Scan barcode
jvicarm's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Grief, and Suicide attempt
Minor: Mental illness
lou_christie's review against another edition
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death
foxo_cube'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? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
I have started recommending this book to basically anyone who will listen. It was great, and to think I impulse-bought it without really expecting much in particular!
It does one of my favourite things that a story can do, which is to wrap sad, serious issues in absurdism in just the right way to emphasise the message. Isaac, our protagonist, is going through some terrible mental health issues after becoming a widower at a young age. I felt that the depiction of the depression, anxiety, suicidal ideation, etc. was sympathetic and pretty accurate to my experience, at the very least. In general, I think he responds to the situations he finds himself in pretty much how you'd expect, really. I loved when he found the egg in the forest and is panicking while driving home because, aside from the fact he'd been drinking, which was bad enough, what if he's arrested for... having a large unidentified egg in his car? what if the egg is secretly full of drugs or something? Isaac would definitely be the sort of guy to hate taking toilet paper home from the supermarket because he's sure everyone is looking at him and going "Ha, look at that idiot, I bet he shits".
I think the pace at which we learn about the egg and see the development of its relationship with Isaac is brilliant. They are mysteries to each other (and, although the egg <i>seems</i> like far more of a mystery to us as the reader than Isaac does, that's not as true as it appears), and seeing them try to work each other out - both when they succeed and when they don't - is wonderful. Sometimes it's funny, sometimes sad, sometimes sweet. Along with that, we get a bit more insight into Isaac's relationship with his wife and where he was in life before her death kind of threw him into stasis. I really want to go into significantly more detail here but the way that all of these things are hinted at and foreshadowed, and how it all comes together, is almost certainly far better to experience when you have as little idea where the story is going as possible.
Basically, read this book. I cannot stress this enough.
It does one of my favourite things that a story can do, which is to wrap sad, serious issues in absurdism in just the right way to emphasise the message. Isaac, our protagonist, is going through some terrible mental health issues after becoming a widower at a young age. I felt that the depiction of the depression, anxiety, suicidal ideation, etc. was sympathetic and pretty accurate to my experience, at the very least. In general, I think he responds to the situations he finds himself in pretty much how you'd expect, really. I loved when he found the egg in the forest and is panicking while driving home because, aside from the fact he'd been drinking, which was bad enough, what if he's arrested for... having a large unidentified egg in his car? what if the egg is secretly full of drugs or something? Isaac would definitely be the sort of guy to hate taking toilet paper home from the supermarket because he's sure everyone is looking at him and going "Ha, look at that idiot, I bet he shits".
I think the pace at which we learn about the egg and see the development of its relationship with Isaac is brilliant. They are mysteries to each other (and, although the egg <i>seems</i> like far more of a mystery to us as the reader than Isaac does, that's not as true as it appears), and seeing them try to work each other out - both when they succeed and when they don't - is wonderful. Sometimes it's funny, sometimes sad, sometimes sweet. Along with that, we get a bit more insight into Isaac's relationship with his wife and where he was in life before her death kind of threw him into stasis. I really want to go into significantly more detail here but the way that all of these things are hinted at and foreshadowed, and how it all comes together, is almost certainly far better to experience when you have as little idea where the story is going as possible.
Basically, read this book. I cannot stress this enough.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Panic attacks/disorders, and Death
Minor: Schizophrenia/Psychosis
kim_lommaert's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief and Death
Moderate: Alcohol
Minor: Car accident, Self harm, Suicide attempt, and Panic attacks/disorders
gracefg's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Suicide attempt, Death, Grief, Suicide, Car accident, Alcohol, and Suicidal thoughts
nyree42's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
fast-paced
4.25
...wow. I'm devastated.
I really want Egg to be real.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Panic attacks/disorders, Alcohol, Mental illness, Injury/Injury detail, Death, and Alcoholism
Moderate: Car accident
eds123's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
My mum recommended me this book, genuinely one of the most beautiful things I've read. Through most of it I found myself laughing or absolutely sobbing, it was one of the most honest depictions of depression and dissociation I've read, and was a really easy book to read and get absorbed in.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Suicidal thoughts, and Grief
Moderate: Car accident
Minor: Child death
emmaura's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide attempt and Suicidal thoughts
Moderate: Death
lucyatoz's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
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
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I cannot write a review to this debut novel by a talent storyteller apart from to say that it is a unique, quirky, funny and tender story and like nothing I have ever read before. It made me laugh and cry and is quite wonderful.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Cursing, Suicidal thoughts, Car accident, Death, Grief, and Mental illness
imacocoageek's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
lighthearted
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
This is a beautiful book about grief, love, and an egg-shaped alien. It follows a man who has lost everything, and we follow his depressing journey with a lost egg-shaped alien... and how they saved each other. Still consider this book even if aliens aren't your thing. This isn't fantasy; he's a cute alien anyways. It is beautifully written and made me laugh, tear up, and smile. As well, the cover is gorgeous. Great debut novel!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Alcohol, Suicide attempt, and Alcoholism
Minor: Death