Thank you Usborne books for this book in exchange for an honest review

Synopsis:

Flora doesn’t do people”, not since the Incident that led to her leaving school midway through her GCSEs. The Incident that led to her being diagnosed with bipolar II. The Incident that left her in pieces. Until Hal arrives. He’s researching a story about a missing World War I soldier, and he wants Flora’s help. Flora used to love history before the Incident, but spending so much time with Hal is her worst nightmare. Yet as they begin to piece together the life of the missing soldier, a life of lost love, secrets and lies, Flora finds a piece of herself falling for Hal

Review:

In the Pieces of Ourselves we meet Flora who opted not to return to school after an incident and decided that she would work at a hotel close to where he brother lives. You can watch as Flora starts to unravel, taking one day at a time while her mind is focused on the past, that is until a hotel guest requires assistance with a historical research project. Flora becomes immersed in the project, trying to get to the bottom of the mystery of those involved, whilst walking cautiously around the hotel guest.

The interactions between Hal and Flora was probably a highlight of the book for me, the tension and appreciation between them was great. And I loved the aspect of Flora’s mental health being a part of this book and shining light on an issue that most try and avoid. You get to see her slowly try and cope mentally on a day to day process and her steps were realistic as well, so you know the author has really done their research. *That opinion is based on people I know with mental illness, it doesn’t speak for all those that suffer from mental illness.

Besides more detail about the setting, this book was gorgeous and one I would recommend.

Rating: 4/5

Publisher: Usborn

ISBN: 9781474940696