What do you think?
Rate this book
The Smile Has Left Your Eyes
“We've been best friends for fourteen years. Did you really think I wouldn't notice? I can see it... in your eyes. Your smile never reaches your eyes.”
When Aspen Ace falls, he falls hard. It’s a gradual descent that happens so naturally, Aspen doesn’t even recognize anything’s changed until he’s already neck-deep in an unrequited love for his best friend, Rafe Alvarez.
Nervous and insecure, Aspen brings this new revelation to the person he trusts most—his older brother, Alex. He doesn’t expect to be met with unconditional acceptance, but the reaction he receives is nightmare fodder. Regret barely scratches the surface of Aspen’s emotions when his brother decides to blackmail him, but with no other option, Aspen learns to survive. Aspen can deal with the abuse as long as Alex keeps his sexuality a secret. He’ll just wait it out. Aspen will graduate high school with a baseball scholarship and get the hell out of his conservative hometown… if he can endure. But he can’t, and Aspen’s suddenly fighting not only his brother, but the all-consuming monster in his head.
Danielle Dawsen takes us through a journey of prevailing love surrounded by hate and the demons that linger in her brilliantly crushing debut novel, The Smile Has Left Your Eyes.
When Aspen Ace falls, he falls hard. It’s a gradual descent that happens so naturally, Aspen doesn’t even recognize anything’s changed until he’s already neck-deep in an unrequited love for his best friend, Rafe Alvarez.
Nervous and insecure, Aspen brings this new revelation to the person he trusts most—his older brother, Alex. He doesn’t expect to be met with unconditional acceptance, but the reaction he receives is nightmare fodder. Regret barely scratches the surface of Aspen’s emotions when his brother decides to blackmail him, but with no other option, Aspen learns to survive. Aspen can deal with the abuse as long as Alex keeps his sexuality a secret. He’ll just wait it out. Aspen will graduate high school with a baseball scholarship and get the hell out of his conservative hometown… if he can endure. But he can’t, and Aspen’s suddenly fighting not only his brother, but the all-consuming monster in his head.
Danielle Dawsen takes us through a journey of prevailing love surrounded by hate and the demons that linger in her brilliantly crushing debut novel, The Smile Has Left Your Eyes.
400 pages, Paperback
First published January 11, 2022
About the author
Danielle Dawsen
1 book30 followersDanielle Dawsen was born and raised in Northern California and now lives in San Luis Obispo, where they attend California Polytechnic State University. As a homebody, their favorite pastimes include cuddling with their mini bernedoodle, Koda, consuming all kinds of fiction, and writing emotional stories with the goal of making their readers ugly cry.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 103 reviews
January 19, 2022
this was written exactly like a wattpad book. everything about the characters, the pacing, the dialogue, the writing style, felt so juvenile. and the dialogue ohhh my goddd. it was so flat.i just couldn't look past the dialogue. everyone spoke and interacted so weirdly. like
January 15, 2023
3.5 stars ✨
Esse livro foi agonia do início ao fim, muito triste tudo que aconteceu com Aspen. Acho que a autora exagerou na dose do drama, sei que ela quis passar uma mensagem para quem tem transtornos como Aspen, mas acho que ela fez isso da forma mais exagerada possível. Teve outros problemas nesse livro que vou mencionar em um futuro review no meu blog.
Esse livro foi agonia do início ao fim, muito triste tudo que aconteceu com Aspen. Acho que a autora exagerou na dose do drama, sei que ela quis passar uma mensagem para quem tem transtornos como Aspen, mas acho que ela fez isso da forma mais exagerada possível. Teve outros problemas nesse livro que vou mencionar em um futuro review no meu blog.
March 23, 2022
I received an ARC of this book and I’m leaving an honest review.
It took me a while to read this and I’m posting the review a little late because of university :( BUT I MADE IT TO THE END!! YAY
Questioning your sexuality, dealing with homophobia, depression and self harm are all topic I’m personally close to, but I couldn’t completely relate to the way they were portrayed in this book, but that might just be because people experience those things in different ways and I was always lucky enough not to live them in such an extreme way.
During the first half of the book I felt in a kind of anxious rush to know what was going to happen to Aspen, if people were going to find out about him and what was going to happen with Rafe. I lost interest a bit in the middle when the story focused more on the sport than anything else, but I’m glad I continued reading because it got better again towards the end. The last three chapters made me cry so it definitely deserves the four stars.
Overall, I liked the plot and I especially liked the writing style. I think the writer has great potential and I’m curious to see what they will write in the future.
It took me a while to read this and I’m posting the review a little late because of university :( BUT I MADE IT TO THE END!! YAY
Questioning your sexuality, dealing with homophobia, depression and self harm are all topic I’m personally close to, but I couldn’t completely relate to the way they were portrayed in this book, but that might just be because people experience those things in different ways and I was always lucky enough not to live them in such an extreme way.
During the first half of the book I felt in a kind of anxious rush to know what was going to happen to Aspen, if people were going to find out about him and what was going to happen with Rafe. I lost interest a bit in the middle when the story focused more on the sport than anything else, but I’m glad I continued reading because it got better again towards the end. The last three chapters made me cry so it definitely deserves the four stars.
Overall, I liked the plot and I especially liked the writing style. I think the writer has great potential and I’m curious to see what they will write in the future.
January 11, 2022
This book.
This book was hard to read. Not because it was bad, not at all. This book was hard to read because every time I picked it up it gutted me. I cried over these boys so many times. Every time my heart would break, it would heal only to break a few pages later. It was a beautiful book, and I can’t wait for this author’s next work. It was amazing and raw and it hurt so much, as someone who struggles immensely with mental health. At first, it was a lot to handle, but I couldn’t help but read on. To anyone who does decide to read this book, know that taking breaks when reading is completely okay.
I was kindly given an ARC by the author and my review is nothing but my own thoughts <3
This book was hard to read. Not because it was bad, not at all. This book was hard to read because every time I picked it up it gutted me. I cried over these boys so many times. Every time my heart would break, it would heal only to break a few pages later. It was a beautiful book, and I can’t wait for this author’s next work. It was amazing and raw and it hurt so much, as someone who struggles immensely with mental health. At first, it was a lot to handle, but I couldn’t help but read on. To anyone who does decide to read this book, know that taking breaks when reading is completely okay.
I was kindly given an ARC by the author and my review is nothing but my own thoughts <3
January 13, 2022
I was given an arc copy of this book and the review you will be given is more than authentic.
Ok, Wow.
I cried and then I smiled way too much for it to be normal and then I cried again and so on.
Now, this book is not perfect. The beginning, I would say the first 50 to 100 pages, is more inexperienced writing and kind of an awkward setting, but the writing development after this…Magical.
This book is mainly about mental health issues and Aspen’s journey and while I found the way mental health, abuse and such were written really well and true, the transition between those scenes and the rest of the book were really abrupt. The first third of the book was really intense and then nothing. In the middle of the book, it kinda just stopped and was all about baseball and then made a comeback for the end out of no where. While it didn’t really change whether I liked the book or not, it’s something that you do realize is happening while reading.
I know close to nothing about baseball, but this was detailed. I didn’t understand a single thing of the sport, but it was so incredibly detailed that I was hyping the author up for writing it and I don’t even know if it’s true or not. I found that this small thing made my reading experience better for some reason.
There is romance and it’s really cute. Their character development is insane and as the story goes, not only do they grow, but their situations change and they find a bit of everything they’ve ever needed.
It does deal with heavy trauma and abuse so just be aware going into this.
I recommend it to everybody who needs realism and not the fake concept that everything is always perfect.
Overall 3.5 to 4⭐️
Ok, Wow.
I cried and then I smiled way too much for it to be normal and then I cried again and so on.
Now, this book is not perfect. The beginning, I would say the first 50 to 100 pages, is more inexperienced writing and kind of an awkward setting, but the writing development after this…Magical.
This book is mainly about mental health issues and Aspen’s journey and while I found the way mental health, abuse and such were written really well and true, the transition between those scenes and the rest of the book were really abrupt. The first third of the book was really intense and then nothing. In the middle of the book, it kinda just stopped and was all about baseball and then made a comeback for the end out of no where. While it didn’t really change whether I liked the book or not, it’s something that you do realize is happening while reading.
I know close to nothing about baseball, but this was detailed. I didn’t understand a single thing of the sport, but it was so incredibly detailed that I was hyping the author up for writing it and I don’t even know if it’s true or not. I found that this small thing made my reading experience better for some reason.
There is romance and it’s really cute. Their character development is insane and as the story goes, not only do they grow, but their situations change and they find a bit of everything they’ve ever needed.
It does deal with heavy trauma and abuse so just be aware going into this.
I recommend it to everybody who needs realism and not the fake concept that everything is always perfect.
Overall 3.5 to 4⭐️
August 22, 2022
an LGBTQ+ sports story with mental health representation? why not! …honestly, not only do i not recommend this book, but i recommend not wasting your time on this almost interesting and pretty harmful story.
this book was messy, rushed, abrupt, and a little all over the place. The biggest pro is that it had moments of good representation for depression but even that felt used grossly as a plot device at times. The author did not go deep enough into the topic to go as far as they did, especially closer to the end with an abrupt switch to a happily ever after epilogue.
TW: abuse, depression, graphic self harm, multiple suicide attempts, homophobia, neglect
this book was messy, rushed, abrupt, and a little all over the place. The biggest pro is that it had moments of good representation for depression but even that felt used grossly as a plot device at times. The author did not go deep enough into the topic to go as far as they did, especially closer to the end with an abrupt switch to a happily ever after epilogue.
TW: abuse, depression, graphic self harm, multiple suicide attempts, homophobia, neglect
March 13, 2022
This read like a wattpad fanfiction; the first person narrative I felt just didn’t work quite right in this book and half of the book felt like cheap character bashing. Furthermore the homophobic insults just read like the most shallow and generic lines ever with blatant murder attempts being ignored.
The book makes several references to gay relationships not being accepted at the time and yet gives no time frame or clear location. This is frustrating when in Aspen’s high school; village and first baseball trials like EVERYONE is homophobic and on his next team no one has an issue with it.
The dialogue just felt flat and unnatural and characters weren’t well developed (like Rafe’s mum is very homophobic and then in one sentence suddenly becomes such a supportive ally - that change just felt too idealistic and fast). The doctors also are apparently just giving surgery and stitches for free due to some clinic which is not at all reflective of the struggles for healthcare in the US and felt like an easy-fix for why Aspen was getting medical help without his parents knowing.
I wish I could enjoy this book because gay sports book with trauma is my absolute favourite weirdly specific genre yet it just wasn’t well written or eventful enough.
The book makes several references to gay relationships not being accepted at the time and yet gives no time frame or clear location. This is frustrating when in Aspen’s high school; village and first baseball trials like EVERYONE is homophobic and on his next team no one has an issue with it.
The dialogue just felt flat and unnatural and characters weren’t well developed (like Rafe’s mum is very homophobic and then in one sentence suddenly becomes such a supportive ally - that change just felt too idealistic and fast). The doctors also are apparently just giving surgery and stitches for free due to some clinic which is not at all reflective of the struggles for healthcare in the US and felt like an easy-fix for why Aspen was getting medical help without his parents knowing.
I wish I could enjoy this book because gay sports book with trauma is my absolute favourite weirdly specific genre yet it just wasn’t well written or eventful enough.
August 19, 2022
well… that was something.
August 22, 2022
sorry but it's literally written like a fanfiction, the story is okay but i just couldn't erase the writting style hence the low rating
January 10, 2022
*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.
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.
January 13, 2022
This book is amazing and one to read over and over again. The storyline is great and the characters have great personality that readers can connect to. Pays attention to mental health and triggering subjects some people may find hard to read. Overall it’s a great book I would recommend to anyone.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
November 8, 2022
- the rare 1 star i give out
- literally the only halfway decent character was zander
- what the fuck was the plot
- seemed fetishy of mental illness and self-harm
- to add onto that, it was used as purely shock value
- there was maybe one or two good lines in the entire book
- NO ONE had chemistry with each other
- caricatures caricatures and say it with me... ✨caricatures✨
- i only finished this because a) it was an easy read and b) i don't dnf if i'm too far into it
- overall: wtf. at least the cover's nice
- literally the only halfway decent character was zander
- what the fuck was the plot
- seemed fetishy of mental illness and self-harm
- to add onto that, it was used as purely shock value
- there was maybe one or two good lines in the entire book
- NO ONE had chemistry with each other
- caricatures caricatures and say it with me... ✨caricatures✨
- i only finished this because a) it was an easy read and b) i don't dnf if i'm too far into it
- overall: wtf. at least the cover's nice
Read
February 18, 2024I checked out a few reviews right now and was amused by how torn the ratings are. So, I've not read any wattpad stories so I can't say if this reads like them which seems to be one of the biggest criticisms and although I found things unrealistic at times like commenters have mentioned: this book made me feel. I was crying at ten percent. The first third of this book is exclusively pain and desperation and I cannot believe there aren't any CWs in the book because:
CWs:
What I think this book did very well though was not having a magical fix for depression. It is also fade to black (I think) so it doesn't have a pain-sex-pain-sex pattern (hard to recall although I read it all today because the MCs have a lot of on-page emotional intimacy). I was also happy they found a magically 100% non-homophobic team after leaving the 200% homophobic hell hole they came from because they needed a fucking break (could they have come from a 80% hell hole and ended in a slightly more realistic team? Yes).
Some quotes
CWs:
What I think this book did very well though was not having a magical fix for depression. It is also fade to black (I think) so it doesn't have a pain-sex-pain-sex pattern (hard to recall although I read it all today because the MCs have a lot of on-page emotional intimacy). I was also happy they found a magically 100% non-homophobic team after leaving the 200% homophobic hell hole they came from because they needed a fucking break (could they have come from a 80% hell hole and ended in a slightly more realistic team? Yes).
Some quotes
"I hate seeing you like this, hurting. I can't-I can't. I don't want you to be in pain, I don't want you to hurt or cry or be here. And I want to hug you and kiss you and tell you everything's going to be alright, but I can't because you're not alright. You're already hurting and a kiss won't magically take your pain." (p. 150)
"...And even though my words will never be enough to convince you that your scars don't make you ugly, that they don't make you less, I'll believe it enough for the both of us." (p. 257)
"I used to think that getting out would be enough. I used to think that a handsome prince with tan skin shielded in impenetrable armor would come rushing in, save me like a damsel in distress. I thought that he'd make all my problems go away, like being loved would be a cure-all. But even when the prince came–" Aspen's throat sounded as if it had been through a shredder, the words escaping came out rougher than they ever had. "Even when the prince came...and saved me and took me away from hell, and showed me how beautiful life could be in a castle full of love, the voice wouldn't leave me alone. That feeling in my chest wouldn't leave me alone." (p. 388)
January 18, 2022
This book was heartbreakingly beautiful, it made me incredibly upset, sad, but in the end it made me extremely happy i started crying.
The first half had me fearing for the characters and filled with anxiousness but after that, it all slowly took place and started fixing and growing alongside the characters, it was beautiful to see that recovery.
One of the best books I've ever read, so glad I found it. I'll love Rafe and Aspen forever.
The first half had me fearing for the characters and filled with anxiousness but after that, it all slowly took place and started fixing and growing alongside the characters, it was beautiful to see that recovery.
One of the best books I've ever read, so glad I found it. I'll love Rafe and Aspen forever.
Read
August 15, 2023 Honestly, this book may be written like a Wattpad story but let's look even beyond that. I feel like the center of the book should have been the relationship or something around there. But when the two got together it kind of felt like the book was done. Like when Aspen, the main character, had gotten what he wanted. yes, he loved baseball, but he loved his best friend more. There wasn't really anything for the reader to hold on to if that makes sense?
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 11, 2022
This book is literally amazing!
If you haven’t read this, what hole have you been hiding in?
I wasn't ready to put it down. Honestly read this book already!
If you haven’t read this, what hole have you been hiding in?
I wasn't ready to put it down. Honestly read this book already!
August 24, 2023
real rating 2.5/5
this book was a confusing read for me. while i did laugh at some parts, and i enjoyed aspen and rafe’s relationship for the most part, i also thought this book lacked in many areas. i really wanted to like it, the synopsis intrigued me, but i was left just kinda confused on how i feel overall.
i don’t know if i missed the content warning in the being of the book, but this book REALLY needed more warnings of the details of abuse, homophobia/slurs that were said, self harm etc. i understood there were mental health and abuse tags added, but that wasn’t enough. i didn’t know this book was going to go into such extreme detail of the self harm, abuse and suicide attempts aspen experienced and it gave me whiplash throughout the book. nothing really gets to me usually, and im not saying books can’t talk about these topics, but if your book is gonna go into detail about any of these things warnings should be put at least in the beginning of the story, bare minimum. (update: apparently this was a wattpad story before it was published and the cws were put on wattpad but not the published book?)
overall the dialogue was really awkward at times, aspen went on tangents that weren’t needed and it dragged on a lot. this book was also a lot longer than it needed to be, but also simultaneously the ending was very abrupt. the pacing wasn’t that good and while i did enjoy the detailed explanations of baseball it kinda dragged on, especially during the tryouts. some of the side characters were very shallow and i wanted more of them, and some descriptions of the poc characters bothered me.
the mixed reviews of this book i definitely understand now, you either hate it or love it and i really wanted to like this, it had good sequences here and there, but i was trying my hardest to not DNF half way through.
this book was a confusing read for me. while i did laugh at some parts, and i enjoyed aspen and rafe’s relationship for the most part, i also thought this book lacked in many areas. i really wanted to like it, the synopsis intrigued me, but i was left just kinda confused on how i feel overall.
i don’t know if i missed the content warning in the being of the book, but this book REALLY needed more warnings of the details of abuse, homophobia/slurs that were said, self harm etc. i understood there were mental health and abuse tags added, but that wasn’t enough. i didn’t know this book was going to go into such extreme detail of the self harm, abuse and suicide attempts aspen experienced and it gave me whiplash throughout the book. nothing really gets to me usually, and im not saying books can’t talk about these topics, but if your book is gonna go into detail about any of these things warnings should be put at least in the beginning of the story, bare minimum. (update: apparently this was a wattpad story before it was published and the cws were put on wattpad but not the published book?)
overall the dialogue was really awkward at times, aspen went on tangents that weren’t needed and it dragged on a lot. this book was also a lot longer than it needed to be, but also simultaneously the ending was very abrupt. the pacing wasn’t that good and while i did enjoy the detailed explanations of baseball it kinda dragged on, especially during the tryouts. some of the side characters were very shallow and i wanted more of them, and some descriptions of the poc characters bothered me.
the mixed reviews of this book i definitely understand now, you either hate it or love it and i really wanted to like this, it had good sequences here and there, but i was trying my hardest to not DNF half way through.
Read
January 12, 2022I am very confused on how I feel about this book. There was a lot going on from the very beginning, and it was very heavy.
CW includes self, suicide attempts and suicidal ideation, abuse, homophobia, abuse because of homophobia, attempted homicide?, drug abuse, alcohol as a coping mechanism, homophobia because of christianity, etc etc. I am sure there is so much I am leaving out so much more.
Aspen is a closeted gay guy in his small homophobic christian town, and he's on the baseball team. The only thing in his life he stays around for is his best friend, Rafe, who he's waiting to get tired of him. There were many points I considered DNF-ing it, but I stuck through it. It was just so much at times, and as much as I generally like heavy books, I don't think this one handled all of the topics well. The first 40ish% of the book was so heavily focused on Aspen's being abused and self harming, and then most of the middle and beginning of the end was just focused on baseball. I have no idea how accurate the baseball parts were, but they were enjoyable and easy to root for Aspen. The start of the ending was also a bit jarring after so much not.
It was easy to like Aspen and Rafe for the most part. But so many parts of the story didn't feel entirely flushed out. And something that especially bothered me was how Rafe was described. The author tries to include poc side characters, and I appreciate it, but I don't think she did a great job of writing them. Especially Rafe. There is a scene early on where they go to Rafe's house, and the way the author writes about them being Mexican made me incredibly uncomfortable and it was clear she did not know what she was writing.
I felt like I both liked and disliked this book, but maybe I feel like I liked what this book could've been more than the book itself.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
CW includes self, suicide attempts and suicidal ideation, abuse, homophobia, abuse because of homophobia, attempted homicide?, drug abuse, alcohol as a coping mechanism, homophobia because of christianity, etc etc. I am sure there is so much I am leaving out so much more.
Aspen is a closeted gay guy in his small homophobic christian town, and he's on the baseball team. The only thing in his life he stays around for is his best friend, Rafe, who he's waiting to get tired of him. There were many points I considered DNF-ing it, but I stuck through it. It was just so much at times, and as much as I generally like heavy books, I don't think this one handled all of the topics well. The first 40ish% of the book was so heavily focused on Aspen's being abused and self harming, and then most of the middle and beginning of the end was just focused on baseball. I have no idea how accurate the baseball parts were, but they were enjoyable and easy to root for Aspen. The start of the ending was also a bit jarring after so much not.
It was easy to like Aspen and Rafe for the most part. But so many parts of the story didn't feel entirely flushed out. And something that especially bothered me was how Rafe was described. The author tries to include poc side characters, and I appreciate it, but I don't think she did a great job of writing them. Especially Rafe. There is a scene early on where they go to Rafe's house, and the way the author writes about them being Mexican made me incredibly uncomfortable and it was clear she did not know what she was writing.
I felt like I both liked and disliked this book, but maybe I feel like I liked what this book could've been more than the book itself.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
May 25, 2023
Read like wattpad, which isn’t bad bc love me some wattpad… but in this case it isn’t a compliment. I don’t know how to fully feel about this one, I enjoyed it enough to finish it, but the way it was paced and the plot points just were flat? Borderline problematic almost, it seemed to give me very fetishisation of SH and the homophobia was just meh.. if I read this when I was 12 I would’ve eaten it up, wasn’t the best but wasn’t the worst either.
Read
January 16, 2023Ok, this book is heavy and you have to be prepared for the CW‘s.
I really get all the negative reviews but I also get the positive ones. I think it’s just one of these stories you either hate or love, you either feel or just don’t. Both is fair.
But can we just stop the fanfiction bashing?
I really get all the negative reviews but I also get the positive ones. I think it’s just one of these stories you either hate or love, you either feel or just don’t. Both is fair.
But can we just stop the fanfiction bashing?
Shelved as 'dnf'
March 3, 2022DNF at 43%
DNFing simply because I don’t think I can mentally handle it for a while. I’ll probably return to it within the next few months though
DNFing simply because I don’t think I can mentally handle it for a while. I’ll probably return to it within the next few months though
August 11, 2022
Was the plot good? No.
the dialogue? No.
the characters? No.
what about the story development? No.
did you love it? Absolutely.
the dialogue? No.
the characters? No.
what about the story development? No.
did you love it? Absolutely.
Read
September 12, 2022so basically i’ll dnf every book ever is that what’s happening???
January 18, 2024
was this good? not particularly.
did i like it anyway? yes, most definitely.
did i like it anyway? yes, most definitely.
January 5, 2022
Growing up in a small town, surrounded by hatred against you, your sexuality or as well your gender or your race, is one of the hardest things a person can do and it’s one they don’t have any control over. Homophobia being on top of this list and growing up with it all around you is such a hard thing to do. When it gets personal, can be found in friends and family, when it gets physical even more, you try to be “normal”, to be straight. You try so hard to not let anyone else know in your life, no matter where you may go in the future. Having grown up in a conservative environment, being afraid of holding my former girlfriend’s hand and being called names by people I used to call friends, also moving to a new, quite liberal as well as queer city, didn’t change my fear of assault, hatred and so much more.
Homophobia and the consequences of this hatred is by far the dominating topic of Danielle N. Dawson’s “The Smile Has Left Your Eyes” but the book also features many other important topics such as depression, self-harm, addiction, self-hatred and coming of age just to name a few. As always, I’d like to encourage everyone who eventually may want to read this book, maybe after reading my review or the synopsis, to check trigger warnings which this book definitely has quite a few of.
Furthermore, I’d like to mention that I received a complementary copy of this novel in advance to the publication date on January 11, 2022. Nonetheless, I will be leaving an honest review in the following.
In “The Smile Has Left Your Eyes” we follow eighteen-year-old baseball player Aspen Ace who has been struggling with his sexuality ever since seven grades which also includes having had a crush on his best friend Rafe ever since then. To make matters worse, when Aspen came out to his older brother years ago, Alex starts to assault him and threatens to tell their parents about Aspen being gay if his younger brother dares to speak up about the assault.
To start things off, we definitely have to talk about characters. The main characters definitely are so lovable, and I will cherish them deep in my heart as I will go on. Even though this was the case and I also quite loved some of this supporting cast of characters, some of them just felt flat for me or disappeared from the page without a reason to do so. I’d definitely would’ve loved to have them on the page longer, to see their relationships with both main characters evolve more.
Nonetheless, this novel definitely had a huge impact on me. The writing in this is amazing. The metaphors are great, and I can’t even mention how many quotes I marked because they felt so true, so impactful, so important. It felt like something my younger self may have needed in order to understand how deep my depression may let me fall, may destroy me if I don’t take care and that the solution may not be a person in shining armor but way harder and way more worth it in the end than a young person in such a situation may think.
The plotline, seeing Aspen as well as Raffe grow was impactful, and this story seems so incredibly important. It seems like something young queer people who may be in a similar situation need a story like this which is why I can only recommend it. It means a lot to me even though it has some flaws that I can clearly look over because of the way it got to me emotionally and the way it made me feel. So, if you want a read you will remember for quite some time and that will give you all the feelings from happy tears to devastating ones. It will definitely stick with me for quite some time as will its characters.
Homophobia and the consequences of this hatred is by far the dominating topic of Danielle N. Dawson’s “The Smile Has Left Your Eyes” but the book also features many other important topics such as depression, self-harm, addiction, self-hatred and coming of age just to name a few. As always, I’d like to encourage everyone who eventually may want to read this book, maybe after reading my review or the synopsis, to check trigger warnings which this book definitely has quite a few of.
Furthermore, I’d like to mention that I received a complementary copy of this novel in advance to the publication date on January 11, 2022. Nonetheless, I will be leaving an honest review in the following.
In “The Smile Has Left Your Eyes” we follow eighteen-year-old baseball player Aspen Ace who has been struggling with his sexuality ever since seven grades which also includes having had a crush on his best friend Rafe ever since then. To make matters worse, when Aspen came out to his older brother years ago, Alex starts to assault him and threatens to tell their parents about Aspen being gay if his younger brother dares to speak up about the assault.
To start things off, we definitely have to talk about characters. The main characters definitely are so lovable, and I will cherish them deep in my heart as I will go on. Even though this was the case and I also quite loved some of this supporting cast of characters, some of them just felt flat for me or disappeared from the page without a reason to do so. I’d definitely would’ve loved to have them on the page longer, to see their relationships with both main characters evolve more.
Nonetheless, this novel definitely had a huge impact on me. The writing in this is amazing. The metaphors are great, and I can’t even mention how many quotes I marked because they felt so true, so impactful, so important. It felt like something my younger self may have needed in order to understand how deep my depression may let me fall, may destroy me if I don’t take care and that the solution may not be a person in shining armor but way harder and way more worth it in the end than a young person in such a situation may think.
The plotline, seeing Aspen as well as Raffe grow was impactful, and this story seems so incredibly important. It seems like something young queer people who may be in a similar situation need a story like this which is why I can only recommend it. It means a lot to me even though it has some flaws that I can clearly look over because of the way it got to me emotionally and the way it made me feel. So, if you want a read you will remember for quite some time and that will give you all the feelings from happy tears to devastating ones. It will definitely stick with me for quite some time as will its characters.
February 25, 2022
Dnf at 50%
May 24, 2022
2,5 stars
- Possible spoilers-
Dual pov.
It always baffles me to hear about parents who simply cast aside their child when they turn out to be gay. I find it hard to imagine. Isn't one's love for their child supposed to be unconditional?
How can one be so narrow-minded, full of hate, and cruel?
I really wanted to punch Aspen's parents, brother, and baseball team mates. Thankfully, Aspen's mother turns out okay later on.
Poor Aspen; I felt very sorry for him.
The author describes mental illness in a realistic manner, which I appreciate. It is a pity we don't get to read more about Aspen's therapy sessions. They are only briefly mentioned towards the end of the story. Dawsen does give a detailed description about baseball, which I didn't enjoy much as it's not my cup of tea.
Despite tackling heavy themes, The Smile Has Left Your Eyes is a quick and easy read.
- Possible spoilers-
Dual pov.
It always baffles me to hear about parents who simply cast aside their child when they turn out to be gay. I find it hard to imagine. Isn't one's love for their child supposed to be unconditional?
How can one be so narrow-minded, full of hate, and cruel?
I really wanted to punch Aspen's parents, brother, and baseball team mates. Thankfully, Aspen's mother turns out okay later on.
Poor Aspen; I felt very sorry for him.
The author describes mental illness in a realistic manner, which I appreciate. It is a pity we don't get to read more about Aspen's therapy sessions. They are only briefly mentioned towards the end of the story. Dawsen does give a detailed description about baseball, which I didn't enjoy much as it's not my cup of tea.
Despite tackling heavy themes, The Smile Has Left Your Eyes is a quick and easy read.
June 10, 2023
2.75⭐️!
This book was extremely sad and dealt with extremely heavy topics such as self harm, abuse, homophobia, ect. This book was paced well at the start but as it went on, it seemed that things started to get lost in the plot, like the self harm seemed to instantly resolve itself, which I felt was a bit unrealistic. I felt like this book could’ve been about 100 pages shorter and would’ve been twice as good.
This book was extremely sad and dealt with extremely heavy topics such as self harm, abuse, homophobia, ect. This book was paced well at the start but as it went on, it seemed that things started to get lost in the plot, like the self harm seemed to instantly resolve itself, which I felt was a bit unrealistic. I felt like this book could’ve been about 100 pages shorter and would’ve been twice as good.
July 30, 2023
0.000001
January 12, 2022
This is a spoiler free review for The Smile Has Left Your Eyes by Danielle N. Dawsen! Thank you to the author for providing me with a free e-arc in exchange for an honest review!
*disclaimer* please check the trigger warning before reading this book!
Overall rating: 4/5 stars
Plot:
- I really enjoyed the plot of this book!
- it flowed well and it was pretty hooked from the start
- in the middle of the book (closer to the end) it did feel like a few things dragged on a little
- overall, I really liked the plot and I'm glad to see the representation that this book provided!
Tropes:
- childhood bff to lovers
-hidden relationship
Pacing:
- when I first picked up this book, I was able to sit down and read a pretty large chunk of it pretty quickly
- it'll make you forget that you're even reading at all
- things slowed down in the middle/beginning of the end of the book
- at the very end things picked up again
- well paced
Characters:
- Rafe and Aspen complimented each other very well
- I wish Amelia would've made another appearance at the end
- my favorite character was Rafe, but of course I loved Aspen as well
Romance:
- I really loved the romance!
- not a slow burn at all, which was nice after reading a lot of slow burn enemies to lovers
- I'm not really a fan of childhood best friends to lovers, but I really liked the way it was written in this book
- both the mc and love interest complimented each other very well and they both helped the other grow a lot
Writing:
- the writing was really good, detailed, and descriptive
- the dialogue was all around good, but there were many lines where it was written too professional that it didn't really feel like they were talking
- as I said just before, it seemed a little cliche. This isn't always a bad thing and I didn't think it was that bad in this book
Enjoyment:
- overall, I really enjoyed reading this book!
- I'm so glad that I had the opportunity to read and review it as an arc and I highly recommend you reading it!
Plot-4/5
Pacing- 4/5
Characters-4/5
Writing- 4/5
Enjoyment- 4/5
Final Rating- 4/5
*disclaimer* please check the trigger warning before reading this book!
Overall rating: 4/5 stars
Plot:
- I really enjoyed the plot of this book!
- it flowed well and it was pretty hooked from the start
- in the middle of the book (closer to the end) it did feel like a few things dragged on a little
- overall, I really liked the plot and I'm glad to see the representation that this book provided!
Tropes:
- childhood bff to lovers
-hidden relationship
Pacing:
- when I first picked up this book, I was able to sit down and read a pretty large chunk of it pretty quickly
- it'll make you forget that you're even reading at all
- things slowed down in the middle/beginning of the end of the book
- at the very end things picked up again
- well paced
Characters:
- Rafe and Aspen complimented each other very well
- I wish Amelia would've made another appearance at the end
- my favorite character was Rafe, but of course I loved Aspen as well
Romance:
- I really loved the romance!
- not a slow burn at all, which was nice after reading a lot of slow burn enemies to lovers
- I'm not really a fan of childhood best friends to lovers, but I really liked the way it was written in this book
- both the mc and love interest complimented each other very well and they both helped the other grow a lot
Writing:
- the writing was really good, detailed, and descriptive
- the dialogue was all around good, but there were many lines where it was written too professional that it didn't really feel like they were talking
- as I said just before, it seemed a little cliche. This isn't always a bad thing and I didn't think it was that bad in this book
Enjoyment:
- overall, I really enjoyed reading this book!
- I'm so glad that I had the opportunity to read and review it as an arc and I highly recommend you reading it!
Plot-4/5
Pacing- 4/5
Characters-4/5
Writing- 4/5
Enjoyment- 4/5
Final Rating- 4/5
Displaying 1 - 30 of 103 reviews