ao1f3ge's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
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
3.0
kookie9200's review against another edition
4.0
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to review this book.
When Zoe was 16, she disappeared, never to be seen again. Now, years later, her brother is out to find her. Told from the points of view of Jude and Mandy, Zoe's mother, we get the story of their past, and the build up to finding Zoe.
This was a good , steady novel. I don't have anything bad to say about it. The writing was good, the pacing was nice. I felt the ending was a little bland, but all in all, I'd read it again.
When Zoe was 16, she disappeared, never to be seen again. Now, years later, her brother is out to find her. Told from the points of view of Jude and Mandy, Zoe's mother, we get the story of their past, and the build up to finding Zoe.
This was a good , steady novel. I don't have anything bad to say about it. The writing was good, the pacing was nice. I felt the ending was a little bland, but all in all, I'd read it again.
floorflawless's review against another edition
3.0
This is a family centered story. It's about a family that has fallen apart and no one really knows why, because Zoe vanished in the night of her 16th birthday. Jude wants to track her down and get to know the truth. What happened in the past that made Zoe disappear and barely seeks any contact with her family? What happened that day in Blackpool, what made her not want to talk to Scott ever again?
You are reading from two perspectives: Jude and Mandy. Jude is Zoe's younger brother and you follow him and his girlfriend Jessica tracking down Zoe. Mandy is the mother and she basically tells you what happened in those years before Zoe run away. Eventually the storylines get to getter.
I liked reading from both perspectives, although I didn't really feel for any of them sadly enough. There was one thing that made me keep reading this book: Wanting to know the truth about what happened. Nothing more, nothing less. Also, the epilogue felt really unnecessary to me, so I basically skimmed it as it was pretty long for an epilogue anyway.
You are reading from two perspectives: Jude and Mandy. Jude is Zoe's younger brother and you follow him and his girlfriend Jessica tracking down Zoe. Mandy is the mother and she basically tells you what happened in those years before Zoe run away. Eventually the storylines get to getter.
I liked reading from both perspectives, although I didn't really feel for any of them sadly enough. There was one thing that made me keep reading this book: Wanting to know the truth about what happened. Nothing more, nothing less. Also, the epilogue felt really unnecessary to me, so I basically skimmed it as it was pretty long for an epilogue anyway.
karen_team_orange's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
spikeyfish's review against another edition
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
shelleyann01's review against another edition
5.0
The Road to Zoe by Nick Alexander is a five-star read you won’t want to miss. This has such great characters that you won’t be able to stop yourself feeling for them and caring for them, that’s why I think Nick Alexander is such a great writer, he writes about people you can identify with and understand so much. Throw in some serious issues and you have a great novel.
So, the characters are strongly written and believable; what about the plot? The plot is quite sinuous and discretely threaded through so that everything that happens feels organic and realistic. I loved driving with Jude and Jessica. The descriptions of England, Scotland and France were beautiful, even if it was January. I could picture everything they saw, in my minds eye.
I was very surprised by the ending and liked that. There was a bit of a mystery in this book, yet pretty much the characters all came together and made this an excellent book about love and forgiveness. And we can all use a little of that in our lives.
Thank you NetGalley, Nick Alexander and Amazon Publishing UK for the complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
#TheRoadtoZoe #NetGalley
So, the characters are strongly written and believable; what about the plot? The plot is quite sinuous and discretely threaded through so that everything that happens feels organic and realistic. I loved driving with Jude and Jessica. The descriptions of England, Scotland and France were beautiful, even if it was January. I could picture everything they saw, in my minds eye.
I was very surprised by the ending and liked that. There was a bit of a mystery in this book, yet pretty much the characters all came together and made this an excellent book about love and forgiveness. And we can all use a little of that in our lives.
Thank you NetGalley, Nick Alexander and Amazon Publishing UK for the complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
#TheRoadtoZoe #NetGalley
mugglemom's review against another edition
5.0
Strong Characters and a dynamic storyline. With most of Nick Alexander's stories so far that I’ve read, you have two POV and 2 timelines. All his characters feel like people I would know in real life and I find it easy to relate to their problems as well as their good times.
I especially liked Jess, Jude’s girlfriend. With this story, the messy family life is interesting and quite believable. Zoe, at first, I wasn’t sure what to make of the whole drama and the author really takes you down one rabbit hole and then you pop out into another warren altogether. It was seamless and so well executed.
I’m definitely a new fan of Mr. Alexander and will be looking for his next novel.
I especially liked Jess, Jude’s girlfriend. With this story, the messy family life is interesting and quite believable. Zoe, at first, I wasn’t sure what to make of the whole drama and the author really takes you down one rabbit hole and then you pop out into another warren altogether. It was seamless and so well executed.
I’m definitely a new fan of Mr. Alexander and will be looking for his next novel.
claudiafeneley's review against another edition
3.0
I feel that I should start out this review by saying that Nick Alexander is one of my favourite authors. I have not read all of his books (although I plan to), but I have thoroughly enjoyed every one that I have read. There are a few things that he really excels at as an author: developing well-rounded characters with distinctive personalities, ensuring that each character has their own voice, and establishing storylines that will tear at your heartstrings. All of the books that I have read by him also have a strong family element.
While The Road to Zoe does has strong characters and an emotional plot, I must be honest and say that it is not my favourite book by the author that I have read thus far. Perhaps this opinion is purely down to high expectations; I have read his other works and know what he is capable of. By no means am I saying that The Road to Zoe is a bad book, in fact I thoroughly enjoyed it, it is just not the five star read that I have come to expect from Nick Alexander.
It is slightly unfair, but often readers form opinions on a novel based on how they start and how they end. The beginning of a novel needs to be captivating enough to make the reader want to continue with it, while the ending should leave a lasting impression. Unfortunately, I do not think The Road to Zoe has a strong beginning or end. However, the potential is there. Because I did not yet know the characters, I found the start of the novel to be slightly confusing. Quite a few people were mentioned in a number of pages, which was a bit difficult to wrap my head around. I found myself reading whole paragraphs a few times over to try to figure out who was being mentioned, which detracted from the reading experience. I think perhaps it would have been better to start this story with a brief flashback to one of the most crucial plot points: when Zoe goes missing. This is merely my opinion, and I must say that once I got past the initial confusion I was captivated by the plot.
I cannot imagine how difficult it is for an author to decide how to end a novel. There are many different ways to end a novel: with a cliffhanger, tying up loose ends, by revealing information that will shock the reader, or just finding a natural end for the character’s story, to name a few. The thing about The Road to Zoe is that it did have a powerful ending, but then the author added an epilogue. Epilogues are an interesting tool; sometimes they are brilliant, and sometimes they do more harm than good. In the case of The Road to Zoe, I believe that the epilogue was a mistake. The last part of the novel before the epilogue was emotionally powerful; it would have been a brilliant way to end this book. In fact, I think that if it had ended before the epilogue I would have given it this book four stars instead of three. Instead, the epilogue introduced a new character that I found unnecessary and provided superfluous information. If you read this book I urge you to try to resist the temptation to read the epilogue.
I feel that this review sounds a bit negative, so I should reiterate: The Road to Zoe is still a thoroughly enjoyable read. If you have enjoyed Nick Alexander’s other books then I think you will appreciate this book. Perhaps your opinion will differ from mine and you might even think it is one of his best books. That is okay. In fact, if you have read this book or any of his other work’s, I would love to discuss it with you in the comments below. The Road to Zoe still contains the classic Nick Alexander charm; it has strong characters and an emotional story line. It is brilliantly written of course, as all of his books are. Although I did not enjoy this book as much, I look forward to reading more books by the author in the future.
I would like to thank NetGalley and Amazon Publishing for providing me with an advance copy of this book, in exchange for an honest review.
Review originally posted on my blog, www.theloveofbooks.co.uk
While The Road to Zoe does has strong characters and an emotional plot, I must be honest and say that it is not my favourite book by the author that I have read thus far. Perhaps this opinion is purely down to high expectations; I have read his other works and know what he is capable of. By no means am I saying that The Road to Zoe is a bad book, in fact I thoroughly enjoyed it, it is just not the five star read that I have come to expect from Nick Alexander.
It is slightly unfair, but often readers form opinions on a novel based on how they start and how they end. The beginning of a novel needs to be captivating enough to make the reader want to continue with it, while the ending should leave a lasting impression. Unfortunately, I do not think The Road to Zoe has a strong beginning or end. However, the potential is there. Because I did not yet know the characters, I found the start of the novel to be slightly confusing. Quite a few people were mentioned in a number of pages, which was a bit difficult to wrap my head around. I found myself reading whole paragraphs a few times over to try to figure out who was being mentioned, which detracted from the reading experience. I think perhaps it would have been better to start this story with a brief flashback to one of the most crucial plot points: when Zoe goes missing. This is merely my opinion, and I must say that once I got past the initial confusion I was captivated by the plot.
I cannot imagine how difficult it is for an author to decide how to end a novel. There are many different ways to end a novel: with a cliffhanger, tying up loose ends, by revealing information that will shock the reader, or just finding a natural end for the character’s story, to name a few. The thing about The Road to Zoe is that it did have a powerful ending, but then the author added an epilogue. Epilogues are an interesting tool; sometimes they are brilliant, and sometimes they do more harm than good. In the case of The Road to Zoe, I believe that the epilogue was a mistake. The last part of the novel before the epilogue was emotionally powerful; it would have been a brilliant way to end this book. In fact, I think that if it had ended before the epilogue I would have given it this book four stars instead of three. Instead, the epilogue introduced a new character that I found unnecessary and provided superfluous information. If you read this book I urge you to try to resist the temptation to read the epilogue.
I feel that this review sounds a bit negative, so I should reiterate: The Road to Zoe is still a thoroughly enjoyable read. If you have enjoyed Nick Alexander’s other books then I think you will appreciate this book. Perhaps your opinion will differ from mine and you might even think it is one of his best books. That is okay. In fact, if you have read this book or any of his other work’s, I would love to discuss it with you in the comments below. The Road to Zoe still contains the classic Nick Alexander charm; it has strong characters and an emotional story line. It is brilliantly written of course, as all of his books are. Although I did not enjoy this book as much, I look forward to reading more books by the author in the future.
I would like to thank NetGalley and Amazon Publishing for providing me with an advance copy of this book, in exchange for an honest review.
Review originally posted on my blog, www.theloveofbooks.co.uk
sheilamckay's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
mugglemom's review against another edition
5.0
Strong Characters and a dynamic storyline. With most of Nick Alexander's stories so far that I’ve read, you have two POV and 2 timelines. All his characters feel like people I would know in real life and I find it easy to relate to their problems as well as their good times.
I especially liked Jess, Jude’s girlfriend. With this story, the messy family life is interesting and quite believable. Zoe, at first, I wasn’t sure what to make of the whole drama and the author really takes you down one rabbit hole and then you pop out into another warren altogether. It was seamless and so well executed.
I’m definitely a new fan of Mr. Alexander and will be looking for his next novel.
I especially liked Jess, Jude’s girlfriend. With this story, the messy family life is interesting and quite believable. Zoe, at first, I wasn’t sure what to make of the whole drama and the author really takes you down one rabbit hole and then you pop out into another warren altogether. It was seamless and so well executed.
I’m definitely a new fan of Mr. Alexander and will be looking for his next novel.