I read the original version years ago and greatly enjoyed the deeply flawed characters falling in love. And somehow in the midst of some pretty dark stuff was a lot of humor, this is really what has made me love most of Hall’s books.

This one adds on a scene we didn’t get originally and a peek intro he books the author in the story wrote.

If you haven’t read it before it’s worth a read.

This is a sweet and challenging story about persevering and finding love while struggling with mental illness. I appreciated the candor with which Hall treats her characters.

4.5 ⭐️

It’s going to take some time for my heart to recover from this story! Alexis Hall so perfectly writes messy, complicated love stories that leave your heart tender but full. In each one of their novels, there is a strong focus on mental health and I truly love how they are stories about imperfect people trying to navigate life while seizing moments of joy and love. While people aren’t perfect and love stories aren’t romcoms, this melding of imperfect people who give love freely and without condition is perfect and beautiful.

Though heavier than some of their other works, Glitterland has become a new favorite of mine from Hall. I adored Ash and Darian - two people who on paper shouldn’t make sense, but who complemented each other so well. Nicholas Boulton’s narration was impeccable and I loved his execution of accents and humor, which were delightful and captivating.

No surprise, Hall’s writing was exceptional and perfectly balanced honesty, vulnerability, and sometimes darker moments with those full of light, bravery, and laughter. Glitterland will take readers on a journey that isn’t always sparkly, but is authentic and will remind you there is still joy, humor, and hope even when life and our own fears and doubts may say otherwise. Heartbreaking but hopeful, this story will stay with me for a while.

I do very much love Alexis' more recent releases so it was interesting to see a rerelease and how they have as an artist evolved. However, I can't lie and say that I truly enjoyed this.

It always feels strange reviewing a book that's being re-released for an anniversary edition, because obviously it must be doing alright for a publisher to put the effort in to publishing a new edition with foreword etc... and yet, I did not like this at all.

Perhaps I misunderstood the genre, and the premise. Perhaps it was the narrator. But something about this book I just couldn't vibe with. I felt thrown in at the deep end and almost like I was violating the privacy of these characters at points.
It also felt more like it was trying to romanticise mental health than showing those with bipolar etc. can also be romantically involved,

What do a melodramatic writer and a glitter pirate have in common?

The answer seems like it would be "not much" - and yet these two dissimilar people find in one another exactly what they need. This is the love story of Ash and Darian, two twenty-somethings whose immediate physical attraction grows into something deeper than either of them expected.

Darian is a model who loves outrageous clothing that makes a statement. Ash is a writer who struggles with bipolar disorder and anxiety. Darian is sunshine and chatter. Ash is cleverness and sharp edges. Both are honest characters who are deeply flawed and insecure, and their path to a relationship is littered with realistic potholes.

Besides being a crash course in Essex stereotypes, this book is generously sexy for its two main characters. Glitterland's purple-prose writing style perfectly suits Ash's voice, who by his own admission is not a nice person. His actions and words can be difficult to experience but are a testament to Hall's skill in unapologetically depicting real people without excusing their behavior.

Reading Alexis Hall's first published book as a fan who only recently dipped into his catalog of recent work is a fun experience. I especially love the foreword by the author sharing perspective on the book, as well as the additional bonus stories included as an epilogue that softened and extended the quick ending. I do not think I would have been okay not knowing Darian's reaction to Ash's tattoo! The excerpt of Rick Glass in particular made me laugh because of how perfectly it nails "written by a man who hates himself and at least pretends to hate writing them."

I have no idea what an Essex accent sounds like, but I have a suspicion that the audiobook narrator nails it. Nicholas Boulton's effortless performance is a joy to listen to and joins the ranks of the stellar audiobook treatments many Alexis Hall books are receiving.

Thank you very much to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for an audio ARC in return for my honest review.

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for this audio ARC.

This book is a disgrace to anyone that suffers bipolar disorder, including myself. I am also a board certified psychiatric pharmacist. It paints the MC who suffers from bipolar disorder as a complete jerk because of his bipolar disorder. Bipolar disorder doesn't make you a jerk. Along with this, the symptoms the book claims are due to bipolar disorder aren't typical of bipolar disorder unless you are a rapid cycler. Every stereotype of bipolar is in this book, and it makes me so mad.

I will not be reading this author again.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for an ARC of this book.

The author really went into mental health in depth with the main character. It was heavy at times and it’s important to know the triggers beforehand. I enjoyed seeing the character growth throughout the book and having the main realize that, yes, you can find someone who will love you through good and bad and that you can be happy.