Angel at No. 33

by Polly Williams

Product Description 'Am I dead? I don't feel dead...' Sophie cannot leave the people she loves. Her husband, Ollie - a man who once watered a houseplant for a year before realising it was plastic - is lost without her. Their son Freddie is so little. And her friend Jenny? There's something she desperately needs to know before it's too late. Some love stories never end. About the Author Polly Williams is married with three children and lives in London.

Genres: Chick Lit, Romance, Fiction, Contemporary, Adult Fiction, Ghosts, Ghost Stories

352 pages, Paperback

First published December 1, 2011

Reviews

[My Book Addiction and More MBA · Rating 4 out of 5]

AFTERWIFE by Polly Williams is an interesting British contemporary women's fiction. It is the sometimes, laugh out loud story of Sophie Brady,who is funny,devoted to the people in her life,beautiful,who just so happens to be dead following a tragic accident. And her heartbroken husband,Ollie,and her best friend,Jenny. When secrets surface concerning Sophie,Jenny,questions,do we really know the people we love after all? A funny,bittersweet story full of insight,second chances,loyalty,widowhood,raising a child after losing a parent,and love. A poignant story of love, loss,grief and loving again after a tragedy. The writer draws the reader into this story with her engaging characters, interesting and intriguing plot. Can the dead really communicate with the living? You have to read "Afterwife" to find out Ms. Williams take on this matter. A funny yet bittersweet,and heartwarming story of death,life,loss and love. An engaging story from beginning to end. Received for an honest review from the publisher. Details can be found at Berkley,the author's website,and My Book Addiction and More.

RATING: 4.5

HEAT RATING: Hot: Detailed sex scenes,profanity or graphic violence

REVIEWED BY: AprilR, My Book Addiction and More/My Book Addiction Reviews

[Betsy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh, how I loved this book, which did nothing to change my long-held opinion that British chick lit is far and away better than its American counterpart. This was my first Polly Williams book, but not my last.

[Shirley Revill · Rating 5 out of 5]

Made me laugh,made me cry. Loved this book. Recommended.

[Fefi · Rating 2 out of 5]

Storia un po' scontata, speravo più frizzantina,invece le amiche di Sophie mi hanno dato parecchio sui nervi più volte e poi lei è assolutamente inutile come spirito e non fa neppure ridere più di tanto,ma si limita ad osservare la vita di tutti i personaggi,risultantìdo anche un po' invadente.
Tra le righe si legge il consiglio di vivere la vita a fondo e lasciarsi meno segreti possibili dietro.

[Anne · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm a staunch defender of good chick lit - but I'm afraid I found this one pressed all the wrong buttons for me. Light hearted treatment of heavy subjects is all well and good, but the relentless jokiness of this one was really a step too far. Despite all the plaudits, this isn't a new and original idea - on a similar theme I thought "Diving Through Clouds" by Nicola Lindsay did it so much better. My real gripe was the overall tone of the book - wisecracks and wittiness - and the limpest of heroines in Jenny, who frankly needed a kick up the behind. I took an instant dislike to Sophie, who was more irritating as an observing presence than she was when alive. So The Times said "slickly written" - sorry, no. The funniest moments were generated by the Save Ollie yummy mummies, but I'm afraid that north of Watford I found them rather an alien species. Didn't like this one at all.

[Kelly · Rating 2 out of 5]

Hmm it was OK, but nothing special. I didn't find it funny, bittersweet or moving at all. My favourit bit was the last page and I was so glad when I finished it.
The story in itself was OK but it was so boring, and each chapter started on a different persons perspective but you didn't know who until you had started reading it and that was annoying.

[Junna · Rating 4 out of 5]

At first, the book was a heavy to read due to the thick Londonesque writing. The gloomy events didn't help. But then, once you sank into it, it was comforting like a character driven TV show from the 90s.

[Omaira · Rating 2 out of 5]

"No voy a culpar a la sinopsis, debí haber investigado esta historia y así no me hubiera llevado una decepción al descubrir que no me iba a emocionar como creía. Es una novela que me ha causado indiferencia y a la que no le he visto ni siquiera el lado cómico. El único objetivo parece ser que la protagonista se dé cuenta de cosas que para mí como lectora eran obvias desde el principio".

Reseña completa: http://entrelalecturayelcine.blogspot...

[Vanessa Mozes · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found this book while shifting shelves at my library job. The cover was appealing and the summary interesting, so I decided to give it a go. The story was enjoyable, witty, and moving. I loved the intricacies of Jenny and Sophie's friendship. Most of all, I appreciated how the characters had difficulties of dealing with grief when everyone else around them kept moving on with their lives.

The reason I'm giving this book 3 stars instead of 4 has to do with the ending. It wasn't a bad ending, or even unexpected, but it left me feeling as if something was missing. I hesitate to say more, but I really enjoyed the rest of the book.

[Cortney - Bookworm & Vine · Rating 3 out of 5]

Didn't love it... decent story, good characters, totally predictable.

[Karyl · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked this book up on a whim, and thought it would be a light and easy read after what I was plodding through for book club, which was Hilary Mantel's Wolf Hall. Hilariously, on page ten of this novel, Williams writes about Sophie's best friend Jenny: "She devours all the big, heavy books you're meant to read, rather than the fun ones. She actually finished Wolf Hall!" I admit that while I usually love the big, heavy books like Jenny does, I couldn't finish Wolf Hall, so she is clearly a better woman than I.

So Sophie, a wife and mother to a young son, is out with her best girlfriend Jenny and has a few too many drinks. On her way home, she is hit by a bus, and whammo, now she's dead. The raw grief of both Ollie, Sophie's husband, and Jenny were difficult for me to handle, as I have recently lost a very close friend, but it also felt very real. Williams does an excellent job of showing that what we think a relationship is, as outsiders looking in, is rarely the same as when you're on the inside. I enjoyed the way Williams used Sophie as a ghost of sorts, not solely haunting her loved ones, but also going out on wind-filled jaunts and holidays full of fresh air, so Sophie sometimes misses the most important action, even though she's a ghost. I liked the idea of our dearly departed not simply haunting us but enjoying being in a way they couldn't while they were alive.

It's clear that Ollie is pretty much useless without Sophie, and so her mumfriends band together with Jenny's help to take care of him and make sure that he and his son Freddie make it through this rough time. It was fun seeing how the cosmopolitan, virtually single Jenny got along with the young mothers that make up Sophie's group of friends in the suburbs. Of course, Ollie is the most handsome man any of these women know, and his newly single status, as well as their friend's death at such a young age, causes most of them to question what it is they're living for, and what they want out of life. Death has a way of doing that, especially when it's sudden and unexpected.

I wasn't at all surprised by the ending, but Williams does a great job in getting there. I was never bored, and the action always sped up and slowed down just when it was necessary.

Warning: This is a British book, written by a British author, so if you are unfamiliar with a lot of British slang, you might have a hard time with some of the dialogue. I'm an Anglophile, so I had no issues. I also agree with another reviewer who stated that British chick lit is far and away better than the American version. But then I always prefer the British version of things.

This would make an excellent beach read.

[Dana J. Moore · Rating 3 out of 5]

"So I get run over by a bus and I am wearing my worst knickers. Huge banana-yellow knickers."

With these hilarious first words, I was completely hooked to Polly Williams' ghosty romance novel Afterwife. I read it in two short sittings in the library two days in a row. That said, it's not a perfect book. Here's the review breakdown:

Writing Technique: ★★★★ I love Williams' way with words. I found her hilarious and emotional and addicting to read. Like a grittier Cecelia Ahern - she blends comedy and drama very well. And what made me read this book cover to cover in two sittings was the writing style. It was spot on for me (although beware of a lot strong language and sexual content).
Character Development: ★★1/2 Agh. This is where the book lacked for me. The richest character was of course the dead wife/ghost, Sophie. But she didn't change through the book. And while the blurb makes it sound like Sophie plays matchmaker for her husband, ( minor spoiler???? ) she actually doesn't contribute to the plot of the living characters at all. So I was puzzled in the end of the book as to the purpose of her character. Jenny and Ollie were the other protagonists, but they didn't change much either. Perhaps Ollie's perspective would have shown the most character growth as he is the widower who must cope with being without his wife and learn to move on etc. But we don't get a peek into his head. So :/
Plot/Story Development: ★★ While I looooved the language and style of the author, the actual plotting was subpar. The world is huge with possibilities at the prospect of a ghost wife setting up her living husband and best friend, and I think all the best opportunities were wasted. I strongly disagreed with most of Williams' writing choices here. The romance between Ollie and Jenny was weak. The Big Secret That You Wait Forever To Find Out wasn't that big of a deal. The Guy You Just Know Is The Absolute Worst really was the worst and there was no twist or anything, just the waiting for the other characters to catch up. I dunno, in the end, the plot was where I was really disappointed. Bottom line: it's a love story lite with a haunty undertones.
Message/Theme: ★★★ life, death, family, friendship, lies, betrayal, soulmates, urban v suburban lifestyles, grief, closure...you know, the usual.
Rating: R for sexual content and strong language.
Overall: ★★★1/2 I was addicted to this book because the writing was funny and intriguing. Sadly the plot was predictable and uninspiring. For a light, feel-good, escapist read, look no further.

[Cintya Larasinta · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ketika kematian mendadak merenggut nyawa seorang ibu muda yang meninggalkan seorang anak laki-laki yang manis dan seorang suami yang ganteng, maka saat itulah kisah ini dimulai. Walaupun telah meninggal, ternyata arwah Sophie tidak langsung pergi ke alam baka, melainkan bergentayangan di sekitar orang-orang dekatnya. Dia mengamati bagaimana kondisi orang-orang terdekatnya mengalami kedukaan mendalam dan bagaimana akhirnya kematiannya tersebut membuat segala hal yang terlihat sempurna itu berubah seketika.

Selain Ollie, suaminya yang mendadak menjadi incaran para ibu muda dan Freddie, anak laki-laki kesayangannya, orang yang paling merasa kehilangan Sophie adalah Jenny, sahabatnya sejak kuliah. Walaupun Sophie dan Jenny bertolak belakang dalam penampilan dan sifat, namun persahabatan yang mereka jalin sejak kuliah sangat kuat. ketika Jenny mengalami dilema karena tidak segera menikah dengan tunangannya.

Dalam kesedihannya itulah Jenny bertemu dengan sisi lain kehidupan Sophie: para tetangga Sophie yang gemar bergosip dan memuja kehidupan sempurna pasangan Sophie-Ollie. Namun tiada yang sempurna di dunia ini karena Jenny tanpa sengaja menemukan banyak rahasia di balik keceriaan Sophie yang cukup membuatnya terkejut.

Bersama dengan para tetangga Sophie, Jenny turut serta dalam Proyek Bantu Ollie untuk membantu pria itu melewati masa kelam sepeninggal Sophie. Namun semuanya tidak berjalan sebagaimana mestinya karena banyak intrik yang terjadi di kemudian hari terkait memperebutkan perhatian Ollie yang memang sejak lama telah menjadi idola para ibu muda di lingkungan sekitarnya.

Jenny sendiri kemudian berada di tengah kebimbangan setelah tunangannya mendadak melamarnya karena pria itu menuntutnya untuk menjauhi keluarga Sophie yang dianggapnya mengalihkan perhatian Jenny dari dirinya. Dalam kebimbangannya itulah, Jenny akhirnya menyadari apa yang sebenarnya dia inginkan dalam hidupnya yang selama ini terasa membosankan.

Pada paruh awal, penceritaan buku ini cenderung lambat dan membuat bosan hampir seketika akan menutup buku, namun di pertengahan cerita berjalan cukup cepat dengan memunculkan beberapa tokoh baru yang turut andil dalam pengembangan cerita. Arwah gentayangan Sophie sendiri tidak bisa berinteraksi langsung dengan orang-orang di sekitarnya sehingga keberadaannya hanya sebagai salah satu narator cerita yang turut memberikan gambaran apa yang sebenarnya terjadi selain dari sudut pandang Jenny.

[Rea Cobb · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had never read any books by Polly Williams until a lovely friend of my contacted me last week to say she had just finished a fantastic book and was going to send it to me, this book being The Angel at No33 by Polly Williams.


I have to be honest if I had looked at this book in the shop I would have picked it up as I love the cover the colours that are used are very easy on the eye, but I think if I had read the synopsis I don’t think I would have read this book as I have read a couple of books where the main character is dead and I just didn’t find them enjoyable. This was not the case with this book though.


We meet our main character Sophie just as she has been run over by a bus which sounds like a very morbid opening to a book but funny enough although Sophie has just died she manages to lighten the tone by making witty remarks so instantly I was gripped as I am one who enjoys a good bit of humour when it is least expected! Sophie cannot rest and watches over her loved ones and see them all cope in their own ways with losing a wife, mum and friend. We also get to see from the living side how each of the characters are dealing with their grief and we also start to get more of an insight to Sophie and Ollie’s relationship which it seems everyone was envious of.


I found that although there was very emotional situations in this book especially revolving around Sophie’s son who not only is deeply missing his mum but also is effected by his dad who is always so sad, there were also some great down to earth humour, especially involving the local mums who are going out of their way to help Ollie but who often ends up with a number of similar gifts!


Polly Williams has a beautiful writing style which manages to bring the emotions of each character out in the reader and it is a topic which is close to us all as we all would feel the same as Sophie wanting to know our loved ones were settled and safe before we can rest and I am sure most of us have all experienced a great loss and so can connect with Jenny, Ollie and Freddie.


This book is definitely worth picking up as it will bring out all kinds of emotions and it is a real page turner. Thank you to Kayla for sending me this book with you enthusiastic recommendation!

[Maya Panika · Rating 2 out of 5]

So, I guess this is chic lit. I’ve never read chic-lit before, not my sort of thing. I fell into this one by accident, thinking it was a paranormal fantasy.

Are there really people like this? Who talk like this, think like this, live lives like this? I suppose there must be, since there are so many books about them. They seem very alien to me, my life is not like this; my friends and I don’t have these conversations.

I found it very hard to warm to these spoiled, silly people and all those reference's – lists of designers I’ve never heard of, lists of shops and food and clothes and shoes (three solid pages of it at one point, which I skipped lightly over, like Fotherington Thomas). Do people really enjoy reading this stuff? I suppose they must, or such books as this would not exist. I suppose, in the way that SF gives you pages of technical information and steam punk waxes lyrical on the relative merits of steam-flanges and grommet-pumps, chic lit gives you the dresses and the labels. It’s just not interesting to me. Not my genre, not my kind of book.

Occasionally there’s a glimpse of something deeper, a moment of insight, a sense of something genuinely intriguing , when it seemed the plot might take an exciting tangent - but then we’re off again with page after page of shoes, and despite the hints and teasing, nothing original ever actually happens.

I suspect this is one of the least egregious examples of the genre; there was a plot at the heart of it, a quite intriguing one at times, that kept me reading to the end, but I disliked all the characters – particularly dead Sophie - there were no surprises and the obsession with designers, shoes and especially clothes (every character is introduced with reference to the clothes they wear) ultimately left me slightly queasy.

[Hobby · Rating 3 out of 5]

Books “RUMAH NO. 33”
Judul Asli : THE ANGEL AT NO. 33
Copyright © Polly Williams, 2011
Penerbit : Gramedia Pustaka Utama
Alih Bahasa : Barokah Ruziati
Editor : Primadona Angela
Cover by Fiona Franny
Cetakan I : Mei 2013 ; 472 hlm
Rate : 3 of 5

“Seberapa besar kau mencintaiku, dalam skala sepuluh?” tanya Ollie. “Sembilan setengah.” “Waktu kita baru bertemu nilainya sebelas.” “Itu sebelum kita berbagi kamar mandi.” “Jam berapa kau pulang, Cantik?” “Tidak sampai larut.” “Aku cinta kalian,” seru Sophie kepada Ollie dan Freddie.

Sophie Brady keluar dari rumah no. 33 pada tanggal 6 Januari untuk menghabiskan waktu bersama sahabatnya Jenny Vale, sebagaimana kebiasaan mereka selama 15 tahun terakhir. Perbedaannya, kali ini Sophie tidak akan kembali kepada keluarganya. Ia tewas ditabrak bus ketika berusaha memanggil taxi menjelang tengah malam setelah mabuk berat bersama Jenny. Sophie Brady yang lincah dan periang, ibu dan teman bermain Freddie – putranya yang paling disayanginya, istri dan kekasih hati Ollie, sahabat serta satu-satunya orang yang memahami Jenny, tewas di usia 35 tahun.

Kisah bergulir dengan menghadirkan kondisi keluarga serta kerabat yang ditinggalkan. Uniknya, sosok Sophie juga muncul dalm kisah ini, walau ia berwujud hantu yang mengikuti perkembangan kehidupan keluarga serta kenalannya. Tapi jangan berharap sebuah kisah ala ‘The Ghost’ karena hantu Sophie tidak dapat berkomunikasi dengan manusia, kecuali si kecil Freddie yang terkadang masih merasakan bahwa ibunya masih berada di dalam rumah, mendampingi dirinya (yang memang benar adanya).

more about this book, just check on my reviews at here :
( http://lemarihobbybuku.blogspot.com/2... )

[Christin Natalia · Rating 1 out of 5]

Buku ini gak ada bagus-bagusnya. Ceritanya datar dan hambar. Saya heran kenapa dari sekian banyak chick lit lain yang berpotensi lebih seru, kenapa justru yang tidak bermutu seperti ini yang diterjemahkan.

Premis ceritanya membuat saya tertarik karena saya sangat menyukai chick lit sejenis berjudul "Heaven Can Wait." Tapi ternyata oh ternyata, jauh sekali. Rasanya waktu dan uang saya terbuang percuma membeli lalu membaca buku sejelek ini.

Si tokoh utama, Sophie, yang berwujud hantu menjadi hantu tanpa jelas tujuannya apa. Konfliknya sendiri sebenarnya adalah konflik batin si sahabat Sophie, Jenny yang jatuh cinta kepada suami Sophie dan merasa mengkhianati Sophie jika dia menanggapi perasaannya tersebut. Namun penyampaiannya tidak ikut membawa emosi pembaca. Si dudanya sendiri sih tidak keberatan dan memang tertarik juga sama Jenny.

Lalu begitulah. Ceritanya gampang ditebak. Hantu Sophie tidak jelas apakah tetap menjadi hantu atau bagaimana. Yang jelas adalah novel ini amat sangat payah dan menurut saya tidak perlu disadur ke Bahasa Indonesia dan diterbitkan.

[Renee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Giggled, sobbed, giggled again. I loved the opening line - "So I get run over by a bus and I am wearing my worst knickers". This sets the tone for the whole book. A sad topic of somebody dying and how that impacts friends and family, with lots of humour thrown in.

British chick lit with likable characters I could relate to. Predictable plot, but I would have been unhappy if it had finished any other way.

Favourite word - periodphernalia, as in "There are no beauty products or periodphernalia in the bathroom cabinet"

[Randy Briggs · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wonderful, touching and funny.
Sophie is hit by a bus, but her spirit hangs around. Told in the alternating voices of Sophie and her best friend Jenny, this novel is about the ties of friendship and family.

[Katta · Rating 3 out of 5]

Gutes Buch, dass zum Ende hin, meiner Meinung nach, immer besser wurde
Auch wenn der Satzbau manchmal sehr verwirrend wahr xD

[Mistress Kaz · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved the concept of this novel. The premise: One of the main protagonists is his by a bus and killed at the very beginning, so much of the story is told from her point of view in the afterlife, which is a brave and bold step from the author.

The storyline, which flips between the now deceased Sophie and her best friend Jenny is a slow burning romance, which toys with the emotions like a cat would play wth a mouse. The beginning is quite poignant and then William's blend of dark comedy has your roaring! In one chapter, I had tears of sadness in my eyes but was bellowing with laughter at the darkly comic scenario that unfolded.

Often with chick lit, I can be quite disciplined and read a few chapters here and then but I found myself in a real state and desperate to for the plot to unravel. I felt genuine distress for the characters and found myself routing for them. The characterisation is done very well and the book offers an extremely interesting take on the afterlife.

Most importantly for me, the book features a strong female presence and Jenny is the glue that holds everything together. My preference when reading a novel is for a strong female heroine that does not need to be saved but is self reliant, independent and someone that others lean on. Williams has achieved this and written in a style that is humorous, moving and thoroughly entertaining.

With The Angel at No.33 as an aperitif, I would definitely be tempted to buy further books by Polly Williams. This would be a great holiday read or a good novel to keep you entertained on the Tube.

[Robert Bone · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book will always be special to me. After a year in my Masters where ultimately my mental health declined (though I didn't realise this until after), my first job gave me the most special gift - time. Time for myself. For the first time in forever, I could read fiction. And 'The Angel at No.33' was the fluff I decided upon to start...the book that now symbolises a new era of reading for FUN.

And this book, is fun! The constantly jammed in references to biscuit brands and children's TV shove this story in a reality slightly adjacent to your own, letting ourselves reflect on what secrets we keep, and the lengths we would go to help a friend (wacky friends? the better!). A few twists and turns warp their reality, and in true fluff style, unwrap shocks you just don't expect even when you're certain you know what's what. Nothing goes to plan. You see some of them breakdown and you completely understand. Others are vile...for no particular reason. This could certainly, be your own life. The ending should feel wrong, but equally its so right - this book is about friendship. What do you want to say to your best friend beyond the grave?

The shortest time it's ever taken me to read a book. A real page-turner. Oh I'm so happy to be back with fiction. 5/5

[James · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5
Easy reading, but I felt the premise could have been exploited more.
My main issue is that Sophie is the least effective ghost ever. The need for her to be ignorant of certain facts in order to retain her own shocked realisation at the end of the book means that she is never in the right place at the right time. All of the most important people in her life are in a room in her house discussing something key? You'd think she'd be there. Nope. Somewhere else random looking at something pointless.
She has so little impact on the story other than acting as a narrator to some parts and scaring a hamster that I don't really get what the point of her being there was aside from that.
She could have played a subtle matchmaker and had an interesting element of the story be about her influence on the living in some way. Just felt like a missed opportunity.

[Alexandra · Rating 3 out of 5]

La cover a cosa vi fa pensare? A una lettura leggera, no?
Infatti l'ho preso per quello, ma in realtà inizia con un avvenimento non proprio allegro.
Fortunatamente dopo si riprende, strappa qualche sorriso, sembra quasi di essere in una sit com.
Ci vuole però un'avvertenza, il libro è britannico in tutto e per tutto e, se non si ha dimistichezza con la lingua e gli slang britannici, alcuni dialoghi sembrano proprio campati in aria.

[Andreap · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved loved loved this book. If you are a chick lit fan you will really enjoy it. I love the authors writing style. Very easy to read and flowed nicely. I didn't find there were any lulls or dull moments. I was unsure how i would feel about the wife being portrayed as a 'ghost' in this book, and it so worked. A must read for chick lit lovers.

[Dora · Rating 2 out of 5]

4 chapters and I’m out! The best thing about this book is the cover and that’s what attracted me.

It started off quite promising and I settled down to read it over the weekend but it just wasn’t for me. I seldom give up on a book after just a few chapters but on this occasion I have.

Very disappointed.

[Kelly Burke · Rating 4 out of 5]

An unexpected, enjoyable easy read. When I started the book, I didn't expect to continue reading it, due to the living characters being observed and commented on by a spirit, which was very funny at times. But, I became more interested in the lives of the main characters.
Parts of the story were predictable, but nonetheless, enjoyable to read.

[Susan · Rating 1 out of 5]

I'm not a huge reader of chick lit so when I do dabble I normally hugely enjoy the change of pace and the easiness of the read. This book certainly was an easy read I'll give it that. What I didn't enjoy was the coupling up of the husband and the best friend of the dead wife, despite her providing her blessing to it. To me, when it was clear this is what was going to happen it became yicky.

[Renee]

This book brought to mind a British Hallmark movie.. with a ghost… if there were such a thing🤔. A quick lighthearted (even considering death of wife and mother) read. Sometimes that’s what we need right?

[Olivia Perman]

Qur’an: Chapter 43, Verse 60—
If we had so wished, We might have made angels out of some of you who would replace you on earth. It will be because of knowledge about the Hour. Do not puzzle over it and follow Me; this is a Straight Road.