Danielle N. Dawsen

The Smile Has Left Your Eyes

Rachel Evans

(3.5/5) 3 hours 12 minutes - First I just want to say, for a debut novel, independently published, and by an author (from what I can find) not much older than myself, this was pretty good. The book became more enjoyable and the writing style seemed to improve in the latter half of the book. Throughout the book, but particularly at the start, the dialogue is a bit unrealistic, and the writing style slightly juvenile, but the topics and themes of the book overshone these most of the time. I thought the representation of depression was great - for such a common issue, it is not written about nearly enough, especially in relation to young adults, as Aspen is in this book. The plot was not perfect - there were certainly aspects that were glossed over too much - but it was interesting, and definitely held my attention. It even managed to make me tear up, which is very uncommon for me while reading. Overall, a good debut, and the book only improved as I read through it.

Alex Rodríguez 

*First of all I want to clarify that English is not my first language so there might be some mistakes in the writing of the review but I will do my best to express myself.*

I grew up in a small town in Mexico where I regularly hear homophobic, transphobic and discriminatory comments towards people who do not fit into what they consider "acceptable in the eyes of God". Adding that talks about mental health are non-existent and considered taboo. I grew up developing internalized homophobia, a growing guilt every time I went to church and an inner hatred that destroyed me inside. 
I am much better now, I had people around me who supported me and books that helped me see that I was not alone. That's why when I started the book I wasn't even 10 pages in when I knew this story was going to leave an impact on me. Because it was my younger self reading this, connecting with Aspen in ways I can't quite put into words. 

Danielle does an amazing job of telling the story of what it's like to struggle with mental illness. I have to say that before I started I was a little worried that this topic would be approached poorly and romanticized like in other books, but boy was I surprised when what I found was REALITY. And I think this is something she did very well, reflecting how as raw and sad as it is, this is the reality for many people right now who struggle every day with the hope that someday things will get better. And from the perspective of someone who has gone through that, I thank her with all my heart for writing this book.

Another thing that bothered me was the baseball stuff, because even though it's a sport I enjoy watching, I don't know much of the technical language, but the author wrote the scenes in a very clear way that allowed me to enjoy and also learn more about the sport.

Needless to say I cried, no, I think the best way to describe it would be "crying uncontrollably at 3 am because this book really hit me close to home".
This book will stay in my heart, as will Aspen and Rafe. I am so grateful to have had the opportunity to read it before publication.

One last thing, please check out the TW before reading this book, some of the topics they address may be sensitive to some readers.

The Smile Has Left Your Eyes

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