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nickymaund's review against another edition
3.0
I was really intrigued by premise of this story - it had all the potential to be a heartbreaking tale. Unfortunately the meatiness of this story didn’t deliver for me. It seemed rather soap-operaesque without any of the heart. There were some twists that I didn’t see coming but it wasn’t enough to really grab me.
sim_96's review
2.0
Messy, Wonderful Us follows Allie as she navigates a newfound secret, her father could be someone else, not the man who raised her. Struggling with this secret, she heads off to Italy to find the man in the picture that looks strangely just like her.
Tagging along is her best friend Ed, who has just as many secrets of his own.
Together, with the backdrop of Italy the two try and find the man Allie believes to be her father.
At the same time this happens you get stories of the past that leave you on the edge of your seat, wanting to know more.
I'll say that this book was good, not the best but it was good. An original premise with original characters and problems. However, that is where the good stops. The writing is sub par, the execution of plot lines make it hard to follow at times and the addition of multiple other perspectives causes the story to derail from Allie and makes you wish she was never involved.
Tagging along is her best friend Ed, who has just as many secrets of his own.
Together, with the backdrop of Italy the two try and find the man Allie believes to be her father.
At the same time this happens you get stories of the past that leave you on the edge of your seat, wanting to know more.
I'll say that this book was good, not the best but it was good. An original premise with original characters and problems. However, that is where the good stops. The writing is sub par, the execution of plot lines make it hard to follow at times and the addition of multiple other perspectives causes the story to derail from Allie and makes you wish she was never involved.
portybelle's review against another edition
5.0
This is the story of Allie, a research scientist, who by chance discovers an old letter in her grandmother's house. The letter seems to reveal an old family secret which could change a lot of what Allie thinks she knows about her family. When her grandmother is adamant that it isn't what Allie thinks and that she should forget about it, then of course she is determined to find out the truth. To do this, she will need to travel to Italy and is accompanied by her best friend Ed. Ed is having his own difficulties and the opportunity to get away for a while is just what he needs to take stock and decide the way forward for him.
There are quite a few messy relationships in this book, but it's one of those books where it is difficult to say much about any of them without giving away the plot, so I won't. One thing I will say is that Catherine Isaac has created some wonderful characters you will really care about, across all the generations. Apart from one character who you will most definitely not like! She is equally able to convey the angst of school days and young love as she is able to show that love and relationships can still be complicated in later years.
The book is so beautifully written and not just the relationships that Catherine Isaac writes about with great insight. The scenes set in Italy are wonderful to read about with beautiful lakes, vineyards and fabulous sounding little food shops.
Many times the story took a direction I didn't expect at all. I was reading on the bus when one particular part took me so much by surprise that I gasped audibly, no doubt to the amusement of my fellow bus travellers! Messy, Wonderful Us is a story of family secrets and coming to terms with the past and indeed the present. The relationships may be messy but they are certainly also wonderful in this captivating book.
There are quite a few messy relationships in this book, but it's one of those books where it is difficult to say much about any of them without giving away the plot, so I won't. One thing I will say is that Catherine Isaac has created some wonderful characters you will really care about, across all the generations. Apart from one character who you will most definitely not like! She is equally able to convey the angst of school days and young love as she is able to show that love and relationships can still be complicated in later years.
The book is so beautifully written and not just the relationships that Catherine Isaac writes about with great insight. The scenes set in Italy are wonderful to read about with beautiful lakes, vineyards and fabulous sounding little food shops.
Many times the story took a direction I didn't expect at all. I was reading on the bus when one particular part took me so much by surprise that I gasped audibly, no doubt to the amusement of my fellow bus travellers! Messy, Wonderful Us is a story of family secrets and coming to terms with the past and indeed the present. The relationships may be messy but they are certainly also wonderful in this captivating book.
lisam0183_bookworm's review against another edition
5.0
An easy read that had a lot of twist and turns along the way.
myownlittlelibrary's review against another edition
1.0
It is so bad I want to give it a 0 but that is not possible so I give it a 1.
littlesparrowreads's review against another edition
5.0
This book was an unexpected delight.
I loved how we were tipped into Allie's narrative right from the off, with her discovering a piece of family history that flips her world upside down. The two plots; that of Allie's heritage and her long-term best friend's fractured relationship with his wife, are woven together with a finely tuned notion of pace and tension.
The Italian setting is particularly stunning and I found it refreshing to read about a place so often romanticised to the point of it not seeming real. Catherine Isaac immerses us in Italy and what it's like to navigate as an outsider, especially when you're not there for a holiday. I found Allie a very relatable character and her relationship with her best friend from school was entirely believable, un-clichéd, and grippingly emotive.
This book also covers some important themes, such as the less talked about side of domestic abuse, the nature of families, and the idea that what's right and true doesn't always play out as it should.
It was very cold when I read this book, but Isaac's writing warmed me right up from the inside out.
I loved how we were tipped into Allie's narrative right from the off, with her discovering a piece of family history that flips her world upside down. The two plots; that of Allie's heritage and her long-term best friend's fractured relationship with his wife, are woven together with a finely tuned notion of pace and tension.
The Italian setting is particularly stunning and I found it refreshing to read about a place so often romanticised to the point of it not seeming real. Catherine Isaac immerses us in Italy and what it's like to navigate as an outsider, especially when you're not there for a holiday. I found Allie a very relatable character and her relationship with her best friend from school was entirely believable, un-clichéd, and grippingly emotive.
This book also covers some important themes, such as the less talked about side of domestic abuse, the nature of families, and the idea that what's right and true doesn't always play out as it should.
It was very cold when I read this book, but Isaac's writing warmed me right up from the inside out.
sambampow's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
chrissireads's review against another edition
emotional
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
greenbird22's review against another edition
4.0
A novel with intertwined stories that connect rather messily but also perfectly - like the title suggests! The changing perspectives were seamless and came together beautifully in the second half especially to tell the narrative. The links between the stories were not too obvious and there were moments where the plot certainly twisted for me too, all of which added a light mystery that was intriguing but not in any way dark. Being set in northern Italy I now feel as though I’ve visited myself and had a lovely week. The rich relationships of family and friendships felt deep and real. I am definitely going to recommend this!
wormskiz's review against another edition
emotional
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0