The quirkiest and most memorable portrayal of grief in a novel I’ve read, ever.

This unusual story will stick with me for a long time and it was made even more special in the audiobook beautifully read by multitalented musician and actor Johnny Flynn. The books runs the full course of emotions from despair and anger, to hope, acceptance and love, and Palmer writes it beautifully and Flynn narrates this journey so well.

The Egg is what makes this novel so special, and the slow and satisfying unwinding of reveals towards the end. It had me guessing and I’m happy to say some of my hopes and predictions were true! But I won’t be a rotten egg and spoil it for anyone else!
It’s an intimate story, almost a character study, but every scene animated itself in my head.

Isaac and the Egg will be cracking into life this summer. Thanks to Netgalley for the advance audio copy!!

This one is a hard one to pigeonhole so I won’t try to - I knew it was centred around grief but otherwise I went in blind. To start with I was just curious and intrigued. I didn’t really know what was going on but I tried not to make sense of it too hard. I wanted to just let it be, to unfold in it own time.

I felt a connection to certain aspects - the location for one as it refers to a few South London spots, and also other relatable aspects I won’t talk about which were a bit close to home 😢 Several lines made me actually crack up - it’s been a while since I’ve laughed out loud at a book! But also as with all death - the story was life affirming and humbling.

A well written and heartbreaking book, gut wrenchingly (is that even a word?!) so. But also wonderful, funny, emotional, complicated, and a bit odd. It’s about a man called Isaac. And an egg. But also baked beans, a biscuit tin and a yellow notebook. I've heard the audio book is very well done too so am tempted to give it a listen - I whole heartedly recommend this book to anyone 💛

Thank you to @netgalley and @headlinebooks for the ARC in return for an honest review.

A heart melting story of first despair from grief through to finding hope and humour. A must for anyone who has lost a special someone.

This was a great read - super easy and flowed so nicely. I raced through it which is always a good sign!

I had heard beautiful things about this book before I was accepted for it on NetGalley, so I was very excited when I got the e-mail. Strange and thoughtful stories with a deeper meaning are right up my street and that’s exactly what Isaac and the Egg promised to be.

When Isaac stumbles on to a bridge and screams into the dark void below, something screams back at him. Further investigation shows it to be a mysterious egg. So begins Isaac’s journey to tackling the heartrending grief in his heart and learning to find happiness again.

I loved how the text formatting occasionally changed to fit the plot. The confusion about what the egg was and what to do with it came in the shape of the egg itself and I thought this was so clever. Isaac asked all the same questions that I would have asked myself in his situation and of course, my thoughts also took the shape of the egg, which held my focus throughout the novel.

The egg itself has its own mind and conscience. I loved the glimpses into its psyche and the fact that it became a character of its own. The egg is smart, observant and seems to know that it’s there for a specific reason -to help Isaac get through the huge amount of pain that he’s in. I was thoroughly enthralled with this bizarre creature and couldn’t wait to see what it would do next.

I adored the humour and I couldn’t help smiling as this completely broken man became thoroughly preoccupied with this endearing, child-like entity. Watching their bond form and strengthen was so heartwarming and I knew that the egg was just what Isaac needed -a distraction and mystery to solve as well as a return to reality.

There is a beautiful love story told within the narrative and I loved learning it. It’s a tale of contrasting worlds colliding and pure joy being found. I got to know Mary in a very special way and though the whole thing had me in tears, I’m so grateful that I got to see how she and Isaac unfolded.

Ultimately, Isaac and the Egg is a story of grief. It’s the account of a man who is lost and utterly shattered by the awful cards that life has dealt him and he simply can’t see a way out of the dark tunnel he is in. We meet him at his breaking point and as a result, I was drawn straight into his miserable existence from the very beginning and determined to see him emerge from the other side.

At several points in the book, I wondered whether the plot was really happening or whether it was all simply the very weird product of a grieving mind. I felt sure that the egg was a metaphor or a physical manifestation of something to do with what Isaac was going through but I really couldn’t decide on the true nature of it at all. As it turned out, I couldn’t have predicted exactly what the egg stood for, which completely broke my heart and floored me.

Isaac and the Egg is a truly stunning book that captured my heart and attention the whole way through. It kept me guessing and reflecting, which is exactly what I love the most in a reading experience. This story is going to stay with me for a very long time and I can’t wait to see what this very talented debut author does next!

I have seen so many positive reviews of this book and was looking forward to reading it.
However, I really struggled with it and was unable to finish reading.
The beginning was interesting and I really felt for Isaac but then I felt it got a bit repetitive.
I am going through my own bereavement so perhaps it was just the wrong book at the wrong time and the grief was too raw- hence the rating, as I don't feel it would be fair to give a lower rating when I haven't finished the book.

This was such an unusual book I haven't read anything like this before. Initially I couldn't work out whether I was enjoying it or not but it developed and evolved in to a much deeper story. A beautiful portrayl of a difficult part of life and a truly novel and interesting read.

Isaac and the Egg follows Isaac after the passing of his wife Mary. We start the novel with Isaac on a bridge, not sure how he got there, debating whether to jump. Isaac then hears a scream coming from the forest so goes to investigate. There he finds an egg sitting by itself in the clearing. Isaac doesn't want to leave the egg behind so takes it home with him. We then follow Isaac as he works his way through the grief of losing his wife with his new found companion egg. We see Egg and him wreck his house, Isaac get forced into therapy because he hasn't left his house. And evenutually Egg starts to help Isaac move forward with his life, but there's always something holding Isaac back.

I thought this was a different but beautiful story about coping with grief and why it's ok to not be ok. It definitely was a tough read at points, as any book focusing on grief will be. But the book was also filled with moments of laughter and hilarity.

I was really looking forward to this book, but unfortunately it just wasn’t for me, I may go back and re visit in the future but not my usual type of read, but that’s not to say others wouldn’t love it.

An engaging and very original story about grief and bereavement. I didn’t love the book, as the concept of the adopted egg-shaped alien was a bit strange, but I found the story moving and thought provoking.

With thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review.

I was completely engrossed by this playful, heartfelt story. Fantastic characters, and a truly touching, sensitively-handled treatise on grief and loss and love. Highly recommend!

Standing on a bridge, contemplating suicide, Isaac Addy screamed his frustration into the world. Something unusual answered his call. Lead by curiosity, Isaac found an enormous egg and decided to take it home with him…

This is an unusual story. It starts like fantasy or mystery fiction to soon evolve into something deeper and more thoughtful. The author dissects grief and loss in their various stages as Isaac dispairs after the death of his beloved wife. The Egg, the most unusual alien/mythical creature that ever hatched from a mysterious egg, serves as both a distraction for Isaac and an observer. Descriptions of grief and depression intertwine in this novel with the amusement provided by the Egg and its hilarious attempts at copying Isaac. You will laugh through tears while reading this book.

This book was an emotionally hitting, beautiful story about the process of grieving after the death of a loved one. Although I found it hard to get into at first, once I did I couldn’t put it down. The book captured grief in such an honest and truthful way.

THE GRIPS of despair can manifest in many ways. For some it’s to lock themselves away, for others to act in full denial and yet more lash out in uncharacteristic ways. Isaac Addy’s way of coping is to contemplate life and death while standing on the edge of a bridge only to be startled by a piercing shriek and, upon going to investigate by wandering into the nearby forest, being confronted with a 2-foot, glowing egg.
Doing what anyone in their right mind would not do, he decides to pick up the egg and bring it home, making a nest for it out of the piles of unopened post that has accumulated at the front door. When Isaac wakes from a sleep that overcomes him after the ordeal, the egg seems to have grown fur, and acquired two long arms like deflated water hoses, complete with three pudgy, yellow fingers at the end of each long limb.
This strange new addition to the household proves an able distraction from Isaac’s deep depression. He observes the egg as it endeavours to learn how to function and communicate, quite confidently when considering that the world’s environment doesn’t owe much to a 60 cm orb.
As Isaac observes the egg, the egg is of course trying to figure Isaac out too. He has secrets; a room at the top of the house that is off-limits, mysterious excursions into the night that remain unexplained. It’s not until after the relative preamble of Part One is over that these secrets are unfurled, and the revelations are as quietly devastating as Isaac and the egg’s near annihiliation of all the crockery in the kitchen.
Isaac and the Egg is a curious and inventive study of not only grief but of love, and is an outstanding debut from author Bobby Palmer. It’s original and strange, and very funny, with lovely observations and references to pop-culture that creates a very real world. A beautiful and sad story, Isaac and the Egg’s is one that deserves to be told.

I’d like to thank NetGalley for approving me for an ARC of this book. I have heard so much about this book and couldn’t wait to read it. When I found out that Bobby Palmer was going to be at my local book store (Bert’s Books) I had to go any get myself a signed copy.

I honestly do not know what to say about this book except WAWOO!

I knew going into it that it would be sad and I was fully prepared to be sobbing into my tissues but what I hadn’t expected was to cry of laughter and feel that wave of nostalgia. I felt that the author had gone back through my childhood and pulled out all the memorable shows/films from that time. We had E.T., Titanic, Simpsons and so many more I couldn’t help but smile at all the happy memories that brought back.

We know from the blurb that Isaac is dealing with a loss and in the midst of his grief he finds an egg, which he decides to call Egg. The relationship between these two characters is sublime. The way the communicate and the care they feel for each other just melted my heart. It is true, Bobby Palmer has written a weird but wonderful book about a man and an egg and I am here for all the wackiness that entails. Yes you will question at times what you are reading and yes there is more to this story than meets the eye. It’s beautiful and relatable but it’s not all doom and gloom.

I was a full on mess at the end, the tears were falling and they would not stop. As a debut this is stunning and it has me even more excited about what Bobby Palmer will write next. He is definitely an author to watch and if you haven’t read this yet then you need to. As Joanna Cannon said

“It’s a story for anyone who has ever lost somebody, or has ever lost their way!.

This was, paradoxically, an engaging and sometimes funny (almost farcical) story about grief. Isaac is mourning the death of his wife, wand his everyday depression and grief is described through his difficulties engaging with everyday life, his sister, errands and therapist. It begins to change when he finds the egg, a mysterious creature. It sounds like a strange fantasy or child’s book, but keep reading and it all comes together. Ultimately uplifting.

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I'd been hearing so many wonderful things about this book, the book with the egg, the debut that has everybody talking and ok WOW, I get it: what a special little book this is!

Tenderly exploring the grief and suffering of a man who is understandably struggling after the loss of his wife, you'd be forgiven if you expected a somewhat depressing read. However, mixed amongst it's protagonist's gut-wrenching sadness and fragile state of mind, there is a sense of homeliness and hope as warmth radiates from it's pages. The story is a little bit strange, at times stupidly funny and whole lot sublime. It manages to explore so much for a book that is less than 300 pages, somehow encapturing everything it means to be human.

I have never read a book that has left such a profound impact on me. I'm blown away that this is a debut, it's such a beautiful, beautiful book! Poignant. Benevolent. Magical. EVERYBODY needs to read Isaac, Mary and Egg's story - it'll take a hold of your heart, crack it into a million pieces, then quietly piece it back together again, leaving you nothing but mesmerised. I LOVED IT!

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I was sent a copy of Isaac and the Egg by Bobby Palmer to read and review by NetGalley. What an absolutely wonderful book! It is so beautifully written, both funny and heartbreakingly sad. The author has managed to turn an intensely sad subject into a magical and uplifting tale, with the sorrow and hurt always offset by something that makes you chuckle or even laugh out loud. I certainly couldn’t get enough of this novel and I’m sure you will enjoy it too! Happy reading!

The book starts with Isaac at a low point, contemplating suicide and generally not coping with life,

He then meets the ‘Egg’ I nearly gave up at this point as I found it utterly bizarre, but I wanted to know what would happen so promised to give it another couple of chapters. I’m so glad I did. It’s just beautiful. But still bizarre, and brilliant. It’s also sad, funny and joyful. I’m still not quite sure what I read. But I loved it.

A beautiful book exploring grief and love from a male perspective. The story focuses on Issac, a grieving man on the brink of suicide. He comes across an egg in the forest which comes to life. The book narrates Issac's and Eggs time together which is both funny and hearth breaking. We're taken through Issac's grieving journey which is so honest and tender and how Egg becomes part of that journey. Egg brings humour to the story but is also key to helping Issac work through his pain.