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A review by readingspells
When God Was a Rabbit by Sarah Winman
emotional
funny
lighthearted
reflective
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
5.0
Oh Sarah Winman... So far you and I are best of friends.
First Still Life and now this. The result is I have since bought the other two books she has written and I am looking forward to delving into both. If they are only slightly as good as this book they will have been good buys and if they are as good then I just bought myself two loves.
Can you tell that I absolutely adored this book? Well in case it is not clear. I ADORED THIS BOOK.
Sarah Winman totally captures the voice of a young girl. The slightly odd things they think, how they glum onto random weird things and pursue them beyond what we as adults would do. The first half of the book is told through Elly as a child and the second half is Elly at about 30 and coincides with the reappearance of her lost childhood friend Jenny Penny.
There are so many wonderful characters in this. Aunt Nancy, and her slightly risqué relationship with her brother's wife, Elly Mum, of which Dad seems to be fully aware. The larger than life Ginger, Oh how I cried, and Arthur who stumbles into their life one day and basically never leaves, Charlie, lost and found again, Jenny Penny and even Alan who drives the taxi. They are felt so rich and real.
There is some great LGBTQ+ rep throughout the book which just like Still Life felt natural and real, the joy of it and also the complexity.
This is a book about siblings but also about friendships, found family, those little moments that shape us but also bond us to people and of course love. It is an extraordinary debut and was one of those books that the closer I got to the end the more I was sad to sense that end coming. I wanted it to go on, to stay with these people, this 'family', Elly. I shall wonder about them for a long time I think. I hope they are all OK, or as OK as we can all ever be.
"It was strange, both vital and flawed, until I realised that maybe the need to be remembered is stronger than the need to remember.”
~ Sarah Winman
First Still Life and now this. The result is I have since bought the other two books she has written and I am looking forward to delving into both. If they are only slightly as good as this book they will have been good buys and if they are as good then I just bought myself two loves.
Can you tell that I absolutely adored this book? Well in case it is not clear. I ADORED THIS BOOK.
Sarah Winman totally captures the voice of a young girl. The slightly odd things they think, how they glum onto random weird things and pursue them beyond what we as adults would do. The first half of the book is told through Elly as a child and the second half is Elly at about 30 and coincides with the reappearance of her lost childhood friend Jenny Penny.
There are so many wonderful characters in this. Aunt Nancy, and her slightly risqué relationship with her brother's wife, Elly Mum, of which Dad seems to be fully aware. The larger than life Ginger, Oh how I cried, and Arthur who stumbles into their life one day and basically never leaves, Charlie, lost and found again, Jenny Penny and even Alan who drives the taxi. They are felt so rich and real.
There is some great LGBTQ+ rep throughout the book which just like Still Life felt natural and real, the joy of it and also the complexity.
This is a book about siblings but also about friendships, found family, those little moments that shape us but also bond us to people and of course love. It is an extraordinary debut and was one of those books that the closer I got to the end the more I was sad to sense that end coming. I wanted it to go on, to stay with these people, this 'family', Elly. I shall wonder about them for a long time I think. I hope they are all OK, or as OK as we can all ever be.
"It was strange, both vital and flawed, until I realised that maybe the need to be remembered is stronger than the need to remember.”
~ Sarah Winman