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alipp's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Took me a bit to get into it, but once I got past the first few chapters & into the flow of the book I couldn’t put it down! Did I skim read a bunch of bits? Yes. But I also cried a few times! Wasn’t expecting such an emotional read. When the twist happened (halfway through) I actually had to put the book down & sob a bit!!! Perfect mix of light hearted and emotional. Very cute and loved the end.
A couple of bones to pick that I’ll note. It does read as quite un-socially aware. Not sure how the Jolly boys & girls thing sits in 2024 and there were a few racial bits that didn’t sit well.
Does read as a privileged group of people living in New York but it’s also a fantasy.
A couple of bones to pick that I’ll note. It does read as quite un-socially aware. Not sure how the Jolly boys & girls thing sits in 2024 and there were a few racial bits that didn’t sit well.
Does read as a privileged group of people living in New York but it’s also a fantasy.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief and Car accident
mariasmusings's review against another edition
dark
emotional
inspiring
reflective
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
4.0
Review after a recent readalong.
Book Review: Anybody Out There? By Marian Keyes
Anybody Out There? Is the story of Anna Walsh, and is a welcome return to the world of the Walsh family.
I've been re-reading the Walsh family series, with the publication of My Favourite Mistake later this year.
With each novel, I think, "Oh, Rachel/ Helen/Claire etc is the best character. Though to be honest, I should admit that the matriarch, (Mrs) Mammy Walsh, is my favourite character - she has a line in sarcasm and ability to focus on her own interests to a hilarious level.
In previous novels, Anna was mostly a side-character, she chatted with Rachel and Claire, and seemed to float through life. Now, we get the opportunity to hear her story.
Anna is now living in New York and, a seasoned professional, working in the advertising business for a cosmetics brand. She has a career that is the envy of her sisters - well, they are envious of her cosmetic free samples at least.
At the start of the novel, Anna is back at home,in the bosom (maelstrom?) of her family and evidently recovering injuries. Just how this came about, is explained by Anna through a series of flashbacks, and she struggles to return to her New York life, while coping with grief, anger, recovery.
There are many, many scenes in this novel that actually made me cry - Keyes doesn't shy away from painful topics. Instead, she cleverly manages to create a fine balance between the pain and the humour, keeping the reader amused, just when we most need that sense of laughter. It's this level of skill, that allows Keyes to address so many tragic issues throughout this series.
And as for the humour, there is a decidedly "Irish" tone to these moments, with the use of phrases that are typically Irish, without ever venturing into a cliche.
And the love and support displayed by the Walsh family, is heart-warming. And other laugh out loud funny.
A solid 4 stars.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
#AnybodyOutThere #MarianKeyes #WalshFamily #Annasstory #BookReview #Bookstagram #bookblogger
Book Review: Anybody Out There? By Marian Keyes
Anybody Out There? Is the story of Anna Walsh, and is a welcome return to the world of the Walsh family.
I've been re-reading the Walsh family series, with the publication of My Favourite Mistake later this year.
With each novel, I think, "Oh, Rachel/ Helen/Claire etc is the best character. Though to be honest, I should admit that the matriarch, (Mrs) Mammy Walsh, is my favourite character - she has a line in sarcasm and ability to focus on her own interests to a hilarious level.
In previous novels, Anna was mostly a side-character, she chatted with Rachel and Claire, and seemed to float through life. Now, we get the opportunity to hear her story.
Anna is now living in New York and, a seasoned professional, working in the advertising business for a cosmetics brand. She has a career that is the envy of her sisters - well, they are envious of her cosmetic free samples at least.
At the start of the novel, Anna is back at home,in the bosom (maelstrom?) of her family and evidently recovering injuries. Just how this came about, is explained by Anna through a series of flashbacks, and she struggles to return to her New York life, while coping with grief, anger, recovery.
There are many, many scenes in this novel that actually made me cry - Keyes doesn't shy away from painful topics. Instead, she cleverly manages to create a fine balance between the pain and the humour, keeping the reader amused, just when we most need that sense of laughter. It's this level of skill, that allows Keyes to address so many tragic issues throughout this series.
And as for the humour, there is a decidedly "Irish" tone to these moments, with the use of phrases that are typically Irish, without ever venturing into a cliche.
And the love and support displayed by the Walsh family, is heart-warming. And other laugh out loud funny.
A solid 4 stars.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
#AnybodyOutThere #MarianKeyes #WalshFamily #Annasstory #BookReview #Bookstagram #bookblogger
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Car accident, and Grief
Moderate: Drug abuse and Addiction
beckyyreadss's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
sad
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
3.0
I wanted to read this book as I was gifted the second book which is called Rachel’s Holiday and the sixth book which is called Again, Rachel by Michael Joseph Penguin Publishing. So, me being me, had to read the whole series. So, I went and brought this book after reading the first three books in the series. Again, like the last book this could have been cut down by 200 pages.
This book follows Anna Walsh, the second youngest in the Walsh family. She is officially a wreck. She is physically broken and emotionally shattered. She lies on her parents' sofa in Dublin with only one thing on her mind: getting back to New York. New York means her best friends, The Most Fabulous Job in the World and above all, going back to her husband Aidan. But nothing is simple in Anna’s life. Not only is her return to Manhattan complicated by her physical and emotional scars, but Aidan has simply vanished. Is it time for Anna to move on? Is it even possible for her to move on? A group of misfits, an earth-shattering revelation, two births and one very weird wedding might help Anna find some answers and change her life forever.
As always with this series, I will start with what I liked during this long ass book. Helen’s emails. That's it. She was the only one that was getting me through this book. She was just checking in on her sister and updating her on her chaotic life. Helen didn’t care about the wedding or know about Anna’s grief journey she was just going through life and hiding in bushes. She is the reason this book is not a 2-star book.
I really don’t like how big these books are especially because absolutely nothing happens. This one was just Anna’s thoughts and for the first half of the book you think Aidan is a piece of shit that left her after an accident but no he died, and she just blacked it out. Then the second half of the book is her trying to get in touch with him from the other side and then the last 15 chapters is her being pissed that Aidan has an offspring with an ex BEFORE THEY WERE SLEEPING WITH EACH OTHER. But to her it’s the biggest betrayal that has happened to her in the book which sort of rubbed me the wrong way, I know she was hurt because she wanted to have his children but obviously you don’t think you are going to die when you get in a taxi one day. But to hate the child and the ex because they were trying to tell Aidan’s family that there is a piece of him still alive in this child was not normal.
I really hope that Helen’s story is the end that make this whole series worth it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Grief
Moderate: Pregnancy
Minor: Addiction and Abortion
newtonkatie's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief and Death
Moderate: Pregnancy
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