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Carry You
For anyone who has loved, lost or found it hard to let go, CARRY YOU will make you laugh, cry and celebrate your best friends. Perfect for fans of Marian Keyes and Jo Jo Moyes.
Daisy has lost her mum to breast cancer. She’s at rock bottom and doesn’t think she’ll ever get back up again. Her best friend Abi has other ideas – she tells it like it is and she’s determined to make Daisy remember the person she used to be.
What Daisy doesn’t know is that, thanks to Abi, her life is about to take an unexpected turn, when she signs them up to do a charity walk. Added to which, someone is about to burst into Daisy’s world in a riot of colour reminding her that life can be full of surprises.
Daisy has lost her mum to breast cancer. She’s at rock bottom and doesn’t think she’ll ever get back up again. Her best friend Abi has other ideas – she tells it like it is and she’s determined to make Daisy remember the person she used to be.
What Daisy doesn’t know is that, thanks to Abi, her life is about to take an unexpected turn, when she signs them up to do a charity walk. Added to which, someone is about to burst into Daisy’s world in a riot of colour reminding her that life can be full of surprises.
483 pages, Paperback
First published April 24, 2014
11 people are currently reading
342 people want to read
About the author
Beth Thomas
4 books21 followersIt's been a few years, but I'm back at last and delighted to announce that my new book, Breakfast at Stephanie's, is about to be released, on Kindle and paperback.
Stephanie Harkness always wanted to be a magician, but instead is single at 50. Once the cliche that was her husband for 24 years has finally gone, Steph embarks on single life, determined to have some fun. After testing out online dating with disastrous results, Steph realises that single people who don't have smart phones have no good way of meeting people, so she makes a plan to help them connect.
This book is very close to my heart simply because I have set it in my home town of Folkestone, in Kent, so all the places and landmarks mentioned are real - ish. I adore Steph and her depressed dog Harry, and can't wait to hear what all you Goodreaders think of her!
Oh, and by the way, I'm not in Hooters magazine. But I quite like the fact that someone somewhere thought that I could be. :)
Stephanie Harkness always wanted to be a magician, but instead is single at 50. Once the cliche that was her husband for 24 years has finally gone, Steph embarks on single life, determined to have some fun. After testing out online dating with disastrous results, Steph realises that single people who don't have smart phones have no good way of meeting people, so she makes a plan to help them connect.
This book is very close to my heart simply because I have set it in my home town of Folkestone, in Kent, so all the places and landmarks mentioned are real - ish. I adore Steph and her depressed dog Harry, and can't wait to hear what all you Goodreaders think of her!
Oh, and by the way, I'm not in Hooters magazine. But I quite like the fact that someone somewhere thought that I could be. :)
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 56 reviews
April 19, 2014
3 Stars.
I can't say I was blown away by Carry You. This is a book, about Daisy, her thoughts, feelings, internal musings, internal monologues, actions, reactions and all the nuances in-between. Everything you are given comes via Daisy. It didn't help that I didn't really like her. That probably makes me sound a little callous considering she is still grieving the loss of her mother to Breast Cancer, and then her step-father ups and dies from Emphysema a couple of months after.
There is a message in this book, about living and making every day count, but for me it did get a little lost, in the general Daisy-Overload that is contained therein. You get a virtual run through of every Hugh Grant and Colin Firth film and TV series as the book progresses as well, which got a little boring.
I liked the concept of Daisy doing the Moonwalk through London, and the training that took place was quite comical in parts. The Facebook updates were quite funny at times too. But I also found them a little contradictory. If you are submerged in such a well of grief (as we are lead to believe she is), would you seriously be posting on Facebook at every available opportunity...
The second half was a little better, but all in all I felt it was all a bit overly long and repetitive. I did shed a few tears as the back story develops, and would have liked a more comprehensive epilogue just to tie everything up.
ARC provided via Netgalley in exchange for the above honest review.
I can't say I was blown away by Carry You. This is a book, about Daisy, her thoughts, feelings, internal musings, internal monologues, actions, reactions and all the nuances in-between. Everything you are given comes via Daisy. It didn't help that I didn't really like her. That probably makes me sound a little callous considering she is still grieving the loss of her mother to Breast Cancer, and then her step-father ups and dies from Emphysema a couple of months after.
There is a message in this book, about living and making every day count, but for me it did get a little lost, in the general Daisy-Overload that is contained therein. You get a virtual run through of every Hugh Grant and Colin Firth film and TV series as the book progresses as well, which got a little boring.
I liked the concept of Daisy doing the Moonwalk through London, and the training that took place was quite comical in parts. The Facebook updates were quite funny at times too. But I also found them a little contradictory. If you are submerged in such a well of grief (as we are lead to believe she is), would you seriously be posting on Facebook at every available opportunity...
The second half was a little better, but all in all I felt it was all a bit overly long and repetitive. I did shed a few tears as the back story develops, and would have liked a more comprehensive epilogue just to tie everything up.
ARC provided via Netgalley in exchange for the above honest review.
August 31, 2016
For me, a chick-lit book is meant to be a light-hearted read with a happy ending and that’s why I love them; I know exactly what I’m getting - a book that will lift my spirits. This book was one I was unsure about. I lost my Mum to cancer five years ago and while I’m past the grief-stricken part I still miss her so much at times that it hurts. Really, properly hurts. So I didn’t know if this book would really annoy me at its potential light-hearted look at grief and easy resolution. I was SO WRONG and am so glad that I ignored my own prejudice and started reading! This book has managed to portray grief in an honest and accurate way while somehow keeping it light enough that you don’t feel in any way bogged down by it. I could totally relate to Daisy and I felt all her pain, but I was willing her on. I wanted her to start feeling better. The book has happiness in it and light-heartedness, a best friend and love interests, but it’s so touching how Daisy’s mum is always mentioned and remembered right through the story. I adored this book, and I’m sure I’ll re-read it many, many times. I feel so uplifted by it. You know when the right book finds you at exactly the right time, well this is what happened here. Thank you Beth Thomas for this beautiful, heart-felt story; I hope it finds many, many readers.
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March 6, 2014
3 stars
Daisy is barely functioning following the death of her mother. Her best friend pulls her out of her slump and encourages her to do a charity walk.
I loved Daisy's sarcasm and sense of humour but I felt like her internal thoughts blabbled on a bit too much which made the book a bit slow moving. Also, I thought there was more interactions with her best friend than with Felix.
This book is more of a finding yourself and moving past a loss type story, romance played a very small part.
ARC provided by NetGalley
Daisy is barely functioning following the death of her mother. Her best friend pulls her out of her slump and encourages her to do a charity walk.
I loved Daisy's sarcasm and sense of humour but I felt like her internal thoughts blabbled on a bit too much which made the book a bit slow moving. Also, I thought there was more interactions with her best friend than with Felix.
This book is more of a finding yourself and moving past a loss type story, romance played a very small part.
ARC provided by NetGalley
April 28, 2014
Firstly, thank you to the publisher for accepting me and granting me an eBook copy of Carry You via Net Galley. I was so, so happy to receive an email informing me that Carry You was waiting on my dashboard. I won't lie, I fell in love with the cover instantly as it is absolutely gorgeous. After reading the blurb, I couldn't wait to get started.
The very first thing that I noticed once I had started reading Carry You was Beth's sense of humour. Oh my life. She had me in absolute stitches. There's a particular scene where Daisy is at the hairdressers that had me almost weeing with laughter and my partner was looking at me like I had lost my mind but I could just imagine the whole scene playing out in my head and each time I imagined it, it just got funnier and funnier. I had tears in my eyes, I was choking on my own breath and I didn't want it to ever end. Thankfully, it didn't. Beth's incredible sense of humour and style of writing continues the entire way through the story, leaving you breathless after countless laughing fits. I really could not get enough. I haven't laughed that much in ages, so my enjoyment meter whilst reading Carry You was smashing through the roof. It seems that Beth and I share a very, very similar sense of humour, and I truly cannot wait to read more books from this amazing lady, especially if they have me laughing like this one did. Completely out of this world!
Another thing that I adored about Carry You was Beth's characters. The leading lady was Daisy May Macintyre, also known as Daisy Duck. I cannot put into words how much I enjoyed being in Daisy's company. Not only does Beth begin Daisy's story by a reference to the fight scene in Bridget Jones's Diary, but Daisy also has a little bit of a fascination with Jaffa Cakes, and Hugh Grant. Dunking them in her cup of tea made me love her even more, if that was even possible, and that is definitely an idea that I'm looking forward to trying out with my own Jaffa Cakes and cuppa. Besides Daisy's adorable qualities, without her realising it, she is amazingly capable and strong. Her sarcasm, wit and miserable outlook on life did not deter me one bit. Even whilst she was moaning, it still seemed funny somehow, and I don't think I could ever tire of her ramblings that run through her mind constantly. Daisy has been through a really tough time, so as the reader you don't question her negative attitude and slumpiness, it's just how she is.
Another character that I loved and who made me smile constantly was Daisy's best-friend, Abi. This girl was freaking awesome. The love and bond between Abi and Daisy was just amazing and actually brought me to tears on more than one occassion. As Daisy is living with Abi throughout the story, you get to witness a lot of their banter, their playfulness with each other and their love. They hug, tell each other they love each other and Abi always has Daisy's back. Once the plot really gets going, I guess you could say that Abi whips her best-friend's arse into shape and gets her back on her feet. Their friendship plays a HUGE role in Carry You, and it is constantly highlighted throughout. They both made me laugh, made me cry and made me want to bang their heads together on a few occassions, but in all honestly, I think I've found my new favourite fictional best-friends. I would also say that Abi is a little bit of a control freak and Daisy calls her the queen of being organised. She's fit, she's attractive and she's not ready to see her best-friend fall to her knees. It was simply amazing. Really, it was.
Felix was another favourite of mine in Carry You. At first I kinda' wondered what his role was going to be within the story, and then I realised. I would describe Felix as being an absolute cutie. He was absolutely adorable with an incredible sense of humour. Kind, caring, and Daisy even described him as being exasperating sometimes. When Felix enters the story, he does rub Daisy up the wrong way, but I realised that this "rubbing up" was intentional, and not entirely innocent. His smart tongue and friendly attitude was just lovely, and something that never fails to capture my interest, and in this case, my heart. Any conversation that took place between Felix and Daisy ended up with Daisy becoming a little fiery and angry, but I realised that this was actually just what Daisy Duck needed.
Carry You was holding my heart in the palm of it's hands the entirety of my reading it. I cannot put into words my joy and enthusiasm for reading this story. It was exceptional. A PURE chick-lit story that had a million and one emotions running through me all at once. It had a beautifully written emotional undertone that left me feeling a little sad. Daisy's mum played a big role in the story without even physically being there, and that was just astounding. I was completely in love with Carry You. Beth even included the aspect of Facebook status's and had other characters commenting on it through the story. I'm a bit of an avid social media user myself and I LOVED this little add-on. It made it seem so much more real and life-like.
In all honesty, Carry You by Beth Thomas was absolutely incredible. I cannot rate and recommend it enough. To all lovers of chick-lit, romance and stories of coming back to life, this is a must-read. I really need you to add it to your to-read list and start it as soon as you possibly can. I finished Carry You with tears streaming down my face and a happy smile tugging at my lips. Seriously, it captured my heart and had it soaring within the very last pages.
Becca's Books is giving Carry You by Beth Thomas a rating of five glittering gold stars, and about a million more too. This is now one of my favourite reads ever and I'm dead excited to read Beth's next book. Her sense of humour is just freaking priceless, and her story writing... unbelievable.
The very first thing that I noticed once I had started reading Carry You was Beth's sense of humour. Oh my life. She had me in absolute stitches. There's a particular scene where Daisy is at the hairdressers that had me almost weeing with laughter and my partner was looking at me like I had lost my mind but I could just imagine the whole scene playing out in my head and each time I imagined it, it just got funnier and funnier. I had tears in my eyes, I was choking on my own breath and I didn't want it to ever end. Thankfully, it didn't. Beth's incredible sense of humour and style of writing continues the entire way through the story, leaving you breathless after countless laughing fits. I really could not get enough. I haven't laughed that much in ages, so my enjoyment meter whilst reading Carry You was smashing through the roof. It seems that Beth and I share a very, very similar sense of humour, and I truly cannot wait to read more books from this amazing lady, especially if they have me laughing like this one did. Completely out of this world!
Another thing that I adored about Carry You was Beth's characters. The leading lady was Daisy May Macintyre, also known as Daisy Duck. I cannot put into words how much I enjoyed being in Daisy's company. Not only does Beth begin Daisy's story by a reference to the fight scene in Bridget Jones's Diary, but Daisy also has a little bit of a fascination with Jaffa Cakes, and Hugh Grant. Dunking them in her cup of tea made me love her even more, if that was even possible, and that is definitely an idea that I'm looking forward to trying out with my own Jaffa Cakes and cuppa. Besides Daisy's adorable qualities, without her realising it, she is amazingly capable and strong. Her sarcasm, wit and miserable outlook on life did not deter me one bit. Even whilst she was moaning, it still seemed funny somehow, and I don't think I could ever tire of her ramblings that run through her mind constantly. Daisy has been through a really tough time, so as the reader you don't question her negative attitude and slumpiness, it's just how she is.
Another character that I loved and who made me smile constantly was Daisy's best-friend, Abi. This girl was freaking awesome. The love and bond between Abi and Daisy was just amazing and actually brought me to tears on more than one occassion. As Daisy is living with Abi throughout the story, you get to witness a lot of their banter, their playfulness with each other and their love. They hug, tell each other they love each other and Abi always has Daisy's back. Once the plot really gets going, I guess you could say that Abi whips her best-friend's arse into shape and gets her back on her feet. Their friendship plays a HUGE role in Carry You, and it is constantly highlighted throughout. They both made me laugh, made me cry and made me want to bang their heads together on a few occassions, but in all honestly, I think I've found my new favourite fictional best-friends. I would also say that Abi is a little bit of a control freak and Daisy calls her the queen of being organised. She's fit, she's attractive and she's not ready to see her best-friend fall to her knees. It was simply amazing. Really, it was.
Felix was another favourite of mine in Carry You. At first I kinda' wondered what his role was going to be within the story, and then I realised. I would describe Felix as being an absolute cutie. He was absolutely adorable with an incredible sense of humour. Kind, caring, and Daisy even described him as being exasperating sometimes. When Felix enters the story, he does rub Daisy up the wrong way, but I realised that this "rubbing up" was intentional, and not entirely innocent. His smart tongue and friendly attitude was just lovely, and something that never fails to capture my interest, and in this case, my heart. Any conversation that took place between Felix and Daisy ended up with Daisy becoming a little fiery and angry, but I realised that this was actually just what Daisy Duck needed.
Carry You was holding my heart in the palm of it's hands the entirety of my reading it. I cannot put into words my joy and enthusiasm for reading this story. It was exceptional. A PURE chick-lit story that had a million and one emotions running through me all at once. It had a beautifully written emotional undertone that left me feeling a little sad. Daisy's mum played a big role in the story without even physically being there, and that was just astounding. I was completely in love with Carry You. Beth even included the aspect of Facebook status's and had other characters commenting on it through the story. I'm a bit of an avid social media user myself and I LOVED this little add-on. It made it seem so much more real and life-like.
In all honesty, Carry You by Beth Thomas was absolutely incredible. I cannot rate and recommend it enough. To all lovers of chick-lit, romance and stories of coming back to life, this is a must-read. I really need you to add it to your to-read list and start it as soon as you possibly can. I finished Carry You with tears streaming down my face and a happy smile tugging at my lips. Seriously, it captured my heart and had it soaring within the very last pages.
Becca's Books is giving Carry You by Beth Thomas a rating of five glittering gold stars, and about a million more too. This is now one of my favourite reads ever and I'm dead excited to read Beth's next book. Her sense of humour is just freaking priceless, and her story writing... unbelievable.
April 23, 2014
Carry You is a debut novel by Beth Thomas and I am very happy to hear that she is working on her second book - the sooner the better! This book has hooked me from the very beginning and it was for sure one of the best reads this year.
The story is about Daisy who is deep in depression after her mother death of breast cancer. Daisy doesn't go to work, she doesn't get up from bed, she doesn't go out. She doesn't see how the time is passing by, only sitting in her living - room with closed curtains and watching her favourites films. She's not at all interested in facing the reality which - in fact - is not so friendly. Daisy has lost contact with her sister and with family of her late step - father who has died shortly after her mother. Reality that brings a lot of surprises, and disappointments.
But Daisy is lucky because she has Abby - her BFF - who tries as much as she can to bring her friend back to life. Abby decides to enter them both to do a Moonwalk - a night marathon in charity of breast cancer. To tell that Daisy is happy with this idea would be a big misunderstanding. Daisy only wants mourning. But nevertheless, after being forced to leave the house where she lived with her mother and her step - father and move with Abby and her boyfriend, there is nothing to do as to start to train for the Moonwalk and slowly emerge from the depths of depression. Yes, Abby can be very persuasive.
I loved Daisy. Just like this. Yes, she was very annoying. Yes, she often told lies. Well, yes, she was in some way lazy and felt probably comfortable in her dark room. There were moments that she was very irritating, especially when she always looked for excuse but nevertheless, it all felt very real. She was not perfect and that made her a wonderful and likeable person in my eyes. Her feelings, emotions and actions were just like feelings, emotions and actions of every one of us. She also hated confrontations and would do everything to avoid them - she reminded me so much of Becky Bloomwood, who I always thought was the champion in avoiding confrontations and putting things away for later, but Daisy could be her twin - sister. The way she was trying to avoid those bad news was also a kind of behaviour that, in my opinion, many of us adapt, just to avoid hearing things that we don't want to hear. Well, we're only human beings. Daisy is one, too.
Daisy's best friend Abby was, in my opinion, one of the best friends written in a book ever. She was like a guardian angel and I would do much to have such a friend: loyal, devoted, faithful, patient and taking so much care about Daisy, putting her own problems off to the background and concentrating on bringing her friend back to the world. Thanks to Abby, Daisy goes out of the house and starts training, and with Abby's little help she meets new people who should function as her training partners. Some of them do this, some run away.
It wouldn't be a chick - lit if we hadn't a little romance in the background. There were to candidates: Danny and Felix, and they were both like chalk and cheese, although both were in some ways interesting. I don't need to tell that Felix, with his dry sense of humour and his story totally stole my heart!
The book was mostly based on Daisy's internal thoughts but as she had a brilliant sense of humour and had distance to herself and surrounding world, it was a great read and almost a case study :) But Daisy is also developing throughout the story, maturing and stops being so childish and it was great to see the changes in her and her thinking.
I have missed a little more about the Moonwalk itself. The scenes when they were preparing for the start were brilliantly written and felt very realistic, the feelings and emotions of the contestants were popping out of the pages, and I would really like to read more about the walk. There are only few bits and pieces in form of very short conversations between Daisy and Abby, very funny conversations, but after reading so much about the preparations I would welcome more about the walk very much.
The story was full of feelings and emotions, truly I haven't read book with so many emotions for a long time. It's touching and also very inspiring and made me want to do something. Run a marathon perhaps. Or maybe only start to run at all, not mentioning this marathon yet. This is a very long book about preparing to do a Moonwalk, almost everything about the training but thanks to Daisy's internal conversations, almost verbosity, and the many problems and indecisions it was a very engaging read. The Facebook entries added fun and relaxed the plot and also made the storyline more modern. What's important, it felt very realistic and true. The author is for sure a fantastic observer of people and a better storyteller! This is a very long book, told actually from only Daisy's point of view, about her, her feelings, her experiences and it is about finding yourself afresh, finding alternative ways and coming to terms with disappointments and mourning, all written in a witty, warm, optimistic and uplifting way. Full of warmth, full of truth and about good things - that's for sure a read that you can't miss!
Copy received from publisher in exchange for a review.
The story is about Daisy who is deep in depression after her mother death of breast cancer. Daisy doesn't go to work, she doesn't get up from bed, she doesn't go out. She doesn't see how the time is passing by, only sitting in her living - room with closed curtains and watching her favourites films. She's not at all interested in facing the reality which - in fact - is not so friendly. Daisy has lost contact with her sister and with family of her late step - father who has died shortly after her mother. Reality that brings a lot of surprises, and disappointments.
But Daisy is lucky because she has Abby - her BFF - who tries as much as she can to bring her friend back to life. Abby decides to enter them both to do a Moonwalk - a night marathon in charity of breast cancer. To tell that Daisy is happy with this idea would be a big misunderstanding. Daisy only wants mourning. But nevertheless, after being forced to leave the house where she lived with her mother and her step - father and move with Abby and her boyfriend, there is nothing to do as to start to train for the Moonwalk and slowly emerge from the depths of depression. Yes, Abby can be very persuasive.
I loved Daisy. Just like this. Yes, she was very annoying. Yes, she often told lies. Well, yes, she was in some way lazy and felt probably comfortable in her dark room. There were moments that she was very irritating, especially when she always looked for excuse but nevertheless, it all felt very real. She was not perfect and that made her a wonderful and likeable person in my eyes. Her feelings, emotions and actions were just like feelings, emotions and actions of every one of us. She also hated confrontations and would do everything to avoid them - she reminded me so much of Becky Bloomwood, who I always thought was the champion in avoiding confrontations and putting things away for later, but Daisy could be her twin - sister. The way she was trying to avoid those bad news was also a kind of behaviour that, in my opinion, many of us adapt, just to avoid hearing things that we don't want to hear. Well, we're only human beings. Daisy is one, too.
Daisy's best friend Abby was, in my opinion, one of the best friends written in a book ever. She was like a guardian angel and I would do much to have such a friend: loyal, devoted, faithful, patient and taking so much care about Daisy, putting her own problems off to the background and concentrating on bringing her friend back to the world. Thanks to Abby, Daisy goes out of the house and starts training, and with Abby's little help she meets new people who should function as her training partners. Some of them do this, some run away.
It wouldn't be a chick - lit if we hadn't a little romance in the background. There were to candidates: Danny and Felix, and they were both like chalk and cheese, although both were in some ways interesting. I don't need to tell that Felix, with his dry sense of humour and his story totally stole my heart!
The book was mostly based on Daisy's internal thoughts but as she had a brilliant sense of humour and had distance to herself and surrounding world, it was a great read and almost a case study :) But Daisy is also developing throughout the story, maturing and stops being so childish and it was great to see the changes in her and her thinking.
I have missed a little more about the Moonwalk itself. The scenes when they were preparing for the start were brilliantly written and felt very realistic, the feelings and emotions of the contestants were popping out of the pages, and I would really like to read more about the walk. There are only few bits and pieces in form of very short conversations between Daisy and Abby, very funny conversations, but after reading so much about the preparations I would welcome more about the walk very much.
The story was full of feelings and emotions, truly I haven't read book with so many emotions for a long time. It's touching and also very inspiring and made me want to do something. Run a marathon perhaps. Or maybe only start to run at all, not mentioning this marathon yet. This is a very long book about preparing to do a Moonwalk, almost everything about the training but thanks to Daisy's internal conversations, almost verbosity, and the many problems and indecisions it was a very engaging read. The Facebook entries added fun and relaxed the plot and also made the storyline more modern. What's important, it felt very realistic and true. The author is for sure a fantastic observer of people and a better storyteller! This is a very long book, told actually from only Daisy's point of view, about her, her feelings, her experiences and it is about finding yourself afresh, finding alternative ways and coming to terms with disappointments and mourning, all written in a witty, warm, optimistic and uplifting way. Full of warmth, full of truth and about good things - that's for sure a read that you can't miss!
Copy received from publisher in exchange for a review.
April 28, 2014
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I don't give negative reviews lightly, but despite my best efforts I couldn't find many redeeming qualities within this novel. I usually love books published by Avon and they tend to find exactly the kind of novels I enjoy reading and the stunning cover of Carry You combined with the breast cancer storyline made this sound like another one right up my alley. Unfortunately I shouldn't have judged this book by its cover.
It went wrong as soon as we were introduced to main character Daisy, who was extremely annoying throughout with her selfish attitude. While I certainly understand and feel sympathetic towards what she has been through (in fact it's extremely close to my own heart), her actions were contradictory and were more resembling that of a whimsical teenager than that of a grown women going through a difficult period in her life. The endless amount of Facebook postings, degrading the English language into unintelligible netspeak and smiley faces (something that already annoys me greatly in real life and I certainly don't need reminding of in a novel) didn't help.
Add to that the fact that the part of her past hanging as a guilt cloud over her life didn't add up (it was taken hugely out of proportion and while I can see why she felt this way it did not explain the actions of her stepfather and siblings) and the whole reason for her behaviour didn't ring true at all. This led to a very unsatisfying (almost vindictive) ending, which didn't make sense in the bigger picture. And for all the talk of walking the MoonWalk in favour of breast cancer research, not once is fundraising mentioned. How is just walking a walk supposed to help?
One of the other major gripes I have with the novel is the extremely poor research. For example (the following takes place over the span of a handful of pages), the main protagonist is remembering something that happened in her life about 13 years before: She watched the movies Up and The Hills Have Eyes on a plane journey (these films weren't released until 2009 and 2006 respectively), she sat next to a woman playing Candy Crush Saga on a laptop (not released until 2012, plus I'm fairly certain all electronic devices needed to be turned off in planes 13 years ago) and when she visited New York she went to the 9/11 memorial (the attacks didn't happen until 2001 and the memorial opened to the public in 2011). These mistakes so closely following one another took me completely out of the story and after that I could no longer get back into it.
There were some positives to the novel, in particular the character of Felix who, while only present briefly, felt more real and developed than Daisy. Unfortunately the negatives far outweighed the positives and while I find it difficult to harshly criticise an author's work when she's spent months and months writing her novel and pouring her heart and soul into it, despite my best efforts to find redeeming qualities within the story there were too many issues for it to be deserving of any more than two stars.
Please note: The mistakes I chose as examples above have been corrected in the final version of Carry You (as rightfully so mentioned by the author in the comments below). Unfortunately this doesn't change my opinion of the novel as a whole as I still feel too strongly about the aggravating selfish tendencies of Daisy, the excessive yet unnecessary additions of Facebook postings and the overall focus of the story.
I don't give negative reviews lightly, but despite my best efforts I couldn't find many redeeming qualities within this novel. I usually love books published by Avon and they tend to find exactly the kind of novels I enjoy reading and the stunning cover of Carry You combined with the breast cancer storyline made this sound like another one right up my alley. Unfortunately I shouldn't have judged this book by its cover.
It went wrong as soon as we were introduced to main character Daisy, who was extremely annoying throughout with her selfish attitude. While I certainly understand and feel sympathetic towards what she has been through (in fact it's extremely close to my own heart), her actions were contradictory and were more resembling that of a whimsical teenager than that of a grown women going through a difficult period in her life. The endless amount of Facebook postings, degrading the English language into unintelligible netspeak and smiley faces (something that already annoys me greatly in real life and I certainly don't need reminding of in a novel) didn't help.
Add to that the fact that the part of her past hanging as a guilt cloud over her life didn't add up (it was taken hugely out of proportion and while I can see why she felt this way it did not explain the actions of her stepfather and siblings) and the whole reason for her behaviour didn't ring true at all. This led to a very unsatisfying (almost vindictive) ending, which didn't make sense in the bigger picture. And for all the talk of walking the MoonWalk in favour of breast cancer research, not once is fundraising mentioned. How is just walking a walk supposed to help?
One of the other major gripes I have with the novel is the extremely poor research. For example (the following takes place over the span of a handful of pages), the main protagonist is remembering something that happened in her life about 13 years before: She watched the movies Up and The Hills Have Eyes on a plane journey (these films weren't released until 2009 and 2006 respectively), she sat next to a woman playing Candy Crush Saga on a laptop (not released until 2012, plus I'm fairly certain all electronic devices needed to be turned off in planes 13 years ago) and when she visited New York she went to the 9/11 memorial (the attacks didn't happen until 2001 and the memorial opened to the public in 2011). These mistakes so closely following one another took me completely out of the story and after that I could no longer get back into it.
There were some positives to the novel, in particular the character of Felix who, while only present briefly, felt more real and developed than Daisy. Unfortunately the negatives far outweighed the positives and while I find it difficult to harshly criticise an author's work when she's spent months and months writing her novel and pouring her heart and soul into it, despite my best efforts to find redeeming qualities within the story there were too many issues for it to be deserving of any more than two stars.
Please note: The mistakes I chose as examples above have been corrected in the final version of Carry You (as rightfully so mentioned by the author in the comments below). Unfortunately this doesn't change my opinion of the novel as a whole as I still feel too strongly about the aggravating selfish tendencies of Daisy, the excessive yet unnecessary additions of Facebook postings and the overall focus of the story.
April 23, 2014
Review: this book was quite different to anything I've ever read. There was something about the voice and the storyline that was entirely unique which is such a gem to find considering the amount of books that I read in this genre! The storyline was really really lovely because it all surrounded raising money for breast cancer and breast cancer awareness and raising awareness and dealing with mental health, something which again, is not dealt with that often in other books. Although the book deals with these thought subjects, it still manages to be light hearted and a lovely read and yet the subjects are dealt with in a sensitive way and covered comprehensively!
The other major storyline here is one of friendships and the two friends in question are easy characters I get to know and to relate to, the reason for this being that the each have flaws. Daisy is dealing with depression and has to suddenly move in with best friend Abbey. She comes across as a fairly selfish character and also someone who is unaware when they are hurting other people around her. However, watching her grow and get her life back on track in this novel was really really special. I really liked her by the end of the novel, even if I didn't agree with some of the choices she had made. Abbey made some choices that I wasn't so sure about either but as a best friend, she is truly awesome. She supports Daisy without question and gives her space and her time freely, something which is such an endearing quality! I loved he ending that both of these characters got, even though they might not be what you would expect from the beginning of the book!
Ther IS a love story in this novel but it is such a slow burn and such sweet beginning that's you will literally find yourself squealing out loud when it finally surfaces. Of course other relationships are dealt with as you would expect from this genre but the little love story that runs underneath everything else is just delicious. The pace of this book is definitely slower than you might expect and that for me was really the only thing that stopped it from being a five star read. It didn't stop me from reading it in 2 days however which considering its substantial size, is pretty impressive. This is definitely something to read this summer and something which will definitely take a good look at your best friends with a renewed sense of appreciation!
The other major storyline here is one of friendships and the two friends in question are easy characters I get to know and to relate to, the reason for this being that the each have flaws. Daisy is dealing with depression and has to suddenly move in with best friend Abbey. She comes across as a fairly selfish character and also someone who is unaware when they are hurting other people around her. However, watching her grow and get her life back on track in this novel was really really special. I really liked her by the end of the novel, even if I didn't agree with some of the choices she had made. Abbey made some choices that I wasn't so sure about either but as a best friend, she is truly awesome. She supports Daisy without question and gives her space and her time freely, something which is such an endearing quality! I loved he ending that both of these characters got, even though they might not be what you would expect from the beginning of the book!
Ther IS a love story in this novel but it is such a slow burn and such sweet beginning that's you will literally find yourself squealing out loud when it finally surfaces. Of course other relationships are dealt with as you would expect from this genre but the little love story that runs underneath everything else is just delicious. The pace of this book is definitely slower than you might expect and that for me was really the only thing that stopped it from being a five star read. It didn't stop me from reading it in 2 days however which considering its substantial size, is pretty impressive. This is definitely something to read this summer and something which will definitely take a good look at your best friends with a renewed sense of appreciation!
June 27, 2024
Όταν ακούς για θρήνο και απώλεια έχεις στο μυαλό σου κάτι πολύ οδυνηρό,σκοτεινό,δραματικό. Όλα είναι στα άκρα. Δεν υπάρχει ίχνος ελπίδας ή οτιδήποτε θετικό τέλος πάντων. Παρόλα αυτά,σε αυτό το βιβλίο ο θρήνος ήταν τόσο έντονος μέσα από μια πολύ απλή αλλά όμορφη ιστορία.
Η Daisy δεν έχασε μόνο την μαμά της,έχασε τον εαυτό της.
Βρίσκεται σε ένα στάδιο όπου δεν ζει,απλώς επιβιώνει με διάφορους μηχανισμούς αντιμετώπισης,μέχρι να χρειαστεί να «ξυπνήσει» από αυτόν τον λήθαργο για έναν καλο σκοπό που σίγουρα δεν μπορεί να αρνηθεί.
Έχοντας ως φύλακα άγγελο της την κολλητη της φίλη Abby,μαθαίνει πάλι βήμα βήμα να στέκεται στα πόδια της,να παίρνει αποφάσεις,να καταφέρνει πράγματα και να βρίσκει όχι τόσο τον παλιό της εαυτό,όσο έναν ανανεωμένο,πολύ πιο δυνατό εαυτό. Παρά τα όσα πέρασε,τον πόνο,την προδοσία και την απογοήτευση,δεν έχασε την πραότητα της και βγήκε μέσα από όλο αυτό. Δεν την κατάπιε η τρύπα της απώλειας,αλλά την ώθησε προς τα εξω,προς έναν τελείως νέο και διαφορετικό κόσμο που είχε ξεχάσει πως υπάρχει.
Πέρα,λοιπον,από το θετικό μήνυμα και την ενίσχυση που σου περνάει αυτή η ιστορία,δεν μπορώ να μην σχολιάσω ποσο καλογραμμένοι είναι οι χαρακτήρες και κυρίως η Daisy μας. Σπάνια συναντάς έναν τόσο καλογραμμένο και ρεαλιστικό χαρακτήρα. Ήταν τόσο ανθρώπινη. Μουτρωνα με την συμπεριφορά της. Μετά την συμπονούσα και ευχόμουν να μπορούσα να την αγκαλιάσω. Μετά πάλι ήθελα να της κάτσω φάπα για να σταματήσει να λέει αυτά που λέει. Μέσα από όλα τα σκαμπανεβάσματα,βλεπουμε μια πολύ ανθρώπινη ηρωίδα που ζει μια πολύ κοινή(δυστυχώς)και ανθρώπινη ιστορία. Έχω μόνο αγάπη γι’αυτη την ιστορία και για τις δυο υπέροχες ηρωίδες :’)
Η Daisy δεν έχασε μόνο την μαμά της,έχασε τον εαυτό της.
Βρίσκεται σε ένα στάδιο όπου δεν ζει,απλώς επιβιώνει με διάφορους μηχανισμούς αντιμετώπισης,μέχρι να χρειαστεί να «ξυπνήσει» από αυτόν τον λήθαργο για έναν καλο σκοπό που σίγουρα δεν μπορεί να αρνηθεί.
Έχοντας ως φύλακα άγγελο της την κολλητη της φίλη Abby,μαθαίνει πάλι βήμα βήμα να στέκεται στα πόδια της,να παίρνει αποφάσεις,να καταφέρνει πράγματα και να βρίσκει όχι τόσο τον παλιό της εαυτό,όσο έναν ανανεωμένο,πολύ πιο δυνατό εαυτό. Παρά τα όσα πέρασε,τον πόνο,την προδοσία και την απογοήτευση,δεν έχασε την πραότητα της και βγήκε μέσα από όλο αυτό. Δεν την κατάπιε η τρύπα της απώλειας,αλλά την ώθησε προς τα εξω,προς έναν τελείως νέο και διαφορετικό κόσμο που είχε ξεχάσει πως υπάρχει.
Πέρα,λοιπον,από το θετικό μήνυμα και την ενίσχυση που σου περνάει αυτή η ιστορία,δεν μπορώ να μην σχολιάσω ποσο καλογραμμένοι είναι οι χαρακτήρες και κυρίως η Daisy μας. Σπάνια συναντάς έναν τόσο καλογραμμένο και ρεαλιστικό χαρακτήρα. Ήταν τόσο ανθρώπινη. Μουτρωνα με την συμπεριφορά της. Μετά την συμπονούσα και ευχόμουν να μπορούσα να την αγκαλιάσω. Μετά πάλι ήθελα να της κάτσω φάπα για να σταματήσει να λέει αυτά που λέει. Μέσα από όλα τα σκαμπανεβάσματα,βλεπουμε μια πολύ ανθρώπινη ηρωίδα που ζει μια πολύ κοινή(δυστυχώς)και ανθρώπινη ιστορία. Έχω μόνο αγάπη γι’αυτη την ιστορία και για τις δυο υπέροχες ηρωίδες :’)
October 11, 2021
This has been on my tbr pile for ages. I’m not sure why I didn’t read it when I brought it as my tbr pile would have been way smaller than it is now. Anyway the story was sad but uplifting at the same time. It’s about loss but also about true friendship. I found myself chuckling along at parts but also felt sad in other parts. I will definitely look out for other books by this author.
July 30, 2019
Found the main character self-centred and ungrateful to the one person who cared for her. Also felt the time line was disjointed and sometimes confusing. Think it would have been better if some parts were cut out which I felt didn't add to the story.
May 17, 2017
This book is kind of motivation. The concept is really easy to understand.
I just really love to read kind of like relationship of true friends.
I just really love to read kind of like relationship of true friends.
August 24, 2018
Not for me, silly girly crap
July 30, 2019
Bit slow in parts but not a bad read.
April 9, 2020
Felt like a drag,
It would be great to know what happens to Naomi and more about Felix too.
It would be great to know what happens to Naomi and more about Felix too.
August 13, 2021
This is for you mum. A light hearted book with a message of moving on and gathering yourself after a great loss. It teaches us to not overthink stuff and not blame ourselves for everything that happens. Its about friendship and family.
August 28, 2023
Wow! All the emotions, I cried, laughed. Questioned people's thoughts. I needed to know what happened. I needed it to not end.......is there a 2nd?!
March 9, 2025
2nd time of reading... still as enjoyable.
August 4, 2025
I really couldn't warm to the main character. Was a struggle to finish
August 11, 2016
As soon as I heard about Beth Thomas’s debut novel Carry You, I knew I wanted to read it. I thought it sounded like a pretty amazing book, and I couldn’t wait to see if it lived up to my expectations. It’s quite a chunky book, over 450 pages which seems to be a rarity these days for books to exceed 350 or 400 pages, so I knew I would be settling down with quite a time consuming novel, but after reading the first page, that didn’t bother me at all because I was hooked from the beginning. I managed to complete it in a day, which is no mean feat, but really I just wanted to see if Daisy managed to pick herself up again, if she managed to complete the Moonwalk and if her awful siblings managed to get their come-uppance!
Carry You is rather like no novel I’ve read before, or at least not any novels that I can bring to mind. It’s a rather bizarre mix of heavy and light and I really wouldn’t know where to place it if I was recommending it to someone, because it sort of straddles the line between fun and serious. What Daisy’s going through is awful, having just lost her mum, she’s not working, she’s got nowhere to live after her mother’s house was sold, and she’s also lost her step-dad Graham, and her sister isn’t talking to her, either. Of all the bad things that could happen to you, ever, Daisy rathers got them all at once, but she’s got her best friend Abby on hand to not let her sink into a deep, dark depression and Abby’s got the perfect idea – she and Daisy will to the Moonwalk, a 26 mile walk around London for a breast cancer charity. Daisy cannot say no – it’s what she lost her Mum to, after all, and Abby presents Daisy with a plan to help her train for her walk (because, apparently walking 26 miles consitutes some training – especially if you’re going to do it in sub 9 hours). But can Daisy drag herself out of her funk long enough to walk 26 miles?
If you’re looking for a fast-paced read, Carry You isn’t in. It’s a very slow-going book, spanning a month or so in total, and we hear a lot (A LOT) about Daisy’s walking training. But if you want a novel about how AWESOME your friends can be, and how one best friend really can make the difference this is the novel for you, because if you EVER are in need of a best friend, Abby would be the one I would recommend you call. Many people would have given up on Daisy – she’s sad, she spends ALL DAY EVERY DAY eating Jaffa Cakes and watching Hugh Grant films, and she’s just got nothing going for her. She’s not the most inspiring heroine I’ve ever met, but I can totally understand because if I lost a parent, I too would be devastated and would spend every day eating Jaffa Cakes (if I liked Jaffa Cakes). But Abby lights up the book! She’s forceful, she won’t just let Daisy rot and I loved her for that because their friendship was just so real, so fun, so warm. And with Abby pushing her, Daisy did begin to finally come back to life, like a flower that has gone into hibernation for winter but is starting to stretch it’s petals at the first ray of sunshine. Abby was that sunshine. There aren’t many other characters in the novel, but it wasn’t to its detriment because Abby and Daisy only needed each other.
Of course, there are others characters in the book – Felix, in particular was a highlight. I sort of agreed with Abby – he pushed Daisy, and angered her and brought a bit of spark back to her and that was lovely. I absolutely loved their banter, Felix just didn’t seem to say ANYTHING that was too serious or heavy and was quick off the mark with a joke or a witty line and he really lifted the mood and I adored his and Daisy’s walks. I lived for them, in fact. I didn’t find much wrong with the book, though I did feel it was super wordy, Daisy sometimes struggled to stay in the present and her inner monologues could be quite long, but I enjoyed her narrative voice. I very much enjoyed the book. Daisy was a very sympathetic character (and whenever I was wavering about giving her a shock, Abby generally did it for me which set Daisy right) and I loved Abby. Abby should really have her own book, for being so awesome. Carry You is a very sweet read, and one that also managed to make me laugh quite a few times whilst still retaining a serious edge! I very much enjoyed it.
Carry You is rather like no novel I’ve read before, or at least not any novels that I can bring to mind. It’s a rather bizarre mix of heavy and light and I really wouldn’t know where to place it if I was recommending it to someone, because it sort of straddles the line between fun and serious. What Daisy’s going through is awful, having just lost her mum, she’s not working, she’s got nowhere to live after her mother’s house was sold, and she’s also lost her step-dad Graham, and her sister isn’t talking to her, either. Of all the bad things that could happen to you, ever, Daisy rathers got them all at once, but she’s got her best friend Abby on hand to not let her sink into a deep, dark depression and Abby’s got the perfect idea – she and Daisy will to the Moonwalk, a 26 mile walk around London for a breast cancer charity. Daisy cannot say no – it’s what she lost her Mum to, after all, and Abby presents Daisy with a plan to help her train for her walk (because, apparently walking 26 miles consitutes some training – especially if you’re going to do it in sub 9 hours). But can Daisy drag herself out of her funk long enough to walk 26 miles?
If you’re looking for a fast-paced read, Carry You isn’t in. It’s a very slow-going book, spanning a month or so in total, and we hear a lot (A LOT) about Daisy’s walking training. But if you want a novel about how AWESOME your friends can be, and how one best friend really can make the difference this is the novel for you, because if you EVER are in need of a best friend, Abby would be the one I would recommend you call. Many people would have given up on Daisy – she’s sad, she spends ALL DAY EVERY DAY eating Jaffa Cakes and watching Hugh Grant films, and she’s just got nothing going for her. She’s not the most inspiring heroine I’ve ever met, but I can totally understand because if I lost a parent, I too would be devastated and would spend every day eating Jaffa Cakes (if I liked Jaffa Cakes). But Abby lights up the book! She’s forceful, she won’t just let Daisy rot and I loved her for that because their friendship was just so real, so fun, so warm. And with Abby pushing her, Daisy did begin to finally come back to life, like a flower that has gone into hibernation for winter but is starting to stretch it’s petals at the first ray of sunshine. Abby was that sunshine. There aren’t many other characters in the novel, but it wasn’t to its detriment because Abby and Daisy only needed each other.
Of course, there are others characters in the book – Felix, in particular was a highlight. I sort of agreed with Abby – he pushed Daisy, and angered her and brought a bit of spark back to her and that was lovely. I absolutely loved their banter, Felix just didn’t seem to say ANYTHING that was too serious or heavy and was quick off the mark with a joke or a witty line and he really lifted the mood and I adored his and Daisy’s walks. I lived for them, in fact. I didn’t find much wrong with the book, though I did feel it was super wordy, Daisy sometimes struggled to stay in the present and her inner monologues could be quite long, but I enjoyed her narrative voice. I very much enjoyed the book. Daisy was a very sympathetic character (and whenever I was wavering about giving her a shock, Abby generally did it for me which set Daisy right) and I loved Abby. Abby should really have her own book, for being so awesome. Carry You is a very sweet read, and one that also managed to make me laugh quite a few times whilst still retaining a serious edge! I very much enjoyed it.
July 6, 2014
Originally posted on Dreaming With Open Eyes
I kindly received Carry You in exchange of an honest review by the publisher via Netgalley.
Carry You by Beth Thomas was a book I have never expected to be approved to, so I was even happier when I received the mail Avon allowed my to access the title.
In Beth Thomas's debut novel we follow Daisy May Macintyre's story. With 28 years of age, Daisy has gone through a lot in her life. She falls in a deep hole of depressions after her mother died of breast cancer. Time passes and she doesen't even notice it. For many months she insolates herself from the real world. Spending days hididing in her living room, stuffing her face with jaffa cakes and watching her favourite movies. To make things worse, she lost contact to her sister and step fahther, who passed away shortly after her mothers dead. Life will never be the same. Daisy thought she will never get back to her old self. Thanks god, there is Abby, her wonderful best friend. To get Daisys life back on track, she signed the two of them up to the Moonwalk, a walk round London at midnight to raise money for charity. Will she have the strength to focus on her life again? Find a job, a flat, train for the marathon and maybe to fall in love too?
The book started really slow for me. It took me nearly half of the book to get into it. I was very close to put it down for good. I'm glad I didn't. I started to enjoy the story when Felix stepped into Daisys life. Things finally started to pick up in pace and ended up quite an enjoyable read.
I felt for Daisy and the horrible things she had been through. I know how it feels to loose a close family member, so I could relate to her in that part. For the rest of the story, I found myself struggling to sympathise with her. She annoyed me and I found her quite selfish at times too. I loved Daisy's obession with Hugh Grant and his films. Made me giggle quite a few times. I don't have a heart of stone but the story has not touched me. The author just couldn't transport the emotions the characters were feeling to me.
I enjoyed the Facebook comments starting with each chapter, they were quite funny at times too.
Abby and Felix are the highlight of the book. Two wonderfully developed characters. As you already know, Abby is Daisy's best friend. Everyone should have a person like Abby in her life. Abby can be describe as Daisy's lifesaver. Without her help she would have never got out of her hole. Their friendship bond is very strong. They both care so much for each other. That's what I really liked about their friendship. Abby is funny, caring and just the best friend everyone wishes for.
Abby organizes a walking partner for Daisy because of her full time job she can't walk with her every single day. It wouldn't be a chick-lit book if there is no romance inside. There is the point when Felix is turning up. I loved him right away. He made me smile so often. and has an icredible sense of humour. Just the things you are looking for in a great man. Both of the secondary characters got their own mini-plot which I enjoyed reading about.
Beth Thomas has managed to give the novel her own personal touch with her writing style. This is a good debut novel and I’m curious to discover what else the author has in store for us in the future.
I kindly received Carry You in exchange of an honest review by the publisher via Netgalley.
Carry You by Beth Thomas was a book I have never expected to be approved to, so I was even happier when I received the mail Avon allowed my to access the title.
In Beth Thomas's debut novel we follow Daisy May Macintyre's story. With 28 years of age, Daisy has gone through a lot in her life. She falls in a deep hole of depressions after her mother died of breast cancer. Time passes and she doesen't even notice it. For many months she insolates herself from the real world. Spending days hididing in her living room, stuffing her face with jaffa cakes and watching her favourite movies. To make things worse, she lost contact to her sister and step fahther, who passed away shortly after her mothers dead. Life will never be the same. Daisy thought she will never get back to her old self. Thanks god, there is Abby, her wonderful best friend. To get Daisys life back on track, she signed the two of them up to the Moonwalk, a walk round London at midnight to raise money for charity. Will she have the strength to focus on her life again? Find a job, a flat, train for the marathon and maybe to fall in love too?
The book started really slow for me. It took me nearly half of the book to get into it. I was very close to put it down for good. I'm glad I didn't. I started to enjoy the story when Felix stepped into Daisys life. Things finally started to pick up in pace and ended up quite an enjoyable read.
I felt for Daisy and the horrible things she had been through. I know how it feels to loose a close family member, so I could relate to her in that part. For the rest of the story, I found myself struggling to sympathise with her. She annoyed me and I found her quite selfish at times too. I loved Daisy's obession with Hugh Grant and his films. Made me giggle quite a few times. I don't have a heart of stone but the story has not touched me. The author just couldn't transport the emotions the characters were feeling to me.
I enjoyed the Facebook comments starting with each chapter, they were quite funny at times too.
Abby and Felix are the highlight of the book. Two wonderfully developed characters. As you already know, Abby is Daisy's best friend. Everyone should have a person like Abby in her life. Abby can be describe as Daisy's lifesaver. Without her help she would have never got out of her hole. Their friendship bond is very strong. They both care so much for each other. That's what I really liked about their friendship. Abby is funny, caring and just the best friend everyone wishes for.
Abby organizes a walking partner for Daisy because of her full time job she can't walk with her every single day. It wouldn't be a chick-lit book if there is no romance inside. There is the point when Felix is turning up. I loved him right away. He made me smile so often. and has an icredible sense of humour. Just the things you are looking for in a great man. Both of the secondary characters got their own mini-plot which I enjoyed reading about.
Beth Thomas has managed to give the novel her own personal touch with her writing style. This is a good debut novel and I’m curious to discover what else the author has in store for us in the future.
April 24, 2014
Daisy spends her days curled up on the sofa, eating Jaffa Cakes and watching re-runs of Hugh Grant movies. Her house is a filthy mess, she's getting fatter, she doesn't answer the phone. Her only connection with the outside world are her constant Facebook updates; and those are flippant and don't tell the whole truth.
Daisy didn't used to be like this but after losing her beloved mother to breast cancer and becoming estranged from the rest of her family, she really can't see any reason in getting washed, dressed ... any reason for anything really.
Abby is Daisy's best friend. Abby is determined that Daisy will pull herself back from the brink of despair and decides that both of them will do the Moonwalk. A fundraising walk of 26 miles through London in the evening, and so begins Abby's quest to get Daisy back into the land of the living.
Carry You is told entirely in Daisy's voice, and at times she is in turns incredibly irritating, selfish, self indulgent and a bit of a pain in the arse. She's also quick witted, funny and underneath the doom and gloom, quite likeable. She has not only lost her Mother, but she feels cast adrift from the rest of her extended family. Abby is her saviour, and although Daisy tries her very best to get out of training for the walk, and wants to immerse herself in her sorrow and grief, Abby never gives up.
Beth Thomas has cleverly interwoven many themes into Carry You, but overall has managed to keep the story upbeat and positive. Grief and loss are issues that affect all of us during our lives, and each one of us will deal with them in our own different ways. Introducing Daisy to Felix; her 'walking buddy' shows another way of coping with bereavement. Neither of these ways are right or wrong, but both of them are ways that humans deal with loss.
Carry You is written from the heart, that is clear from the depth of feeling portrayed by the main characters, and if Beth Thomas is lucky enough to have a friend like Abby, then I envy her. Abby is the triumph of the story, even though she is not the main character. She lifts Daisy up and continues to support her with determination and love that is indeed the actions of a true friend, and for me, the theme of friendship is the one that shines most brightly through this story.
For me, the novel is just a tad too long, there were a couple of times during Daisy's training for the walk that my mind wandered, but on the whole this is a good debut. I look forward to reading Beth Thomas' next novel.
Daisy didn't used to be like this but after losing her beloved mother to breast cancer and becoming estranged from the rest of her family, she really can't see any reason in getting washed, dressed ... any reason for anything really.
Abby is Daisy's best friend. Abby is determined that Daisy will pull herself back from the brink of despair and decides that both of them will do the Moonwalk. A fundraising walk of 26 miles through London in the evening, and so begins Abby's quest to get Daisy back into the land of the living.
Carry You is told entirely in Daisy's voice, and at times she is in turns incredibly irritating, selfish, self indulgent and a bit of a pain in the arse. She's also quick witted, funny and underneath the doom and gloom, quite likeable. She has not only lost her Mother, but she feels cast adrift from the rest of her extended family. Abby is her saviour, and although Daisy tries her very best to get out of training for the walk, and wants to immerse herself in her sorrow and grief, Abby never gives up.
Beth Thomas has cleverly interwoven many themes into Carry You, but overall has managed to keep the story upbeat and positive. Grief and loss are issues that affect all of us during our lives, and each one of us will deal with them in our own different ways. Introducing Daisy to Felix; her 'walking buddy' shows another way of coping with bereavement. Neither of these ways are right or wrong, but both of them are ways that humans deal with loss.
Carry You is written from the heart, that is clear from the depth of feeling portrayed by the main characters, and if Beth Thomas is lucky enough to have a friend like Abby, then I envy her. Abby is the triumph of the story, even though she is not the main character. She lifts Daisy up and continues to support her with determination and love that is indeed the actions of a true friend, and for me, the theme of friendship is the one that shines most brightly through this story.
For me, the novel is just a tad too long, there were a couple of times during Daisy's training for the walk that my mind wandered, but on the whole this is a good debut. I look forward to reading Beth Thomas' next novel.
February 16, 2015
Daisy spends her days curled up on the sofa, eating Jaffa Cakes and watching re-runs of Hugh Grant movies. Her house is a filthy mess, she's getting fatter, she doesn't answer the phone. Her only connection with the outside world are her constant Facebook updates; and those are flippant and don't tell the whole truth.
Daisy didn't used to be like this but after losing her beloved mother to breast cancer and becoming estranged from the rest of her family, she really can't see any reason in getting washed, dressed ... any reason for anything really.
Abby is Daisy's best friend. Abby is determined that Daisy will pull herself back from the brink of despair and decides that both of them will do the Moonwalk. A fundraising walk of 26 miles through London in the evening, and so begins Abby's quest to get Daisy back into the land of the living.
Carry You is told entirely in Daisy's voice, and at times she is in turns incredibly irritating, selfish, self indulgent and a bit of a pain in the arse. She's also quick witted, funny and underneath the doom and gloom, quite likeable. She has not only lost her Mother, but she feels cast adrift from the rest of her extended family. Abby is her saviour, and although Daisy tries her very best to get out of training for the walk, and wants to immerse herself in her sorrow and grief, Abby never gives up.
Beth Thomas has cleverly interwoven many themes into Carry You, but overall has managed to keep the story upbeat and positive. Grief and loss are issues that affect all of us during our lives, and each one of us will deal with them in our own different ways. Introducing Daisy to Felix; her 'walking buddy' shows another way of coping with bereavement. Neither of these ways are right or wrong, but both of them are ways that humans deal with loss.
Carry You is written from the heart, that is clear from the depth of feeling portrayed by the main characters, and if Beth Thomas is lucky enough to have a friend like Abby, then I envy her. Abby is the triumph of the story, even though she is not the main character. She lifts Daisy up and continues to support her with determination and love that is indeed the actions of a true friend, and for me, the theme of friendship is the one that shines most brightly through this story.
For me, the novel is just a tad too long, there were a couple of times during Daisy's training for the walk that my mind wandered, but on the whole this is a good debut. I look forward to reading Beth Thomas' next novel.
Daisy didn't used to be like this but after losing her beloved mother to breast cancer and becoming estranged from the rest of her family, she really can't see any reason in getting washed, dressed ... any reason for anything really.
Abby is Daisy's best friend. Abby is determined that Daisy will pull herself back from the brink of despair and decides that both of them will do the Moonwalk. A fundraising walk of 26 miles through London in the evening, and so begins Abby's quest to get Daisy back into the land of the living.
Carry You is told entirely in Daisy's voice, and at times she is in turns incredibly irritating, selfish, self indulgent and a bit of a pain in the arse. She's also quick witted, funny and underneath the doom and gloom, quite likeable. She has not only lost her Mother, but she feels cast adrift from the rest of her extended family. Abby is her saviour, and although Daisy tries her very best to get out of training for the walk, and wants to immerse herself in her sorrow and grief, Abby never gives up.
Beth Thomas has cleverly interwoven many themes into Carry You, but overall has managed to keep the story upbeat and positive. Grief and loss are issues that affect all of us during our lives, and each one of us will deal with them in our own different ways. Introducing Daisy to Felix; her 'walking buddy' shows another way of coping with bereavement. Neither of these ways are right or wrong, but both of them are ways that humans deal with loss.
Carry You is written from the heart, that is clear from the depth of feeling portrayed by the main characters, and if Beth Thomas is lucky enough to have a friend like Abby, then I envy her. Abby is the triumph of the story, even though she is not the main character. She lifts Daisy up and continues to support her with determination and love that is indeed the actions of a true friend, and for me, the theme of friendship is the one that shines most brightly through this story.
For me, the novel is just a tad too long, there were a couple of times during Daisy's training for the walk that my mind wandered, but on the whole this is a good debut. I look forward to reading Beth Thomas' next novel.
April 29, 2014
We meet Daisy when she is hiding from the world, immersing herself in the films of Hugh Grant in between sleeping her life away. The death of her mum to breast cancer has hit her hard and more so because she has been alienated from her sister and step brothers in the most cruelest of ways. Daisy's one salvation is that she has a wonderful friend, Abi, who will stop at nothing to drag her friend from her half life back into the land of the living.
First there is the matter of getting Daisy up from the settee and cleaning the house as it is now for sale. Daisy has to leave her mum's house, find a job and a place to stay,she is incapable of doing any of it by herself.
Abi gives Daisy a place to stay and enrols both of them in the moonwalk in aid of breast cancer. As Abi works during the week she finds people to train with Daisy with some hilarious results. Will Daisy be fit enough to walk the marathon? Will she finally tell Abi her most guarded secret? And what will Abi think of her when she finds out?
It took me a while to like Daisy and her duck ring tone on her phone drove me mad even although I couldn't hear it. I thought Abi had the patience of a saint the way she looked after Daisy and constantly tried to encourage her to re-enter life.
Daisy has been very badly treated by her family and I wanted her to pursue things with them further than she did.
This is a story of what grief can do to you and how other people's opinions affect the grieving process.
The friendship between Daisy and Abi is amazing even although they haven't been friends for very long.
I found most of the story really funny, there are some great one liners. I particularly liked the Facebook statuses. It brings home to you what silly things people write on their Facebook wall. I loved the replies from someone named Georgia who always says,"Sorry to hear that hun" or "Love you babes!"
The real sadness in this book comes when everyone taking part in the moonwalk meet in Hyde park, each one dressed in pink, each one walking for a lost loved one,each one carrying a heavy burden as they walk in their bras during the darkness of the night.
Although the book started quite slowly I'm glad I stuck with it and I enjoyed it once it picked up pace. It did have a good ending especially the epilogue.
June 13, 2014
*Book provided by the publisher on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*
To be honest, it took me a while to get into the story, but I can’t really say why, maybe because there wasn’t too much going on in the beginning. Don’t get me wrong, this is sometimes a good thing as well, especially here when it comes to a topic like cancer.
Daisy lost her mum to breast cancer and just hangs around the flat and watches TV. That’s not everything, her sister thinks that it’s all Daisy’s fault that their mum died and there are complications with the will as well.
Daisy has an awesome friend in Abby. In every possible way she tries to cheer Daisy up and then she signs them up for a charity walk, so Daisy starts training and not alone I might add. Here the men come into the picture. First we get introduced to Danny and then Felix. It wasn’t clear for a long time. With whom of the two there would be a romance. I have to say I liked Felix instantly and the two of them were having so much fun. Finally Daisy began to realise what there is in life and that it’s worth going for it. Felix made her see the colours and happiness again.
What Daisy doesn’t know is that Felix suffered something similar in the past and that he really understands what she’s going through. These two were adorable together.
The background story of this book is sad, but the book is also full of laughter and hope. It shows that grieve takes time, but everybody has to find their own way to deal with a situation like that. Daisy went through an emotional journey in this book, learning to deal with her situation, standing up for herself and growing as a person.
The friendship described in this book is amazing. Abby also had her own storyline, which was a lovely change.
Every chapter started with a Facebook status and the comment for it. That was great and a nice introduction. Unfortunately, sometimes I felt that it kind of stopped the storyline, because the story picked off just where it ended in the last chapter, so it was a bit confusing.
This story is emotional, gripping and touching! I think it can really help people in a similar position. It’s great that Beth found a way to write about this topic in a positive way! I can’t wait for her second book.
To be honest, it took me a while to get into the story, but I can’t really say why, maybe because there wasn’t too much going on in the beginning. Don’t get me wrong, this is sometimes a good thing as well, especially here when it comes to a topic like cancer.
Daisy lost her mum to breast cancer and just hangs around the flat and watches TV. That’s not everything, her sister thinks that it’s all Daisy’s fault that their mum died and there are complications with the will as well.
Daisy has an awesome friend in Abby. In every possible way she tries to cheer Daisy up and then she signs them up for a charity walk, so Daisy starts training and not alone I might add. Here the men come into the picture. First we get introduced to Danny and then Felix. It wasn’t clear for a long time. With whom of the two there would be a romance. I have to say I liked Felix instantly and the two of them were having so much fun. Finally Daisy began to realise what there is in life and that it’s worth going for it. Felix made her see the colours and happiness again.
What Daisy doesn’t know is that Felix suffered something similar in the past and that he really understands what she’s going through. These two were adorable together.
The background story of this book is sad, but the book is also full of laughter and hope. It shows that grieve takes time, but everybody has to find their own way to deal with a situation like that. Daisy went through an emotional journey in this book, learning to deal with her situation, standing up for herself and growing as a person.
The friendship described in this book is amazing. Abby also had her own storyline, which was a lovely change.
Every chapter started with a Facebook status and the comment for it. That was great and a nice introduction. Unfortunately, sometimes I felt that it kind of stopped the storyline, because the story picked off just where it ended in the last chapter, so it was a bit confusing.
This story is emotional, gripping and touching! I think it can really help people in a similar position. It’s great that Beth found a way to write about this topic in a positive way! I can’t wait for her second book.
June 2, 2014
3.5 stars
I received a copy of Carry You to review from NetGalley
I was looking forward to reading this as I thought it was going to be a heart warming and heart wrenching story of having to move on after a terrible loss. Daisy lost her mum to breast cancer, and then her stepfather died shortly after. Since then Daisy's life has been a downward spiral. Step in Abi, Daisy's best friend, to take charge and help Daisy through her grief and out the other side, signing Daisy up to the Moonwalk, a walk round London at midnight in her bra to raise money for charity.
While I felt for Daisy and the awful things she had been through, I found myself struggling to sympathise with her the whole time, in places she actually irritated me and I found her quite selfish. I know everyone is allowed to be selfish at times but it niggled at me a little. She had a fab friend in the bossy and assertive but extremely caring friend Abi and I think she needed to be reminded of that sometimes. The constant Facebook updates, while funny sometimes, every now and then seemed to make no sense whatsoever and threw me a little.
It was nice to see Daisy eventually come to terms with her grief, and start to pick up, finding a job, and get her life back on track and although at times it was slow it was nice to see everything come together for Daisy. Throughout the whole book, it centres around Dasiy having to train to walk the 26 mile charity walk around London and how that training manages to help heal her, so I was excited to get towards the end of the book and see how she managed to get through it. Even the build up to them travelling to London was exciting, but I was then left disappointed that the whole walk was condensed into about 2 pages, just a couple of lines for a handful of the miles and then it was over! I was let down, such an anti climax to something that had been building up from the very start of the book! I was happy for Daisy and her ending but it left me feeling deflated even still!
Carry You was an enjoyable enough book to read, and I look forward to more from the author.
I received a copy of Carry You to review from NetGalley
I was looking forward to reading this as I thought it was going to be a heart warming and heart wrenching story of having to move on after a terrible loss. Daisy lost her mum to breast cancer, and then her stepfather died shortly after. Since then Daisy's life has been a downward spiral. Step in Abi, Daisy's best friend, to take charge and help Daisy through her grief and out the other side, signing Daisy up to the Moonwalk, a walk round London at midnight in her bra to raise money for charity.
While I felt for Daisy and the awful things she had been through, I found myself struggling to sympathise with her the whole time, in places she actually irritated me and I found her quite selfish. I know everyone is allowed to be selfish at times but it niggled at me a little. She had a fab friend in the bossy and assertive but extremely caring friend Abi and I think she needed to be reminded of that sometimes. The constant Facebook updates, while funny sometimes, every now and then seemed to make no sense whatsoever and threw me a little.
It was nice to see Daisy eventually come to terms with her grief, and start to pick up, finding a job, and get her life back on track and although at times it was slow it was nice to see everything come together for Daisy. Throughout the whole book, it centres around Dasiy having to train to walk the 26 mile charity walk around London and how that training manages to help heal her, so I was excited to get towards the end of the book and see how she managed to get through it. Even the build up to them travelling to London was exciting, but I was then left disappointed that the whole walk was condensed into about 2 pages, just a couple of lines for a handful of the miles and then it was over! I was let down, such an anti climax to something that had been building up from the very start of the book! I was happy for Daisy and her ending but it left me feeling deflated even still!
Carry You was an enjoyable enough book to read, and I look forward to more from the author.
March 6, 2014
This is one of those books that when you finish you let out a satisfied sigh and then go tell all your friends about it!
The story is about a young woman called Daisy who has recently lost someone very close to her and it has really turned her life upside down and inside out and she is very lost and really needs to find herself again but she is so consumed with loss that it takes a friend with a will of steal and heart full of love to get her back on the road to living again.
Daisy is very reluctant to go back into the world and so it takes a lot of badgering to get her up off the sofa and outside and meeting people. Her best friend Abi is a terrific friend and gets her literally on the road to recovery by getting her to train for the Moonwalk. I am not going to go into too much about that but I will leave a link below where you can find out more about this. It is a walk around London done at night for to raise money and support cancer research.
The walk is over 20 miles long and Daisy has to begin training straight away if she is going to get through the walk on the day so with a little help from Abi , Daisy gets some walking buddies for her daily walks and things begin to get a lot brighter in her life once she gets out in the world again.
The story is touching and thought provoking as well as being incredibly inspiring. I could not get enough of this. The way Daisy's character developed was very enjoyable to read and there were a few surprises thrown in as well which I did not see coming.
I say go out and get this book straight away and then buy it for all your friends! Wonderful!
The Moonwalk
http://www.walkthewalk.org/Challenges...
I won this book through Avon Books but you can find it here when it is published in April 2014:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Carry-You-Bet...
Beth Thomas
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...
The story is about a young woman called Daisy who has recently lost someone very close to her and it has really turned her life upside down and inside out and she is very lost and really needs to find herself again but she is so consumed with loss that it takes a friend with a will of steal and heart full of love to get her back on the road to living again.
Daisy is very reluctant to go back into the world and so it takes a lot of badgering to get her up off the sofa and outside and meeting people. Her best friend Abi is a terrific friend and gets her literally on the road to recovery by getting her to train for the Moonwalk. I am not going to go into too much about that but I will leave a link below where you can find out more about this. It is a walk around London done at night for to raise money and support cancer research.
The walk is over 20 miles long and Daisy has to begin training straight away if she is going to get through the walk on the day so with a little help from Abi , Daisy gets some walking buddies for her daily walks and things begin to get a lot brighter in her life once she gets out in the world again.
The story is touching and thought provoking as well as being incredibly inspiring. I could not get enough of this. The way Daisy's character developed was very enjoyable to read and there were a few surprises thrown in as well which I did not see coming.
I say go out and get this book straight away and then buy it for all your friends! Wonderful!
The Moonwalk
http://www.walkthewalk.org/Challenges...
I won this book through Avon Books but you can find it here when it is published in April 2014:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Carry-You-Bet...
Beth Thomas
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...
April 28, 2014
Daisy has lost her mum to breast cancer and is absolutely devastated, so much so that she doesn’t know how to go on and live life. Daisy is stuck at the bottom and doesn’t think she’ll ever get back up again. but her best friend Abby has other ideas – and is determined to help Daisy remember the person she used to be. Together with Abby, Daisy is signed up to do a charity walk. But little does she know life can be full of surprises…
I really enjoyed this. One of the things I loved the most is that Beth wrote Carry You in such a way that it brought out SO MUCH emotion in me.
I really felt for Daisy, she had lost her mum and oh it is such an awful thing to happen, and I couldn’t even imagine the pain she was going through. But I felt for her, I cried for her and I wanted to reach out and give her a huge hug. I even quite liked that Daisy wasn’t the perfect character. I absolutely LOVED Abby, she is the type of friend that everyone needs in their life. I loved Abby’s determination and her dedication to her friend Daisy, and I even cried a few happy tears over their friendship. For me, Abby really made the book, their friendship was truly something special.
Although this story is about grief and loss, and made me VERY very emotional, Beth Thomas also writes it in quite a positive way too, and at the end I felt REALLY pleased and thrilled to have read this. Carry You is an emotional and captivating story that will have you involved right from the very start. I’m looking forward to more from Beth Thomas.
I really enjoyed this. One of the things I loved the most is that Beth wrote Carry You in such a way that it brought out SO MUCH emotion in me.
I really felt for Daisy, she had lost her mum and oh it is such an awful thing to happen, and I couldn’t even imagine the pain she was going through. But I felt for her, I cried for her and I wanted to reach out and give her a huge hug. I even quite liked that Daisy wasn’t the perfect character. I absolutely LOVED Abby, she is the type of friend that everyone needs in their life. I loved Abby’s determination and her dedication to her friend Daisy, and I even cried a few happy tears over their friendship. For me, Abby really made the book, their friendship was truly something special.
Although this story is about grief and loss, and made me VERY very emotional, Beth Thomas also writes it in quite a positive way too, and at the end I felt REALLY pleased and thrilled to have read this. Carry You is an emotional and captivating story that will have you involved right from the very start. I’m looking forward to more from Beth Thomas.
April 30, 2014
surviving on a diet of jaffa cakes and Hugh Grant. Best friend Abby comes to the rescue, almost bullying her back to life by giving her a home and entering her for a Moon Walk. It is a book that, like training for a moon walk, I really needed to commit to, especially at first. I found the first half of the book quite hard work, a bit of a slog really, but after that it seemed to really pick up in pace and ended up quite an enjoyable read. I think part of the problem was that I didn't like Daisy very much, she seemed so selfish and really took Abby for granted, even seeming to begrudge carrying milk home from Sainsburys for her (the incident that really turned me off her). There are quite a lot of training walks in the first part of the book and, to be honest, I just got a bit bored reading about them. The second half of the book though is a lot pacier and much more interesting to read, some times funny, some times emotional and being written in a very witty, down to earth way.
June 22, 2014
This book is a perfect chick-lit. It is a romcom in a book and keeps you entertained throughout. Being a chick-lit, the outcome is fairly predictable but there are small plot turns along the way.
Daisy, a twenty eight year old woman is grieving the loss of her mum and step dad. Her best and only friend, Abby, is doing everything in her power to bring Daisy back into the real world.
Abby signs the two of them up for a Moon Walk in aid of breast cancer, the disease that took Daisy's mum, hoping to get Daisy out of the house and hopefully restarting her life. Obviously though, as any good chick-lit should, Abby's plan brings much more to Daisy's life than a bit of fresh air and exercise...
This book is great for anyone wanting a funny pick me up with a decent storyline along the way.
PS Daisy's obsession with Hugh Grant is obviously another pull factor as who wouldn't love Hugh Grant??? ;)
Daisy, a twenty eight year old woman is grieving the loss of her mum and step dad. Her best and only friend, Abby, is doing everything in her power to bring Daisy back into the real world.
Abby signs the two of them up for a Moon Walk in aid of breast cancer, the disease that took Daisy's mum, hoping to get Daisy out of the house and hopefully restarting her life. Obviously though, as any good chick-lit should, Abby's plan brings much more to Daisy's life than a bit of fresh air and exercise...
This book is great for anyone wanting a funny pick me up with a decent storyline along the way.
PS Daisy's obsession with Hugh Grant is obviously another pull factor as who wouldn't love Hugh Grant??? ;)
July 18, 2015
Lovely story about dealing with grief and loss.
Daisy's story and the way her friends and family are involved in helping her overcome it is both great and also sad in terms of her loss.
From the very start, when we meet Daisy its clear she's gone through something devastating. The death of her mother. That and she's going to have to move out soon now her house has been sold.
Help comes in the form of her friend who says that Daisy can move in with her and Tom. It's not the best plan but Daisy spends most of her time curled up under a duvet watching Hugh Grant movies.
However, Abi turns out to be a vicious motivator. It changes everything for Daisy who now has a goal. A charity walk.
The story is not only about friendship and perseverance but also about dealing with grief. It can consume you and Carry You has the message that you shouldn't let it.
They were a few iffy bits for me here and there but I enjoyed it all the same.
Daisy's story and the way her friends and family are involved in helping her overcome it is both great and also sad in terms of her loss.
From the very start, when we meet Daisy its clear she's gone through something devastating. The death of her mother. That and she's going to have to move out soon now her house has been sold.
Help comes in the form of her friend who says that Daisy can move in with her and Tom. It's not the best plan but Daisy spends most of her time curled up under a duvet watching Hugh Grant movies.
However, Abi turns out to be a vicious motivator. It changes everything for Daisy who now has a goal. A charity walk.
The story is not only about friendship and perseverance but also about dealing with grief. It can consume you and Carry You has the message that you shouldn't let it.
They were a few iffy bits for me here and there but I enjoyed it all the same.
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