Reviews

Perfectly Ordinary People by Nick Alexander, Nick Alexander

radeyahc's review against another edition

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4.0

Such an emotional, moving read. Not what i usually read but i would definitely recommend to anyone

mpkennedy's review against another edition

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5.0

A truly fascinating and emotional story.

rownoah's review against another edition

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emotional informative inspiring 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? No

4.25

janie's review

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challenging emotional hopeful reflective slow-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

4.0

itsrickibobbi's review

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challenging dark emotional sad tense slow-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

4.25

chloe_1709's review

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challenging emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad tense medium-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

5.0

lisamshardlow's review against another edition

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5.0

Ruth’s father’s French origins have always been a mystery to him and the rest of his family, so when some of his ageing relatives start to pass away, Ruth decides to research her father’s family before it’s too late. When Ruth comes across some long-lost cassettes, she discovers an epic wartime story of hidden love and sacrifice that will rock her family. Are any of them ready for the truth?

I loved this book so much! We first met Ruth as she spent Christmas with her family when they all had The Great Falling Out. They seemed like perfectly ordinary people, but then we get to know Ruth’s dad’s backstory and why he was the way he was. A lot of the story that’s set in WWII was very heavy going and heartbreaking. We all know about the Holocaust and what the Nazis did to Jewish people, and I also knew that the Nazis also targeted homosexuals and other groups of people, but I’d never read a book about it until now. Some parts were quite difficult to read, but I’m glad that I did read this book. Although it’s historical fiction and none of the characters were based on real people, the events that took place were based on fact. I loved all of the characters, they were all very relatable, but I especially liked Genevieve and Pierre; what they both went through was horrific, but they helped each other, and they were both very resilient. I also loved Ruth, and by the end, I was completely invested in her relationship with Dan (her boyfriend).

Books like this should be a reminder to people worldwide that these atrocities are never to be repeated. I loved this book from start to finish, there was nothing that I didn’t love about it, and the ending was perfect. It also made me cry in some places. Therefore, I give Perfectly Ordinary People 5 out of 5 stars!

I would highly recommend this to anyone interested in stories of WWII and the Holocaust, anyone who enjoys historical fiction, relatable characters, and romance.

angie_p's review against another edition

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challenging emotional hopeful sad medium-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? Yes

4.75

anthy's review

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dark emotional inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense slow-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? It's complicated

3.0

charlottep0402's review

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4.0

Really enjoying reading this book, I found the story quite emotional. It wasn't a book that had me hooked right from the start but I'm so glad I kept reading. The ending was weak and in my opinion could have rounded everything up a little better. I so wish this was based in a true story!