Nobody puts me into someone else’s head quite the way Alexis Hall does. Sometimes that’s a problem for me, like when I had to bail on Rosalind Palmer because the narcissist relationship was too visceral for me. In Glitterland, being in Ash’s head meant I was still having that visceral experience and I could see the lights of the oncoming disaster train, but I also could see how he was going to move through and repair the damage he does. It engaged my compassion without triggering my fight or flight response.

Ash is still figuring out how to live after a psychotic episode, a hospitalization, and an attempt to no longer exist. After a well received book of literary fiction, he is making a living writing mysteries, which embarrasses him. His stability is fragile, and he has an antagonistic relationship with the friend/former lover who has been his caretaker. He is steeped in self-loathing.

He meets Darian at a dance club in Brighton while he’s at a bachelor party for a friend. Ash describes Darian as a glitter pirate when he first sees him – he’s flashy, colorful, and joyful. His style and accent mark him as lower in class and education. Ash is desperately attracted to Darian, but loathes himself for it and fears harming Darian. Ash’s volatile mix of emotions swirl through the book. As he see-saws between taking risks that expand his world and retreating into the safety of isolation, we see how the toxicity of his shame and the fragile flame of his feelings for Darian drive his actions.

Predictably, Ash torpedoes his fledgling relationship with Darian. The scene of repair and reconciliation is one of the loveliest I’ve read.

CW: mental illness, depression, anxiety, panic attacks on page and referenced, expressed desire not to exist, self harm and suicide attempt in the past, hospitalization in the past, drug and alcohol use, classism, mental health ableism experienced and unchallenged, lashing out.

I received this as an advance reader copy from Sourcebooks Casablanca and NetGalley. My opinions are my own, freely and honestly given.

I find Alexis Hall to be a hit or miss author. I love the representation in their books, especially with regards to mental health. However, after reading several Alexis Hall books, I feel as if the representation has become a crutch for repetitive storytelling. I’m not a huge fan of books that have phonetic spellings of so much text. Reading this was a bit of a workout in my mind to read so much of the Essex accent and try to figure out what was being said. I hate the way time blurred; I understand this is more common with mental health, but still was too much. I also would’ve never known Ash’s career background without reading the back of the book. This book felt very much like Paris Daillencourt and just fell flat for me since reading other Alexis Hall books. 3⭐️, 3🌶

This book tells a story of a mentally ill man and sunshine-y model from Essex meeting and their heavy attraction.

The prose is stunning, and I'm only on page one. That is my immediate thought. And ouch, it hurts. The writing really immerses you, and it's easy to feel what the Ash is feeling. Just, I wish I could put my love for how good Alexis is at words because truly it is a work of damn art. You have to experience this to understand, I think.

And good Lord, that Essex accent. I adored seeing Ash catch some of Darian's mannerisms. I don't why, but it is so endearing when people catch other's mannerisms/habits/whatnot. It's love to me. I fell totally in love with these characters and all of their flaws and personality traits. Darian and Ash balanced each other perfectly. Darian was extra, simple, and sunshine while Ash was bitter, clever, and anxious. He had a tendency to hurt people, and Darian saw the best in people.

Reading Ash's perspective on his mental illness was rare and heartbreaking. It put you in his shoes as he battled against his own thoughts. I don't think I've read a book that has done that that well yet.

This book was profoundly depressing at times, made me effortlessly hopeful, and cuttingly humorous. I recommend it with all my heart and every ounce of my being.

Glitterland was recommended to me by an Alexis Hall fan, so when I saw that it was on NetGalley, I requested it. It... it wasn't what I was expecting, even having read several AJH books before and knowing how he plays with his genres and his readers. It was a lot darker than even the trigger warning at the beginning would have suggested, much darker and much more detailed. 1.5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Casablanca for the eARC!

4.5 stars

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley and am voluntarily posting a review. All opinions are my own.

With Alexis Hall now being a bit of a bigger name with his more recent work, it was inevitable a big publisher would want to reprint his older work, which works out for readers like me, as I missed out on most of them the first go-around. The Spires series was massively hyped in indie romance circles, and while Glitterland doesn’t quite meet the expectations of the installment I did read prior (For Real), this book is a great early example of Hall’s talent as a writer, especially in terms of handling the difficult subject matter of living with mental illness.

Ash isn’t always likable, but people with mental health issues often aren’t. While I can’t speak to the specifics of the portrayal of bipolar disorder, I appreciate how his anxiety and depression are depicted, making him flawed, but still sympathetic. Yes, he has his moments of feeling rather out-of-touch, but it’s handled with care and self-awareness (and without punching down…something I wish had been handled more delicately in a more recent Hall release which also attempted to depict a lead with anxiety). It walks that delicate line between snobbishness due to one’s background and true self-loathing due to one’s mental state very well.

And I just loved Ash’s dynamic with Darian. Darian is pure sunshine, and the opposite of Ash in pretty much every way, but it works. While there’s a highly sexual element to their relationship, I felt it was well executed, and it works in tandem with the deeper connection Ash is seeking. And ultimately, Ash comes to the realization that he has to actively work to maintain the relationship, instead of continuing to push Darian away.

This is a wonderful book, and I can’t wait for more readers to (re)discover it! If you’re looking for contemporary romance, especially queer romance, with great mental health rep, I strongly recommend this one!

I love Alexis Hall. This is the 12th book of his that I have read this year. It's his first book, and though it's been revised and slightly expanded, you can see his growth as an author when compared to his later work. There are familiar beats that readers may remember from Paris Daillencourt Is About to Crumble including anxiety, panic attacks, and the ways they can impact longstanding relationships and burgeoning romance. Hall's wit is present from the first with several cutting yet hilarious remarks the main character throws in every direction, most often at himself. I was rooting for the curmudgeon and his glitter pirate the whole time.

I am finding lately that Hall is hit or miss for me. I keep chasing that English quirky charm of Boyfriend Material only to fall flat. Don't get me wrong, no one writes mental health rep and lgbtqia stories like Hall. The problem is that sometimes the narrators are so in their heads and overwhelmed with their own issues they can become a little unlikable and the relationships tend to feel a bit shallow. I do give Hall points for incorporating a character with that Essex accent, though and the way he was written was hilarious; Darian the glitter pirate nearly made up for the whole book. Thank you Sourcebooks Casablanca and Netgalley for the egalley.

This was a solid read.

Disclaimer: Thank you for the ARC, my thoughts are my own.

While I had a HARD and I mean H-A-R-D time getting into the book at first, because of the way Darian's "speaking text" is written as a way to make him sound as if he is heavily using his accent.
I did not hate the romance itself, I found the couple cute and their romance felt like it could've happened. It was an enjoyable read, overall I had fun & a lot of the scenes they had together were cute and the author managed to make me root for them.

I don't have bipolar disorder and so I cannot speak on the representation that Ash character brought, but it was nice to have a character who's bipolarity did not take over their whole personality. It is a part of him, but it isn't him. We could see how it affected every aspect of his life and how it also impacted/reflected in his personal relations with other people (family, friends, etc.).

While this is at time a sweet read, do not be fooled by the cover or the old cover (which I highly miss and will mourn in my heart) this is a really emotionally heavy book & not as steamy as I wished. The ending wraps things up nicely.

Overall this was a 4-4.5 /5 stars
Bookarina

I sooooo enjoyed this older M/M British romance from Alexis Hall!!! Being re-released in Jan 2023, this backlist read was emotionally devastating but had the most memorable characters and such INCREDIBLE bipolar/depression rep! The author did an amazing job writing about the MC's mental health and suicidal ideation. When struggling writer Ash has a quick one night stand with a younger Essex model, he never thinks there might something worth pursuing with this beautiful man who can make him laugh. I really loved this love story and the way the Devon was there for Ash even after he treats him terribly. Great on audio and a definitely standout read for me this year! Much thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a digital copy of this book in exchange for my honest review!

This one has been on my TBR for a long time and I am so so excited for this new edition. As usual, Alexis Hall pushed all of my buttons and I fell utterly in love with this story. The writing is beautiful, the characters interesting and real and just so damn lovable at the end. Big yes.

I read this story in two days and had to stay up all night to finish it.
Glitterland is a book that generated a lot of feelings in me. It has a long list of trigger warnings to be aware of before you start reading.
Suicide, anxiety problems, bipolar disorder, depression and panic attacks are some of the topics that are dealt with throughout the story.
I did laugh a lot while reading though, the romance was funny and sweet. Most of all, I liked the way Darian and Ash interacted. Of the two, Darian was my favorite character, as she has characteristics that are hard to find in mainstream LGBTQ books (at least I haven't read many stories that have main characters like that). I also liked Ash, he is an imperfect character, who makes many mistakes, but who you want to support to improve. While reading I only wished that he was happy.
Despite the cute part, the book is also quite spicy, it has a lot of 18+ scenes for those who enjoy this kind of content.
The narrative is simple, but ingenious. At first I had trouble understanding Darian's English. This is not a negative point, my English is not that good for now, but I liked it because I feel that it helped me to improve, at the end of the book I was able to read it perfectly, so it was a very fun experience.
In general I enjoyed reading, I laughed and I was anguished in equal parts. Darian and Ash are an absolutely adorable couple, I'd love to read more about them in the future. Above all, I would like to get to know Darian a little more.

This was a touching, and at times heartbreaking, depiction of love and mental illness. Ash suffers from type 1 bipolar disorder, depression, and anxiety. He’s a successful novelist who struggles to find joy or meaning in his everyday life. One day he meets Darian, a flamboyant model, and what begins as a one night stand becomes something more.

I loved several aspects of this book, particularly the way Ash’s mental illness was portrayed. I myself have diagnosed major depressive disorder and anxiety and found Ash’s struggles highly relatable. He’s not a perfect person, he can be cowardly and cruel, prickly and judgemental. He often engages in self-sabotage and pushes away the people he cares about. Through all of this, you can see a complex picture of a flawed human being and he is masterfully written.

Darian is also lovely, there’s far more to him than Ash’s initial (low) impression would lead you to believe. He is steadfast and caring, an optimist who values honesty and loyalty. He and Ash shouldn’t work but they really do, opposites attract and Darian brings out the best in Ash.

Thank you to NetGalley and SOURCEBOOKS Casablanca for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

This is my review of “Glitterland” by Alexis Hall. Thank you to the publisher for approving me for the arc via NetGalley.

I believe with this book your mileage may vary depending on how close you are to the themes depicted and your connection to the MC who somewhat polarizing himself.
For me personally, I read this at the right time to make the most out of it, connect and enjoy the book. I’m very glad I got the chance to read this just now. It might have passed right above me if I’d picked it up a year or two ago.

I would describe it as a mix of “Work for It” (one of my top romances and mm books), “How To Be A Normal Person” and a dash of “Boyfriend Material”.

There were some Easter eggs pointing to the author and his other books… That was an interesting experience.

I highlighted so much stuff, unusual of me with romances and contemporaries. According to my kindle, all the highlights combined were about 6% of the entire book. Which both seems little and a lot.
Some of my notes were related to Ash and his history, character and interactions with the world and his mind. Others were deep meaningful stuff, some things that resonated with me and my own experience.

“Glitterland” was not what I was expecting from the blurb, and maybe that’s why I didn’t try this earlier. It’s much more nuanced and deeper, less trauma-porn and miserable time for the reader. I found it’s still hopeful by the end.

I was afraid of the (bad) cliché of “finding that one person that heals and makes life worth it” which as always misleading, romanticized, and problematic, so should be left in the 2010’s. But Hall managed to break the mold and subvert the trope, while staying relevant to the story, its characters, and themes. Frankly, the book got better as I kept reading, managing to keep me very interested and invested. I hoped Hall would stick the landing, and fortunately it was up to standard, even the “Third Act Break-up” was done masterfully.

Not everyone would connect to Ash. And that might mean they wouldn’t enjoy and get much out of the novel, in comparison to me.
Some sentences were lifted straight from my own mind and life. So far, I haven’t encountered much of that in other books or media, so I was touched and felt seen.

Ash is not the most likable character, but that’s totally intentional and realistic It’s also why I saw myself in him, related to him quite a lot and by the end liked him as the main character. It would be a disaster for us to my friends in real life, though. He’s deeply flawed, but by the end he tried owning up to his past acts to be better in the future. He had some serious character growth.

I feel like “Gilitterland” has better and deeper depiction of mental illness (anxiety, depression and maybe bipolarity) compared to “Boyfriend Material” which I read almost two years ago, or maybe I’m just different myself. But it’s not a competition in any way, both are good books in their own right, and both I enjoyed. In my eyes, BM can be considered more of a traditional romance, with some rep, while Glitterland was much more fiction about mental health, with a romance side-plot.

I liked that the story was more focused on the main characters and less on the side characters. Although they (Neil, Max, Amy and Chloe) were much more interesting and less annoying than those in BM. So I wouldn’t have minded even then. I could read about more about to be honest.

English isn’t my native tongue, so I had a bit of a hard time in the beginning trying to read Darian’s lines. It wasn’t a big deal in the end, I managed to quickly catch on and I enjoyed the challenge and seeing different written forms of English that are less common to my daily life. But this could be a challenge to some readers. Maybe the audiobook version is easier to understand?

Coming to GLITTERLAND after Alexis Hall's BOYFRIEND MATERIAL was both difficult and disappointing. I realize that GLITTERLAND is actually one of his earlier works. The subject matter is heavy, and Hall does provide a list of warnings at the beginning of the book for those who might struggle with the content. I simply didn't find myself interested in Ash or his struggles. He wasn't particularly likable, and while I was sympathetic to Hall's portrayal of mental illness and the suffering it causes, I didn't want to read about it for entertainment.

Similar in subject, tone, and characterization as Hall's "Boyfriend Material," I found this book to be predictable. Not a bad read, but also not one that I found difficult to put down.

Complicated, cynical and stirring, Glitterland is a heartwarming read.

With wonderfully written, relatable, and so very human characters and full of humor, hurt and hope, Ash and Darian stole my heart. Their story had me laughing, crying and swooning so hard, leaving me completely dazzled with it's unique type of glittery charm.

5 stars and a silver nail polish

Thank you Netgalley and Sourcebook for this advanced copy.

Glitterland broke my heart.
My first book from Alexis Hall was Boyfriend Material. It was Romcom, and had mental health issue, but hilarious.

Then, I read Glitterland, I know it was first published in 2013, so glad that Sourcebooks picked up this book to be published in 2023.

This book felt so different. Alexis Hall's prose was surprisingly beautiful and Made me drowning more into Ash' thoughts. Also Ash' bipolar and depressive self literally killing me. I was on my bed around 02;30 AM, cried over worlds Niall had said to Ash'.

But, I found it was hard to understand what Darian's saying. I thought it would be better if Hall just told us that Darian's accent was Sexy, without added the aacent in writing too.

Also the conflict felt too flat to me. Miscommunication.... Yes, so typical

Over all 3.5 rating.

A cute story about a bipolar writer and an aspiring fashion model. The story is - as to be expected - simplified but very endearing. Some passages and actions were questionable or partly hard to understand. The resolution of the plot at the end was - in my opinion - too easy and fast. But that's also what's charming about Hall's writing - he tells a story about seemingly complex characters that would under no circumstances work for each other, but somehow he makes it work. It sometimes seems a little bit forced, given one of them is a privileged and educated writer, the other a self-procclaimed - and also for the reader clearly visible - superficial person. But he's there for Ash and seems like the right person for him. Hall tries to show the difficulties of living and being in a relationship with a person with bipolar disorder and suicidal tendencies, but the theme is so complex that a simple romantic romcom does not give it enough credit. But that's also not the intention of such a book. All in all I thought it was an enjoyable read if you're looking for something entertaining without too much complexity.

Glitterland by Alexis Hall is one of my favorite books of all time.
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When I saw that this book is getting released on 1/17/23 with a beautiful new cover, I was so thrilled!! I have been shoehorning this book into conversations for a while now, and I’m so excited for it to find new readers!! This is Hall at his best: gorgeous prose, deeply romantic, with two unforgettable characters that stay with you for a long time.
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Speaking of characters… Ash & Darian are polar opposites. Grumpy x sunshine, if you will. While I adore bubbly & charming Darian, Glitterland is Ash’s story in a way. We get his POV, so we spend a lot time in his head, and I…I just love him. I feel for him. The mental health rep in this book takes on some heavy shit, but it does so with a kind of tender grace and care that never feels irresponsible or even surface level. Hall doesn’t back away from the ugly parts of Ash’s story. The book is better for it, too. But even through the winding road of Ash & Darian’s journey, this book is still very sexy. Like, really sexy. And funny! Hall imbues this book with his signature British wit that I find so fun to read.
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This wasn’t my first time reading Glitterland and it certainly won’t be my last. Why is that? Well… it’s got some of the best character work I’ve ever read. An unforgettable story about two strangers finding a real connection when they least expect it. About embracing happiness even when you think you don’t deserve it. And realizing that you don’t have to earn love–because love is for all of us, even those of us who carry burdens through life.
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Heads up: Glitterland does start with an author’s note regarding content warnings, which include a character with bipolar depression, mentions of self-harm and suicidal ideation, and more. Please read at your comfort level.
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Thank you to @sourcebookscasa for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

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This was enjoyable to read. Story kept me interested even though you know that Ash is going to meet it up and is mean to Darian, but you root for them anyway.