mjudleh 's review for:

Started Early, Took My Dog by Kate Atkinson
4.0

I'm always a little surprised by how much I like Kate Atkinson's books. She has a way with words, not poetic or romantic, but she makes me smile and read back over certain phrases. I like the character of Jackson who appears here again, but I almost wish he weren't a recurring character. I don't like the references to his past and the 'remember this...' whenever something from the past is mentioned. I don't need the memories from the other books to enjoy his part in this one.

Atkinson has a way with creating characters - a bunch of them here - who are completely real without behaving in anything approaching a normal way. The events are huge and life changing, but she tells us about them in a non-sensational way that keeps them from being melodrama. I like the masterful way she handles her plot - the parallel narratives with the dog and the child, the confusion of Jacksons, the good bad guys and the bad good guys.

I look forward to the next one.