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

challenging dark emotional hopeful reflective 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

3.5

 I remember seeing this everywhere when it first came out, but only being 16 when it released it wasn’t of interest to me, as was definitely in my fantasy era/coming out of my reading habit due to starting college. 

My main issue with this book was how it was marketed, being described as a “warm, smart and uplifting story”. I was expecting a light hearted read based around a bit of a “messy” but relatable character trying to navigate life. This was not the experience! The actual book was a lot heavier and darker than what it was marketed as, which completely took me by surprise! 

The story deals with a lot of different topics and situations and was one I was interested to hear about but not always desperate to return to. Again, I think a lot of this is due to my expectations of the book and the subject matter being so different to what I expected. 

I also found a few aspects predictable including on of the main “twists/mysteries” which was revealed at the end, and a few of the plot points did not capture my interest compared to others. 

However, I still enjoyed listening to this audiobook and think it has some important things to say and is something I definitely don’t regret listening to. I would definitely recommend a read if you want a book that deals with past experiences and how these can influence yourself, but you do not have to let them define you and can grow/move on! But just be aware it is not as a light hearted read as it may be made out to be! 

Apparently it’s being turned into a film and I will definitely go see that!
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