Watch Over Me is a novel easy to brush past. Despite its glorious cover, one I absolutely adored, its repetitive sentence structure and length may have you turning away and reaching for something more intriguing. Don't.

There are three reasons why Watch Over Me is worth your time:

1. It is really easy to read and so short you'll be done in two hours tops
2. It offers the potential for self reflection and freedom
3. It is a novel filled with literary elements perfect for discussion (symbolism anyone?)

Despite its short nature, Watch Over Me will provide you with a sense of understanding and hope and not many paranormal novels are written to give you that feeling. This is a quick novel with simple prose and eloquent writing bound to warm your heart, it is worth a read.

Despite the length, the plot is fluid like a wave. Wow, really throwing out some ridiculous analogies in this review but that is how I felt. The plot follows emotions and makes you feel like you are riding a wave, you ebb and flow with Mila's feelings. It is a beautifully constructed plot that starts with Mila's arrival at the Farm and explores her journey there with the ghosts, a new "family", a new life, and repressed trauma.

The plot is initially hidden underneath the short and choppy writing but this unique combination works to create a dynamic worth reading. It helps present Mila's life in a different way than typical for a protagonist and lets you join in on the journey. A journey that occasionally becomes yours.

Like A Man Called Ove, Watch Over Me is about the journey, not the characters. Mila is the is the focal point of the story and despite it being told through her eyes, you never truly connect with her. Instead, you connect with what Mila feels as it can easily mirror what you have felt in life.

Feelings of unwantedness, repression, anything to ease your suffering to pretend you're okay - it can be seen in Mila. Mila is you. You are Mila when reading this. I think there is a large distinction between empathizing with versus embodying the character and with Watch Over Me, it is easy to embody the character and is a great novel for self-reflection and freedom.

That is what makes the novel a worthwhile read. It is easy to understand and embody the characters but I will say, for a novel with ghosts, I wanted more ghosts.

This is a finish that can leave you hanging but is why this novel is a solid choice for book club. It leaves room for discussion and will have you wondering why Mila chose this over that and how the outcome will affect her. An ending perfect for discussing.

I expected Watch Over Me to be more cathartic as I assumed that was the pretense of the novel. The point of living outside of Mendocino, a place I've been and loved, was to give Mila peace and somehow I expected that peace too. *Sigh*. If only that was how novels worked, it would be so freeing to retain the emotional freedom many characters have at the end.

This is a sweet novel with good and not-so-good parts, a mixed bag overall. It lacked depth or inversely, had too much depth if you decided to pry. For example, a great discussion question for this novel would be - do you think the ghosts represent the physical form of the characters pain/repression? And if so, is it only when you're ready you can absorb the pain?

The more retrospection you have with Watch Over Me, the more you will receive from this novel otherwise it can easily be perceived as boring. As I write this, this novel grew on me because I had to opportunity to reflect upon it. There is more symbolism and thought provoking questions offered in this novel but only if you are willing to look.

Watch Over Me is a novel that pleased me and I am glad I took the time to think and mull it over. It is a novel worth reading and contemplating.