Isaac Addy contemplates the swirling river in the abyss beneath the bridge, his pain as deep as the dark water. He screams his agony into the night and hears an echo like scream back. He sets off blindly into the gloom, stumbling and clambering into the thick wood and there in a clearing almost nestling is an egg. That’s your lot because anything more would spoil the joy of the experience ahead and the mystery of Isaac Addy!!

One of the reasons I like reading debuts is the marvel of the discovery of a new author who makes magic with words. The characterisation is superb, Isaac is grieving, his pain is raw and acute and he doesn’t know which way is up. He’s lonely, suffering, full of anger and his misery is palpable. As for the egg, you’ll have to encounter the wonder and sheer pleasure of that for yourself!

This is beautifully written, it’s captivating with a delightful blend of humour and the heart breaking. Some scenes are so vivid, so well described you feel like a fly on the wall observing the frequent chaos. Many of the incidents make me smile and I doubt I’ll ever open a tin of beans or look at a toaster in the same way ever again!!!! It’s creative in a myriad of ways, it initially seems straightforward but it’s a more complex tale than it appears at first glance. I love the clever use of film to make pertinent points and the delightful originality of some of the language.

It makes you laugh, it makes you cry, it baffles as you realise how much is being concealed. The ending leaves me with a huge lump in my throat. Thank you Bobby Palmer for taking me on this fantastic journey and if there’s any justice you have a bestseller on your hands!!! Highly recommended.

With thanks to NetGalley and especially to Headline for the much appreciated arc in return for an honest review.

Oh my goodness this beautiful little book had me in tiny distraught pieces .It is a truly lovely book which covers grief in a unique way .Think Grief is a thing with feathers by Max Porter which I also coincidentally adored
The narrator has lost their partner and is struggling to move on with life until a small egg like extraterrestrial comes into their life
As he begins to understand this new person he slowly starts to understand himself and finally to tackle what is blocking him from moving forward with life
The author described Egg so well that I had no problem visualising him .I am sure this could make a lovely little movie although I wandered if this would pre ent the joy of using your own imagination to colour in the character.Egg bizarre as he is quickly becomes real and believable
I loved the closed door upstairs and was very pleased that I didn’t for one moment think what could be in there
As well as sad and tender the book has plenty of lighthearted even funny bits ,the balance is just perfect
This is a book I shall be shouting loudly about ,I started tweeting about it very soon after I started and realised how delightful it was
A totally unique perfectly crafted little book .give it to loved ones who are grieving .A 5 star read for me
I read an early copy on NetGalley Uk it is published by Headline books on 18th August 2022

I can't even begin to talk about this book except to say that I laughed, I cried, I didn't know where I was being led but I loved it. This is a book about grief and the pain of grief, the fragility of life. It is also about love and hope and joy.

Isaac is suffering and when he stands on a bridge and scream, he hears something scream back and finds Egg. And this is the start of a roller coaster of emotions for the reader. We have all sorts of references within the novel from films and pop music. One minute I was laughing, the next I was in floods of tears. I just didn't know where I was going, there was a hint of mystery amongst all the sadness. The writing is lovely and particularly, I liked the way that there was mirroring of phrases.

This is a quirky, off-beat novel full of emotion and love. The two characters work their way into your heart and if you ever thought good old beans and toast was boring – think again.

A fantastic debut that writes about grief in a wonderful and unique way.

This is definitely a book you won’t ever forget and mostly because of the heart rending simplicity and tragicomic relationship between Isaac and his new houseguest ‘the egg.’ I believe at one point Isaac or the author describe him as being a living Furby and that was totally how I saw him in my minds eye with his mystifying echolalia and ugly cuteness.
Isaac has just lost his beloved wife and bereavement of any kind, never mind young widowership is really hard to get right but get it Bobby Palmer does in spades. While we are captivated by the bromance between Isaac and Egg his sister and neighbours keep reminding us how unnatural and worrying this locked in life is and while devoted and a creative baked bean chef Egg may be he is no substitute for human contact and a return to real life as it were.
As Isaac’s fog of grief begins to clear and he sees a way to reintegrate himself and return Egg to his home planet the story takes off at a clip and I was turning pages like a demon. I gasped, I laughed, I cried and I saw the full picture for the first time along with Isaac. Life while fleeting is beautiful and this novel encapsulates that perfectly.
A must read!

A rollercoaster of emotions took place whilst reading this book! Initially I thought it was a little odd but that is what actually kept me reading and then I fell in love with Egg and Isaac was a likeable character who I was rooting for!

Well that was weird... with a very heartfelt storyline. I loved it!

First few chapters I was debating if it was for me I found the whole egg thing a little bit out there... but as I continued to read I really got into it and found myself loving Isaacs and Eggs relationship..

Towards the end we find out what is behind the top room door.. and I'd have never guessed what it was. This plot twist definitely bought the story together.

So as odd as parts of it was.. it was a truly.emotional journey of grief and what losing someone can do to you.

A beautiful, but sometimes difficult story of grief, So skilfully written and delivered. It’s an important read and one I will be highly recommending to friends,

I can see that this book will appeal greatly to many but it didn't really do it for me. Isaac is suffering extreme grief and much of the book is detailing that as he finds an companion in Egg to help him along the way. While the writing about grief and the myriad of ways in which it can creep up on you in the most mundane and tiny aspects of everyday life is well done I did find it all too much at times and started skim reading. I guess I wouldn't have chosen this book if I'd realised it was going to be such a detailed essay on grief. I can understand that many readers will think that the character of Egg is sweet and inspiring but I kept thinking of Mr Tickle of the 1970s famous Mr Men series of children's books.

Having said that I think this book will do very well and will be of universal appeal.

With thanks to NetGalley and Headline for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Isaac is in a dark place, poised on a bridge ready to jump into the water below, when he is distracted by a scream from the woods. On investigating, he discovers - well, he is not really sure what it is - but assuming rescue is required, he takes the egg-shaped object home with him.
Egg reveals himself to be some sort of furry, long-armed alien creature, who fortunately needs very little in the way of looking after, as, newly widowed and succeeding in shutting himself off from other human contact, Isaac is barely capable of looking after himself. Ignoring messages from his relatives and barely opening the door to his sister’s grocery deliveries, he manages to keep Egg hidden, as they watch endless movies behind closed curtains and survive on baked beans on toast. A bond is forming, but there is still the locked door to the room at the top of the house, and Isaac disappears from the house frequently leaving Egg behind…
The novel is peppered with wit and humour generated by the tentative interactions and misunderstandings between Isaac and Egg, against a wholly believable portrayal of grief. I laughed and cried while I read this engrossing and poignant novel, empathising with Isaac’s torment while recognising the quiet, patient support offered by his wonderful, long-suffering sister and his wider family. There are no unlikeable characters in this book: it will restore your faith in human nature. I absolutely loved it.

When I opened this book I didn’t know what to expect. I was instantly heartbroken for Isaac who has lost his wife and seems so fragile, with his grief pouring off the page in such an honest and raw way, but then we meet Egg and I thought, ok .. this is weird .. What's going on? I tried to explain this book to a couple of people but all I could say was read it because no explanation I can give will do it justice!
Despite the story starting with Isaac standing on a bridge considering suicide, the story is full of humour, with Eggs' character instantly stealing the show and my heart (so much so that I’ve been walking around my house all day saying Egg words much to the bewilderment of my partner).
So yeah, I completely adored this bizarre and powerful book. Yes it made me cry, a lot, but it also made me laugh. It's full of warmth and love despite the overwhelming grief and sadness that Isaac is going through and the character of Egg will stay with me for a long time. I know this book is going to be huge when it is published in August and I can’t wait to see what Bobby Palmer writes next.

Huge thanks to NetGalley and Headline for letting me meet Isaac and Egg earlier than expected. I will also be posting my review on Goodreads, Twitter and Amazon when published.

Didn’t think I would like this book as the first quarter of it is too weird. However, I’m so glad I persevered, as it was worth it. Loss, grief and the madness it causes are not usually written about with such heart rending truthfulness. Yes, it’s hard to read at times, Isaac’s pain is overwhelming, but there is humour here too, which helps. Very touching at the end.

A quirky and original novel dealing with the immense grief suffered by Isaac whose wife has died. It takes a little getting used to and even after reading it I’m still in two minds as to how much was ‘real’ and how much the minds way of coping with such immense loss and pain. Poignancy and humour intertwined to make a read that will be remembered.

Oh my! Isaac and the Egg veers from totally heart wrenching to delightfully amusing.

Isaac Addy really isn’t coping with life, and we meet him as he contemplates ending that life, by jumping from a bridge - he sees no hope after losing the love of his life, his wife Mary. However, something very strange is about to take place when he discovers a huge egg in a forest by the bridge, which unsurprisingly he decides to call ‘Egg’.

I won’t say any more about it, other than we’re able to share Isaac’s life with Egg, and believe me, what a roller coaster it is, from Isaac’s descent into mental breakdown, to his amusing and touching moments as he and Egg try to create a relationship as friends and lodgers.

A beautifully written debut novel, that would melt a heart of stone, and I suspect it’s going to be very popular! After reading this, I think you’ll agree, we all need an ‘Egg’ in our lives!

Wonderful in every sense of the word. Read it in one go. It would be hard to find another book that is such a powerful illustration of grief, has such great humour, and is so heart warming.

Well done, I hope everyone reads it.

Had to take a while to think before writing this review.

This book had me on a rollercoaster with how I felt about it. It had so much early, positive buzz and that combined with a ‘quirky’ story which I usually love made me so excited to read it. Unfortunately however I really struggled through the first third of the book. Didn’t really enjoy the discovery of Egg and the absolute desolation of Issac was hard to read and I thought about giving up more than once.

I persevered and it picked up as we start to get to the core of the story and Issac starts to let people in (thanks to Egg) and recover. And it had a great twist at the end which I absolutely didn’t see coming.

So how do I rate this book? Well thinking about it it was an OK read for me but didn’t reach the magic heights. I think my expectations we’re just too high. Likely much more on me than the author though - all those positive reviews can’t be wrong!

3.5 stars for me rounded up to 4 because I also love It’s a Wonderful Life and enjoyed the classic film references.

Thanks to Net Galley and Headline for the chance to read an early copy

This book is like nothing I have ever read before.

Describing the story to my husband, he quite rightly suggested that it sounded like the kind of storyline that I would hate, and I had to agree with him. But there’s something about the style of the writing, and the way that it touches you on such a deep emotional level that you can’t fail to be captivated by the story of Isaac and his egg.

Isaac has hit rock bottom and finds himself contemplating ending his life by jumping off a bridge. Before he has a chance to throw himself into the water something draws him into the nearby woods, where he finds an egg. Feeling an overwhelming urge to rescue the egg, Isaac takes it home and so begins the story of why Isaac has found himself in such a desperate place, and the real origins of the egg.

I can’t say too much about the plot without giving away things that are slowly learnt throughout the book, but what I can say is that this story will emotionally effect every one of us on some level. It’s a heartbreaking book, but also an uplifting and life affirming one. There will be triggers in the storyline, but that was always going to be the way with something this powerful.

You’ll laugh, cry, and ultimately want to hug your nearest and dearest closer than you ever have before. A brilliant book.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Funny and tragic at the same time, this book deals beautifully with some deep themes such as love, death, grief and loss. I laughed and I cried and ultimately I loved this book.

Reviewed on Goodreads but I can't copy the text :(

What a beautiful, incredible book. Issac and the Egg is a tale of love, loss and most importantly friendship.

In this book we go on a journey with Isaac who is grieving the recent loss of his wife. When Isaac meets the egg he is in the pits of despair but together they go on a beautiful journey in which we see them both grow.

I had heard lots of good things about this book (those heightened expectations can be a bit of a curse!). However, this completely lived up to the hype. Despite the tricky subject matter where we got to see the protagonist Isaac at his lowest whilst dealing with the sudden loss of his wife, this book was an absolute joy to read.

I honestly did not know what to expect when I first started this book Its such a beautifully written book about Isaac and how he deals with the loss of his wife Mary who is sadly killed in a car crash. The book follows Issac and how he deals with his bereavement with the help of Egg. Reading back my review, I’m aware that it doesn’t shout READ ME!!!! Trust me though, it’s one you should read. It’s a book about hope, it’s a book that will make you laugh, and make you cry . It’s truly a story that will stay with you long after you put it down.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC.