Scan barcode
joemcc's review against another edition
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
ylingp's review against another edition
4.0
“The old man’s wife had died last year, so now it was just him and the dog. They made a good couple, in the dog’s opinion anyway.”
Talking animals, “the void”, a fairytale, a ghost and more. I don’t think I fully understood every single short story in this collection, but Kate Atkinson’s writing is so charming that I was immediately sucked in. After I finished reading I went back and reread some of the earlier stories and they made more sense to me. I’m sure if I reread it all again I’d get even more out of it. It was fun to see how the stories were interconnected and how it came together. Some of the stories weren’t as strong to me, which is why it wasn’t quite a 5 star for me. I also don’t think this collection is for everyone, though it was definitely for me and I loved it!
Talking animals, “the void”, a fairytale, a ghost and more. I don’t think I fully understood every single short story in this collection, but Kate Atkinson’s writing is so charming that I was immediately sucked in. After I finished reading I went back and reread some of the earlier stories and they made more sense to me. I’m sure if I reread it all again I’d get even more out of it. It was fun to see how the stories were interconnected and how it came together. Some of the stories weren’t as strong to me, which is why it wasn’t quite a 5 star for me. I also don’t think this collection is for everyone, though it was definitely for me and I loved it!
nfawre's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
ffs_jessie's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
Book club pick.
I had a lot of fun with this book! Exciting, full of mischief and little lightbulb moments. It was really rewarding to spot the connections between the stories and feel the pieces fall into place.
It lost some momentum for me around the middle, where some characters were less likeable and not as fun to read (Florence, Connie, Tilly, Skylar), and connections between the stories were unclear or not revealed till later. Once or twice this made me think I might've missed something, but the last two stories were a blast and brought it together for me.
This is my first read of Kate Atkinson and I really enjoyed her lovely solid British writing.
I had a lot of fun with this book! Exciting, full of mischief and little lightbulb moments. It was really rewarding to spot the connections between the stories and feel the pieces fall into place.
It lost some momentum for me around the middle, where some characters were less likeable and not as fun to read (Florence, Connie, Tilly, Skylar), and connections between the stories were unclear or not revealed till later. Once or twice this made me think I might've missed something, but the last two stories were a blast and brought it together for me.
This is my first read of Kate Atkinson and I really enjoyed her lovely solid British writing.
elianavana's review against another edition
4.0
Really enjoyed her style of writing and the randomness of it all. Recognising characters in later stories was fun. The only thing missing for me was a resolution at the end of stories, many of them felt unfinished, it left me wanting more but not in a good way.
lucybudde's review against another edition
2.0
boringgggg. don’t remember a single interesting thing from any of these. either make each story actually link together or don’t link any of them!! what was this!!
ellen_pierseaux's review against another edition
challenging
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
lavenderdream's review against another edition
funny
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
3.25
better_than_fiction's review against another edition
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
5.0