Eggshells

Author: Caitriona Lally

Publisher: Melville House

Release Date: March 14, 2017

Rating: 3 Stars

Reviewer: Jessica Higgins

An interesting debut novel that explores loneliness even when you don’t know you’re lonely.

Vivian just doesn’t fit in. Never really has.  She now lives in a house that was willed to her by her late Great Aunt in Northern Dublin.  She was raised to believe that she was a changeling and could travel to other worlds, which she now attempts to access by walking around new neighborhoods and mapping them out, just in case.  She isn’t very close with her sister, also named Vivian, but tries all the same.  She is a society misfit.  One day she places an ad for a friend named Penelope just to find out why it doesn’t rhyme with antelope.  She takes adventures all the time even when those around her don’t understand what is going on.

This was a very different kind of book. I’m not really sure if Vivian has a bit of mental illness or just absolutely no understanding of society, even though she is in her twenties.  I can honestly say that I’ve never personally met anyone like her, but it would be interesting if I did.  I had the same reaction as the people around Vivian when she often opened her mouth because it was surprising what would come out.  Even so, it was still interesting to see where the story led.  It was literally just a snapshot in time of her life and didn’t really end.  It just didn’t continue even though we know that Vivian is out there somewhere on holiday with Penelope.

It was humorous at times and confusing at times. There was some pretty harsh language with some of the characters, but it was pretty believable based on their characters.  I recommend this book to mature audiences.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher. The views and opinions expressed within are my own.