In a Thousand Different Ways

by Cecelia Ahern

She knows your secrets. Now discover hers…

You’ve never met anyone like Alice. She sees the best in people. And the worst. She always seems to know exactly what everyone around her is feeling: a thousand different emotions. Every. Single. Day.

In amongst all that noise, she’s lost herself.

But there’s one person she can’t read. And that’s the person who could change her life.

Is she ready to let him in?

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary, Audiobook, Romance, Fantasy, Book Club, Magical Realism

336 pages, Hardcover

First published April 13, 2023

About the author

Cecelia Ahern was born and grew up in Dublin. She is now published in nearly fifty countries, and has sold over twenty-five million copies of her novels worldwide. Two of her books have been adapted as films and she has created several TV series.

Reviews

[Nina (ninjasbooks) · Rating 4 out of 5]

A beautiful, colorful story with characters you fall in love with. Ahern always manages to sprinkle some magic over the plot, in the best possible way.

[Nilguen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cecelia Ahern won my heart and mind with this novel!

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Imagine you can associate every single human being with a specific color.
Imagine the colors bear meanings that occupy your perception right, left and center.
Imagine you can thereby foresee and feel the mood and intentions of everyone around you.
That is imagine you have synesthesia.

Is it a blessing or a curse?

Alice has the skill to visualise in colours and fights through life coming from a suboptimal family. How can one master life, if distraction is a steady consonant in life? How can one move in a society without fear, if one can see and feel the darkest intentions of some people for instance at a children´s playground? And what happens, if someone with synesthesia comes across someone who reflects no color whatsoever?

Alice is near and dear to my heart with her extraordinary life and her endearing nature.
But it took me a while to get Cecelia Ahern´s sophisticated story. First, I was thinking "what on earth is she talking about?" It wasn´t till I was 50-60% through the novel when it hit me! Then I was obsessed with this specific characteristic and was eager to find out how Alice will OWN her LIFE.
I savored every sentence, every storyline till the end.

Highly recommended! This plot is such a great premise for a movie!

Thanks to NetGalley for the Arc in exchange for my honest review.

IG: nilguen_reads

****DEUTSCH****

Cecelia Ahern hat mit diesem Roman mein Herz und meinen Verstand erobert!

Stellen Sie sich vor, Sie könnten jedem einzelnen Menschen eine bestimmte Farbe zuordnen. Stellen Sie sich vor, die Farben haben Bedeutungen. Stellen Sie sich vor, Sie könnten dadurch die Stimmung und die Absichten aller um Sie herum vorhersehen und fühlen. Stellen Sie sich vor, Sie haben Synästhesie.

Ist es ein Fluch oder ein Segen? Alice hat die Fähigkeit, in Farben zu visualisieren. Sie kommt aus einer suboptimalen Familie und kämpft sich durchs Leben.
Wie kann man ein Leben meistern, wenn Ablenkung ein fester Bestandteil im Alltag ist? Wie kann man sich angstfrei in einer Gesellschaft bewegen, wenn man zum Beispiel auf einem Kinderspielplatz die dunkelsten Absichten mancher Menschen sieht und spürt? Und was passiert, wenn jemand mit Synästhesie auf jemanden trifft, der keinerlei Farbe widerspiegelt?

Alice liegt mir mit ihrem außergewöhnlichen Leben und ihrer liebenswürdigen Art sehr am Herzen. Aber es hat eine Weile gedauert, bis ich die raffinierte Geschichte von Cecelia Ahern verstanden habe. Zuerst dachte ich: "Wovon um alles in der Welt redet sie?" Erst als ich zu 50-60 % mit dem Roman durch war, traf es mich! Dann war ich von dieser spezifischen Fähigkeit besessen und wollte unbedingt herausfinden, wie Alice ihr LEBEN verantworten wird. Ich genoss jeden Satz, jeden Handlungsstrang bis zum Ende. Sehr empfehlenswert!
Diese Handlung ist so eine großartige Prämisse für einen Film!

**Let´s connect on Instagram @nilguen_reads

[Bharath · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is my first book of Cecelia Ahern. An unusual story, very well written, and I look forward to reading more of her books.

Alice has a rare condition – Synesthesia, due to which she see colours as a sort of aura when she sees people. The colours reflect the moods & mind of the person she is seeing. I was curious to see how this develops as I have seen such unusual conditions/abilities used well - integrated with the story (Anageria/Slow ageing in ‘How to Stop Time’ by Matt Haig) and used poorly - as a twisty plot element (Prosopagnosia/Face blindness in ‘Rock Paper Scissors’ by Alice Feeney). In this case, Alice’s relationships with others considering her unusual ability forms the crux of story is all about and is well written. Alice recognizes this ability when is only eight, and has tough family circumstances. Her brother Hugh is supportive, but her mother Lily struggles with illness, and her brother Ollie gets into trouble (later landing up in the jail). A substantial portion of the book covers Alice’s early life and later introduces some romance. Alice runs into Andy, and she is disconcerted as she cannot see his colours. She gets accustomed to a different way of forming relationships.

The character development is excellent, especially Alice who is a fantastic character – strong & develops with experiences. There is a lot of complexity in the characterisation, and it is very nuanced. The relationship between Alice & Andy while unusual in parts, I felt had its rough edges in terms of portrayal. I did like the part where Alice mentions understanding his soul without her powers. The early parts of the book progress as a string of incidents, while later the story takes time leaps. I found many sections to be slow, and it could have been shorter. The last portion spans many years in Alice’s life, but I liked that approach as I think the author probably felt there was not much new material which could be introduced. The end summary on Alice navigating her relationships & life’s experiences through colours was beautiful.

The audiobook narrated by Amy McAllister was good, especially the distinction she provides to different characters. A beautiful cover – very apt for the story.

Thanks to Netgalley, HarperCollins UK Audio and the author a free electronic review copy.

[Clare Pooley · Rating 5 out of 5]

You know that feeling when you’re in a reading slump, and then you pick up a book which reminds you of everything you love about storytelling? Well, this book did that for me. I didn’t so much read it as INHALE it.
Cecelia Ahern is a master storyteller at the absolute peak of her powers. Her heroine, Alice Kelly, is completely unique - beguiling, complicated, extraordinary - and she’ll change the way you see the world. Just you wait.

[Karren Sandercock · Rating 3 out of 5]

Alice Kelly is eight when she notices everyone has a colour, it displays what the person is feeling, their mood and much more. Alice lives with her mum Lily, older brother Hugh and little brother Ollie. Lily isn’t the best mother, due to being an alcoholic and having bipolar disorder and Hugh acts as a parent. When, Hugh finishes high school, he leaves for university and Alice starts having problems.

Alice doesn’t like bright sunlight, seeing people’s colors gives her a headache and she doesn’t like people touching her. Alice starts wearing sunglasses to school, the teachers don’t understand why she needs them inside and they suggest she attends Clearview Academy. A school for teenagers who have behavioral problems, Lily is happy not to have to deal with her odd daughter and Alice makes her first friend Gospel.

Lily isn’t well, Alice has finished school and she becomes her mothers full time career. Looking after Lily isn’t easy, and Alice does it and as a hobby she starts growing plants. Alice moves to London, she finds herself a little flat, becomes friendly with her neighbour Naomi and she struggles to find a job. Alice wears a mask, sunglasses, gloves, and she won't shake anyone's hand and this comes across as her being rather strange.

I received a copy of In a Thousand Different Ways by Cecelia Ahern from NetGalley and HarperCollins UK in exchange for an honest review. I have read the authors previous books, P.S. I Love You and Postscript, two well written and emotional narratives. I felt rather confused when I started reading In a Thousand Different Ways, I wasn’t sure if I would even finish the book to be honest and I persevered.

A story about a young woman's struggles, and Alice is a unique individual, highly sensitive, she’s ruled by the colours she sees and people’s auras. Alice has to come to terms with her gift, she can read a person, so this comes in handy as it keeps her and others safe, she’s also blessed with a green thumb and it opens lots of unexpected opportunities for her. Please read the book for yourself, make up your own mind and I many have missed some some vital points in plot or dialog and three and a half stars from me.

[Michelle · Rating 2 out of 5]

We meet Alice at age 8, who sees people in colours, in auras. Her mother is unpredictable and is generally found either with dark tentacles hovering around her eager to suck people into the toxicity or surrounded by the sadness of blue.

As Alice ages, we watch her try to navigate the world, trying to avoid the moods and colours of others and create a life for herself.

I love this idea, but this book sparked no colour for me. I usually drift to Ahern for the depth of her characters and life affirmations, but this felt like a draft. The years wizz by in this novel without lingering anywhere, it's like a summary of one's life on Wikipedia.

There are many interesting characters, but we don't get to know them. Even the main lead feels distant to us.

Disappointingly, two stars.

[John Gilbert · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a lovely book. Alice sees colours in people from when she was 8, her mum and brothers sometimes struggle to understand her, as does Alice herself. In seeing colours in people, she knows their thoughts and emotions, which is often not pleasant, to the point where Alice wears sunglasses and gloves and a mask to protect herself from the bombardment she gets from them.

This was most interesting, following Alice throughout her life, her struggles with her difficult mum and younger brother, but loved and understood by her older brother. Her best friend in high school becomes a major sports star in the Premier League, she helps him get there. She discovers her husband on the tube, he has no colours, which she has never experienced.

Overall a lovely read, uneven and sometimes getting bogged down in the middle, but ultimately a very enjoyable journey. Library ebook (GR doesn't recognise).

'He’s wearing large headphones and he’s reading a book. How he does both is beyond me, but maybe there’s no music on or he’s not really reading. He turns a page. I watch his face. He’s lost in the story.' When Alice first sees her future husband with no colours.

A line in the book above, as I read and listen to music most of the time (in particulary reading this book), I find Ms Ahern's disbelief that this can be happening very funny.

[Bianca · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5
This is the second novel that I read by the Irish novelist Cecelia Ahern.

Alice has a special gift/curse: she can see colours and auras. When she's young, she doesn't know what to do with them, but eventually, she realises different colours mean different things.
She's the middle child, with two brothers. Their single mother, Lily, is volatile and has a drinking problem.

This novel is about Alice's journey from pre-teen to old age.

While this was readable, I found it a bit too repetitive in the middle part and uneven.

[Natalie "Curling up with a Coffee and a Kindle" Laird · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was AMAZING.
A few days since I finished it, and I'm still thinking about it.
Ahern's books tend to have some small fantasy element to it, but the premise of this one completely fascinates me.
Alice sees people's emotions, in colours around their bodies. Colours represent certain emotions, so she can see things before they happen by how people feel in the build up, and she can tell when people are being deceitful.
Alice has a complicated background, and the opening scenes broke me. The tension and anxiety felt so so real.
I have constantly wondered how I would feel if I had the same gift. Ahern tackles many different scenarios in the book, so readers can fully appreciate what life would be like.
This is now my new favourite Cecelia Ahern book, and will take some beating.

[Maxine (Booklover Catlady) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I listened to this on Audiobook and recommend it OVER reading it. Check out my review as to why.

I absolutely loved this audiobook! I have to rave about the Narrator, what sheer talent and brilliance! One single Narrator managed to effectively not do every single character’s distinctive voice but their tone, accent, country of origin and even dialects! From a Cork to a Dublin accent, on to Glaswegian and British. She even manages ages of characters from very young to old.

Their personalities come to life. It was like watching a movie or listening to a radio play with multiple narrators. Seriously folks, it’s utter genius and it’s what makes the audiobook just pop. I would of enjoyed the novel reading it also but this is THE best audiobook ever. A bad or boring Narrator can kill an audiobook, so choosing one carefully is a must. Kudos!

The book itself is just stunning. It is so special and unique and unlike anything I have read before. Alice, our central character absolutely pops from the first moment we meet her. Following her incredible life journey was amazing. I felt like I knew Alice and was in her world in every way. All the characters are very well written and so distinct from each other. Some to love, some to dislike but each one is clearly defined and important to the overall story.

Never heard of Synesthesia? You will now. This is what Alice lives with and it’s how she sees every single living through different eyes.Others call it her gift “what colour am I Alice?” but to Alice it is a burden and impacts everything. Not a mental disorder but a neurological condition people are born with. It can be many types, you could hear music and see shapes. You could hear a word and it has a colour to it, you may read a word such as “street” and smell oranges. Incredible right?

This brings a unique element to the story so much. Kudos for all the intense and correct research into it. I am excited that so many people who taste this book will know of it. I have a friend who smalls things as colours and tells me mould is like a dark murky purple.

I wanted to know, love and protect Alice. Her life starts out very tough and my heart ached for her. So many things happen in her lifetime and it’s a really emotive story. The characters are each so interesting also and their roles in Alice’s life is fascinating. This is a book that will stir many emotions. I have cried twice reading a book in my lifetime of thousands and the ending of this had tears running down my cheeks.

Beautifully executed. I cannot recommend this enough and the audiobook is out of this world. Try it! I loved everything and I highly recommend this for your reading or listening list right now. Cecilia Ahearn is a genius and has pulled out an absolute corker for us all. I still have Alice’s Dublin accent in my head reminding me of the year I lived there. Did I mention he Narrator? I am actually going to look for other audiobooks she has worked on. Five huge stars!

Thanks so much for reading my review, I look forward to reading any comments. Feel free to browse my books read for your next great read.
Happy book loving!

[Kate O'Shea · Rating 4 out of 5]

I need more stars to play with. It seems mean to give this only 4 stars but looking back at the books I've given 5 there really has to be something that blows me away.

However, this is a really good book. It's very easy reading. Good story, some lovely touches, very human. I thoroughly enjoyed it even though I wept quite a lot on and off all the way through and it observes human nature very well. There's some really funny bits in it too. The one thing I'm delighted by (and I have not read a Cecilia Ahern for many years) is that her writing has really matured and I don't get the sense she's trying to be Marian Keyes any longer. (I love Marian but there really is only one of her).

In a Thousand Different Ways tells us the story of Alice Kelly who has the gift (even though it doesn't seem that way at times) of being able to see how people around her feel. How wonderful you think. But when you do think about it, it really must be exhausting. Not only does Alice see how people feel but she sees how others soak up others' feelings.

We follow Alice through her difficult childhood and teenage years with a selfish, uncaring mother, one brother who wants out and another who seems to sop up all his mother's negative energy.

It's a truly interesting look at people and the way we interact with each other. It's funny, it's sad and its a really good read. I read it in two sittings.

[Aoife Cassidy McM · Rating 1 out of 5]

A gorgeous cover, alas the book did not live up to it. This was pretty poor and one for diehard Cecelia Ahern fans only.

Alice Kelly has a gift (or curse, depending on your perspective). She sees an aura around people, sensing their emotions and moods, owing to a condition called synaesthesia. She grows up in an unhappy home with a bipolar mother who neglects Alice and her brothers. This is the story of Alice’s life and ultimately, it’s a rather odd, humdrum and depressing one.

The first 60 or so pages start off reasonably promising with Eleanor Oliphant vibes and some nice writing. Unfortunately, it quickly fizzles out, becoming very maudlin and predictable, jumping around bizarrely in time and place.

Synaesthesia is an interesting condition and it has worked well as a plot device in a few books that I’ve read in recent years, but hanging the entire story on synaesthesia is not really a runner. It becomes very repetitive - there are only so many ways of describing how colours appear - the red mists, the murky browns, the swirling purples. Less “a thousand different ways” and more a case of, well, just a few really.

By the time the romance angle is introduced, the book descends into the most saccharine, sentimental prose I’ve read in a long time. The last chapter rushes through the last few decades of Alice’s life at breakneck speed as the colours begin to drain out of it. For a novel centring on colours, I’m afraid this was terribly bland, or hummus as Ahern might describe it. A promising start but that’s about it I’m afraid. 1.5/5 ⭐️

*Many thanks to @harpercollinsire for sending me a copy of the book. As always, this is an honest review.*

[Nadine Schrott · Rating 5 out of 5]

Und wieder bin ich nicht objektiv....dieser berührende Esoterik Roman hat es mir irgendwie angetan....stimmungsvoll, sympathisch und für mich inspirierend....!

Die kleine Alice wächst mit ihren zwei Brüdern bei ihrer labilen Mutter in schwierigen Verhältnissen auf.
Nach einem traumatischen Erlebnis sieht sie Auren....die Menschen um sie herum nimmt sie in Farben wahr.
Ihr Leben wird dadurch nicht einfacher....ein Kampf um Glück und Zufriedenheit beginnt.

Gut ausgearbeitete Charaktere und ein wirklich gelungener Plot....

Absolut lesenswert!

[Louisa Giddings · Rating 2 out of 5]

I am a big fan of Cecelia Ahern and love all her books. So when this landed in my emails as a free book to review I was so excited. First off if this was the first book of Cecelia I had read I would not read any more, I also feel if this is how her books are going to be from now on I don’t think I will bother in future.

First off this is a story about Alice and her life of seeing people’s aura’s good and bad, now the story it’s self was ok but it was a bit jumpy for my liking one minute she was at her brothers house the next she was in a pub looking for her Dad. That is the one thing I really didn’t like about this book the jumping about with no warning it was very hard to keep up with. The neighbour that helped her was one minute she didn’t like them the next they were best friends. The job she had one minute she had a normal job the next she was applying and got the job that one of her co workers wanted. As someone who lives in Swindon I was very disappointed that they called it the Swindon Theatre it’s called the Wyvern not Swindon Theatre. That just proves she did not do any research in to this book at all. There was also a bit in the book where she went to Ireland to visit her mum the next sentence her mum was living with her.

Towards the end of the book it was very rushed had kids the first one then a miscarriage then the next paragraph was her talking about all her 3 kids. I was like what the hell then they all grew up in the next couple of pages then people started to die first her brother in prison then her mum husband other brother then her. I think the thing that got me was there was no real answer to why she saw colours she never went to the doctor when she left her mums house. I love all of Cecelia books but this one is a no for me to jumpy not enough substance and really just a pointless story about a girl growing up I will not be recommending this to anyone especially my sister who also loves Cecelia

[Karschtl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Das Leben von Alice Kelly wäre wirklich schon schwer genug ohne ihre besondere Gabe. Sie lebt zusammen mit ihren zwei Brüdern und ihrer Mutter, die sich aber nicht sonderlich um ihre Kinder kümmert und an einer bipolaren Störung leidet. Der Vater hat sich vom Acker gemacht, und so muss die 8jährige Alice eines Tages den Krankenwagen rufen weil sie glaubt, ihre Mutter sei tot. Eine merkwürdige blaue Farbe geht nämlich dieser reglosen Gestalt im Bett aus. Ab diesem Tag kann Alice plötzlich die Stimmungen und Gefühle von Menschen in Form von Farbe sehen. Das bringt ihr zwar manches Mal einen Vorteil, wenn sie dadurch vor Männern mit bösen Absichten gewarnt wird. Die meiste Zeit allerdings ist diese permanente Reizüberflutung eine große Bürde für sie, gegen die sie sich schützen muss.

Der neueste Roman von Cecilia Ahern ist kein Wohlfühlbuch. Und trotzdem war ich ziemlich gefesselt von Alice' Geschichte. An mehreren Stellen hab ich mitgelitten mit ihr - schlussendlich aber hat Alice ihr Leben ziemlich gut gemeistert. Ein tapferes Mädchen und eine starke Frau. Und jeder neue Abschnitt in ihrem Leben hat sich dann ja auch meistens als Verbesserung herausgestellt.

Ich habe den Roman als Hörbuch gehört und er wurde wunderbar vorgelesen. Einzig die zahlreichen Sprünge in die Vergangenheit werden beim Hörbuch überhaupt nicht deutlich. Das habe ich dann immer erst nach einer mehr oder weniger langen Zeit gecheckt und oft musste ich dann ein paar Minuten "zurückspulen" um alles noch einmal im neuen Kontext zu hören.
Vielleicht stehen auch im Buch an diesen Stellen keine Jahreszahl zur Orientierung, aber bestimmt fängt immerhin ein neues Kapitel oder so etwas an. Beim Hörbuch ging es alles übergangslos ineinander über, was es eben so schwer machte zu erkennen dass wir jetzt wieder in Alice' Vergangenheit sind. Möglicherweise ist dies auch dem Umstand geschuldet, dass die Hörbuchversion gekürzt ist - das kann ich mangels Vergleich zur Printausgabe nicht beurteilen.

[Shweta · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's been a long time since I finished a book in one setting and quite liked it. What I didn't expect was for this to happen with a Cecelia Ahern book.

If you asked me to describe this book in a colour, I would call it the blue of a mist - pretty to look at but not very discernable. If you asked me how I felt reading it, I'd say it tugged at my heartstrings but it also left me a bit confused - what was the point? Is it a sort of bildungsroman? Just a story of a woman with Synesthesia? If you asked me whether I would recommend the book to others, I'd say it depends on whether you would like to spend an evening reading about a woman, her struggles with her undiagnosed condition, beautiful relationship with her older brother, complicated relationship with her mother and a romance that just didn't seem right.

Cecelia Ahern's PS: I Love You destroyed a 20 year old me. I remember weeping so hard that I couldn't see the pages in front of me. Since then I haven't been able to muster courage to read another Ahern or maybe none of the other books held my attention the way PS: ILY did. Then someone gifted me In a Thousand Different Ways for my birthday. I read the blurb. It seemed promising and appealed to the socially awkward and anxious me.

When I decided to give it a try, I didn't expect to be hooked from pg 1 but I was. The first 50-60 pages twisted my heart what with a sense of impending doom. I prepared myself for another heartache. But, that didn't happen. The clouds cleared, the sun came through. And it shone bright. It should be a good thing right? Because who doesn't want a happy ending. However, it didn't sit right here. It felt like the tone was confused. Just like the pacing was off. Especially the last 1/3 which felt extremely rushed. The only reason I could keep going was the writing. Ahern can write, she can really, really write.

All said and done though, this was a quick, comforting late night read. One I would recommend if you like cozy reads alternating between sadness and happiness.

[Girish · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is the life of Alice Kelly who has the rare condition of Synesthesia (dubbed Aura Migraine) whereby she can see the colour of people's aura and lives in a dysfunctional family. It is not clear if she was born with it or developed it later, but she is suffering alimentation and feels cursed. Ollie her younger brother soaks in his mother's blue and red (Depression and Anger) while Hugh her older brother with his Pink (Love) manages to be the beacon of sanity for Alice.

When she goes off to school for difficult children (with anger issues and lack of concentration) due to her mother and later come back home as a carer for her now invalid mother - the events are more fill in the blanks. I was waiting for critical events to happen - but they never did except for when Ollie gets released from Prison and she is forced to go out.

I know the adage it is not the destination but the journey that matters, but Alice's journey is more of the same. It felt a bit like a mega serial (soap opera) with an extraordinary person since the mini-events happened to be nothing life changing or from a novel form story line altering. I did admire the author's conviction to see the world in it's colors and some of it's passages around light and prism to demonstrate maturity. Some parts like wearing a shield or her sales roles through aura mirroring seemed a bit stretched. The last part of her family was in super fast forward mode like done around the publishing deadline.

The book is a laudable effort and appeals to you if you are patient and want to understand a unique life.

ARC: I would like to thank HarperCollins and Netgalley for the ARC of this book.

[Nathaniel · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'd found out about this book from a review in a supplement which said that it was about a woman who sees colours around everyone but meets a man who doesn't have any.  I thought that was quite intriguing.  I found it very difficult to read initially as her mother is quite abusive to her - she is the middle child with two brothers, neither of whom get treated badly.  Then Alice ends up becoming her mother's carer which makes her feel incredibly trapped and resentful.  In the main though, nothing happens.  The book is told from Alice's point of view and is pretty much about her entire life, growing up, getting a job, finding a husband and having kids.  Her ability to see colours/auras round every person - and also round plants - starts when she's 8 and she struggles with it at first.  She finally comes to terms with it and has a eureka moment where she realises what it is and what it's for.  And then does nothing with it at all.  I thought there was going to be a big thing where she uses this ability for some important purpose but there isn't.  She finds two men who don't have any colours but there's no explanation given as to why that is.  It's so disappointing.  I finished the book feeling that I had absolutely no idea what the point of it was and it felt like such a waste. 

[Sonja Bee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Die Farbbeschreibungen waren sehr schön. Ich hatte beinahe das Gefühl, die Autorin würde diese Farben in echt sehen. Nur dafür hätte ich 5 Sterne gegeben. Leider hat mich der Rest nicht abgeholt. Für mich war es ein ernstes Buch mit depressiven Passagen. Selbst die schönen Seiten gaben mir kein gutes Gefühl. Weder die Beziehung zu Gospel, Hugh, Naomi oder Andy ließen in mir ein Gefühl der Cozyness aufkommen sondern eher Beklemmung. Den Grundton des Buches empfand ich als negativ, (im Buch selbst wurde es als blaue Traurigkeit beschrieben)
obwohl es das sicher nicht sein sollte/wollte.

[Marian · Rating 2 out of 5]

Es un libro que en casi todo su recorrido va a 20km por hora, y se disfruta. Pero llega el último capítulo y acelera a 100km por hora y se termina el encanto. Así que salvando el final, me gustó.

[Stephanie P · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you NetGalley, Cecelia Ahern, and HarperCollins UK for allowing me to read an advanced copy of In a Thousand Different Ways.

I started this book with the intention of reading a few pages before bed but ended up being completely enthralled in the story and almost finished it in one night.

Alice is the narrator. She can see auras in people and in nature. She first thinks of this gift as a curse but then learns how to work with her ability. The writing made me feel all of Alice's emotions throughout the book. I only wished the ending didn't come so soon. This story will stick with me. I can't wait to read it again and again.

If done correctly, In a Thousand Different Ways would make for an absolutely beautiful movie. To get to see all of the colors Alice sees throughout her life would be so magical.

[Siqahiqa · Rating 4 out of 5]

"When I was eight, I started seeing people's moods and energies as colours."

I had a great time reading this. As Cecelia Ahern is one of my favourite authors, I never read blurbs and go into her book blind. I was pretty disappointed with Freckles, and In A Thousand Different Ways makes me forget that. This latest novel by Cecelia Ahern is really fascinating 🫶

Foremost, I loved the concept. Humans can feel emotions, but the main protagonist, Alice, can see them. This story follows Alice throughout her life, living with synesthesia; she can see people’s emotions in color. It means that she is compassionate and constantly needs to deal with emotional overload from the feeling of others and her own. People called it a gift, but she felt like she was being cursed. This condition overwhelms her and stops her from being able to communicate with others and find her way easily. Besides, Alice is not only dealing with her rare condition. She also has her mentally sick mother, Lily, and her problematic younger brother Ollie. The only family member that truly understands her is her brother, Hugh. Much love for the big brother 🫶

I was immediately drawn to Alice, and I would do anything to protect her. I felt empathy for her in dealing with the gift, and I can’t imagine what it must be like not only to know everyone's feelings, but you could be affected by those feelings too 🥺

Ahern has unique and beautiful writing with a captivating storyline and characters' depth and development. I loved how she described the different moods and feelings related to the colors. Like a baby is associated with gold color, it’s fascinating when Alice knows that her teacher is pregnant before her teacher knows herself.

I loved seeing how Alice learns to live with her gift. The book discusses everything from self-discovery to complicated family relationships, neglectful parents, and a love story. It looks like a challenging topic, but I enjoyed how it was executed within the story. The ending also was beautiful in that it speaks the summary of Alice’s life experiences through colors 🤌🏻

“I have had a life-long relationship with colours. Enduring them, accepting them, surrendering to them.”

Furthermore, I liked how the relationship between Alice and Lily progresses throughout the book, and I think it was handled brilliantly. For the love story, I felt the connection between Alice and Andy was a bit forced for one reason, but I am likely to understand that love and marriage are not perfect.

Overall, I loved this book and would highly recommend it. For me, it is a colorful and sensational story. Divided chapters by colors, and you'll immediately feel sorry when you come across the last chapter because you know the thing associated with it.

Many thanks, Times Reads, for the review copy ✨

[Sarah Oakey · Rating 5 out of 5]

I finished this 2 minutes ago and tears are still streaming down my face!! And I so rarely cry at books !!

Life has been so manic recently and I've been trying to get into a book on my Netgalley shelf but being a mood reader non were grabbing me..... Until 10am today when I picked up this gem 💎

Like Eleanor Oliphant and Sally Diamond our protagonist Alice Kelly is different. Im discovering I have a love for damaged female protagonists, whether it's down to nature or nurture I love these girls.... Or maybe it's because I have raised a daughter on the spectrum and I see a little bit of her in all these special protagonists...it makes me want to fight the world for them and champion them!

I'm not going to tell you the synopsis... ... I just read the first page and fell into Alice's world...with characters who are damaged and vile and also characters (Hugh 😍) who are knights in shining armour I fail to see how this story, rammed with heart and soul, cannot grab the emotional attention of anyone who reads it.
I admit it's not a light, jolly tale but the veins of hope that run through it as the story progresses makes it such a beautiful and unique read.

Thank you profusely to @harpercollins
@official_ceceliaahern and Netgalley for the ARC of this novel

❓Whats the last book that made you cry?

[Abril Camino · Rating 3 out of 5]

Me ha dejado muy fría en algunos sentidos, porque no me parece que haya acabado de explicarse del todo bien el asunto de la sinestesia y cómo influye en el estado de ánimo de la protagonista (y es tremendo que no quede claro, cuando repite determinadas reflexiones de forma continua). El ritmo tampoco ha acabado de convencerme, ya que al principio me ha parecido lentísimo y luego se acelera hasta el punto de que al final he echado en falta más páginas. El último tercio de la novela, sin duda, lo mejor, donde más se ve a la Cecelia que me enamoró en novelas anteriores. En general, ha sido una buena lectura, aunque en algunos momentos me haya frustrado.

Un apunte adicional: una nueva traducción muy deficiente de este sello, le hace falta una corrección de manera urgente. Es una pena que, con una nómina de autores tan interesante, acabe compensando siempre leerlos en inglés.

[Laura Claxton · Rating 1 out of 5]

The concept of this book was great, but the writing just didn't do it for me. I found characters were there as props rather than being believable, and the characters I liked (Naomi) were cast aside. In parts, it's overwritten and doesn't allow the reader to read between the lines. The ending was rushed and flimsy.
Parts of the story I liked, but they were far and few. I've read other Cecilia Ahern books in the past, but this one left me feeling flat.

[Myrthe · Rating 4 out of 5]

4,5!
Ik vond dit echt een heel mooi boek. Het heeft een ontzettend originele verhaallijn, die op de bekende thema's van romans ingaat (emotie, zelfontwikkeling, liefde, verbinding) maar op een hele vernieuwende manier. Daardoor bracht het mij echt nieuwe perspectieven om naar emoties te kijken. Daarnaast zijn de beschrijvingen van de kleuren (auras) die het hoofdpersonage Alice ziet echt prachtig, heel esthetisch beschreven waardoor je het bijna voor je ziet. Vooral Alice's moeilijke band met haar moeder Lily vond ik heel interessant en de beschrijvingen van emoties als kleuren gaven hierin echt een verdiepend begrip. Het einde brengt een soort metaperspectief op het leven dat naar corny neigde maar er net genoeg bij vandaan bleef om een mooie conclusie aan het verhaal te verbinden.

[Kim Carter · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5*

[Hanna · Rating 3 out of 5]

3,5 ⭐️

[Caoimhe Bassett · Rating 1 out of 5]

Read this on holiday as mum brought it with her and I'd finished my other book. It felt like a draft of a book? A fun idea but the idea itself was criminally underused because the main character had no personality and didn't ever do anything. I think this could have been a much more interesting story if the author didn't want to just write a full life story of the most boring woman alive.

Alice has multiple personality transplants throughout the book, and you wouldn't think that the Alice from the start is the same person as the Alice from the end. I don't mean that in a character development way. I mean that as an insult - shoddy writing from Ahern who i think is usually a lot better than this. I thought the ending felt like a self-congratulatory 'I'm such a good parent' and it felt a lot more like Ahern was thinking this rather than Alice.

Props to Ahern for attempting to include some diversity in the novel but a lot of the time it felt shoehorned in, like she hadn't really thought about it properly. I think if you're going to make a character a black footballer with Tourettes, race will come into it more. Other than one throwaway line to let the readers know that Gospel's dad is from Zimbabwe, his race is never mentioned - I think realistically that growing up black in Ireland has some effect on you. He worries about being different because of his Tourettes but not because he already stands out as a black person in Ireland?? It felt like diversity for the sake of diversity, and not fleshed out properly at all. Lazy writing, I think.

I also felt that a lot of the side characters got pushed aside and their plots were forgotten - despite being very prominent at the start, Hugh is completely cast aside in the middle and literally doesn't appear again. Her friend from school whose name I can't even remember is forgotten about as suddenly as she's brought up. Gospel felt like he was going to play a much more important role but then they forgot about him. Naomi as well just gets forgotten about. I wonder what the point of her meeting her dad was, because after that one scene, she never sees or hears from him ever again, only to then refer to him as 'my dear dad'. What?! My dear dad????!!!! you met him ONCE!! and then promptly forgot all about him!? This just feels like a terrible first draft. Sorry to repeat myself!

I think the real crime is that the blurb (and the ending) kind of just make out that this book is a romance. I was deeply uninterested in Andy and the romance plot, it was very rushed. This didn't have to be a full life story, from eight years old to death. It didn't need to span so many years. It felt to me like it should have been about her relationships with her family, healing her relationship with her mother, coming to some kind of acceptance about Ollie, even recognising that Hugh wasn't that good of a person or something! But it just all felt like a waste to make it all about her marriage with some man. The fact that that is in the blurb cheapens this book.

Nonetheless, she has a great writing style and I read the book within one sitting so take from that what you will.

[Kelly.M · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting read.

Emotional, beautiful and interesting.
I enjoyed this book and the journey it took me on. I love the idea that you can see people's colours to know how they're feeling, if they're a bad person.
I've not read anything like this before or by this author, I will be picking up another of her books.