Scan barcode
hellosarahlou's review against another edition
5.0
4.5 ⭐️ I accidentally picked up this book as I thought it was from another author I liked and surprisingly loved it!
wafflepolly's review
4.0
Oooof. I'll admit that from the cover – and from the fact that I hadn't read the blurb for a long time before reading – I was expecting a light-hearted, comforting read. This is my first of the author's books so I don't know how naive a thought that was. Anyway I found a far more powerful read than that.
Ellie is an Instagram star. Her feed shows the perfectly curated lifestyle of an English gardening influencer... and completely avoids the fact that due to severe agoraphobia she hasn't left her property for years.
There is some important real-world history from the 1980s-90s touched upon here, which I'm kind of ashamed to say that I knew pretty much nothing of and will be doing some research on.
As Ellie's story unfolds, I realised with the benefit of hindsight that there are some fairly big clues about there being more to her background than we're initially lead to believe, however it was done with an excellent level of subtlety, leaving the story to develop for the reader naturally.
This is a book about trauma, about anxiety, about recovery (and relapse), about family, and about love. I felt so deeply for so many of the characters, and I think they will stay with me for a while.
Ellie is an Instagram star. Her feed shows the perfectly curated lifestyle of an English gardening influencer... and completely avoids the fact that due to severe agoraphobia she hasn't left her property for years.
There is some important real-world history from the 1980s-90s touched upon here, which I'm kind of ashamed to say that I knew pretty much nothing of and will be doing some research on.
As Ellie's story unfolds, I realised with the benefit of hindsight that there are some fairly big clues about there being more to her background than we're initially lead to believe, however it was done with an excellent level of subtlety, leaving the story to develop for the reader naturally.
This is a book about trauma, about anxiety, about recovery (and relapse), about family, and about love. I felt so deeply for so many of the characters, and I think they will stay with me for a while.
natalier3's review against another edition
3.0
As with a lot of my middle starred books, I felt this was too long, and yet didn't get to the nitty-gritty of the backgrounds of the characters.
The characters were well defined, but I did struggle to identify with either, and this did hamper my enjoyment rather a lot.
There was a lot of side stories to keep track of, and it did feel a little muddled because of it. I would have preferred a shorter book with the main stories having more focus.
It was an interesting read, the historical side did surprise me too, and I loved the dual timeline element.
The characters were well defined, but I did struggle to identify with either, and this did hamper my enjoyment rather a lot.
There was a lot of side stories to keep track of, and it did feel a little muddled because of it. I would have preferred a shorter book with the main stories having more focus.
It was an interesting read, the historical side did surprise me too, and I loved the dual timeline element.
bookishdaydreaming's review against another edition
4.0
This book took a very different turn about 150 pages in and I really enjoyed it, didn't see it coming at all but it really made the book. (If you didn't go into the book blind this turn was probably less unexpected)
gimmebooksjoanna's review
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
sarahs_bookish_life's review against another edition
4.0
Having recently read and loved another of the authors books, I was very keen to read more by her and her latest novel seemed the obvious choice.
There is a little bit of everything within these pages. It is such a lovely and sweet read. There are a few characters who I absolutely adored, Ellie of course as well as Jamie the delivery man and little Oscar. Through these characters, more so Oscar and Jamie, there are some wonderful light hearted moments that had me chuckling away.
Ellie is quite a complex character, in some ways I envied her gardening skills and how she delivers her garden and herself on social media. It goes to show though that not everything is as it appears on the internet. Ellie’s early childhood has a big hold on who she is today and she struggles to move on from it. As much as I am a home bird, the thought of not going anywhere or doing everyday things that we take for granted, it made me feel quite claustrophobic. There is a vulnerability about her character that pulls on your heart strings and by the end she felt closer than a friend, almost like family.
The World at my Feet was an eye opening read. Through Ellie and Harriet, we learn more about what orphanages were like in Romania and the quality of life for children in them. Ellie’s own story was both endearing and heart-breaking. Whilst it was emotional in parts, it was also uplifting. With how the story ends, I would love for there to be another book following on from this as there is a character who is in the background in this one whose own story I would love to hear in more detail. Catherine Isaac is without a doubt an author whose books I will be on a constant lookout for. Her novels are such gentle and wonderful reads that get under the readers skin and the characters make their way into your heart.
There is a little bit of everything within these pages. It is such a lovely and sweet read. There are a few characters who I absolutely adored, Ellie of course as well as Jamie the delivery man and little Oscar. Through these characters, more so Oscar and Jamie, there are some wonderful light hearted moments that had me chuckling away.
Ellie is quite a complex character, in some ways I envied her gardening skills and how she delivers her garden and herself on social media. It goes to show though that not everything is as it appears on the internet. Ellie’s early childhood has a big hold on who she is today and she struggles to move on from it. As much as I am a home bird, the thought of not going anywhere or doing everyday things that we take for granted, it made me feel quite claustrophobic. There is a vulnerability about her character that pulls on your heart strings and by the end she felt closer than a friend, almost like family.
The World at my Feet was an eye opening read. Through Ellie and Harriet, we learn more about what orphanages were like in Romania and the quality of life for children in them. Ellie’s own story was both endearing and heart-breaking. Whilst it was emotional in parts, it was also uplifting. With how the story ends, I would love for there to be another book following on from this as there is a character who is in the background in this one whose own story I would love to hear in more detail. Catherine Isaac is without a doubt an author whose books I will be on a constant lookout for. Her novels are such gentle and wonderful reads that get under the readers skin and the characters make their way into your heart.
csulva's review against another edition
5.0
It has been awhile since I have been so invested in a character as I have been invested in Ellie. I love when a story compels me to google a historical time period, I’m just so saddened to learn about this, a horrific time and place during my lifetime. Overall, my favorite book of 2021 so far!