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Sunday, April 19, 2015

Review: "Hello From the Gillespies" by Monica McInerney

For the past thirty-three years, Angela Gillespie has sent to friends and family around the world an end-of-the-year letter titled “Hello from the Gillespies.” It’s always been cheery and full of good news. This year, Angela surprises herself—she tells the truth.... The Gillespies are far from the perfect family that Angela has made them out to be. Her husband is coping badly with retirement. Her thirty-two-year-old twins are having career meltdowns. Her third daughter, badly in debt, can’t stop crying. And her ten-year-old son spends more time talking to his imaginary friend than to real ones. Without Angela, the family would fall apart. But when a bump on the head leaves Angela with temporary amnesia, the Gillespies pull together—and pull themselves together—in wonderfully surprising ways....
Thank you to the publisher via Netgalley for the free review copy in exchange for my honest opinion.
Did I like this book?

"Hello From The Gillespies" caught me by complete surprise - I liked it way more than I was expecting to!  I absolutely loved the Australian Outback setting, and the characters were amazingly well written.  The writing was top notch and the plot developed in such a way that I felt like I was part of the action.  The only complaint I have is that once Angela had her accident, things slowed down a bit and seemed to drag in places, making the book feel overly long.

Will you like this book?

I guess I would characterize this book as a mix of chick-lit and literary fiction.  If you're in the mood for something with a fully developed story that doesn't rely on gimmicks, then "Hello From The Gillespies" is a great choice.

Will I read more from this author?

This was my first book by Monica McInerney, and as I really enjoyed it, I will definitely be on the lookout for some of her other titles!  

My rating:

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