You can always rely on Kate Atkinson to deliver, and she does just this in her latest short story collection, Every story is a work of art, I especially enjoyed the chilling opening tale- The Void - encompassing every end-of-the-world fear imaginable, and yet so simply told. Kate Atkinson's stories are an expert study in how to write perfectly rounded characters in just a few pages, impactful scenes with the minimum of words, and deliver powerful emotional messages from the simplest premise. Wonderful stuff.

I'm a huge fan of Kate Atkinson but don't really enjoy short stories. I find I'm just getting into them when the finish!
Kate Atkinson brings her usual distinctive style to the stories. With characters that cross between stories they explore relationships and comment on life, celebrity, missed chances.

Surreal! This collection of short stories is hard to review, when I started I was not sure I would carry on, as the stories appeared far fetched and without real endings…however I am glad I carried on as. I enjoyed the interwoven aspect of the stories.

The surreal element continued throughout.

Not my favourite book by this author, I much prefer her novels, but an interesting concept.

Sadly,this book was archived before I had a chance to read it so I can’t give feedback.Hopefully I can borrow it from the public library.I’m sure that it will be worth reading,based on the author’s previous books and the book reviews I’ve seen.

I like Kate Atkinson; her books are well written and she has an amazing scope. I didn’t realise this was a book of short stories; I’m not usually keen on this format, but I’m really pleased I’ve the opportunity to read these 11 takes. As usual, she has been clever; she brings a number of characters together in different stories so they’re linked. That’s unusual and adds another dimension to the stories. There’s humour and human life. The characters have a real feel to them and I enjoyed this book far more than I expected. Bite size tales and it didn’t take long to complete. .

Thank you for allowing me to review this book. I am a fan of Kate Atkinson and have read most of her books. Unfortunately, this book of short stories did not really work for me. They are well written and I found some of the links interesting, but others left me wondering what the point was. I think that in future I will stick to reading her long stories.

Not a fan of short stories but no reader can avoid the rewarding experience of a Kate Atkinson book. This collection of short stories are interconnected, involving characters who appear in more than one story . Individuals all demonstrating the strengths and weaknesses, flaws and imperfections of the human psyche. Written with humour, pathos and covering all aspects of human nature and its ability to act or react in differing situations. Three dimensional characters, sharp dialogue and wit drawing in the reader with magical efficiency. Many thanks to author, publisher and Netgalley for this ARC.

I'm a huge fan of Kate Atkinson but don't read short stories very often as I find them unsatisfying. These, however, were the exception. Beautifully crafted as you'd expect, the stories in this collection are woven together and deeply satisfying. Atkinson writes with skill and humour. Highly recommend

Kate Atkinson has done it again! What an absolutely brilliant collection of short stories: superbly crafted with some truly hilarious moments throughout. I’m not usually a reader of short stories but I adored this collection and couldn’t put it down. I loved how the stories were subtly interconnected and you’d suddenly find yourself thinking, “Oh, I’ve met that character before!” and in the next breath you’d be thinking, “Oh no! I know what’s coming!” and then you’d be literally dying for it to happen. Absolute 5star gem! I’ll be recommending this to everyone.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher, Transworld, Penguin Random House, for an early copy in exchange for a review.

Short stories are not my favourite genre but these inter-connecting short stories were quirky and very well written with humour and interesting comments on life. My favourite was Classic Quest 17 - Crime and Punishment - it was laugh out loud hilarious.
Many thanks to Netgalley/Kate Atkinson/Random House UK for a digital copy of this title. All opinions expressed are my own.

I was unsure what to expect from this book of short stories. In all honesty they did not hold my interest. I found them somewhat outdated. I understand that some have been published before so maybe storytelling has moved on since they were first written. Undoubtedly this collection will appeal to a wide audience.it’s just not my genre. Needless to say they are well written by this accredited author.

I don't usually like short stories - I find that they draw you in and then drop you just as you start the care about the characters. But this wonderful collection of 11 short stories by Kate Atkinson are interconnected so there's a thread keeping you emotionally involved throughout.
The stories are quirky, magical, and entertaining, and although I wanted some of them to go on for longer, they're each a little treat to enjoy. Kate Atkinson seems to have converted me to short stories!
With thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an ARC in return for an honest review.

Kate Atkinson is the author of my all time favourite book and I read everything she writes. I was thrilled to be offered the opportunity to read Normal Rules Don't Apply before publication.

I have read Kate Atkinson's previous short stories and I always enjoy her prose. I particularly enjoyed how cleverly the author linked all 11 stories; some very subtly and others more obviously. I particularly enjoyed the stories that were included Franklin as he is such an engaging and well-observed character.

As always, Kate Atkinson delivers a masterclass in writing.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for my copy of this book.

I’ve really gotten into short stories over the past year or so and I’ve been a Kate Atkinson fan for years so this was the perfect combination!

All the stories are very different moving from fantasy to romance and everything in between but they are all subtly interconnected. All come with Atkinsons trademark wry observations and wit.

Some standouts for me -I especially enjoyed the Franklin stories - but there is not a weak tale amongst them.

Clever, wise and brilliantly written, I loved this collection.

Huge thanks to NetGalley & Random House/Transworld for the chance to read an early copy

A wonderful collation of stories. After reading the notes at the end of book I noted this collection includes stories published before. They were written across different years. This was not noticeable within the collection. The stories connect well and each has its own merit. The overarching flow worked and as I got deeper into the book I was able to bring together the network of connections. An enjoyable read. My favourite were the stories mentioning the void. It fed my distopian side!

Love Kate Atkinson, and this book contains her usual colourful characters, humorous insights and shocking twists. I’m not generally a fan of short stories, mainly because, and especially in this case, I am disappointed when they end! But this is one to keep by the bed for when I’m in the mood for a quick read, and it will be perfect.

Such a truly enjoyable collection of stories, precisely written, acutely observed and thought-provoking all the way through. The characters and the stories appear to arrive effortlessly on the page and every one of them is designed to stay with you and to make you think. Loved them all, and the way some characters strayed between stories. It's like meeting people you know doing strange things when you least expect it, but their actions ring true. From the mysterious void to the many-daughtered vicar and his troubled offspring, the stories lead in many different directions but they all have a ring of truth at their heart.

This short story collection reminded me of Alice in Wonderland. Take a story, a good one, with beautiful prose and an interesting plot, and then boom, a talking dog walks in. Or a racehorse gives you a tip on who is winning the next race. Most of the tales was a bliss to read but there was one or two which gave me the headache, and I tried really hard to understand them.

My two favourites were the story about the actress who falls for the spare Royal prince (wink-wink), and the one told by the toys of a little girl.

By the end of the book, you will understand how these writings are connected, and you instantly want to go back to the beginning and start reading them again.

Thank you NetGalley and Random House UK / Transworld Publishers for an Advance Review Copy.

A really surprising read for me .I didn't quite know what to expect from this book of short stories but they were certainly different to what I would normally read they were interesting in parts and well written by this author and I liked the way they connected together as you went along but I think this would appeal more to younger readers as even though I enjoyed the context I can't say it was really my genre

Normal Rules Don't Apply is a book of short stories, some of which are very cleverly linked together. It's quirky and fun and very easy to read. Highly recommend you give it a try. Thank you to the author, the publisher and NetGalley for an arc of this delightful book.