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A review by esmayrosalyne
Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Okay confession time: for years I thought that Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine was just a cutesy YA contemporary, so consider my surprise when I realised that it is quite literally the furthest thing from that.
Eleanor is neurospicy as all get out and she definitely isn't the easiest person/character to love... and yet I kinda totally do by the end. She was somehow both extremely frustrating and inexplicably funny to me, and her quirky, deadpan narration of her increasingly crazy daily life charmed me to no end. I mean, sometimes I didn't know if I wanted to hug, shake, slap or comfort her, but I think that is exactly what kept me so engaged in her messy life.
And just when I thought this book was going to wrap up in a predictable neat little bow, there was a wild twist at the end that completely reshaped all my views of what had come before. The exploration of mental health and the importance of healthy, supportive interpersonal relationships is beyond powerful, and Eleanor's emotional journey tugged on my heartstrings in ways I was not anticipating.
Eleanor Oliphant might be completely fine, but I certainly am not after reading this book. Similarly to Backman's A Man Called Ove, it's somehow charming, boring, frustrating, gut wrenching and tragically funny all at once, and I can't recommend it highly enough if you want a book with a lot of hurt but even more heart.
Eleanor is neurospicy as all get out and she definitely isn't the easiest person/character to love... and yet I kinda totally do by the end. She was somehow both extremely frustrating and inexplicably funny to me, and her quirky, deadpan narration of her increasingly crazy daily life charmed me to no end. I mean, sometimes I didn't know if I wanted to hug, shake, slap or comfort her, but I think that is exactly what kept me so engaged in her messy life.
And just when I thought this book was going to wrap up in a predictable neat little bow, there was a wild twist at the end that completely reshaped all my views of what had come before. The exploration of mental health and the importance of healthy, supportive interpersonal relationships is beyond powerful, and Eleanor's emotional journey tugged on my heartstrings in ways I was not anticipating.
Eleanor Oliphant might be completely fine, but I certainly am not after reading this book. Similarly to Backman's A Man Called Ove, it's somehow charming, boring, frustrating, gut wrenching and tragically funny all at once, and I can't recommend it highly enough if you want a book with a lot of hurt but even more heart.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Child abuse, Death, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, and Death of parent