A review by podanotherjessi
Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman

emotional sad medium-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

2.75

I liked this book, but that's the strongest emotion I can manage for it. It was good, but not great. I found the plot predictable, but I honestly don't think that would be the normal experience. I also cannot speak to the representation in this book. There were times it felt almost like a gimick, but it's safe to say Eleanor struggles with mental illness.

Edit: rating changed to reflect reviews I've read discussing the representation in the novel. Explanation under spoilers:

I thought that Eleanor was coded to be autistic. The author has said this is not the case, but she does read like a bad autism stereotype. She is also very poorly representative of a survivor of abuse, and the portrayal of the foster care system was innaccurate. This blog post goes into this all in further detail: https://penchant.blog/2019/08/19/eleanor-oliphants-story-and-why-it-doesnt-belong-to-the-author-who-wrote-it/

Characters: 3
Plot: 7
Setting: 5
General appeal: 7
Writing style: 4
Originality: 7
Ending: 9

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Child abuse, Child death, Emotional abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, and Vomit