One of the reasons I was attracted to this audiobook was without doubt Tamsin Greig as narrator. She has a fabulous voice and is a perfect choice of narrator for the voice of the cancer. This is such a unique, powerful and visual way of conveying cancer and I was completely mesmerised by Tamsin's voicing this dialogue.

I liked the way the audiobook used two narrators to convey this story, however, I confess that I have become completely lost listening to this on audiobook and have struggled to follow the plot. I have also been advised by other reviewers that I will miss vital information if I don't read the print copy so I am going to move over to the print copy instead.

With many thanks to Netgalley for my digital copy

i absolutely loved the idea of having a POV from cancer, as a nerdy medic this really fascinated me!
the writing wasn’t something that drew me in, but i can fully see why other people rave about this book. it definitely made be consider a different perspective that will stick with me in my professional career.

This was a uniquely told story of the hold cancer takes on a body, a person, a life. And I appreciated what the author was saying, particularly through cancer having it's own voice. But I struggled with the over stylized nature of it and the stop start motion of the audio book. I think a lot of people would love it, but it didn't work completely for me.

Sadly this book wasn’t for me. I really appreciated the writing style and feel it was very unique, made more accessible by the narration. However I found it too lyrical and poetic for my tastes. Definitely feel this would be a loved book by many but unfortunately it wasn’t my cup of tea!

I loved the audio version of this book. The story itself is heart breaking though I loved the unique idea of having the cancer's point of view in the story, as well as Lia's. It's not an easy listen due to the subject matter but it is gripping and worth persevering. I enjoyed the honesty in the writing and the details about Lia's marriage to Harry.

The narration of this book, just like the writing, was beautiful and intricate. I really enjoyed the listening experience and would highly recommend the audiobook to anyone wondering whether they should get the physical version or audiobook.

A beautiful and engaging audiobook. I can see why this book is so well liked. So much trauma but so well written. This should be on everyone's radar.

Had to DNF unfortunately due to the content unfortunately the writing was to good and so consuming that it made things a bit too real for me, but signs of a great book!

This is an immense debut. The chapters merge the interpersonal relationships of a mother and daughter as the mother is dying from cancer. But there is an interloping voice, disembodied and impish, that slowly takes over the novel. In the audiobook, this is performed by Tamsin Grieg and she is absolutely incredible at interpreting this witchy mysterious vicious unknown that could be the cancer but could be something else.

I found the changes of pace a bit inconsistent and was most captured by one part of the book. Nonetheless, it is epic, clever, messy, and bitter. Clearly, an author to watch.

This is the kind of book that I usually wouldn’t gravitate to, I find with this genre of writing that I have to be quite particular about what I read, and this book was not at all on my radar. In a strange turn of events I happened to read a magazine article about it and then it popped up as an audiobook and I thought why not give it a chance. I am so happy that I did give it a chance because this is an absolutely fantastic work of art.

At its simplest form this story is about a family coming to terms with a cancer diagnosis and trying to find solace in each other, but what is amazing about this story is that it gives voice to the illness spreading through Lia, it explores Lia’s past whilst exploring what’s happening inside her, and it plays with words and imagery in a way that is just a delight to experience. It is so different to anything else that I have read and I love that there was a very unexpected nature to the writing, you have an inkling of where you may end up but the road had all sorts of twists and turns.

I have to say I expected this to be a much more sombre read, I feel like maybe because I was experiencing this through an audiobook and because of the mirth of the voice in the body, I never felt it get too harrowing. Don’t get me wrong there were some heartbreaking situations but then that voice would come back and add a witty remark, something to make you laugh or smile even though the situation might not call for it. It is very well done.

The narrators for this audiobook were also perfect for their roles. Lydia Wilson and Tamsin Greig did a brilliant job and their voices complimented each other for the roles each played. Lydia gives voice to Lia and what happens with her and her family but Tamsin gives voice to what is happening in her body and this dual narration works so well. Especially as you get to the end of the story and you can visualise how much it takes over from Lia.

Honestly, I am so glad that I read this, it is an unusual but utterly enthralling book that experiments with form and challenged me in a way that I loved. I am looking forward to picking up a print copy of this book just to see what that adds to my experience of the book.

What an incredible, touching and visceral story. Maps of Our Spectacular Bodies sits between a coming-of-age story and mother-daughter history, interspersed with musings on grief, illness, guilt and death.

It's an extremely tough read because of the themes stated above, and the audiobook really rendered the feelings well. It is clearly extremely well written with lyrical prose. Sometimes that doesn't translate well to audio, but I thought they did a great job.

Only giving it a 4 because I didn't fully click with the teenage character and I came out of this book exhausted.

This was a spectacular journey full of twists and turns. As Lia’s body was slowly preparing for it’s final breath, I was not ready to let go! I found the story incredibly heart-breaking but described in such a sad, beautiful and poetic way. As an audiobook, the narrative would jump between Lea as the narrator to her cancer as the narrator. I thought this was incredibly unique (and reminded me of the narration from the fig tree in The Island of Missing Trees) and I really enjoy third-party narratives.

I also enjoyed the explorations of the mother-daughter relationship, Lia’s youthful years and how this shaped her future life, as well as the diagnosis and how this transformed her world. At one point, as I was listening, I could not differentiate between the narrators – Lia and her cancer – as they often became intertwined into one in my head, and I think that was the goal, for Lia and her cancer to be seen as one.

Overall, a very unique narrative and a very tragic yet enlightening story.

An incredible debut and one of my all-time favourite books.

Highly original with beautifully written and presented prose. Visceral and heartbreaking; poignant and life affirming. The narrators do a wonderful job, especially the sneering malevolence of Tamsin Greig's portrayal of cancer as a character in the story

A magnificent, melancholic debut about a lady who must face her life, her decisions, and her shame while fighting internal cancer.

What is so startling about this novel is that, in parts of the book, the disease speaks for itself, personifying various facets of the narrator Lia and her past in lyrical language. I listened to this title on audio and the difference in speaker is quite evident when listening - the almost-sneering voice of the cancer is a stark contrast to frail Lia herself. It's both tragic, and beautiful.

The language is so profound and important that you really need to sit with it and take all she is doing and saying in. The descriptions can be very visceral, and all are evocative, with some of the medical and negative imagery being especially brutal and jarring.

If you enjoy creative, contemporary fiction that gets you to think about the purpose of life and your existence within it, you'll adore this.

This haunting, abstract story is gripping, immersive and unique. I found it to be an incredibly interesting read whilst at the same time making me think about myself and my own life. Lia has cancer and this story is all about her life... her past... her body. Told from the perspective of the cancer/her cells at moments, we get an idea of what is happening inside her body and the difficulties going on deep within. It's very abstract in some parts and deeply moving in others... the way it is told from one perspective to the next is effortless and the poetic verses are incredible.

I loved the way that words were used and looked into. Have you ever considered the sounds of a word? How they come across? Imagine if you didn't know its meaning, what would you think a particular word meant? So insightful and intelligent.

A fantastic read.

What an amazing debut! One of my favs from 2022 for sure! I can see myself rereading this constantly

The most beautiful prose I’ve ever listened to. I couldn’t get enough of this audiobook. The storyline was heartbreaking but so enthralling. I enjoyed the audiobook so much that I now need to buy a physical copy of the book to read all over again.

This is an extraordinary book, almost medical but also a coming of age bio. Written from the view of a dying woman who is struggling to make sense of losing control of the life she will leave behind. Not an easy read for some who may have experienced this journey. The characters are so real and the situation and scenarios heartbreaking at times. This story of dying is interwoven with side commentary, well almost poetry on what is happening within our bodies. When illness strikes and also normal functionality of being a living being. Can be a bit confusing at first until you get into the style. the writing is insightful and well researched and led me to believe that the author had gone through the process herself. When I found out the author was a young women who we oldies assume to be not world wise, I was amazed. Absolutely first class debut novel and can't wait to read more from this author. Thank you #NetGalley for the audiobook to review.

The fact that this book was so different from others appealed to me. Two narratives. One Lia the other the cancer.
A difficult subject told with sensitivity and emotion. A heartbreaking read.
Many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC

I've seen so many people rave about this book and after it's longlist on the Booker Prize list I was even more intrigued - thanks for my copy NetGalley!

I do have to admit that I did struggle with this one. As much as its a really heart-wrenching depiction of living with cancer, I found myself struggling still somehow to connect with Lia and her family, and as a result it took me quite a while to get through this. There were places I have to admit I would have given up, if I hadn't already got so far through it. I can see from other reviews that I'm very much in the minority on that though.

I think though that most of my issues with it would only apply to the audiobook. The narrative hops around between family members and between Lia's past and present life, which I found difficult to follow in audio format. I doubt I'd have had the same issues if I were following along in the text, and I do love a time hop narrative! The actual depiction of cancer itself as a point of view was very cleverly done, and probably my favourite thing about the book, really sharp and clever.

Overall while I did find this audiobook middling, I do want to give the physical copy a read, because I think I would enjoy it a lot more!