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samstillreading's review against another edition
3.0
Alison Temple is in a bit of a funk. She’s newly divorced and what should a woman do in that situation? Join the private investigation firm that found her husband out of course. Once there, she meets a range of quirky and odd characters doing a range of things that sometimes can give you a bit of an odd mental picture (my tip: if you don’t want to go there, keep reading and don’t pause).
I tried to read this initially after a long stretch of work where I was pretty sleep deprived and I just couldn’t get into it. Recently, I set a weekend aside to read this book and I think that was the best way – read it in chunks, suspend any thoughts of convention and enjoy the ride. It’s a fast paced book and should be read this way. It’s not as successful if you keep picking it up and putting it down. There are lots of great references to London which made this Anglophile happy. The characters are unique and both Taron and Alison remained with me long after I closed this book. I also want a psychic postman to call my own! Some of the lines will have you nodding at their wisdom, others will have you laughing out loud.
I think this is a book that could polarise people – you’ll either love it or hate it. But I’d recommend that you try it because it’s definitely original.
I tried to read this initially after a long stretch of work where I was pretty sleep deprived and I just couldn’t get into it. Recently, I set a weekend aside to read this book and I think that was the best way – read it in chunks, suspend any thoughts of convention and enjoy the ride. It’s a fast paced book and should be read this way. It’s not as successful if you keep picking it up and putting it down. There are lots of great references to London which made this Anglophile happy. The characters are unique and both Taron and Alison remained with me long after I closed this book. I also want a psychic postman to call my own! Some of the lines will have you nodding at their wisdom, others will have you laughing out loud.
I think this is a book that could polarise people – you’ll either love it or hate it. But I’d recommend that you try it because it’s definitely original.
kdurham2's review against another edition
1.0
A short and simple review for a smaller book that was definitely out of my normal reading genre. I thought it would be a good one to stretch me out of my comfort zone, but I just couldn't get into it. By the end of the book, I was confused, lost and kind of ready for it to end.
If you like a little story, with some quirkiness and some magic, this one would be one you could pick up.
If you like a little story, with some quirkiness and some magic, this one would be one you could pick up.
stacyschuttler's review against another edition
3.0
I loved it until the end. No closure on the story. It would have been nice to have a few questions answered..
aunt13soc1al's review against another edition
3.0
My first reaction when I finished this book was 'Huh?' I wasn't sure what I had just read or why. The title intrigued me and if I had come across it in a store with the new cover (second cover here) I definitely would have picked it up myself. However, after reading this, I'm not sure if I should recommend it or not.
The characters are definitely interesting. Each character has its own quirks and adds to the story, but what is the story? That seems to be the biggest question. There is no real conclusion to the story, nor is it written to lead to a sequel. I feel as if Smith started with a great story and yet distracted by random tangents along the way. The 'end' with the sheep hybrid and the farmer who cares for it didn't seem to fit in and feels like a gratuitous 'eww' moment so there is something memorable about the book. Although it's not memorable for a good reason.
I'm not sure who I would recommend this to, but if you're expecting a little PI mystery mixed with some chick-lit like events, this is not the book for you. I feel that Smith has a way with words and could write a wonderful book, perhaps her others are more like that, but this one just isn't it.
The characters are definitely interesting. Each character has its own quirks and adds to the story, but what is the story? That seems to be the biggest question. There is no real conclusion to the story, nor is it written to lead to a sequel. I feel as if Smith started with a great story and yet distracted by random tangents along the way. The 'end' with the sheep hybrid and the farmer who cares for it didn't seem to fit in and feels like a gratuitous 'eww' moment so there is something memorable about the book. Although it's not memorable for a good reason.
I'm not sure who I would recommend this to, but if you're expecting a little PI mystery mixed with some chick-lit like events, this is not the book for you. I feel that Smith has a way with words and could write a wonderful book, perhaps her others are more like that, but this one just isn't it.
maureenr's review against another edition
1.0
bizarre. was it a mystery? chick lit? fantasy? i have no idea. one star for it being a quick beach read (read it in one day), and because I got it for $1 at some point from Amazon.
luellen1990's review against another edition
1.0
Alison Wonderland by Helen Smith
Title - Alison Wonderland
Author - Helen Smith
Published - Aug '11
Publisher - Lake Union Publishers
Pages - 176
Price on Amazon - Paperback - £6.99 Kindle - £2.48
ISBN - 1935597752
When her husband leaver her Alison impulsively takes a job at a private investigators office. Hoping it will help her move on and fix her life. she finds herself searching for missing items and following cheating husbands. But all that is nothing compared to the wonderful and fascinating people she has in her life. A psychic postman, a best friend who's mother is a witch and so much more.
When I read the title of this book, I immediately thought of Alice in Wonderland which of course is my favourite book. I love reading adaptations and remakes of it so I immediately chose this book.
I found this book to be very slow and rather boring. I thought Alison was a rather annoying character and all in all I just couldn't get on with the book. I only read about five chapters then I gave up. I didn't enjoy the writing style, I didn't find the characters to be very likeable and overall I just wasn't enjoying it. For these reasons, I didn't finish the book and therefore am unable to give a full review.
Rating - One out of Five Stars
Would I Read Again? - No
Would I Recommend? - No
Would I read other books by the same author? - Yes
Reviews for this book can be found on:
Amazon (UK) under Lu's Reviews
Goodreads,
Net Galley (If a NetGalley Book)
My Blogs at http://www.readingbeyondobsession.co.uk/
www.lusreviewsblog.wordpress.com
Links to this review can be found at:
Twitter: @lusreviews
Facebook: @lucyluisbookreviews
Instagram: lusreviews
Title - Alison Wonderland
Author - Helen Smith
Published - Aug '11
Publisher - Lake Union Publishers
Pages - 176
Price on Amazon - Paperback - £6.99 Kindle - £2.48
ISBN - 1935597752
When her husband leaver her Alison impulsively takes a job at a private investigators office. Hoping it will help her move on and fix her life. she finds herself searching for missing items and following cheating husbands. But all that is nothing compared to the wonderful and fascinating people she has in her life. A psychic postman, a best friend who's mother is a witch and so much more.
When I read the title of this book, I immediately thought of Alice in Wonderland which of course is my favourite book. I love reading adaptations and remakes of it so I immediately chose this book.
I found this book to be very slow and rather boring. I thought Alison was a rather annoying character and all in all I just couldn't get on with the book. I only read about five chapters then I gave up. I didn't enjoy the writing style, I didn't find the characters to be very likeable and overall I just wasn't enjoying it. For these reasons, I didn't finish the book and therefore am unable to give a full review.
Rating - One out of Five Stars
Would I Read Again? - No
Would I Recommend? - No
Would I read other books by the same author? - Yes
Reviews for this book can be found on:
Amazon (UK) under Lu's Reviews
Goodreads,
Net Galley (If a NetGalley Book)
My Blogs at http://www.readingbeyondobsession.co.uk/
www.lusreviewsblog.wordpress.com
Links to this review can be found at:
Twitter: @lusreviews
Facebook: @lucyluisbookreviews
Instagram: lusreviews
goodbetterbetsy's review against another edition
3.0
I expected there to be some Alice in Wonderland connection, but sadly there wasn't. The story was interesting and kind of quirky. I'm kind of glad to be done reading it but it wasn't bad.
nkinner's review against another edition
2.0
Did not finish
Don't completely take my words on this book, because I did not finish it. I gave it my 20% to catch my attention and it did not, therefore I did not continue it. This story was not for me.
Don't completely take my words on this book, because I did not finish it. I gave it my 20% to catch my attention and it did not, therefore I did not continue it. This story was not for me.
adri_ballantyne's review against another edition
2.0
I kept hoping this book would get more interesting. In the end I felt just like the main character, regret.
zoemaja's review against another edition
3.0
Kindle - bought from the bestselling list in Kindle story because it had interesting reviews and was cheap. So far it is good, but I'm not completely loving it.