This was not a book for me. I felt that the writing was very basic and lacked depth. I couldn’t connect with the story at an all. This was a deeply unsatisfying book

Unfortunately I was not a fan of this novel. I found the writing to be too quirky but also felt really flat and there was no emotional behind it. It skipped perspectives quite heavily but none of the points of view grabbed my attention. I’m not sure if it was the translation but something about how this was written did not sit well with me and so I wasn’t able to enjoy this book at all.

I picked up this book hoping for a whimsical family epic in the vein of Kate Atkinson, and in many ways A System delivers. For a while I really couldn’t understand when I wasn’t hooked when the story had so many great ingredients. But it lacks that essential element: charm. Sadly, it’s overlong, the magic realism is laborious and the characters unlikeable. So even though the prose is lively and fluent, and I can’t fault the translation, I found myself skimming sections, desperate to find a bit that would catch my interest. It never really happened.

Despite an interesting concept, sadly this was a miss for me.

I enjoyed the opening chapters for the bits about neuroscience, and the wry observation, but overall this isn't holding my interest. All the POV characters, who are supposedly very different, have the same voice - anxious but in a whimsically charming way. I'm a third in and don't feel engaged enough to keep reading, particularly as it's such a long book. DNF

A joyful family saga about free will, forgiveness, and how we are all interconnected. It is sooo well written, completely gripping so make sure you set aside many hours so that you can greedily devour it in one swoop.

This was an enjoyable read that was part dramatic family saga and part mystery and both sides were completely compelling. Well written, with well developed characters that were really engaging. I really liked it.