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katykelly's review against another edition
4.0
Warm and insightful animal/invisible condition story.
I got this purely on the adorable Penguins books by the same author, and have to say I do enjoy the author's style, themes and characters.
You know you're in for a story that'll carry you along with it and tug a few times at the old heartstrings.
Here instead of penguins we get to fall a little in love with otters. Phoebe's an adult daughter struggling to cope with some unseen challenges, having moved with her father to a new rural home and finding little to motivate her, when she discovers an abandoned baby otter near the water.
With an otter sanctuary nearby, Phoebe and her father do what they think is the right thing and take the baby there, setting the scene for new people, new opportunities, and a world of cuddly critters that seem to be loved by most but possibly with one enemy that the wily Phoebe begins to suspect she could figure out.
A community story of different individuals with mini-plots, though this is mostly about Phoebe and her dad, their closeness, and the other people in their lives. Phoebe herself reveals her own last few years and struggles, giving the reader insight into a hidden world of rather scary health conditions.
It's the sort of book you race through quite quickly, like Prior's others it's both comforting and engaging.
With thanks to Netgalley for providing a sample reading copy.
I got this purely on the adorable Penguins books by the same author, and have to say I do enjoy the author's style, themes and characters.
You know you're in for a story that'll carry you along with it and tug a few times at the old heartstrings.
Here instead of penguins we get to fall a little in love with otters. Phoebe's an adult daughter struggling to cope with some unseen challenges, having moved with her father to a new rural home and finding little to motivate her, when she discovers an abandoned baby otter near the water.
With an otter sanctuary nearby, Phoebe and her father do what they think is the right thing and take the baby there, setting the scene for new people, new opportunities, and a world of cuddly critters that seem to be loved by most but possibly with one enemy that the wily Phoebe begins to suspect she could figure out.
A community story of different individuals with mini-plots, though this is mostly about Phoebe and her dad, their closeness, and the other people in their lives. Phoebe herself reveals her own last few years and struggles, giving the reader insight into a hidden world of rather scary health conditions.
It's the sort of book you race through quite quickly, like Prior's others it's both comforting and engaging.
With thanks to Netgalley for providing a sample reading copy.
aclairerium's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.0
milomo's review against another edition
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
winging_it_books's review against another edition
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
carolinesreads's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.0
How could I not love a fiction book with otters at the centre! 🦦 Love that chronic illness was a theme in this book as well.
plabita's review against another edition
4.0
Not a very serious story, light read, but fun nonetheless. A nice little pick me up of a book
shasha_56's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
lighthearted
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? It's complicated
4.0
livres_de_bloss's review against another edition
3.0
3.5
For a thick book, this was a quick read. The book opens slowly and a bit confusingly but picks up as it goes on and the characters become clearer. While this doesn’t hold a candle to the charming “Away With The Penguins”, it’s better than average.
While a bit saccharine at times, the book was gentle without being vapid which Hazel Prior seems to be able to do so artfully. I really liked the chronic pain representation and thought this did a good job at highlighting the struggles of invisible illnesses.
The ending felt a but OTT for me. The otters were lovely but I felt like that element was a bit OTT too - a lot of the folks had little discernible interests or depth outside being really into otters.
The editing could have been better: there were a fair few spelling, grammar, and spacing issues. I’m also reasonably convinced that Phoebe’s nickname was spelled wrong, surely “Pheebs”, not “Phoebes”?
All in all, I’m glad I picked this up. I needed something a bit gentle.
For a thick book, this was a quick read. The book opens slowly and a bit confusingly but picks up as it goes on and the characters become clearer. While this doesn’t hold a candle to the charming “Away With The Penguins”, it’s better than average.
While a bit saccharine at times, the book was gentle without being vapid which Hazel Prior seems to be able to do so artfully. I really liked the chronic pain representation and thought this did a good job at highlighting the struggles of invisible illnesses.
Spoiler
Although, I didn’t love the miracle cure element. It’s funny, if I’d read this before I’d moved to the UK, the fact that Phoebe was living with that kind of pain and the doctors hadn’t done anything, would have been utterly unbelievable to me. However, having seen many people with chronic conditions ignored by the NHS, and being fobbed off by them myself a few times, it’s, sadly, a pretty common theme in the UK.The ending felt a but OTT for me
Spoiler
(I had predicted the culprit within the first few chapters and I’m not a fan of everyone working out and being tied up with a nice bow; I mean, how often does that happen? The Christina/Dad bit felt particularly forced.)The editing could have been better: there were a fair few spelling, grammar, and spacing issues. I’m also reasonably convinced that Phoebe’s nickname was spelled wrong, surely “Pheebs”, not “Phoebes”?
All in all, I’m glad I picked this up. I needed something a bit gentle.