Anybody Out There? - by Marian Keyes

Original Cover

My own copy

The blurb:

Anna Walsh is officially a wreck. Physically broken and emotionally shattered, she lies on her parents' Dublin sofa with only one thing on her mind: getting back to New York. New York means her best friends, The Most Fabulous Job In The World™ and above all, it means her husband, Aidan.

But nothing in Anna's life is that simple anymore... Not only is her return to Manhattan complicated by her physical and emotional scars – but Aidan seems to have vanished. Is it time for Anna to move on? Is it even possible for her to move on? A motley group of misfits, an earth-shattering revelation, two births and one very weird wedding might help Anna find some answers – and change her life forever.

My Opinion:

Anybody out there? Was my second book to read by Marian Keyes. After The Brightest Star in the Sky I hoped for this one to be more of my taste. And it was!!! :)

Anna went through a lot in the past few months and she still hasn’t discovered. As a reader you don’t really know (yet) what happened, but one can guess. I guessed in the worst direction, and was so sorry I was right.

She returns to New York, back to her friends, her job and Aiden. However, he is not there and we will soon find out why (read it if you want to know why ;)).

Well, Aiden and Anna are married and I really enjoyed reading about how they got to know each other and how their relationship developed. They seemed so perfect for each other and now…

Marian has found a great way to get Anna’s personality and her grief into the story and it makes you feel with the character all the time. Anna is trying different things to make her feel better, but nothing seems to work. I think it’s lovely how she meets different people along the way and they become a part of her life and they make her feel better as well. Slowly she is realising the truth and is starting to cope with the situation. That’s when another bomb explodes and turns everything upside down again. This twist gives the story a new direction and makes Anna even more adorable.

The fact the she can make peace is so important and she can move on. The writing of this book is so moving and emotional.

We learn that Anna has found her happiness in the end, but with whom? Well for that to find out, we’d have to read Marian’s next book about the Walsh sisters. I just wanna know it now!!!

I really enjoyed the book, but the Marian Keyes book just don't seem to click with me, the last spark is missing.  

Rating:

My possible cast:

Anna: Isabell Lucas

Aiden: Paul Wesley

Marian on Twitter: @MarianKeyes
Website: http://www.mariankeyes.com/Home

The Brightest Star in the Sky - by Marian Keyes

Original Cover

My own copy

The blurb:

Welcome to 66 Star Street . . . In the top-floor flat lives music exec Katie. She spends her days fighting off has-been rock stars and wondering how much cheesecake you'd need to eat yourself to death. Below her, a pair of muscular Poles share with a streetwise cabbie named Lydia, who has a sharp tongue, an even sharper brain but some unexpected soft spots. On the first floor is Fionn - a gardener who prefers the company of parsnips to people. But he looks like a fairy-tale prince and when he's offered his own television show, he's suddenly thrust into the limelight. And at the bottom of the house live Matt and Maeve, who are Very Much In Love and who stave off despair by doing random acts of kindness. But a mysterious visitor has just landed at 66 Star Street, bringing love, friendship and heartbreak, and a new-found optimism. Old secrets are working their way to the surface and all their lives are about to change in the most unexpected of ways . . .

My Opinion:

A lovely and deep story about characters who live in the same house.

Well, to be honest: At first I didn’t understand this story and it was too much for me what all the changes between the characters. I got warm with Matt and Maeve first. Such an adorable couple and I sensed some unspoken thing in their story, so I really wanted to find out what it was.

Then there was Lydia, her story got more and more interesting, so I loved following her after a while.

With Fionn and Katie I didn’t get warm though. I found it really difficult to find a connection, the spark was just missing.

There was so much going on all the time. I loved drama and things happening, but it kind of was too much.

The story of Matt and Maeve took a shocking turn and I was literally crying and just hoping for everything to turn out okay.

That was one thing I really loved about this book, the emotional way Marian wrote it. The emotions really transferred and got me closer to the characters.

An other thing I loved was when all the charceters got together and interacted, they were neighbours after all.

The ending was very interesting and moving.

The idea of the book is amazing and it’s a pleasant change from other stories. The whole concept just was a little too much for me, with too many single stories going on at the beginning.

Rating:

After reading this book I didn't feel like putting together a cast. There very too many characters for me and not enough information about their appearance.

Marian on Twitter: @MarianKeyes
Website: http://www.mariankeyes.com/Home