by Tiffany (link)
Genre het, drama/angst
Pairings Isaac/OFC, Taylor/OFC, Zac/OFC
Length 18 chapters
Status Completed
The disclaimer for Blistered suggests that it deals with some serious issues and angst, things that I have to be in just the right mood to read. Fortunately, these issues are seen from something of a distance; although Zac narrates the story, the one with mental health issues is the female character he pursues.
It’s something like love at first sight for Zac, although Mattie is reluctant to become involved with him. Eventually, she reveals that this is because she suffers from schizophrenia. Although she does show some signs of depression, she’s mostly just treated as an odd little goth girl. More focus on her mental health, especially showing her psychotic breaks, would have given a lot of needed depth to this story. Zac himself is oddly detached, realizing that he doesn’t truly know Mattie well enough to love her, but he’s at least willing to stand by her side during her pregnancy. Still, his lack of emotion is tough to read, though at times it makes sense.
In the end, after Mattie has vanished again, Zac and Taylor are sent on something of a wild goose chase that of course could only end badly. Zac shows a bit more emotion in his reactions then, but it’s still not enough to make up for a rather light, bland story. Blistered has a decent premise, never making Mattie too much of a Manic Pixie Dream Girl, but Tiffany’s short, emotionless chapters and sometimes far too informal writing keep the story from succeeding.
Review by Bethany (website)