hallereads's Reviews (197)

This book is a deeply personal and tender account of mental health; without the glamourising, the confusion or downright pity. I loved this book because of the way it didn’t try to do or be too much. It was easy to read, and I felt myself fall into the book from page three. I can completely understand why this book has already received so much praise and love before it’s even been published in English!

I generally don’t read a lot of ‘self-help’ books, but this book is more of a comforting story than a checklist of how to ‘get over’ mental illness. There are a lot of lessons to take from this book, namely that you are special and your place in the world is meant to be. It brings a lot of insight into the human mind and the way we connect with others. It also puts words into feelings that are otherwise sometimes hard to explain. 

This book is soothing, raw and honest. I really look forward to its release as I know it will connect with a lot of readers and bring some comfort and happiness. 

this is a lovely novel of love, family and long forgotten choices. I quickly came to love the characters in this book, particularly Nur and Sadik. the story is really tender and emotional and Suman does a great job at pulling you in from the first page. 

I absolutely loved the setting of Turkey and island life. all the smells and habitats I could picture perfectly, it was though I was inside the book. 

I did, however, feel like it was a book of memories. and maybe it is supposed to be like that and I just wasn’t expecting it at first, but it didn’t feel like a lot was happening in the present and therefore felt a little bored at times. not to mention that some parts I was confused whether it was reality or a memory. not always a bad thing though and if this is how it’s meant to be, I just didn’t get it! 

Thanks again to the publisher for sending me this ARC to review!!

utterly original, mischievous and thought-provoking, The Odyssey is a merciless takedown of consumer capitalism and our anxious, ill-fated quests for something to believe in. and as its title suggests, it is a voyage that will eventually lead its unlikely heroine all the way home. though she'd do almost anything to avoid getting there...

contrary to lots of reviews I’ve seen already on insta, this book really threw me to start. it is definitely a weird and wonderful story - but to the point where things felt a little bit confusing. as I got further into the book I began to enjoy it a lot more and it’s definitely a great summer read! for a book so short it seemed to pack a lot into it. 

the writing is very good and I really enjoyed William’s fluid style. I liked the way she took the confused-dysfunctional-chaotic young woman trope and moved it to something even darker and more edgy. she also masters the dark satirical humour. surprisingly, she reminded me a little of Sally Rooney. quite blunt and to the point but also magical and beautiful. 

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thank you for the gifted copy @penguinukbooks @hamishhamilton