I just finished a book that was so painfully relatable and so well-written that it took me two months to read.

I had to take it one page at a time, stopping and pondering on what it had said as if it were a book of poetry.

Each paragraph was written in flowing prose, usually on a mundane topic, but the final sentence for each paragraph was a sharp statement that carried weight and truth, even if it was only a couple of words.

This book held my heart and my senses. It read almost like a diary or as if you had found old letters that were too personal to read. Like you were peaking into the life of a person that was both relatable to yourself while simultaneously heartbreaking to relate to.

The themes discussed in the book were the old versus the new, tradition versus modernity, age versus maturity, art and literature versus life, and most of all the complicated emotions and relationships we find ourselves in.

The book is ANDROMEDA by Therese Bohman.

This book is NOT for everyone.

It tells the story from the perspective of two characters. One is a young woman who interns at a publishing house, and the other is an older man who is the editor of the publishing house.

I know what you are thinking, but hold on….

This isn’t one of those power dynamic relationships that leads to trouble. This isn’t about the ways in which men are controlling or women are victims. In fact, this technically can’t be considered a romance at all. Nothing happens.

This book is about relationships, yes. But it is more about how we want to be seen, how we see others, and how the little things in life all add up to equal our experiences. How life happens in the in-between spaces.

As someone who has had similar situations to the one in the book, I found it beautiful and heartbreaking. The topic was personal, but more than that, the execution was flawless.

It was aesthetic and poetic, and perfect. I almost cried when it was over. It was simultaneously about everything and nothing, and I highly recommend you read it if it sounds at all interesting to you.