I loved the theme of endurance, both physical and emotional, how her past hurts and insecurities crash into her present mindset.

Just when the voices in her head make her question her sanity a new challenge in the form of lost hiker Olivia complicates Celestes isolated life. I loved the contrast between her chaotic past and this organized present. She has her routines to follow each day and regular check ins with faceless controllers. We’ve all pondered what life on that imaginary deserted island would be like (some of us would need a power supply for our kindles) but Noyes brings this fantasy to life by placing Celeste in isolation for years for research purposes. * A free copy was provided by Netgalley and Bella Books for an honest review.Į.J.

Themes: SE9311, total isolation, experiment, drug addict mother, child abuse, voices in your head, journal, what is real, hug tree, board games, slow time. It’s gripping, it’s dark and unsettling and it will break your heart but at the same time it’s also full of hope and love. Noyes is just at the top of her game here.Ĭeleste Thorne and Olivia Soldano will stay with me for a good long while. The plot, the characters, the pacing, the dialogue, the sex, the twist (although I did guess that one). Buy the book, schedule some time (because you won’t be able to put it down once you start) and just enjoy the ride.

I won’t do a synopsis because I don’t want to spoil anything and if you read the blurb you’ll know enough going in. Noyes is without a doubt one of my top reads for 2019. I recommend to those who love romance, science, seclusion, tension, and Montana.Alone by E. Some of the scenes were so filled with tension, I could hardly stand it. I had a lump in my throat and glossy eyes for the last 1/4 of the book. Nobody will be able to claim it had an ‘abrupt ending.’ But I felt it. It was mostly predictable with exception to the length of time it took to have a resolution. That made interpreting her actions different than you might consider in other stories.Ībove all, this is a love story. Thankfully we are just told about and not shown them.Īt times, I felt that Celeste was too ‘oh woe is me’ and self deprecating but I had to keep reminding myself of the situation she has been in. The main characters’ pasts are filled with painful experiences. The mundane, the repetitiveness, the desperation, and the hallucinations. Celeste is secluded for a long time and we get a lengthy view into what life is like in her habitat. But Celeste is so deprived of connection, she considers allowing the stranger to stay in secret for awhile. She is afraid that this contact has broken the rules and jeopardized her arrangement. She is deep into her routines when an unexpected visitor arrives just after the 3 year mark. Noyes creates a captivating story that focuses on physical and emotional loneliness.Ĭeleste answers an advertisement that leads her to live in a habitat without physical or audible human contact for 3/4 years.

Alone by E.J. Noyes