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definitely_human's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
mary___'s review
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.5
misamai's review
4.5
What a delightful feel good story that touches on some very serious topics. Turns out you can find adventure at any age. I would rate this higher but my American brain had a bit of trouble comprehending the Britishness that is the language of this book.
touch_my_shelf's review
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.0
nerdyholler's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
An overall uplifting story about a man finally letting himself be who he is later in life and working through the events in the past that led him to become the lonely, isolated person he is when the book begins. I'll be honest I almost set this aside around the 25% mark because so much was sad for Albert especially after Gracie dies. I thought it might happen but since she was on the cover I was really hoping it wouldn't. It was just a little too close to how I lost some of my elderly cats. I just wasn't sure I was in the headspace for that when I was wanting something uplifting. However I was glad I pushed on and things began to turn around shortly after.
This is a book I wanted to love and I would still recommend it but it didn't click with me as strongly as I'd hoped. I found myself glad as things turned around for Albert but I wasn't strongly emotionally invested for some reason.
This is a book I wanted to love and I would still recommend it but it didn't click with me as strongly as I'd hoped. I found myself glad as things turned around for Albert but I wasn't strongly emotionally invested for some reason.
okevamae's review
5.0
Albert Entwistle lives a quiet, private little life, safe in his comfortable routine – going to work, delivering the mail along his postal route, saying hello to the people of his small English town (in a way that is polite but does not invite conversation), and going home to his cat Gracie. But when he’s forced into retirement, he finds himself at loose ends, and thinking more and more about the man he loved and lost when he was younger.
Albert is painfully shy, partly due to social anxiety, but also because he was raised having to suppress his true self (and maybe just a little because he’s extremely British and reserved.) Albert was closeted and his father was extremely homophobic (along with his classmates, and the rest of 1970s society in general) and he’s still dealing with the effects of that trauma more than 50 years later, afraid to even think about his sexuality and his lost love, let alone tell anyone about it. But when he decides to make a change in his life, he finds the strength to overcome his fear and open up to people, and it’s lovely to see. Nearly everyone meets his tentative, frightened attempts to socialize and live his truth with love and open arms. His friendship with Nicole, a young single mom along his route, is especially touching, and meaningful to them both. I love a good intergenerational friendship, and Albert and Nicole care so much about each other and truly have each other’s backs. It’s adorable.
I really enjoyed this book! I am including a lot of content warnings at the end of the review, because horrible things happened to Albert in his youth, and other horrible things are said in passing (not toward any of our major characters, but just generally stated bigotry) but I don’t want them to scare anyone off because overall, I found it to be a very uplifting read.
Representation: Lots of LGBTQ+ characters, gay main character, main character with anxiety, black major characters, trans minor character, drag queen character
CW: homophobia, child abuse, pet death, expression of racist, sexist, and homophobic views, mild fatphobia
I received an advance copy of this ebook from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Albert is painfully shy, partly due to social anxiety, but also because he was raised having to suppress his true self (and maybe just a little because he’s extremely British and reserved.) Albert was closeted and his father was extremely homophobic (along with his classmates, and the rest of 1970s society in general) and he’s still dealing with the effects of that trauma more than 50 years later, afraid to even think about his sexuality and his lost love, let alone tell anyone about it. But when he decides to make a change in his life, he finds the strength to overcome his fear and open up to people, and it’s lovely to see. Nearly everyone meets his tentative, frightened attempts to socialize and live his truth with love and open arms. His friendship with Nicole, a young single mom along his route, is especially touching, and meaningful to them both. I love a good intergenerational friendship, and Albert and Nicole care so much about each other and truly have each other’s backs. It’s adorable.
I really enjoyed this book! I am including a lot of content warnings at the end of the review, because horrible things happened to Albert in his youth, and other horrible things are said in passing (not toward any of our major characters, but just generally stated bigotry) but I don’t want them to scare anyone off because overall, I found it to be a very uplifting read.
Representation: Lots of LGBTQ+ characters, gay main character, main character with anxiety, black major characters, trans minor character, drag queen character
CW: homophobia, child abuse, pet death, expression of racist, sexist, and homophobic views, mild fatphobia
I received an advance copy of this ebook from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
gmc16's review
emotional
hopeful
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0