closest to her, fuelled some bad decisions. Whenever she compared herself to her twin sister, she fell short, too. If her mother had told her the truth of her father, would it have changed or prevented all the tragedy that followed? Maybe.

The novel clearly shows how twin relationships can be difficult ones. Sometimes their personalities are polar opposites. The mistake some people make is expecting twins to be the same—especially if they look alike. Often they feel they have to compete. This heavy burden of false ideals creates unwanted friction and a sense of unworthiness. This can happen between any siblings, of course, but possibly twins feel it more.

Rose is another important person in this story. She is not only Marlene’s landlady but also a mother figure in her life. We get the backstory of how this woman found Marlene, took her in, after she left her mother and sister and moved to the city. It was a nice touch to see Rose reappear at critical life moments to offer much needed support.

I have to say Among Other Things surprised me in many ways. The theme and weight of grief it portrays could be overwhelming for some but I felt it was addressed sensitively and effectively. Marlene does change from the start and even Grace has little measures of growth, so in the end this is not merely a prose elegy of sorrow and melancholy but also a celebration of maturity and joy. For out of serious reflection – life resurrects from lamentations. And healing and wholeness are the outcome. 5 Stars for a great debut. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thanks to Julia at Righteous PR and author Olivia Simons for my review copy.

[Angie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Among Other Things by Olivia Simons tells the story of Marlene, a 28-year-old woman who finds herself single, pregnant and financially unstable at the same time as she receives news that her mother has passed away from a heart attack. Marle is in an abortion clinic at an appointment booked by her married ex-boyfriend when she receives a series of phone calls from her twin sister Grace. Marle left home 10 years earlier and distanced herself, both physically and emotionally, from her twin and mother. Unsure if an abortion is really what she wants, and the sudden urge to immediately head back to her hometown, cause Marle to leave the clinic without an abortion.

Heading home to a small town which you purposely left is never easy. People talk and pass judgement quickly as soon as something exciting happens. Being thrown into those awkward sympathy conversations with people she hasn't spoken to or doesn't remember isn't exactly what Marle wants right now, but she doesn't have much choice. Grace quickly forgives Marle for abandoning her, and the twins fall back into a loving and supportive relationship after only a couple of days. Despite Grace being more stable and responsible, Marle is also able to assume a supportive role as Grace reveals marriage problems and infertility. This novel shows the special bond these twins have even after years apart, while also exploring themes like reproductive rights and challenges, grief and the importance of letting go of assumptions.

For the most part this book was really well written. It is a fairly short book and I read it in less than a day. The chapters are relatively short and there is a good balance between giving enough detail and not dragging any scene or chapter on too long. I also did feel it ended just a bit short as there were a few loose ends left hanging, but that could just be me wanting to know what happens next! In the end it was an interesting and compelling story and I would highly recommend this book and look forward to seeing what lays in store for this author in the future! Thanks to Booksprout and the author for giving me the opportunity to read and voluntarily review this book!

[Ashley Mertz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Among Other Things is available now in Paperback and eBook
⭐️⭐️⭐⭐⭐️ Book Review

Meet the Author: Olivia Simons graduated with a bachelor’s degree in creative writing. She went on to write her debut novel, Among Other Things. She spends her time between work as a copywriter and searching through hidden bookshops. If you can’t find her, she's probably at home reading.

Synopsis: Marlene is having an affair with a married man. When she discovers she is pregnant he sends her straight to an abortion clinic. While at the clinic, Marlene receives a call from her twin sister Grace. Her mother passed unexpectedly. Marlene leaves the clinic, packs a bag, and returns to the hometown she abandoned all those years ago. Full of regret about her past, Marlene must put her big girl panties on and face the people she left behind even if they are passing judgment. Will Marlene be able to pick up all the pieces of her life she left behind?

Reader’s Thoughts: My feelings for Marlene at first were mixed. The fact she was OK with sleeping with a married man irked me and I found myself having trouble feeling sorry for her. Despite my strong feelings for Marlene’s life choices, overall the story line was well written. This novel was fairly short, about 200 pages, allowing me to complete this in just a few hours. I liked that the chapters were also short, allowing me to put the book down and come back frequently without feeling like I missed something.

The relationship between Marlene and Grace was rocky at first but I loved that Marlene put her own troubles aside and focused on Grace’s divorce and infertility. This novel was a true reflection of the bond that twins share, the relationship that sisters endure. Although I truly enjoyed this novel, I felt like it was missing something. I think some flashbacks with some insight into the past would have helped us understand Marlene’s past. Thank you, @KatieandBreyPA for providing me with a complimentary review copy. In no way has that influenced my voluntary review.

[Abhinav Atul · Rating 3 out of 5]

ARC REVIEW

Thank you KATIEANDBREYPA and the author for sharing their ARC for me to enjoy. The review features my own opinion only.

Among Other Things, by Olivia Simons is not a romantic comedy. It is a tragedy through and through.

Not using quotation marks is a stylistic choice of the author. My rating does not take into account that I found it jarring at times to keep up with the story when I was uncertain whether I was reading narration or quotation.

The protagonist, Marlene is a recovered addict, who gets pregnant by a married man she was having an affair with. The man’s reaction is textbook. But before she can take any decision, the news of her mother dying sends shockwaves to her existence.

Back in her hometown, we journey with her and her twin sister Grace, through the one week between their mother’s death and the funeral, where eighty percent of the story takes place, and are greeted with waves of guilt, remorse, heartache, pain, unyielding love, forgiveness and an endless barrage of tears.

The author has crafted a realistic world with people you can believe to exist somewhere. Shallow people, sad people, normal people, and people with such motherly love their presence would make you want to curl up in their lap and close your eyes and forget your woes.

On the other hand, there is hardly anything else going on in the story, so it does run a risk of feeling monotonous, hence my rating.

This novel is a women’s fiction, through and through. In that there’re very few male characters in the story, and those characters don’t get much to do, either. So there is a notable lack of depth from a man’s perspective.

Recommended for mature readers, not for sex but for the mature themes of pregnancy, loss of employment, marital issues, and so many of the day to day things we find ourselves entangled with in LIFE. Must read for women.

My Unabridged Review and book Pre-Order link on www.theversatiledoctor.com

[books_with_sass · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to katieandbreypa and oliviasimons_author for an ARC of Among Other Things.

Marlene has made bad decisions. Who hasn't? An affair with a married man, drugs, estranged from her family. But everything changes when she finds out she's pregnant and that her mother has passed away. Thus begins the story of Marle's homecoming and coming to terms with grief, the repercussions of her actions, and rekindling her relationship with her sister.

This was a fast read, although it is filled with grief and turmoil. Absolutely nothing happens that can be construed as happy, so if you can't handle deep pain and overcoming traumatic events, then this book is not for you. I wouldn't even say that Marle is a character that you can sympathize with, a lot of things that have gone wrong have been her own fault. She's kind of trying to redeem herself, but I don't feel like she's all that successful at it.

This novel did not use quotation marks for the dialogue, which was sometimes very confusing. I had a hard time deciphering between what was dialogue and what was internal monologue/narration. It sometimes made it difficult to read. Since this is an ARC, there are numerous typographical errors and inconsistencies in details which will hopefully be corrected before publication.

All in all, this was an average book, I give it three stars. The story unfolded quickly, and it moved at a fast pace. The ongoing theme of grief and redemption could be rough for some to read.

[Kahkasha Perween · Rating 5 out of 5]

The story is delicate , simple and endearing that captures the essence of human nature and different phases. And honestly it's a beautiful and liberating feeling when you read chapter that make you pause and reflect and most importantly RELATE!
All i have to say that the author has done a great job with penning down the whole book with unbiased honesty and sincerity, making us delve deep into our journey and experiences.

The protagonist of this story is Marle, she had already faced several challenges in her life when she found herself unexpectedly pregnant. Uncertain of how to proceed, she found herself trapped in a difficult situation. Actually she was pregnant. Being forced into an abortion, she finds herself answering a call from her twin sister while in the waiting room of the clinic. Grace, sounding distraught, delivers news that their mother passed away.

This is a story about the bond between sisters, about forgiveness, love and trust. It was absolutely beautiful and I devoured every last chapter. Marle wasn't a bad person, just lost - a young girl trying to escape small town living and blaming her mother for never having known her father - all she wanted to do was build a life of her own. I get that. She grieved, she fought, she cried but at the end she paved a new life for herself, a better one.

[Pages of Pandora · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book “Among Other Things” is written by Olivia Simons. The book is very well written and the author has tried to demonstrate a very emotional story in a beautiful way. The protagonist of the story is Marlene Ellis an young women who was pregnant at and at thay stage she was left out by Jack her boyfriend who already was married to someone else. Little did she knew that her sweet affair with Jack will turn this way. However in such a delicate stage during her pregnancy she was abandoned by Jack. She somehow went to the abortion clinic as she was alone in the city and it was the only option that was available considering the situation. Adversities were not less till now as she gets a call from her twin sister and she got to knew that her mother passed away. This news shattered her and broke even the last remaining hope in her. The book will emotionally motivate you to not give up even at the rock bottom of your life. Just as Marle didn’t as even in such a condition she chooses to go her hometown which she ghosted a long time ago. There are going to be a lot of challenges however she has now made the will to face them all and sail through it. Talking about the title of the book it is appropriate. The cover of the book is very simple yet creative. The book is recommended to everyone.

[Devyani Chandra · Rating 5 out of 5]

Don't get me wrong, this book is excellent. It's steamy, it's a good story, it has interesting dialogue and the plot is really good. From the second the book starts until the last page, it has you in a trance. I was literally up until 3:30am one morning reading because it was so good. That's all I can really say about this book without giving away any great secrets: it's really, really, really good!

It's a gripping story of love denied and reclaimed with all of the details and scenes So, like I said, the plot is amazing (I have never read Olivia before, but I am convinced she is a great, talented author and I will be reading more of her books). you'll definitely like this one. HOWEVER, I do not recommend buying it on Kindle because you won't get the full experience of the book.

* I would also like to include a small side note to my review. I have had the Kindle for about three weeks and it truly is my new best friend. I have had NO other problems with ANY other books. If you love reading, like I do, or even only read once in a while, you need the Kindle. It's worth its weight in gold! I consider it the best invention of the decade! I love love love my Kindle (buy it!), I love love love this book (buy it!)

[Somnath Das · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Among Other Things" by Olivia Simons is a poignant and relatable story that explores the struggles of a young woman who has to navigate the challenges of life after being abandoned by her lover and finding out about her mother's sudden death.

The narrative is beautifully written, and the author skillfully depicts Marle's emotions and the challenges she faces as she tries to pick up the pieces of her life. The author brings to life the small town of Baymoore and its inhabitants, painting a vivid picture of the characters' lives and struggles.

Marle's journey is inspiring, and her resilience in the face of adversity serves as a testament to the strength of the human spirit. The author tackles some heavy themes, including love, loss, and the complexities of human relationships, with a deft hand that keeps the reader engaged from beginning to end.

The characters are well-developed, and the relationships between them are complex and nuanced. The book's pacing is excellent, and the plot unfolds in a way that keeps the reader invested in the story.

Overall, "Among Other Things" is a beautiful and moving book that explores the complexities of life in a thoughtful and insightful way. It is a must-read for anyone who has ever faced adversity and emerged stronger on the other side.

[Ganesh · Rating 4 out of 5]

Olivia Simons' "Among Other Things" tells the tale of trails and tribulations faced by an young woman named Marle.

There is not like a specific antagonist in this story. The situations she would wound up in acts as an antagonist and for the most part, these situations are direct consequences of Marle's actions. Although being a protaganist, she is not like a holy person with all the positive traits attached to her. She makes mistakes, she acknowledges those mistakes, she is empathetic, she grows from those mistakes and she changes her character. These transitions are what I liked most and what makes this story relatable.

The starting 50 pages acts as a setup to the entire story within that short period she faces situations which many people takes a life time to experience. Author doesn't pull her punches and shows the raw emotions one feel when everything goes against us. Although it is very easy to make this character a one dimensional sob monster, I'm glad author didn't take that route.

The writing style is not complex and it is an easy read. The prose used is beautiful and transports us the the scene. I highly recomend this to anyone looking for inspiring stories to get motivated. It helped me a lot

[Rimi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review:
This a very relatable, inspiring, emotional story of a young woman, Marlene.

The story starts with how Marlene is in a very bad situation, she's pregnant and his lover is a married man. Then he refuses to take part in it and asks for a abortion. When she's going through all these heartbreaks, she's informed by het sister that her mother is dead, with whom she didn't talk for 10 years. And she goes back to her hometown and tries to make a new life among all these.

The story is really amazing, as from the very beginning we she how flawed Marlene is. How much she understands little by little where she's wrong and more importantly how she tries to get back her live, and all the decisions she makes to make her life better, and how much strong she becomes at the end of the book. Her journey is somewhat being an inspiring one.

Also I like the simple writing and the medium pace of the story, which helps the story to absorb more, as the author discusses a lot important and sensitive subjects here.

So definitely an amazing short, emotional, hopeful story, that I would love to recommend all.

[Charlotte · Rating 3 out of 5]

From the synopsis I knew this was going to be a wild ride but I definitely wasn’t fully prepared. The growth and relationship development of Marlene and her sister is really comforting and plays a good role of how siblings can reconnect as adults after being estranged. Both characters had such faults and internal issues and stumbled along the way while trying to rebuild that bond.

I struggled a good portion with connecting to or even really finding Marlene as a character I liked. She’s never fully acknowledged her own trauma and how that was projected on others and with that, made some really questionable decisions. Be prepared to open yourself up to the slow burn character growth and transformation. The storyline was one that held several hard hitting topics and situations and didn’t shy away from it. With all the topics it covers, a lot of those that aren’t so forwardly talked about in books and usually are just hinted at. I’d be so curious to read more from the sister’s point of view to get to know her and her struggles too.

[Abigail Wood · Rating 4 out of 5]

The main theme of the book was “coming home” and wow did it encompass all the fears/insecurities with distance within family members but supply you with a beautiful reconnection that makes you feel whole at the end of the book.

There was immense struggle as the book covered such challenging topics (running away from the past, toxic relationships, unexpected pregnancy, family death, struggle to conceive, starting over when you’re older, etc) that at some points the only reprieve felt like the character resilience.

I loved the characters so much! Although I did believe the struggle and how they made it through there were points where I didn’t exactly “believe” that people could be this understanding. I had to remind myself that I want to live in a world where people could act like this through struggle.

Overall great book would absolutely recommend if you don’t mind challenging topics!

[Archana A · Rating 5 out of 5]

"The memories produced a profound sense of guilt for the complete disregard I had shown to my mum during those years."

The book starts off with the two words, "You're pregnant." From then on, the author has made sure that she has grabbed the attention of her readers. Marlene is pregnant by Jack, the man she had an affair with. However, Jack is not to be found, and she's alone in another city. She gets a call from her twin sister Grace, who told her that her mom was dead. What does Marlene do? How does she tackle the situation of her pregnancy, finding Jack and going home?

I haven't read Olivia's novels beforehand, but today, I am glad that I got introduced to this great writer. I felt that this story is just incredible - something that I can recommend to anyone who asks. The way of imbibing curiosity in the reader is just brilliant. The best part is that it's free on Kindle unlimited. It's a great fiction that will not disappoint you.

[Aysha Parween · Rating 5 out of 5]

Book - Among Orher Things
Author - Olivia Simons
Genre - Fiction
Pages - 264
My rating - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐

Whole story revolves around Marlene, a 28-year-old woman. She is having an affair with a married man. When she discovers she is pregnant he sends her straight to an abortion clinic. While at the clinic, Marlene receives a call from her twin sister Grace. Her mother passed unexpectedly. Marlene leaves the clinic, packs a bag, and returns to the hometown she abandoned all those years ago.

The relationship between Marlene and Grace was rocky at first but I loved that Marlene put her own troubles aside and focused on Grace’s divorce and infertility. This novel was a true reflection of the bond that twins share, the relationship that sisters endure.

All i have to say that the author has done a great job with penning down the whole book with unbiased honesty and sincerity, making us delve deep into our journey and experiences.

[Rieka · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wonderful story that hits one both hard life and tragedy. Merle is dealt a hard hand in life and believes she's alone in every aspect. That's until she returns home for a heart felt reason and things start to become a little better day by day. This is a very character driven story. I definitely recommend checking the triggers out on this story if you have any cause it touches some traumatic points.

I don't tend to veer towards character driven stories but I am glad I snagged this one. It was refreshing to read a book that could very well be based on somebody's life story. There were quite a few parts that tug at your heart but there was a few between the sisters that made your heart melt at the type of relationship they were building back. Overall if you enjoy character driven books that contain real life situations and tragedies this would be a perfect book.

[Joanne · Rating 3 out of 5]

ARC Review

Thank you to @katieandbreypa and @oliviasimons_author for sharing their ARC of #Among Other Things

Thoughts:
TW: Recovering addict, maternal death, miscarriage

- The main character, Marle, at the start is quite unlikable, shallow, and selfish.
- She finds out she is pregnant via a married man she is having an affair with. He books her into an abortion clinic (story arc of men controlling women's bodies).
- Her world is shattered when she receives a call to say her mother has died. She returns to her hometown, where she comes full circle, facing some of the same issues her mother did that made her leave. Lots of guilt, sadness, and remorse.
- very relatable themes of parental loss and miscarriage
- negatives smoking and drinking while pregnant and barely mentioned the miscarriage
Overall, it was a decent book and I think lots of readers will love it

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

[Lisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you so much to BookSprout for allowing me the opportunity to read an ARC of "Among Other Things" by Olivia Simons. I am voluntarily leaving my review.

Overall, I rated this novel a 3.5/5 stars!

This novel told the story of Marlene, who has a lot going on in her life at once. After having an affair with a married man, she finds herself pregnant and alone. She schedules an appointment at an abortion clinic to take care of the issue. However, while waiting there, her sister calls with terribly unfortunate news - their mother has passed away. Completely shell-shocked, she leaves the clinic and returns to her small hometown that she once left behind without ever taking the time to look back.

[Casarah Nance · Rating 2 out of 5]

Marley has been through the trifecta of crappy life; she felt cut off from her mother and sister, she has no money and she was fooling around with a married man and got pregnant. As she is in the waiting room for a doctor she receives a phone call, her mom is dead. She has to go back to her old life. There she gets a chance to feel and heal.

So the story wasn't bad. Although I could relate to the main character I had a hard time with the empathy. I feel like if this was a friend telling me her history I would be applauding the change, and I could have definitely felt like I was rooting for the good result and happy endings.

One thing that irked me though, there was no quotation marks when the characters were talking.

[Chey’s Shelf · Rating 3 out of 5]

BOOK REVIEW

Among Other Things by Olivia Simons

⭐️⭐️⭐️

A story of coming home, forgiveness (mainly forgiving yourself), and redemption; a heavy, but beautiful read. The sister dynamic was worth rooting for but I struggled with the main character a bit because most of FMC’s problems were actually her fault. However, the themes of family (whether blood or chosen) being the most important thing in life is hard to miss and that melted my heart.

This book contains no quotation marks which I thought was an incredibly interesting writing style, but ultimately made it difficult for me to keep up with.

TW: infidelity, abortion, miscarriage, infertility, drug use, drug and alcohol abuse.

[Brittney · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a beautiful story of life, tragedy, loss, love and finding your way back home. I adored the characters in this book. Fast paced and wonderfully written.

Among other things tells the story of Marle who finds herself pregnant after having an affair with a married man. While sitting at an abortion clinic she receives a call from her sister telling her their mom is dead. She returns to the place she ran away from ten years ago. Can she learn to let go of the past and move forward? Can she and her sister learn to forgive?

I loved this book wholeheartedly. I received an ARC from the author as part of a review tour from Katie&Brey review team.