Reviews

The Alternatives is the story of the four Flattery sisters, orphaned as children and young teens. They are now in their 30s, all with PhDs (one honorary) and interesting careers, and have gone their own way in the world until the disappearance of oldest sister Olwen brings them together again. This is definitely a story about complicated sisterhood, particularly given Olwen had to take on a parental role. But it is also a story about climate change and how to live in a rapidly changing and increasingly polarised world. I love how they four had very different careers - geologist, political scientist, chef, philosopher - yet were all focussed on making the world a better place whether that be by making gourmet cooking sustainable, using philosophy to help people live meaningful lives, or instituting citizens assemblies to overcome polarisation and political stalemate. This book gets off to a slow, seemingly disjointed, start with a chapter focussed on each sister. I was fine with this and liked having each sister and her background clearly in my head before they all came together and started rehashing past events and old disagreements. Like Olwen, I sometimes find it easy to get overwhelmed by the state of the world. In that regard, this story has a reassuring message - that caring for ourselves, each other, and the world is crucial but that there is no single right way. Luckily, there are many passionate people all working on a piece of the puzzle. We just have to do our bit and hope it is enough.

jaclyn_sixminutesforme's review

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dark hopeful reflective sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No

5.0

This was such a joy to read - just the right balance of quirkiness, social commentary and poignant reflection to make this a compulsive and unputdownable read for me.

I love stories about sisters and plots that incorporate food writing, so that a major part of this was an “IG-home cook seeking connection turned celebrity chef heralding local ingredients amidst the swirling politics of Brexit-Ireland” was like catnip for me. The sister, orphaned when their parents both died as they were growing up, come together in this for a collective finding of self and each other - relationship breakthroughs, deciding to embark on parenthood, living off the grid, crossing into Northern Ireland and the politics that still drives a voltage of divide at literal borders… there’s just so much in this. It’s unassuming, and a quiet read in its rumbling plot and heavy development of character, but its hands down one of my top reads of 2024.

katariv's review against another edition

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challenging slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No

2.0

booksillremember's review

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reflective slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

I'm not sure why I didn't DNF this. The premise is promising but the execution is rather boring from beginning to end. The characters feel like caricatures, but it's not committed to being satire either. It's all very witty but I was hoping for a deeper exploration of the sisters’ relationships with each other. The similes that are constantly thrown in are innovative, but get annoying quickly. I didn't care for any of the characters and they often talk to each other like they're lecturing or performing a well-intentioned school play. 'Notions' is what the Irish would call it. I appreciate the attention to detail and the ideas behind the story, though.

Content Warnings

sportula's review

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emotional mysterious reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

katerosenbloom's review against another edition

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challenging emotional reflective slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

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