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4.07 AVERAGE
4.07 AVERAGE
Heartfelt Story, just missing a few beats
Now, don't get me wrong. This was an absolutely adorable and uplifting story. The friendship that developed between Albert and Nicole was wonderfully written, so many of the characters were well thought out, and it was a joyful story by the end. I admit, I cried happy and sad tears at multiple points. That being said, it did sometimes feel like certain parts of the story were just about getting from point A to point B. Some smaller conflicts resolved a little too quickly, some character development felt too easily won (and not entirely earned), and some beats felt so empty that they felt unnecessary. Overall, however, I loved reading about Albert growing as a person, building a community and finding love.
Now, don't get me wrong. This was an absolutely adorable and uplifting story. The friendship that developed between Albert and Nicole was wonderfully written, so many of the characters were well thought out, and it was a joyful story by the end. I admit, I cried happy and sad tears at multiple points. That being said, it did sometimes feel like certain parts of the story were just about getting from point A to point B. Some smaller conflicts resolved a little too quickly, some character development felt too easily won (and not entirely earned), and some beats felt so empty that they felt unnecessary. Overall, however, I loved reading about Albert growing as a person, building a community and finding love.
This book was absolutely precious! The beginning was a bit slow to get into, but it was so worth pushing through. Albert and Nicole’s friendship was so sweet (very reminiscent of the Tom hanks ‘A Man Called Otto’ movie) and watching Albert grow into and accept himself was amazing. This book was such a sweet story of queer joy and queer acceptance and showing it is never too late to be your true self. I’m so glad I read this and will absolutely be recommending it to others.
When I started Albert Entwistle, I was completely enchanted and engrossed. It felt like reading some mixture of A Man Called Ove and Eleanor Oliphant, with the added heft of forbidden queer love. I was charmed by Albert and the way he interacted with and viewed the world. He's the type of character you endlessly want to hug and be around. But the longer things went on, the more everything felt a little too storybook. There were times where I could picture it being narrated by a Christmas/Hallmark movie character. Or maybe it felt like something out of a kids book or video game. Like, 'today I will decide to change my entire personality, okay, done, what's next??' Albert spends a lot of time really digging into his past and trauma and isolation, but the realizations he had felt like too fast 'aha!' moments, rather than realistic. And while I loved Nicole and her family and her friendship with Albert, I think the attempt to make their stories play off each other was a bit of a stretch. All background characters were also deeply defined by gender roles in a way that felt cheap and unfortunate. But that doesn't mean I didn't have a smile on my face for the vast majority of this book, and that I don't adore Albert, and that I didn't love a really real story of being gay in the 70s.
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
This book is amazing. If you’re a fan of TJ Klune’s books you’ll love this!
I actually really enjoyed this. I picked it up on a whim at the library and it was both sad and sweet. It was also a reminder of what it meant to be gay in the not-so-very-distant past.
lighthearted
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:
No
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
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:
Complicated
Oh my, this novel brought up all the emotions! And I absolutely loved it! Wonderful, vibrant characters, a sweet story line, personal growth, and a search for a lost love – what more could I want?
This novel was beautifully plotted, and while it was slow to start but I found it worked for me. In that wonderfully trundling slowness I saw how Alberts life was for him as he trudged through his day to day routine. There was something so beautifully simple about the story that made it even more charming for me. There was a lot of depth to story that shone through in both the plot and the characters. The characters in this story are what really brought the joy for me, and I loved the side characters and how fleshed out they were just as much as Albert which was so nice.
I loved that the story was told from two different points in Alberts life – I found switching between the two helped me to understand Albert more. It was interesting seeing how his early life and his relationship with his parents then affected him so much later in his life. This is so true of so many gay men of that time that it makes the story all the more heart-breaking. Though it was heart-breaking with a hopeful end, which I really loved. The end of this edition of the novel also included some interviews with gay men of Albert’s age with similar stories to Albert’s. I think this was a really lovely addition at the end.
Despite the very painful reality of Albert’s situation and his story, there is some really clever humour amongst the heartfelt or emotional moments of self reflection. These moments really make this novel an absolute joy to read!
Thank you to the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for sending me this free eARC (eAdvanced Reader Copy). I am leaving this review voluntarily. This title was published 31st May 2022.
This novel was beautifully plotted, and while it was slow to start but I found it worked for me. In that wonderfully trundling slowness I saw how Alberts life was for him as he trudged through his day to day routine. There was something so beautifully simple about the story that made it even more charming for me. There was a lot of depth to story that shone through in both the plot and the characters. The characters in this story are what really brought the joy for me, and I loved the side characters and how fleshed out they were just as much as Albert which was so nice.
I loved that the story was told from two different points in Alberts life – I found switching between the two helped me to understand Albert more. It was interesting seeing how his early life and his relationship with his parents then affected him so much later in his life. This is so true of so many gay men of that time that it makes the story all the more heart-breaking. Though it was heart-breaking with a hopeful end, which I really loved. The end of this edition of the novel also included some interviews with gay men of Albert’s age with similar stories to Albert’s. I think this was a really lovely addition at the end.
Despite the very painful reality of Albert’s situation and his story, there is some really clever humour amongst the heartfelt or emotional moments of self reflection. These moments really make this novel an absolute joy to read!
Thank you to the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for sending me this free eARC (eAdvanced Reader Copy). I am leaving this review voluntarily. This title was published 31st May 2022.