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oliviabrisebois's review against another edition
1.0
I honestly thought this book was shit. I hated Patrice and thought that she was just using people for money which is disgusting, I didn't really care about her "tragic past". Honestly this book was just a waste of time.
mrsbooknerd's review against another edition
2.0
I thought that this was going to be some sort of crime / thriller novel but if wasn't. I don't know how to categorise it really. It was just a story being told without any underlying purpose.
I can't say that I loved or hated Patrice, Leo or Louise. I read their stories but I wasn't overly engaged by any one during the novel. Narratively they all sounded quite similar and dealt with similar themes. My interest was in Patience and her story because there was a clear development of her character between 1968 and present.
Overall, I felt that it was somewhat unsatisfactory but that this reflected the harshness of life1 that was depicted throughout the novel, but from a readers perspective I wanted a bit more. I also felt that it could have been really full of emotion as a counteract to the fact that there was little plot.
I can't say that I loved or hated Patrice, Leo or Louise. I read their stories but I wasn't overly engaged by any one during the novel. Narratively they all sounded quite similar and dealt with similar themes. My interest was in Patience and her story because there was a clear development of her character between 1968 and present.
Overall, I felt that it was somewhat unsatisfactory but that this reflected the harshness of life1 that was depicted throughout the novel, but from a readers perspective I wanted a bit more. I also felt that it could have been really full of emotion as a counteract to the fact that there was little plot.
amysbookshelf's review against another edition
3.0
This novel centres on Patience Bickersleigh, a medium who wants to use her gift to help people cope with their grief and make a connection with their deceased loved ones one last time. She has a hidden past, full of secrets she wants to keep hidden and ghosts that haunt her. Now, fifty years later, and called Patrice Leigh, she is determined to finish her life with the past firmly behind her. Enter Leo, a man who is struggling with his own personal life, and the disappearance of his son, who is a journalist hired to write Patrice’s biography. But as he tries to delve deeper into her past, she puts up barriers which makes Leo suspicious that she is hiding more than she lets on. So who will win over? A woman refusing to let her guard down, or a man determined to figure out the truth.
I loved the stories of Kyle and Olly, which were peppered throughout the narrative, and I think May did a really good job of showing a raw an honest portrayal of how different people cope with grief. By having a protagonist with a job like Patrice’s, she also showed how far people will go to have one last hope of connecting with the ones they have lost.
I did like the complexity of Patrice as a protagonist; she was strong-willed but throughout the novel, as a reader, I could slowly see cracks appearing in the exterior she wanted everyone to see. It was interesting to see a woman who was mysterious and yet just as human as everyone else. Guilty of all the same sins, but also seemingly gifted with such a powerful skill.
I think the main reason I didn’t love the book was because it got a little messy trying to keep track of all the characters in the novel. While each of their stories were fascinating, I don’t think there was enough time spent on any of them to properly become invested in them. It felt like there were about 4 books crammed into the space of one, and I think that is at times, why I lost interest.
Overall, I did enjoy the book, but it was just missing something for me. I think, perhaps, I would have enjoyed it more if there had been more about the story of Olly, because he was the character I was most fascinated by throughout the novel. I do think that novels which prove the power of grief are important though, and I am happy to have read May’s take on the human condition and the tragedy which can occur to ordinary people.
I loved the stories of Kyle and Olly, which were peppered throughout the narrative, and I think May did a really good job of showing a raw an honest portrayal of how different people cope with grief. By having a protagonist with a job like Patrice’s, she also showed how far people will go to have one last hope of connecting with the ones they have lost.
I did like the complexity of Patrice as a protagonist; she was strong-willed but throughout the novel, as a reader, I could slowly see cracks appearing in the exterior she wanted everyone to see. It was interesting to see a woman who was mysterious and yet just as human as everyone else. Guilty of all the same sins, but also seemingly gifted with such a powerful skill.
I think the main reason I didn’t love the book was because it got a little messy trying to keep track of all the characters in the novel. While each of their stories were fascinating, I don’t think there was enough time spent on any of them to properly become invested in them. It felt like there were about 4 books crammed into the space of one, and I think that is at times, why I lost interest.
Overall, I did enjoy the book, but it was just missing something for me. I think, perhaps, I would have enjoyed it more if there had been more about the story of Olly, because he was the character I was most fascinated by throughout the novel. I do think that novels which prove the power of grief are important though, and I am happy to have read May’s take on the human condition and the tragedy which can occur to ordinary people.
katieneedsabiggerbookshelf's review against another edition
4.0
3.5 stars. I’m not sure what but something just seemed to be missing for me. While I enjoyed the story, I seesawed between feeling for each character and despising them. My heart broke for each one of them in one chapter and in the next I wanted to smack them for their lies. While I felt for Patrice and her hard childhood, I just think of the people I know that are desperate for any glimpse of their lost loved ones and I get furious that she was lying to everyone. In the same breath though-I wonder if a lie that makes someone feel at peace about their loss is a bad one? If someone can move on knowing their loved one is happy and peaceful isn’t that a good thing? This book left me with a lot to think about.
nickipettitt's review
5.0
What a lovely read. This book is different. It has a storyline unlike any I have read before and I found it fascinating. I think my book club would really like it - which is praise indeed!
It is set over two timeframes - the 1960s and the present day. It tells the story of a young woman living in a home with secrets but giving the impression of Christian lower middle class conformity. She rebels and makes her own way in the world as a Medium. It also tells the story of a Mother whose child has died and who is desperate for contact with him, and a man looking for his own Mother, his own missing son and wondering if his marriage can be saved. .
It is sad but also charming and thought provoking. I recommend it and I am now going to go and read some more of Alison May's books. I think this may be a slightly different type of book for her, but she can write!
Thank you #NetGalley for the opportunity to read #AllThatWasLost
It is set over two timeframes - the 1960s and the present day. It tells the story of a young woman living in a home with secrets but giving the impression of Christian lower middle class conformity. She rebels and makes her own way in the world as a Medium. It also tells the story of a Mother whose child has died and who is desperate for contact with him, and a man looking for his own Mother, his own missing son and wondering if his marriage can be saved. .
It is sad but also charming and thought provoking. I recommend it and I am now going to go and read some more of Alison May's books. I think this may be a slightly different type of book for her, but she can write!
Thank you #NetGalley for the opportunity to read #AllThatWasLost
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