amandadelbrocco's review against another edition
3.0
I enjoyed the writing but I felt like there were too many kids in the family because it resulted in too many storylines. That was the point but it felt like too much. The ending was a little too neat.
debbiecuddy's review against another edition
3.0
Sometimes life is full of enough troubles and one wants to curl up with a book that tells a good story; this book was just what I needed.
sanghavi_ps's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
felinity's review against another edition
4.0
Everyone knows how those Christmas letters work. Flip through your family calendar/planner, write about the highlights and the proud moments, carefully gloss over the awkward ones and be sure to include a picture of the entire family - even if that's the only time you even see each other.
Angela Gillespie's letters were just the same... until the day she writes a painfully honest letter, which wouldn't be out of place in a very, very private diary (or confession to a psychiatrist). Now the whole family must turn the best possible light on the revelations - at least in public - while handling their lack of communication, and hopefully discover whether the dissatisfaction and flaws the letter reveals will draw them closer together or destroy them.
And to do that, they've got to pull together and work as a family. There were groan-worthy moments interspersed with some very sage advice in this wonderfully entertaining novel. The Gillespies are, after all, a very normal family, with squabbles, personality conflicts and secrets, and marriage is about sharing your weaknesses and problems as well as your successes. Will their shared troubles forget a new, stronger family, or will the Celias finally separate them?
Disclaimer: I received a free copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Angela Gillespie's letters were just the same... until the day she writes a painfully honest letter, which wouldn't be out of place in a very, very private diary (or confession to a psychiatrist). Now the whole family must turn the best possible light on the revelations - at least in public - while handling their lack of communication, and hopefully discover whether the dissatisfaction and flaws the letter reveals will draw them closer together or destroy them.
And to do that, they've got to pull together and work as a family. There were groan-worthy moments interspersed with some very sage advice in this wonderfully entertaining novel. The Gillespies are, after all, a very normal family, with squabbles, personality conflicts and secrets, and marriage is about sharing your weaknesses and problems as well as your successes. Will their shared troubles forget a new, stronger family, or will the Celias finally separate them?
Disclaimer: I received a free copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
vee615's review against another edition
4.0
I really enjoyed this book, specifically the characters were all different and were a balance of faults and merits.
Angela Gillespies writes a Christmas letter every year, they often sound too good to be true. What if this year she sends a letter that speaks the truth? Without giving too much away Angela deals with the fallout from her family after her letter accidentally goes out, but when Angela becomes lost to them the family finds their strength.
I really liked Angela and I felt like her and her husband Nick had a very relatable relationship. No family is perfect and this one isn't either. But, through humor, tears, anger, and love the family makes it through a series of family events even stronger than they were before.
I would have given it 5 stars but the ending just seemed like it went on forever and could have been wrapped up a little more smoothly.
Angela Gillespies writes a Christmas letter every year, they often sound too good to be true. What if this year she sends a letter that speaks the truth? Without giving too much away Angela deals with the fallout from her family after her letter accidentally goes out, but when Angela becomes lost to them the family finds their strength.
I really liked Angela and I felt like her and her husband Nick had a very relatable relationship. No family is perfect and this one isn't either. But, through humor, tears, anger, and love the family makes it through a series of family events even stronger than they were before.
I would have given it 5 stars but the ending just seemed like it went on forever and could have been wrapped up a little more smoothly.
mazza57's review against another edition
4.0
a lovely, easy read full of humour and more than a few crises of varying sizes.
sonja_mj's review against another edition
4.0
Highly enjoyable latest tale by Monica. Interesting story, likeable characters and very easy reading! Fans of Monica should really enjoy!!
taralpittman's review against another edition
4.0
At first glance, I have to admit that I was a little intimidated by the fact that this novel contains 624 pages; I quickly realized that I had no reason for concern, as the pages began to fly by and I was completely drawn in by the story of these all-too-relatable characters. Set on an Australian sheep station in the outback, Hello From the Gillespies had me hooked from the start.
Angela Gillespie is worried about her children, she is afraid her marriage is falling apart, the family finances are questionable and the hits just keep on coming. A dutiful wife and mother, Angela is trying to hold things together for everyone and really only has one true friend, Joan, with whom she feels comfortable sharing her struggles; she definitely feels compelled to "keep up appearances" in their nearby town because, as you all know, bad news travels fast and when you live in a small town it's even worse.
Due to some unfortunate circumstances, Angela's family ends up all together as the holidays approach; her twin daughters return from abroad, her youngest daughter has already landed back at home and her son, well...he's tough to explain. Angela's false bravado begins to crumble, as details of the infamous "letter" begin swirling around and Angela has to divulge the bad news to her family. I have to say that I completely fell in love with Angela's twin daughters; they have enough drama going on, between the two of them, to give the Kardashians a run for their money. There were several occasions when I laughed out loud which, for me, is a definite sign of a good book!
There are so many different elements to this story: the family dynamics, the local politics, the landscape and history of the background, the emotion, the comedy - wow! I was really impressed and I think you will definitely find some part of this story with which you find yourself deeply connected. In addition, the novel is based upon a unique idea that caught my attention and led to the exploration of several universal themes that tie in nicely with one another.
Angela Gillespie is worried about her children, she is afraid her marriage is falling apart, the family finances are questionable and the hits just keep on coming. A dutiful wife and mother, Angela is trying to hold things together for everyone and really only has one true friend, Joan, with whom she feels comfortable sharing her struggles; she definitely feels compelled to "keep up appearances" in their nearby town because, as you all know, bad news travels fast and when you live in a small town it's even worse.
Due to some unfortunate circumstances, Angela's family ends up all together as the holidays approach; her twin daughters return from abroad, her youngest daughter has already landed back at home and her son, well...he's tough to explain. Angela's false bravado begins to crumble, as details of the infamous "letter" begin swirling around and Angela has to divulge the bad news to her family. I have to say that I completely fell in love with Angela's twin daughters; they have enough drama going on, between the two of them, to give the Kardashians a run for their money. There were several occasions when I laughed out loud which, for me, is a definite sign of a good book!
There are so many different elements to this story: the family dynamics, the local politics, the landscape and history of the background, the emotion, the comedy - wow! I was really impressed and I think you will definitely find some part of this story with which you find yourself deeply connected. In addition, the novel is based upon a unique idea that caught my attention and led to the exploration of several universal themes that tie in nicely with one another.
bethreadsandnaps's review against another edition
3.0
Given how long this novel was, it was a surprisingly quick read.
An interesting premise--after 30+ years of cheerful Christmas letters that put a positive spin on everything, Angela finally decides to write truthful updates on every person in her family this year. Then her husband, who was trying to be helpful, sends out her missive without actually reading it to everyone in her email distribution list. Not a very plausible premise, but definitely interesting.
Angela's four children are in disarray, her husband is dealing with his own problems. Angela herself seems to be questioning her decision to ever marry Nick...over thirty years prior.
I thought I would like this novel more. It was decent, but it seemed to be missing charisma. The three daughters seemed to have the same voice (spoiled, self-centered), so they melded together into one. All three daughters were having problems in the romance and job departments (seriously, ALL 3!). While the son had an imaginary friend at 10 years old, he didn't seem the type of miscreant that would keep getting booted from schools. Angela herself was hard to connect to. Did Angela and Nick ever say a word to each other in the first 550 pages? Celia was a kick, but her character seemed to be marginalized.
And it was billed as funny, and I didn't find it to be anywhere close to as funny as Moriarty's novels. It's probably not fair to compare McInerney to Moriarty, and I'm not doing that because they're both from Australia. I was told that they were similar styles, which I didn't find to be the case.
An interesting premise--after 30+ years of cheerful Christmas letters that put a positive spin on everything, Angela finally decides to write truthful updates on every person in her family this year. Then her husband, who was trying to be helpful, sends out her missive without actually reading it to everyone in her email distribution list. Not a very plausible premise, but definitely interesting.
Angela's four children are in disarray, her husband is dealing with his own problems. Angela herself seems to be questioning her decision to ever marry Nick...over thirty years prior.
I thought I would like this novel more. It was decent, but it seemed to be missing charisma. The three daughters seemed to have the same voice (spoiled, self-centered), so they melded together into one. All three daughters were having problems in the romance and job departments (seriously, ALL 3!). While the son had an imaginary friend at 10 years old, he didn't seem the type of miscreant that would keep getting booted from schools. Angela herself was hard to connect to. Did Angela and Nick ever say a word to each other in the first 550 pages? Celia was a kick, but her character seemed to be marginalized.
And it was billed as funny, and I didn't find it to be anywhere close to as funny as Moriarty's novels. It's probably not fair to compare McInerney to Moriarty, and I'm not doing that because they're both from Australia. I was told that they were similar styles, which I didn't find to be the case.