WoW!!!!! In a Thousand Different Ways by Cecelia Ahern and Narrated by Amy McAllister was a beautifully written. it was a book just took "My breath away" from start to finish I wasn't sure of this book but the cover caught my eye and I am so glad it did, it's beautiful.
The narrator Amy McAllister was perfect. Cecelia Ahern is a wonderful storyteller and I will be looking out for her books in the future.

I highly recommend this book. I loved it.

Big Thank you to NetGalley, Cecelia Ahern, and HarperCollins UK for my advanced copy of In a Thousand Different Way.

A gorgeous cover, alas the book did not live up to it. This was pretty poor and one for diehard Cecelia Ahern fans only.

Alice Kelly has a gift (or curse, depending on your perspective). She sees an aura around people, sensing their emotions and moods, owing to a condition called synaesthesia. She grows up in an unhappy home with a bipolar mother who neglects Alice and her brothers. This is the story of Alice’s life and ultimately, it’s a rather odd, humdrum and depressing one.

The first 60 or so pages start off reasonably promising with Eleanor Oliphant vibes and some nice writing. Unfortunately, it quickly fizzles out, becoming very maudlin and predictable.

Synaesthesia is an interesting condition and it has worked well as a plot device in a few books that I’ve read in recent years, but hanging the entire story on synaesthesia is not really a runner. It becomes very repetitive - there are only so many ways of describing how colours appear - the red mists, the murky browns, the swirling purples. Less “a thousand different ways” and more a case of, well, just a few really.

By the time the romance angle is introduced, the book descends into the most saccharine, sentimental prose I’ve read in a long time. The last chapter rushes through the last few decades of Alice’s life at breakneck speed as the colours begin to drain out of it. For a novel centring on colours, I’m afraid this was terribly bland, or hummus as Ahern might describe it. A promising start but that’s about it I’m afraid.

*Many thanks to @harpercollinsire for sending me a copy of the book. As always, this is an honest review.*

I enjoy Cecelia Aherne’s writing and I found her last book Freckles to be an excellent, well written story. However her latest book In A Thousand Different Ways wasn’t for me.

The idea of people seeing colour is very interesting and unique but the inclusion of bi-polar disorder along with other storylines in the book all felt too simplistic. I didn’t really enjoy the story but appreciate Aherne’s talent in storytelling.

⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I loved this book. Engaging, compelling and utterly unique. With a fantastic central character who I found myself willing on all the way, this book is amazing.
Thanks to the author, publisher and netgalley for providing me with this advance digital copy in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

One of Ahern's better works in recent times. A really interesting premise where the main character can see emotions / auras? And how to navigate a world where nothing is really a secret to you. The character was wonderfully written.

Such a beautiful book I listened to the narrated version and read this one. Each gave me unique experiences ! I loved Alice’s journey and felt like I was experiencing the journey with her in all its amazing glory! This book had me feeling every emotion. The description and language used was so clear and poignant Absolutely loved every part of this book.

This was a fascinating story about a woman who could see the colours that demonstrated peoples emotions. It showed the ways it affected her, her life, her family and her surroundings. Some really good characters and an inmmersive story line.

If you go into this looking for a run-of-the-mill romcom, think again. this is very different from Cecilia Ahern's previous writing, delving into a world of synesthesia, where the main character experiences emotion as colour, every feeling having a specific colour for her. Its a gorgeous story, well written as you'd expect, with an unexpected storyline which I was captivated by

This was a great book, such an interesting topic. Characters are very well developed, and we see how toxic Alice’s family were, its just very good. One I would recommend highly!

It's a poignant and emotionally charged story, it talks about people with complex life and who can see other people aura.
Alice made me wish I could hug her and hope for the best.
A well told story that kept me turning pages even when I was not sure if it was the righ book for me.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this arc, all opinions are mine

When Alice Kelly is 8 she starts seeing Aura’s, the colours that surround people. The colours that tell tales on us, they tell what our moods are, how we are feeling, whether we are ill and Alice is surrounded by this all day every day. It’s overwhelming, she gets Migraines, she’s disruptive in class and no one understands.

This is Alice’s story, it’s fascinating, sometimes heartbreaking and always wonderful.

Thanks to Netgalley for providing an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

This started well and I liked the plot. The book was slow paced but very character driven. The main character Alice is really unique and she stood out a lot. She will be a character that I remember for a long time.

Cecelia has a great writing style and it is really easy to read.

Good book.

This made me feel all sorts of things, from fascination to despair and everything in between. It's very well written and I feel like I could really connect with the characters, particularly Alice. The depth of the background of each character made me able to imagine them fully, and immerse myself in the words that they said, the feelings they felt and more!

I could definitely read this again and again. It's truly an artfully written book which everyone should read at least once!

I was tearful at the end of this book, and that’s hard to achieve just through reading these days! But the careful balance of humour, sadness, emotion and basic humanity throughout this was spot on and reminded me of exactly why I love Cecelia Ahern’s writing.

This book is an examination of the way that people interact, the way that we see them, see ourselves and the boundaries and barriers that we put up around us.

Everything I love about storytelling is captured within the pages of this book. Everything that Cecelia Ahern knows how to do well, flourishes and grows throughout the chapters. The characters, the setting, the storyline, the beauty, the sadness… it’s all there. It could quite easily play out as a movie too, this book screams ‘bring me to life’ even more. (But don’t ruin me!).

This book will have you examining your own life at the end of it, even just a little bit. It will prompt thought, discussion and wonder for years to come. One of the finest writers of our time has done it again.

My first novel by this author, it came very highly recommended by trusted book friends so I couldn't wait. I've been reading more Irish authors and enjoy a quirky character story so had very high hopes.

Alice has synaesthesia, she sees the moods and temperaments of others in colours.

This is her story, from first realising she's different, the challenges it brings and learning how best to live with it into adult life.

I was instantly hooked, how does a child explain their unique way if seeing and feeling to others who don't share the experience?

It jumps around in time and place, so you do need to pay attention.

I enjoyed it, and read in it a day though it dragged just a little towards the end or perhaps I just enjoyed the 'coming to terms with it' early drama a bit more.

A very interesting and thought provoking read.

Thank to Netgalley and HarperCollins UK

Wow! Thank you to NetGalley for giving me the chance to read this ARC.This book broke me, built me up again and broke me again at the end. I was an absolute mess. Cecelia Ahern is one of my favourite writers and she never disappoints. I literally loved every page!

This book follows a young alice who has a gift of seeing peoples aura through colours! To some it feels like a gift but to a young Alice it’s a punishment. Going through life she learns to accept this special ability and with the help from special people around her she learns to slowly love it (most of it)

Seriously if you read this book keep the tissues close by because Cecelia Ahern I applaud you! She has the ability to write such powerful books I felt the connection I had to Alice was deeper than just a fictional character.

Definitely a 5 star read from me

It is an original, emotional and heart-warming story. From the beginning, it grabbed my attention and drew me into Alice's world. I was captivated by the idea of ​​the story and the fact that the main character uniquely sees the world. As a result, it is a fantastic book that provokes thinking and a change of perspective on many stereotyped opinions. It's been a long time since I was involved in such a beautiful and touching story.

I thought this was a brilliant book but identifying so much with Alice, made it feel quite a raw read for me. Alice put into words so much of what I've felt all my life, but never knew how to describe.

If you're looking for a light, fluffy read this is not that. It is a messy, quite dark story but that is not a criticism. It just affected me deeply and the best books always do.

Alice has a gift, a superpower. She can see people's colours and these colours tell her everything she needs to know about who the person is. She finds it overwhelming and hides from the world as her Mum's carer. A Mum who was abusive and neglectful.

As Alice finally moves away from her toxic family, she is learning that her greatest nemesis is herself and how she's never allowed herself the chance to live.

When you sees a man on the tube who has no colour, she knows she must find a way to meet him. And she does. And she discovers a love that starts as a blank canvas and grows in depth as she gets to know Andy and herself in a way she never has before.

A beautiful story with gorgeous characters and an overall uplifting message of hope.

I must admit that reading the first chapter or so I wondered if I was going to enjoy this book. But I'm so pleased I persevered as I found getting to know Alice, her life and her family intriguing. The whole concept of the auras and how they dominated Alice's life was fascinating. Each character we encountered was completely believable, from Lily the dysfunctional mother to the calm and centred Naomi. It was such a brilliant analysis of the interaction of relationships and the full range of emotions that Alice experienced.

Alice Kelly is eight when she notices everyone has a color, it displays what the person is feeling, their mood and much more. Alice lives with her mum Lily, older brother Hugh and little brother Ollie. Lily isn’t the best mother, due to being an alcoholic and having bipolar disorder and Hugh acts as a parent. When, Hugh finishes high school, he leaves for university and Alice starts having problems.

Alice doesn’t like bright sunlight, seeing people’s colors gives her a headache and she doesn’t like people touching her. Alice starts wearing sunglasses to school, the teachers don’t understand why she needs them inside and they suggest she attends Clearview Academy. A school for teenagers who have behavioral problems, Lily is happy not to have to deal with her odd daughter and Alice makes her first friend Gospel.

Lily isn’t well, Alice has finished school and she becomes her mothers full time career. Looking after Lily isn’t easy, and Alice does it and as a hobby she starts growing plants. Alice moves to London, she finds herself a little flat, becomes friendly with her neighbour Naomi and she struggles to find a job. Alice wears a mask, sunglasses, gloves, and she won't shake anyone's hand and this comes across as her being rather strange.

I received a copy of In a Thousand Different Ways by Cecelia Ahern from NetGalley and HarperCollins UK in exchange for an honest review. I have read the authors previous books, P.S. I Love You and Postscript, two well written and emotional narratives. I felt rather confused when I started reading In a Thousand Different Ways, I wasn’t sure if I would even finish the book to be honest and I persevered. It’s a story about a young woman's struggles, and Alice is a unique individual, highly sensitive, she’s ruled by the colors she sees and people’s auras. Alice has to come to terms with her gift, she can read a person, so this comes in handy as it keeps her and others safe, she’s also blessed with a green thumb and it opens lots of unexpected opportunities for her. Please read the book for yourself, make up your own mind and I many have missed some some vital points in plot or dialog and three and a half stars from me.