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A review by sweetsxrrxw
Eleanor Oliphant está perfectamente by Gail Honeyman
challenging
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
i am not going to lie and try to convince everyone to read this book since i know it might not be for everyone. but i just finished reading it and wow, i am truly shocked because i definitely was not expecting that last twist.
anyways, i've seen some people saying it was hard for them to get over the first half of this book. i can't tell if it took me a while to get over it for the same reasons as them or becsuse i was busy studying for my semester exams.
however, i can assure this book is a bit of a slow burn. it follows eleanor and how childhood trauma can affect your adult life. this story shows her growth as she overcomes that trauma and learns that people need people. some readers might dislike her because of her initial "quirkiness" (which i believe is just neurodivergent traits) but i think it is worth it to stay until the end and watch her personal development. personally, i couldnt help but feeling proud of her during so many parts of the story. even if you can't relate to her, there's a chance you will end up feeling a tiny bit of affection towards her.
speaking of affection, the second lead is also a really lovable character! raymond's mom is right, he is such a good man, i love how he stuck with eleanor during both her hardest and happiest times. he is the kind of friend that everyone needs in their lives. i admit i was so focused on eleanor's story that i lowkey took him for granted but, thinking about him now, just makes me wish i had a person like him in my life.
to sum up, i can understand why many people have dnfed this book but i believe that if you give it a chance, you can actually find yourself liking it.
ps: there's apparently a movie being produced, can't wait for it!
anyways, i've seen some people saying it was hard for them to get over the first half of this book. i can't tell if it took me a while to get over it for the same reasons as them or becsuse i was busy studying for my semester exams.
however, i can assure this book is a bit of a slow burn. it follows eleanor and how childhood trauma can affect your adult life. this story shows her growth as she overcomes that trauma and learns that people need people. some readers might dislike her because of her initial "quirkiness" (which i believe is just neurodivergent traits) but i think it is worth it to stay until the end and watch her personal development. personally, i couldnt help but feeling proud of her during so many parts of the story. even if you can't relate to her, there's a chance you will end up feeling a tiny bit of affection towards her.
speaking of affection, the second lead is also a really lovable character! raymond's mom is right, he is such a good man, i love how he stuck with eleanor during both her hardest and happiest times. he is the kind of friend that everyone needs in their lives. i admit i was so focused on eleanor's story that i lowkey took him for granted but, thinking about him now, just makes me wish i had a person like him in my life.
to sum up, i can understand why many people have dnfed this book but i believe that if you give it a chance, you can actually find yourself liking it.
ps: there's apparently a movie being produced, can't wait for it!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcohol, Child abuse, Alcoholism, and Emotional abuse
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Mental illness, and Child death
Minor: Fatphobia, Rape, Death, Domestic abuse, and Fire/Fire injury