"Reality is fragile. All it takes is a gentle tap to break its shell."

Oh, my heart.

I finished this book last night and I’m still at a loss for words. This is a story that needs to be experienced. You will laugh, cry, your heart will break and then it will mend. There are times you will wonder what on earth you are reading. But I urge you to keep going because the reward is truly spectacular. A balm for the soul that will fill your heart with hope.

This extraordinary debut takes you on an emotional journey alongside Isaac Addy, a grieving man who feels he has nothing left to live for. The story opens with him standing alone on a bridge. He screams out into the void and, to his shock, something screams back. What follows is a truly original story that will linger long after reading.

Author Bobby Palmer paints a picture with prose that is achingly real and raw.
It is meticulously written, each word carefully chosen to convey the devastating chasm of grief so evocatively that I felt my own heart break and cried real tears, yet Palmer manages to turn the ashes of grief into a beautiful and hopeful story that everyone will be talking about.

Atmospheric, luminous, hypnotic and dreamlike, Isaac and the Egg is without a doubt one of my top reads of the year. This accomplished debut needs to be on every reader’s TBR. And as for Bobby Palmer? Watch out world, a new literary star has arrived!

Isaac and the Egg by Bobby Palmer

4 STARS

An emotional read - you'll laugh, cry and everything in-between. It's hard to review without spoilers but this is one of those books that you'll be thinking about long after you've finished.

Such a poignant read. Isaac Addy is grieving his wife, and as he contemplates throwing himself off a bridge on a dark night, a scream from the woods stops him in his tracks. What follows could be put down to sheer fantasy but that's doing the book a complete disservice. The way Isaac's grief and despair is conveyed is magical. There are some good laugh out loud moments, and enough mystery in the locked room at the top of the stairs and where Isaac disappears to for hours on end to keep the reader guessing. I loved this book. #netgalley #IsaacAndTheEgg

I enjoyed this book, it's different and it took me a while to get into it, but stick with it and it's heartwarming and ultimately very hopeful. I found it quite heartbreaking at first, as Isaac is grieving and it's quite painful. Once you get into it and the whole him and Egg thing, it's a great journey and really quite funny. It's certainly quirky, hard to summarise without spoilers, best to just start reading.

Wow, this was a unique and special book and I’m not surprised by how many people I’ve seen raving about it!

At the beginning of the story, we are introduced to Isaac in the depths of grief for his late wife. It was actually difficult to read at first as Isaac’s feelings are still so raw, and at every moment of the story, the journey through his grief and the beginning of his healing process felt so real. I felt such a huge spectrum of emotions when reading this, from despair to compassion to laughing out loud.

I’ve seen lots of comparisons to Fredrik Backman/A Man Called Ove and I can absolutely see the similarities, both in the depth of emotion and the quirkiness of the writing. The plot with the egg would be absurd if you tried to explain it, but in the context of the story I was completely taken in by it and grew to love Egg as much as I did Isaac. Without giving too much away, I liked how certain aspects of the narrative were held back until just the right moment, e.g. where Egg really came from. The ending was wonderful - although I still had questions, it almost didn’t matter because Isaac’s journey overshadowed everything else.

Overall, this was an awesome debut and I am excited to see future writing from Bobby Palmer!

Thank you to Netgalley and Headline for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Isaac is struggling in life when he meets the egg, just when he needs it. Will he be able to rescue himself and the egg? An emotional read

Issac and the Egg - Bobby Palmer

3🌟

Thanks a million to Netgalley and publishers Headline for the opportunity to read an ARC of this deput novel prior to its publication date, in exchange for an honest review.

This is the story of Issac who is in a bad place following the death of his wife. It details his immense grief and despair following his loss and his journey towards beginning to heal as time goes on.

I'm unsure how to review this book without giving too much away but there is a huge focus on the egg ... Its this focus that took away from the book a little for me personally as I never fully appreciated the whole 'Egg' side of things and just found it a bit far fetched. It took me quite a while to properly get into this book and I found it quite slow going. The chapters are quick and very descriptive however which is good but overall I found it to be a slow paced read and not one that will stick with me longterm - I had read such raving reviews prior to reading it that I think maybe I had been expecting something very different out of it and ended up disappointed as a result.

I felt it did pick up a bit in the second half and I enjoyed the ending. The contrast between Issac at the start of the book and at the end is huge as we see him healtier and in a better place all round.

It was a nice little read with a heartwarming ending and I can understand why some love it but the whole egg storyline is a bit too far fetched for me so my 3 stsr rating reflects this.

Thanks again to Netgalley and Headline.

3🌟

A very well written, quirky story and I can imagine it could have widespread appeal, particularly among male readers. It wasn't the book for me, the ratio of magic / realism didn't work for me but I'm just one reader and I imagine others could find great comfort in it

Wow this was such a special story and one that will stay with me for a long, long time. It’s a book that grabbed me from the beginning with its unique opening and just kept me enthralled throughout the entire book. In my opinion it’s a book that it’s best not knowing too much about before you start reading so this is going to be a hard book to review as I don’t want to give anything away.

I loved the two main characters Isaac and Egg. It was wonderful getting to know them better over the course of the book and see their relationship grow. Isaac is a very broken man when we are first introduced to him and it was difficult to see him like that. As the story develops we go through the grief process alongside Isaac and learn more about his life. It was so beautiful to see his relationship with Egg develop and see how much Egg helped him.

The book has a great pace to it and I soon found it very difficult to put the book down as I was so invested in Isaac’s story. There are some incredibly funny moments in this book which had me laughing out loud at times, much to the amusement of my kids. Most of these involved Eggs interactions with the outside world which were hilarious at times. The scene in the therapist’s office especially was a particular highlight.

Overall I absolutely loved this book and will be recommending it to everyone, especially as I’m desperate to talk to someone about it. The ending was absolutely beautiful and I loved reading the last few scenes of this book. They were truly magical and very emotional. I don’t often cry at books but this book had me crying at the ending. I hope there is a sequel as I’d love to read more of Isaac and Egg.

Huge thanks to Headline for my copy of this book via Netgalley.

wow this book made me howl with crying to laughing, I would recommend this book but make sure you have lots of tissues with you when you read, this is the 1st book i have read by the author and it won't be the last this is one of the best books i have read this summer , This book tells the story of Isaac who is about to attempt sucide when he decides not to and what follows is issac finding the egg and amazing story .

many thanks to the publishers and netgalley for the arc of this book in exchange for this review

Isaac and the Egg is an original and appealingly quirky look at the grief of a young man who has recently lost his wife. The subject is handled sensitively, yet still candidly portrays the raw emotions one can feel in the stages of grieving. It is a relatively quick read but you feel compellingly drawn to the main character Isaac, as he begins to come to terms with the mess his life has become.

It is one of the most beautiful stories you'll ever read it's also the most heartbreakingly accurate portrayal of grief But it's also full of joy and wonderful humour, and it's written with generosity and warmth, and such perception. It's a story for anyone who has ever lost somebody, or has ever lost their way. It's also about hope and love and was one of the most beautiful books I’ve ever read.
Highly recommended!

Issac Addy is very sad. He’s so sad that when we meet him he’s contemplating the worst thing you can do. Although we, as the readers, don’t know what’s wrong it must be something awful for this man to feel so hopeless. He screams into the void, and something in the forest screams back. Distracted, he goes to find who, or what, made that noise.

This action immediately shows the reader that even though Issac is in the depths of despair, he can still relate and empathise with another living being. Straightaway, we’re with him - looking for the source of the noise, creeping alongside as he tracks through the woodland in the early morning mist.

In a novel where you spend a considerable amount of time with one person and an egg, it’s surprisingly engaging. Other characters try to breach the bubble Isaac is in, so he does talk to other people, but the majority he’s on his own with the egg. Not only is it interesting, it’s also heart wrenching as his story unfolds and we discover more about why he’s so sad. I had my own theories, and I have to say they were all wrong.

Not only is it emotionally impactful, it’s also really funny. There’s a dark humour that runs through the book which made me cry and laugh in equal measures and sometimes at the same time. Isaac’s voice is quite deadpan but he does have a good sense of humour, and you can see a glimpse of his personality under the depression blanket, through his wry observations about the egg and his life.

Slightly irritatingly, I can’t say too much about the details of the plot or the egg as I really enjoyed the reveal, and I don’t want to spoil it for you. It reminded me of Mark Watson’s Contacts <link> in that it’s centred around a depressed character who is on a journey and learning about his place in the world and the people he’s linked to.

It’s tough going in places but ultimately rewarding, and there’s a load of pop culture references which have made me want to watch ET again! It’s out now in all good bookshops and the audio book is narrated by the lovely Johnny Flynn.

Thanks for the DRC, Headline, and to Netgalley, as always.

A beautifully written story that needs to be read with an open heart and mind.. don't read the blurb,, don't read the reviews (or spoilers), just read it for the beauty it contains. I'm looking forward to reading more of Bobby Palmer's work I enjoyed this so much. Thank you to the author, publisher and Netgalley for my arc.

⭐️ 4.5 ⭐️
Rounded up to 5 stars.

Huge thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC, in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.

Beautifully written by Bobby Palmer, Isaac and the Egg has to be one of the most unique, original and downright quirkiest books I’ve ever read.

I was hooked from the beginning and immersed in Isaac and Egg’s story until the very end. Yes, I did have to suspend my belief at first, but as Egg’s character developed so did my understanding.

I don’t want to give too much away because I really do think the less you know before you read it the better. I went in totally blind — this definitely added to my enjoyment as I had no idea at all where the story was going.

Isaac and the Egg is raw and heartbreaking, but it’s also seasoned with an uplifting sprinkling of humour and features some wonderfully funny moments that lighten the whole mood. It’s an excellent, heart-wrenching, thought-provoking story of grief, love, friendship, and above all, hope.

A cracking read!

Not a typical story by any means and it would be a difficult book to pigeonhole.
That said, you really get a feel for the emotions that Isaac is experiencing and these are cleverly and poignantly described.
It is not easy to know how to rationalise the Egg, I gave up on trying and just decided to go with the flow of the book and enjoy the ride.
This book is warm, heartbreaking, amusing and utterly relatable.

Thank you to Netgalley and Headline for the advance copy of Isaac and the Egg.

I don't think I can put into words just how wonderful, poignantly, beautiful this book just is. I can't describe much about the book without revealing too much of the story. The type of story reminded me of Mitch Alboms books - a story with a lesson packed with emotion.

Bobby Palmer has done a wonderful job on this novel, and can envisage it being a modern-day classic. I cannot wait to read more

An original and beautifully written book about grief, love and friendship.. The protagonist's loss is handled in a sensitive way and yet there's a good balance of humour in there too. Would recommend.

Thank you to Alara at Headline for my invitation to the blog tour and for my gifted copy of the book in return for a fair and honest review.

This is one of those books that everyone is talking about this summer and I am always nervous about reading books like that in case I do not feel the same.

We meet Isaac at absolute rock bottom, his world has imploded and he is all alone. He has cut himself off from everyone and when he is at his very lowest ebb he comes across a strange being in the woods and not in his right mind takes it home.

What follows is a story that not only pinned me to my seat for most of the day, but one that took me on a really emotional and engrossing journey with the pair. Ultimately this book is about grief, loss and how you continue to live or exist after losing someone so important in your life. It is about finding reasons to carry on and the anger, disbelief and denial that comes with a loss like this. The clever uncovering of what has happened to Isaac and how Egg is there with him. I am not revealing anything else about the plot because it is best read that way in my opinion. Although I loved Egg and his unconventional cooking style!

Absolutely beautifully written and I can see why there are so many wonderful things said and written about this story. Unique, devastating, hopeful and one that is going to stay with me for a long time.

5 stars *****

My heart. This is a stunning book.

When I first started reading, I thought this was the strangest book ever and wondered what I was letting myself in for. Isaac Addy is standing on a bridge, seemingly about to jump, when he finds an enormous egg in a clearing. Confused by it, he decides to take it home with him. The egg, with its long Mr Tickle-esque furry arms, is strange to Isaac. Is it an egg, is it an alien? Where did it come from and why is it here?

Isaac is grieving the sudden death of his wife Mary, and isn't looking after himself. The Egg becomes his purpose, his project. They watch movies together, Isaac tries to teach him to speak and the Egg soon discovers that Isaac is hiding something in the top room of his house. What is it and will this force Isaac to face things?

I genuinely did not want to stop reading this. The exploration of Isaac's grief, the surrealism of Egg being in his life and discovering what really happened to Mary was beautifully written. Everything is tied together perfectly. I was almost in tears by the end. If you only read one book this year, make it this one.

It is almost impossible to write anything about this book without it either being deeply confusing or by revealing things about this incredible piece of work that might spoil it. So I will just use ALL the superlatives; beautiful, devastating, clever, funny, deeply moving. Just read it.