Member Reviews
What an amazingly original story. The narrator was great at bringing this story to life. Isaac is about to commit suicide following the death of his wife when he finds the egg. Egg helps Isaac through his grief in a marvellously touching way leading to a tear jerking ending. Loved it.
This book took me on a rollercoaster of emotions, I adored it and couldn't recommend it enough. Please read/listen to it. The narrator was awesome too and made it even more captivating.
Thanks for the opportunity!
What a gorgeous book. Funny yet very sad; it really captures the feelings of this young man in such a clever way. I would like an egg to help me out like this! Adorable and thought provoking. Recommending to all my friends and family!
Isaac and The Egg is a work of genius. I make no apologies for the superlative nature of my review because it is well deserved. I won't describe the plot as you can read the blurb and decide whether to dive in, but if you do then be prepared, as Isaac and The Egg will take you on a roller coaster of emotions. I was drawn into the book right from the beginning and I really enjoyed the way the relationship between Isaac and Egg developed. Isaac was a well formed character and managed to slowly reveal his idiosyncrasies and flaws throughout the story. The Egg is just beguiling, funny, clever and adorable. The book explores very difficult themes, of loss, injury, trauma, fear, and mental breakdown, but it does it in such a way that it is ultimately hopeful and uplifting rather than depressing; wrapping you up in a big, long-armed hug. The premise of the story is very unusual and in the wrong hands could be awful, but the author has woven a magical tale with expertise. Johnny Flynn is the perfect narrator, his tone mesmerising and his voices spot on. I applaud him for his perfect execution and wonderful way of voicing Egg, and the soft, Scottish lilt of Mary. At 70% through I had to abandon any plans I had for the day and finish the book. At the end I was undone, my dog having to come and check if I was OK. I have loved listening to the audiobook but definitely want to get my hands on a physical copy to read another time. Many thanks to Netgalley, the author and publisher for the gifted audiobook in exchange for an honest review.
This was a book title that just jumped right out at me and somehow I knew it would be special.
Isaac is grieving the death of his wife. He is a children’s book illustrator and Mary was a children’s author. His grief is mental, physical - it overwhelms him. One day he goes to the woods and finds an egg….an egg that is alive and makes noises.
Oh my goodness what a work of genius. This was sheer joy from start to finish. It is so unique and original..it left me spellbound. The writing is beautiful, articulate, perfectly phrased almost hypnotic.
I think listening to this on audiobook really enhanced the experience because the narration amplified my experience and understanding of the characters. The ‘voice’ of the egg was magnificent and I one hundred percent believed in that egg. The voice of Isaac is perfect - this is the voice of someone who has lost all joy, all connection with the world…
I think that this story exists on all sorts of levels, metaphorically, allegorically..and there are so many messages in here about grief, death, life and living. It will make you laugh and cry.
Absolutely brilliant,
Huge thanks to Netgalley and Headline Audio for a digital copy of this. I have already preordered a physical copy,
What an unusual story. Isaac is struggling to cope: depressed and in mourning he (of all things) meets an egg in a forest and takes it home. Initially, I didn't really like Isaac's character but as the novel progresses and you start to empathise with what he is going through, his character becomes more likeable. And isn't that so true - when we take the time to walk a mile in someone's shoes, we understand them all the more.
The Egg is just brilliant! The bit where he makes Isaac breakfast by toasting bread and baked beans and bringing it up to Issac in a smoking toaster is comic genius!
Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this quite unique novel.
What a beautifully read book. I am so glad I was allowed access to this as an audiobook as I really think the narrator did justice to the characters Isaac and Egg.
This was well read and such a lovely story of grief and finding a way through it to carry on following loss.
I’m finding it hard to review without giving too much away as there’s so much I want to write.
I highly recommend this title in either format.
4.5* Truly Magical. Isaac and the Egg is a tricky book to describe (other than to say it is a must read). It’s whimsical, warm, heart-wrenching and funny.
At a time of crushing darkness, Isaac find himself in the woods. Odd sounds draw him to discover an egg. One which he takes home. And thereafter his life will be forever changed. Stricken by grief, Isaac and Egg will bond over baked beans and a need for togetherness. They will close themselves off to the world and then welcome it back in again.
This book utterly sparkles and you cannot help but fall head over heels for the two main characters. I listened to the audiobook, which is excellent.
Thanks to Headline Audio and Netgalley for an advance copy.
I was totally baffled by most of this book. I even checked the reviews midway and saw lots of 5 stars and I couldnt see why or how it was getting such good feedback. It was funny, weird, crazy and sad but totally baffling. I carried on a bit further and that its when it hit home and suddenly it all made sense. I feel I need to revisit this book again in the future after knowing how it ends.
This book was so beautifully written and the audiobook narration was perfect.
I had absolutely no idea where this book was going when it began but the writing was so good and the story so intriguing that I finished it in a weekend.
This book deals with some really difficult subject matters in such a sensitive and interesting way that I was both shocked and not when we got to the end.
I will definitely be reading more from this author.
Issac’s life has hit rock bottom and he can’t see any way forward. Standing on a bridge, contemplating the end, he hears an answering scream to his own and walks into the woods where he finds a very large egg. Not knowing what to do, he takes it home. There follows a strange and beautiful relationship as Issac and the egg care for each other and learn about the world and that there might be something left to live for.
Beautiful and heartbreaking but with moments of real humour, this is an incredibly moving book about life, death and grief.
Issac and the Egg by Bobby Palmer 5⭐️
We meet the lovely Issac during a very difficult time in his life .His soulmate Mary has just passed away and he is lost without her . One night when he feels as low as he can fathom he meets an “Egg “in the woods . So begins the start of bizarre , heat warming quirky friendship that is brimming with wildly imaginative tales as they both navigate their new world . This story is essentially about grief and how we try to process a life without that person . It’s beautifully written with a truly original concept that is sure to appeal to many.
Thank you Headline Audio and NetGalley for an advance audio version .
Would highly recommend this audio version read by Johnny Flynn.
“Reality is fragile, all it takes is a gentle tap to break its shell.” (I can’t take credit for that - it’s all Bobby Palmer and exquisitely encapsulates the book, Isaac and the Egg.)
Isaac is a widower and he’s struggling. On a visit to the woods, he happens across a very large egg and without a second thought he takes it home and settles into a bizarre domesticity with the egg.
No-one escapes grief and heartbreak and everyones journey through it will be different. Despite this story dealing with grief, it is wonderfully hopeful, charming and even funny at times.
I love Bobby Palmer’s writing style and turn of phrase. Being a cinephile, I particularly loved all the film references - they are films that have shaped my life, too. I loved Isaac recounting his relationship with his wife, the films they’d watched and now how he’d watch the same films with the Egg.
I don’t think anyone other than Johnny Flynn could have read this book. His dulcet tones made the book even more magical and I’ll certainly listen to it again in the future.
This is a very special book, one that will stay with me for a long time. Huge thanks to NetGalley and the publishers, Headline Audio, for making this audiobook book version of Isaac and the Egg available to me for a fair and honest review.
Issac and the egg Wow!! Wow what a rollercoaster of a ride… jaw-dropping and edge-of-the-seat… Instantly hooked… I literally couldn't put it down… I can't recommend this book enough!!!! Fabulous novel.
I loved this book, once I got into it! I couldn’t sworn out initially whether this was a YA book or not (I do read both). However, the more I read I realised that this book could help people of all ages and it doesn’t matter what genre it has been classed as!! The book starts with Isaac seemingly finding Egg in the forest and taking him home. What follows is Isaac bonding with Egg and dealing with his own emotions along the way. This is quite a difficult book to review without giving any spoilers but to explain it all would take away the beauty of the book.
Suffice to say that I loved the book and it taught even me, a jaded 53 year old a lot about life and what is happening in other people’s lives!
As this was the audio book I listened to, I’ll cover the audio aspect first. It was the narrators wonderful voice that captured both my interest in listening to a book for a change, and capturing my interest in the story itself. I listened to a sample first, and by the time the sample had finished I had to know more of what happened next and what this story was about. It sounded so sad and of course by now I was hooked into the brilliant story telling by Johnny Flynn.
I imagine the portrayal of the characters by the narrator is exactly how the author intended. Johnny Flynn has a soothing, but engaging voice – absolutely perfect for such a touching, tender story. I even wonder would I have enjoyed the book quite so much had I read it myself. I will never know because I can’t unhear it, I’ve been spoilt and if all narrators were this good, I’d maybe never read a book myself again.
So to the story itself. Welll….I’m not going to say too much about the actual plot. Most of the reviews I’ve seen have been shy with detail on the book’s content. Why? Because this is one you just have to experience fully yourself. It’s sad, it’s funny by turn, it’s touching and leaves you with a warm glow. Told in the third person, there are few characters other than the central ones, Isaac and Egg. The writing draws you right in, you can feel Isaac’s pain and completely identify with his feelings. It touches on grief, loss, loneliness, friendship, mental health, with a bit of what I suppose you might call fantasy thrown in. It will make you smile and laugh and will definitely cause a tear or two to be shed.
Unique and very special is how I’d describe it, and a book you will probably always remember with great fondness and a lasting impression – I know I will.
**To be added to my blog close to or on publication date**
Thanks to NetGalley for a copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.
Firstly, the narrator of this audiobook is perfect and really added to the experience for me.
Secondly, and most importantly, this was absolutely wonderful. It made me laugh and cry in equal measure. It was really beautifully written and immersive - I looked forward to being able to switch on and carry on. Would recommend to anyone!
This book is so lovely! You can actually feel Isaac’s grief while you’re listening. Beautiful, devastating but leaves you smiling.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this strange but lovely audio ARC… I loved it
This delightfully strange book is the story Iscca who is grieving the loss of his wife, in among this he finds a strange ET like egg there starts a story about how we grieve, live after such a loss and story with all the feels. The story is told in the first POV with Iscca telling his present day story and the background story, we also have a few chapters from Eggs POV. Without giving much away there are some truly heartbreaking moments, funny moments, heartwarming moments, beautiful moments and all the rest. The concept is very clever and beautifully illustrates the human condition in experiencing loss. Footnote I loved all the 80/90’s movie references.
This review is for the audio version of the novel, I found the audio version made a great bedtime story, the narrators tone, pitch and pace matched the story perfect. I found the 30-40mins chapters just the right amount for a chapter before bed, with the excellent voices done by the narrator I felt I got a sense of how Iscca as feeling and I loved the sarcasm at times and the way the narrator conveyed this. This story made a great audiobook and I suspect it would be equally as great in print.
It’s a uplifting four stars for me.
Stunning story about the depth of grief with an unexpected twist that pulls at the heartstrings. It was gripping, it felt like a grown up ET with adult struggles at the core. Thank you so much to the publisher for the chance to review this ARC. I am now a massive fan of Bobby Palmer, and cannot wait to read the next book.