This is one of those books that will stay with you long after you finish it, and stick with you even in between reading it. It’s also one you can read and read, and indeed, I’ve read the ebook and listened to the audiobook.

This is a really unusual book, which will make you think, laugh and cry but I would thoroughly recommend it and can’t believe it’s the author’s first. I’m not sure you can replicate Isaac or egg, and it will be a hard (boiled) act to follow, but I look forward to future books.

Thanks to netgalley for an ARC of this.

Judging by the reviews I am obviously in a minority with my thoughts on this book. I started it twice but found it really difficult to get into and connect with the ET element. I thought some of the writing on grief was well expressed without sentimentality but I struggled all the way through with the Egg.
This is an impressive debut though and I look forward to further books by this author.
Thank you to netgalley and headline for an advance copy of this book

Not too deeply within me lurks a bibliotherapist. I strongly believe in the importance of fiction in mental health and its ability to support and heal- when a carefully chosen text connects with the reader at the right time. I have done the odd course on this and it is something I may wish to pursue further in the future. I think its most potent power works subconsciously and positive change can be brought about in implicit connections between the text and the reader. The thing that makes this a knotty area is just like with the development of a reader where it is never the same books that propel the fledging reader into a life-long bookaholic so not every book with the potential to heal would work with each individual.

It was with an open mind that I approached this debut which has a strong critical pre-publication buzz. I just know that in future months there will be people saying how much this book has helped them, the issue of grief is central and here it is turned into a very commercial read. But, as I said above, I don’t think everyone who begins this book would get as much out of it but it is certainly worth giving it a go.

Newly widowed Isaac has reached his lowest point when he encounters a creature in the woods. “The Egg” felt like one of those Furby toys in my mind, the author likens it to an abominable snowman painted on a hard-boiled egg by a child. The Egg is taken home and over time helps Isaac begin to cope with the total collapse of his life. There is a mystery which builds up which kept this reader going when the shenanigans between Man and Egg begin to grate (which they occasionally did and which may be the point where readers give up).
There are references which we will be aware of which the author is right to make explicit, especially so to “ET”, when scenes feel reminiscent the author cannily acknowledges this. Links to popular films are used as a device here as Isaac and Egg spend much time watching these.

I do feel (and I am acknowledging the bad pun here ) that at times the author has over-egged his tale and you might not look at beans on toast the same way again but these tragi-slapstick moments do give it a very filmic quality which suggests a film/tv adaptation wouldn’t be out of the question. The writing is lively and of a good quality which suggests Bobby Palmer is a writer to be reckoned with, and an attention-grabbing debut is a very shrewd introduction. This is also a gift of a book for reading group discussions. I this if is the first time you have heard about this make a mental note as I think novel and author are about to make an impact.

Issac and The Egg is published by Headline Review on 18th August 2022 . Many thanks to the publishers and Netgalley for the advance review copy.

Where do I start? Isaac and the Egg is beyond anything you could expect. The synopsis doesn't do it justice, read the reviews instead! From the get go, you are there with Isaac, holding his hand and feeling his grief. Bobby Palmer has written something truly beautiful, if this doesn't win awards I'll eat the book. I want everybody I love to read this book, and fall madly in love.

The story of Isaac and his new sidekick is both magical and intriguing. Read with a box of tissues, tears of joy or tears of sorrow will follow. We follow Isaac as he makes his way through the darkness, into the light with the help of Egg.

Isaac and the Egg is written with so much thought and love, showcasing the everyday struggle of grief, depression but in the shadows, the kindness of strangers. A must read for young and old, showing that amongst the bad, there is so much good to be found.

This has to be one of the most original, compelling and affecting stories I’ve ever had the pleasure of reading. It is dreamlike, otherworldly, a spiritual beckoning; something that stretches the boundaries of belief and imagination. But — and herein lies its wonder — it is also something raw and visceral; a brutal, physical assault. That author Bobby Palmer perfectly balances the two makes it, to my mind at least, a work of creative genius.

Distilled down to its most basic, Isaac and the Egg is a story of loss; of sudden, tragic death and the blindsiding, all-consuming grief that follows. Of the need to disconnect from a reality that must be shunned. The shutting down, the blind stumbling, the grasping for light at the end of an endless, dark tunnel. If, like me, this is an experience you can relate to, the connection you feel to Isaac will cut to the quick.

For a long time, I had no idea where the story was going. The premise was depressing, Isaac‘s journey halting and painful, but it was offset by light touches of humor, by the enchanting enigma that was Egg, and by the sense that however serious the subject matter, Palmer had a different message he wanted to convey.

The unraveling was as suspenseful as it was absorbing; a gradual awakening, a sense of something magical about to happen. There was a moment towards the end, where I gasped aloud and choked back a sob. A realization hit me. I got goosebumps, a shiver down my spine.

There are novels that stay with you, that leave an indelible mark on your psyche. Amongst the thousands I’ve read, no more than a handful have made this kind of impact. I now add Isaac and the Egg to this select group.

This story crushed my heart. But, it went on to infuse it with warmth — a fierce Ready Brek glow. And with hope — a huge dollop of the stuff. What a triumph of a debut from Bobby Palmer. Chapeau, sir!

What a beautiful, incredible book. This 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.

Isaac and the Egg deals with a number of challenging subjects and does so in a manner that is sensitive and beautiful.

What began as a very, very strange story had me, hook, line and sinker as soon as I realised what was going on. You don’t need to know about that though, otherwise it’ll spoil it for you!

All about grief and friendship and how Isaac copes with his loss and learns to manage his mental health. Bobby Palmer writes beautifully and as I was reading, I was feeling Isaac’s pain but also his happiness, which shows through as the story progresses and the Egg helps him through his tumultuous times.

Isaac and the Egg is brilliantly written. It will make you realise that there is hope for us all, despite what our past may have held. I cannot recommend this highly enough, although you may never look at a baked bean in the same way, ever again!

Thank you to NetGalley and Headline for the opportunity to read and review an ARC of Isaac and the Egg by Bobby Palmer.

Isaac and the Egg is charming, at times incredibly honest and heartbreaking story of Isaac, a man who starts the book ready to end his life, standing on a bridge until something catches his eye, a mysterious egg like character. Instead of jumping and ending it all, Isaac carries this egg to his car and back home – we then meet ‘Egg’, a fluffy, egg like, pug faced joy, and in caring for him, Isaac is forced to recognise his pain.

This is an endearing book, Egg is such a wonderful creation; mischievous, childlike and innocent, and creating some very funny, sweet moments, we never really learn enough about Egg but essentially that’s not the point of the book so it’s not a criticism. The true main character in this book, the heart of it, isn’t even Isaac, its his grief, his pain and depression. We learn, as Egg lowers Isaac’s guard, what led to the beginning of the book and him wanting to end his life. We experience his anger, his defeatism, the little steps of each day in his survival through his pain, and it’s such an honest, raw look at depression and grief. This book could easily be self indulgent or overly sentimental, but it’s a delight.

Thank you NetGalley for the early copy in exchange for an honest review.

A beautifully written book. Really enjoyed reading this. Thanks to publishers and NetGalley for the opportunity to read.

Every so often you hear of a book that has so much pre-release hype and think surely it cannot be as good as they say it is? Isaac and The Egg, really is that good, it is just sublime, so beautifully written, so touching and yet also so very funny with such wonderful characters. It is a book that will stay with me for a very long time.
I would highly recommend that you do believe the hype about it, do not read any more reviews of it, as so many contain spoilers, and buy and enjoy Isaac and The Egg. You will not regret it.
Thanks to NetGalley for a Kindle copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

A very special, unique story. Not what I was expecting, I went in blind and I am as charmed and inpressed

God, this was not what I expected. How beautiful, how stunning, how wonderful. Bobby Palmer is ridiculously insightful - this charming exploration of grief is just utterly brilliant

Possibly the most surreal book that I have read in the last 10 years or so (maybe ever).

A modern day fairytale…

Meet the two protagonists of this ‘ere tale. Isaac and Egg. Isaac is an illustrator. Egg, is just Egg.

And this is their journey…

Where to start, I would normally say at page one or wherever the chosen read starts. However, this is more than a story, more than just what the author has written. There is everything that is implied, and just where your imagination takes you.

Yes there is sorrow and plenty of it. There is a journey in hallucinations, the edges of reality which have become more than a little blurred, more than the gray area that exists on the outskrits.

Just how does the human body deal with grief, and just how far will it take you and can you survive it. And, just what is waiting on the otherside of it for you?

A bit of a slow starter, you are drawn in, spun around and sent back on your way, with a little more understanding and a whole lot more questions. It is just one of those… those…

Status: Completed

Rating: 4.4/5.0

The synopsis doesn’t give much away with this book so it’s easy to go into this quite blind. Issac Addy is grieving and he is in a lot of pain but it’s only as the story progresses that we understand the reason and the depths of his suffering. This book has humour and heartbreak, especially when it comes to the character of Egg. Yes an Egg. For me Egg is a cross between ET and a Furby 😂 Egg provided a lot of funny moments to the story and I loved the bond between Issac and Egg. Proper laugh out loud moments. No spoilers though from me on what happens 🤫 I will say there is a twist and it’s….well…emotional 🥹

The way the author uses language to emphasis raw emotion was unique (scroll across the photos for example). I enjoyed the way films were incorporated into the story to emphasis different emotions of Issac. I do love ET and may have to rewatch 😉

Overall, this book left a lump in my throat (the ending 🥹) and I did need some after finishing to process my thoughts and feelings. It’s truly heartbreaking yet hopeful. I would recommend reading it only to see for yourself as I do think this will be making splash in the bestseller lists. I will never look at beans on toast in the same way 😆🥚

I havent experienced grief and for that I am thankful, but if I was then I imagine this is a pretty good portrayal of it.
Isaac is on a bridge staring into the water, but then he hears a noise which leads him to an egg and as the stories expands for there, I felt on more than one occasion that this book might be too intelligent for me.
Isaac for me is spiralling and his body/mind is clinging on to something to help tether him, is the egg real / a metaphor, well I'm not entirely sure, but I was gripped by this one despite wondering what was going on.
It takes you on a journey through the grief and despite the subject matter manages to be lighthearted in places also.
I dont think this will be for everyone, but im certainly glad I read it.

Wow. Wow.
Ow my heart - Bobby who gave you the right?!

This book was fantastic, there’s no need for other words.
Another reviewer mentions this is “grown up ET with adult struggles at the core” and I couldn’t agree more.

You start the novel wondering what the egg is and where it came from, but in the end it matters not. A tear inducing, wonderful novel and I can’t wait to read more from Palmer. I feel the less you know the better, just go in with an open heart.

I hope it gets the recognition it deserves

Beautiful, poignant and life-affirming story of grief, loss and hope. Imaginative, quirky, surreal and surprising.

Isaac is going through a very difficult time when he makes a strange discovery in the woods. In turn this helps him come to terms with the traumatic events he is dealing with.

I’m not quite sure how to review this book! It is beautifully written, a story of love and loss, unravelling and healing but I did spend a lot of the book fairly bemused and not quite sure what was going on! Somehow that didn’t detract from the tenderness of the story and I did really enjoy this read.

“Isaac stands alone on a bridge and screams into the river below. And then, an answer. A cry of despair perhaps even greater than his own. The sound draws Isaac into the woods. What he finds there changes everything.”

One of the best debut novels I’ve read/ listened to in a long time. Beautifully written & kept me captivated right up until the very last page. The must heartbreakingly accurate depiction of grief I’ve read in a very long time. Follow Issac Addy & Egg into the metaphorical abyss. If you’re looking for a true and honest portrayal of grief and love, which will leave an egg sized lump in your throat by the end, then this is the book for you.

ISAAC AND THE EGG

One word to describe this book…

Sublime

Isaac and the Egg was so beautiful and so exquisitely written.

The author managed to bring out a range of different emotions.
One minute I’d find myself laughing out loud and the next thing I know I’m actually crying real tears.

I loved this book. I found it so mesmerising and I only took so long to read it as I felt every emotion throughout the duration of this novel.

Thank you #Netgalley for my E-arc copy of #Isaacandtheegg and allowing me the chance of reading this brilliant novel before its publication in exchange for my honest review.

And because of how much fell I’m love with everything about this brilliant novel I’m easily giving it the full five stars and if it was out of ten I’m sure I’d give it the full ten stars. A must read.