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I finished We Are All So Good at Smiling by Amber McBride in one day, which might make it sound like an instant favorite—but my experience with this book was a little more mixed than that.
What I Expected vs. What I Experienced
Going into this, I expected something emotionally heavy but grounded—something similar to other mental health-focused stories I’ve read before. The premise pulled me in right away, and in the beginning, I was really engaged.
But as the story progressed, it shifted more into a fantasy-meets-reality space. That’s where I started to feel a disconnect.
It wasn’t that the writing changed in quality—it was more that the direction of the story didn’t fully align with what I typically enjoy. By the last 25%, I found myself feeling a bit lost. Looking back, I think part of that was on me—I may not have been fully focused while listening, and this is definitely the kind of book where missing small details can make a big difference.
How It Felt to Read
The pacing is quick. This is absolutely a book you can finish in a day or two, especially in audio format.
Emotionally, it starts off strong and engaging. There’s a clear sense of something deeper happening beneath the surface, and that kept me listening.
But toward the end, the experience shifted from engaging to slightly confusing for me. Instead of feeling like everything came together, I felt like I was trying to catch up to what the story was asking me to understand.
That doesn’t mean the book is unclear—it just means it requires a certain level of attention and openness to its style that I didn’t fully bring to it at the time.
Who This Book Is For (and Who It’s Not)
I think this book will really work for you if:
- You enjoy stories that blend fantasy elements into real-world settings
- You’re comfortable with narratives that don’t explain everything directly
- You like books that lean more into feeling and meaning than straightforward plot
It may not be the best fit if:
- You prefer clear, grounded storytelling
- You don’t enjoy fantasy elements mixed into contemporary settings
- You want everything to feel fully resolved and easy to follow
Final Thoughts
This wasn’t a bad book—it just wasn’t the right fit for me.
I can see why other readers would connect deeply with it, especially if this genre is something they naturally gravitate toward. For me, it came down to personal preference and how I engage with stories like this.
If you’re looking for a quick read that blends emotional themes with a more abstract, fantasy-leaning narrative, this could be worth trying. Just go into it knowing it asks for your full attention—and a bit of openness to how the story unfolds.
