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The A to Z of You and Me
He has all kinds of everyday joy in his life -- he's young, he's in love, he has friends who promise to stand by him if life ever goes wrong.
Then one day, life does go wrong.
He makes a mistake, and it's big and unforgiveable. Now time is running out, and his life is falling apart. But he's going to put it back together again. His own way.
This is a story about how far love must stretch to gather a life in pieces -- and about how a strong friendship never dies.
Then one day, life does go wrong.
He makes a mistake, and it's big and unforgiveable. Now time is running out, and his life is falling apart. But he's going to put it back together again. His own way.
This is a story about how far love must stretch to gather a life in pieces -- and about how a strong friendship never dies.
336 pages, Paperback
First published December 1, 2015
104 people are currently reading
3720 people want to read
About the author
James Hannah
1 book57 followersJames Hannah's first novel, 'The A to Z of You and Me' was published in the UK by Transworld in 2015, in the US by Sourcebooks and Germany by Eichborn in 2016, and in Brazil by Rocco in 2017.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 443 reviews
January 27, 2016
I'd rate this 3.5 stars.
Full disclosure: I received an advance copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an unbiased review. Many thanks to NetGalley and SOURCEBOOK Landmark for making it available.
Ivo, a man in his 40s, is nearing the end of his life at a hospice facility. He's alone—no friends, no family come to visit him—and it's clear he's very, very sad. The only people he talks to are the hospice nurses, and one in particular realizes the emotional pain he's in. To keep his mind sharp, she encourages Ivo to play the "A to Z" game—think of a body part that begins with each letter of the alphabet, and a memory that goes with it.
As Ivo reluctantly begins the game, you quickly see that there are so many causes for his sadness and his loneliness. You realize that he is a man whose situation—physical and otherwise—is both of his own making and caused by others. With each memory, you see a childhood marked by the death of his father and the strong friendships he built. You see how, like most teenage boys, he more than dabbles in alcohol, cigarettes, and drugs, even as he starts to understand the toll it's taking on his body.
You also see that at one point Ivo was truly lucky in love, finding his soulmate, yet his passivity and his disregard for himself damaged that relationship. As he moves through the alphabet the memories unfold, and you see where things could have been different if he had acted instead of being simply a participant in his own life. And although he fights the memories at first, and reels from the pain they cause, as his condition worsens he welcomes them, and wonders if it is too late to set the record straight with those still in his life.
Given its concept, The A to Z of You and Me is a sad book, although it's not maudlin. Ivo isn't merely a victim—his flashbacks clearly reveal how he treated those closest to him, how he was led astray, and how he wound up dying in his 40s, alone. But this is also a book about the way connections with others can change us, the beauty of reveling in simple joys, and how friendship can save us, in a way, if we're willing to let it.
I thought this was a well-written and compelling book, full of heart, although at times I wearied a bit of the A to Z concept. James Hannah scatters a few twists through the book although, for the most part, you know where it is going to go, and that doesn't really matter. This is definitely a book that encourages you to reach out, to say the things you should to those who matter, because you never know when you won't get another chance.
See all of my reviews at http://itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blo....
Full disclosure: I received an advance copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an unbiased review. Many thanks to NetGalley and SOURCEBOOK Landmark for making it available.
Ivo, a man in his 40s, is nearing the end of his life at a hospice facility. He's alone—no friends, no family come to visit him—and it's clear he's very, very sad. The only people he talks to are the hospice nurses, and one in particular realizes the emotional pain he's in. To keep his mind sharp, she encourages Ivo to play the "A to Z" game—think of a body part that begins with each letter of the alphabet, and a memory that goes with it.
As Ivo reluctantly begins the game, you quickly see that there are so many causes for his sadness and his loneliness. You realize that he is a man whose situation—physical and otherwise—is both of his own making and caused by others. With each memory, you see a childhood marked by the death of his father and the strong friendships he built. You see how, like most teenage boys, he more than dabbles in alcohol, cigarettes, and drugs, even as he starts to understand the toll it's taking on his body.
You also see that at one point Ivo was truly lucky in love, finding his soulmate, yet his passivity and his disregard for himself damaged that relationship. As he moves through the alphabet the memories unfold, and you see where things could have been different if he had acted instead of being simply a participant in his own life. And although he fights the memories at first, and reels from the pain they cause, as his condition worsens he welcomes them, and wonders if it is too late to set the record straight with those still in his life.
Given its concept, The A to Z of You and Me is a sad book, although it's not maudlin. Ivo isn't merely a victim—his flashbacks clearly reveal how he treated those closest to him, how he was led astray, and how he wound up dying in his 40s, alone. But this is also a book about the way connections with others can change us, the beauty of reveling in simple joys, and how friendship can save us, in a way, if we're willing to let it.
I thought this was a well-written and compelling book, full of heart, although at times I wearied a bit of the A to Z concept. James Hannah scatters a few twists through the book although, for the most part, you know where it is going to go, and that doesn't really matter. This is definitely a book that encourages you to reach out, to say the things you should to those who matter, because you never know when you won't get another chance.
See all of my reviews at http://itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blo....
March 7, 2015
I loved this book which left me with quite a lump in my threat. Set in a hospice, 40 year old Ivo doesn’t have long to live and is weakening when his nurse, Sheila, suggests he plays a mental game with himself – the A to Z game. The idea is to think of a body part for each letter and to tell a story for each one. As Ivo works his way through the alphabet he tells us the story of his life, his family, his carefree younger lifestyle with his friends. He also uses each body part to tell a story for each one to his absent ex- girlfriend Mia and in that way we learn how they met, fell in love and how their relationship ended. Now he is estranged from his sister and her boyfriend, can Ivo now learn from the memories the game is evoking and put the past behind him or is it too late?
It really is a wonderful read and is actually quite positive at times, as we learn about the choices and decisions Ivo made during quite a wild and carefree youth. He certainly isn’t perfect. He has his faults, which become apparent as you read on. However, I loved Sheila, his nurse. She is absolutely wonderful.
You know right from page one that this story is going to end in tears and it does, but the writing was so beautiful, especially at the end, that even though it was terribly sad, it also felt like a happy ever after. It is a book that you don’t want to put down but at the same time, don’t really want that sad ending to come along. It is a very easy to read story and not a light read although there are some quite funny little moments every now and then.
Many many thanks to the publishers for the review copy.
It really is a wonderful read and is actually quite positive at times, as we learn about the choices and decisions Ivo made during quite a wild and carefree youth. He certainly isn’t perfect. He has his faults, which become apparent as you read on. However, I loved Sheila, his nurse. She is absolutely wonderful.
You know right from page one that this story is going to end in tears and it does, but the writing was so beautiful, especially at the end, that even though it was terribly sad, it also felt like a happy ever after. It is a book that you don’t want to put down but at the same time, don’t really want that sad ending to come along. It is a very easy to read story and not a light read although there are some quite funny little moments every now and then.
Many many thanks to the publishers for the review copy.
August 16, 2016
Very interesting writing style but didn't quite come together for me.
June 23, 2016
Also available on the WondrousBooks blog.
I got contacted by the publishers to pick one of their newest books to review. Initially this was my pick. Because the blurb:
Then, I also saw the great and positive reviews. Enough good adjectives were thrown in to make me believe this is a pretty cool, funny, interesting, yet somehow bittersweet book about redemption.
DID WE EVEN READ THE SAME BOOK???
What in the world? This book is anything but cool, it is utterly depressing. Anything but funny, it is dreary. Anything but interesting, it attempts to prompt you to kill yourself. On several occasions. Literally. I mean like literally. Suicide is not out of the question if you have problems. It is not a book about redemption!!?! It is a book about a failed life which fails to the end. FRIENDSHIP? Where the heck did you see friendship? A STRONG, NEVER-ENDING friendship, at that.
I think I got a different book.
What I actually read was a book about a junkie who screwed up his life through and through, time and again. He caused everything in this book all by himself. I really doubt he would have changed if he was simply not stranded to a bed. I am fully convinced he would have been as self-destructive as ever. And that he was. A guy who does drugs because he is bored from sitting at home waiting for his working girlfriend. A person who has diabetes and yet does not see it as wrong to do all the wrong things because he is lazy and forgets that he has to take care of himself. A person with no aims, no goals, no values. Despite the entire love arc in the book, I am not fully convinced he really loved his girlfriend either. He ignored all chances of making it right with her, doing just whatever he wanted.
There was no aim behind this book at all. It was not creative, it was dull and made me consider euthanizing myself.
All of the characters were equally as horrible as Ivo, aside from Sheila and Mia. Ivo's gross sister, the slutty one, Becky or Becca or whatever, the atrocious low-life drug dealer Mal, the spineless Kelvin. Oh my God, a total shit-fest of characters.
I might be overly harsh but I am really fed up with authors using disease, mass killings, domestic violence and other important social topics as a way of making you feel sorry for the characters and building the entire otherwise sloppy and pointless plot, counting that you will be touched by the entire "Oh, but he is dying, pity him" routine. Emotional manipulation does not make a book better, if anything, it makes it worse once a person sees through the bad... everything in the book.
So, no, I will not like The A to Z of You and Me, which has zero plot, -40 character development, two mildly likable characters and an entire list of people who deserve a solid slap, NO friendship, I repeat, NONE, no redemption by anyone(I dare you to say that Mal redeemed himself, taking into an account how he wanted to clear his conscience and all that), nothing, nothing, but tearjerker moments that I could not muster patience or interest for. If this was not a short read, I think I would have given up. Even the writing fails short stylistically. It is a poor attempt at poetic, meaningful inner dialogues, with lots of single world lines and wanna-be artsy expressions.
I got A Robot In the Garden absolutely accidentally while trying to download this book, and oh my God, I'm so glad I did. They can't even compare.
I got contacted by the publishers to pick one of their newest books to review. Initially this was my pick. Because the blurb:
He has all kinds of everyday joy in his life -- he's young, he's in love, he has friends who promise to stand by him if life ever goes wrong.
Then one day, life does go wrong.
(...)
This is a story about how far love must stretch to gather a life in pieces -- and about how a strong friendship never dies.
Then, I also saw the great and positive reviews. Enough good adjectives were thrown in to make me believe this is a pretty cool, funny, interesting, yet somehow bittersweet book about redemption.
DID WE EVEN READ THE SAME BOOK???
What in the world? This book is anything but cool, it is utterly depressing. Anything but funny, it is dreary. Anything but interesting, it attempts to prompt you to kill yourself. On several occasions. Literally. I mean like literally. Suicide is not out of the question if you have problems. It is not a book about redemption!!?! It is a book about a failed life which fails to the end. FRIENDSHIP? Where the heck did you see friendship? A STRONG, NEVER-ENDING friendship, at that.
I think I got a different book.
What I actually read was a book about a junkie who screwed up his life through and through, time and again. He caused everything in this book all by himself. I really doubt he would have changed if he was simply not stranded to a bed. I am fully convinced he would have been as self-destructive as ever. And that he was. A guy who does drugs because he is bored from sitting at home waiting for his working girlfriend. A person who has diabetes and yet does not see it as wrong to do all the wrong things because he is lazy and forgets that he has to take care of himself. A person with no aims, no goals, no values. Despite the entire love arc in the book, I am not fully convinced he really loved his girlfriend either. He ignored all chances of making it right with her, doing just whatever he wanted.
There was no aim behind this book at all. It was not creative, it was dull and made me consider euthanizing myself.
All of the characters were equally as horrible as Ivo, aside from Sheila and Mia. Ivo's gross sister, the slutty one, Becky or Becca or whatever, the atrocious low-life drug dealer Mal, the spineless Kelvin. Oh my God, a total shit-fest of characters.
I might be overly harsh but I am really fed up with authors using disease, mass killings, domestic violence and other important social topics as a way of making you feel sorry for the characters and building the entire otherwise sloppy and pointless plot, counting that you will be touched by the entire "Oh, but he is dying, pity him" routine. Emotional manipulation does not make a book better, if anything, it makes it worse once a person sees through the bad... everything in the book.
So, no, I will not like The A to Z of You and Me, which has zero plot, -40 character development, two mildly likable characters and an entire list of people who deserve a solid slap, NO friendship, I repeat, NONE, no redemption by anyone(I dare you to say that Mal redeemed himself, taking into an account how he wanted to clear his conscience and all that), nothing, nothing, but tearjerker moments that I could not muster patience or interest for. If this was not a short read, I think I would have given up. Even the writing fails short stylistically. It is a poor attempt at poetic, meaningful inner dialogues, with lots of single world lines and wanna-be artsy expressions.
I got A Robot In the Garden absolutely accidentally while trying to download this book, and oh my God, I'm so glad I did. They can't even compare.
July 19, 2016
Lying in a hospice bed, 40-year-old Ivo looks back on his life. Even after just four short decades and a modest career at a garden center, he has plenty to regret. Hard partying and drug use exacerbated his diabetes and prompted kidney failure. His lifestyle also led indirectly to his girlfriend, a nursing student named Mia (the “you” whom he often addresses directly), leaving him. He’s estranged from his sister and the friends he’d been close to since school days, especially Mal. How did he mess up so badly and cut himself off so completely that he’s now dying alone? And how much can he put right before he goes?
There’s plenty of affecting writing in Hannah’s debut novel, as in one of my favorite passages: “The sun chooses this moment to radiate through to me, through me. It feels like – it feels like life. I can sense my corrupt blood bubbling and basking beneath the surface.” I also love how Hannah captures the routines of institutional life – the sights, smells and sounds that come to define Ivo’s circumscribed life:
Nurse Sheila and Amber, the daughter of another hospice patient, are great supporting characters. Sheila’s A to Z game, encouraging Ivo to think of a memory attached to body parts starting with each letter of the alphabet, provides a hokey but effective structure. As Ivo’s condition deteriorates and his thoughts are scrambled by morphine, his narration gradually becomes less coherent and more insular. This means that by the time we reach the conclusion (which somehow manages to be both predictable and shocking at the same time), we aren’t sure whether he’s giving a reliable account of events or imagining things.
Ultimately, I felt confused about what Hannah meant for the book to be. Is this Irvine Welsh lite? Or a Rachel Joyce style tear-jerker? It’s similar in setup to The Love Song of Miss Queenie Hennessy, you see, and the remembered relationship with Mia is rather sappy. However, keep in mind that in British English the letter Z is pronounced ‘zed’, so the title doesn’t rhyme, which keeps it from being overly twee. Another barrier to my appreciation of the novel was that I never understood why Ivo was dying. People don’t die of kidney failure nowadays, thanks to dialysis and transplantation. (I have a kidney disease, so I should know!)
I’d recommend this book to fans of Mark Haddon, David Nicholls and Donal Ryan. I’ll follow Hannah’s career and hope he can avoid melodrama and a contrived structure – the two near-pitfalls of this one – in the future.
I was delighted to win a free copy in a Goodreads giveaway.
(Originally published with images at my blog, Bookish Beck.)
There’s plenty of affecting writing in Hannah’s debut novel, as in one of my favorite passages: “The sun chooses this moment to radiate through to me, through me. It feels like – it feels like life. I can sense my corrupt blood bubbling and basking beneath the surface.” I also love how Hannah captures the routines of institutional life – the sights, smells and sounds that come to define Ivo’s circumscribed life:
Round the corner now. Noticeboard up on the right, pinned every inch over with flyers and leaflets. The papers at the bottom lift and flutter in the convection of the heater beneath.
I am lost in a world of regular hums, distant beeping, the periodic reheating of the coffee machine in the corridor, and that steady kazoo [of his next-door neighbor’s breathing].
Nurse Sheila and Amber, the daughter of another hospice patient, are great supporting characters. Sheila’s A to Z game, encouraging Ivo to think of a memory attached to body parts starting with each letter of the alphabet, provides a hokey but effective structure. As Ivo’s condition deteriorates and his thoughts are scrambled by morphine, his narration gradually becomes less coherent and more insular. This means that by the time we reach the conclusion (which somehow manages to be both predictable and shocking at the same time), we aren’t sure whether he’s giving a reliable account of events or imagining things.
Ultimately, I felt confused about what Hannah meant for the book to be. Is this Irvine Welsh lite? Or a Rachel Joyce style tear-jerker? It’s similar in setup to The Love Song of Miss Queenie Hennessy, you see, and the remembered relationship with Mia is rather sappy. However, keep in mind that in British English the letter Z is pronounced ‘zed’, so the title doesn’t rhyme, which keeps it from being overly twee. Another barrier to my appreciation of the novel was that I never understood why Ivo was dying. People don’t die of kidney failure nowadays, thanks to dialysis and transplantation. (I have a kidney disease, so I should know!)
I’d recommend this book to fans of Mark Haddon, David Nicholls and Donal Ryan. I’ll follow Hannah’s career and hope he can avoid melodrama and a contrived structure – the two near-pitfalls of this one – in the future.
I was delighted to win a free copy in a Goodreads giveaway.
(Originally published with images at my blog, Bookish Beck.)
April 12, 2016
This book filled me with a sense of bittersweet melancholy from start to finish. Ivo is a young man with diabetes who didn't take very good care of himself and, as a result, his kidneys have failed and he's in a hospice with (mostly) elderly people who are (mostly) dying of cancer. Throughout the book we learn the details of how he lost Mia, the love of his life. The story of Mia and Ivo, which is slowly revealed, is certainly central but by no means all this book has going for it. It's really a beautiful exploration of all types of relationships that complicate and make our lives whole. It's also a more-than-gentle reminder that the choices we make today can have life-long effects on not just ourselves but those who love us.
My heart broke reading about Ivo's mother and the way she cared for him. Having lost her husband to cancer when Ivo was just a boy, I found her love and sadness palpable. Though she is not mentioned frequently, I felt James Hannah did a fantastic job of bringing her character to life in a rich a meaningful way.
Another character that certainly deserves to be talked about is Sheila, Ivo's nurse. I wonder if the author has spent time in a hospital or perhaps has a nurse in his life as I'm a nurse by profession, and felt as though she could have been been a colleague at some point in my career. There's a certain way to best take care of someone who is dying and it's truly an art. Sometimes it's best to leave someone to silence, sometimes it's best to draw them out. There are times when distraction is a good tactic and times when the problem must be faced head on. Times when you are asked to muddle in business you really would prefer not to be involved in and times when you must gently and respectfully insert your nose in a place it may not belong under other circumstances. What I'm saying is that everyone should have a Sheila when the times comes...
As for Ivo's sister and circle of friends, I found them to be relatable. They provide influences that are times positive and, at times, not. They give good advice and bad. Probably not much different from friends we all have now and especially when we were young. It's sometimes difficult, particularly in the case of Ivo's friend Mal, (short of Malachy but interesting that mal means bad in French) to tell if they have malintentions or simply the selfishness and recklessness that are part and parcel of youth itself. In any event, suffice to say that friendships are tested.
Though there are lots of heavy topics and themes presented in this book, it's beautifully written with wit and warm compassion. I look forward to seeing what James Hannah will come out with next.
4.5/5 stars
Please visit Lit. Wit. Wine and dine. to read more of my reviews.
Thanks to Sourcebooks Landmark via NetGalley for providing me with a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
My heart broke reading about Ivo's mother and the way she cared for him. Having lost her husband to cancer when Ivo was just a boy, I found her love and sadness palpable. Though she is not mentioned frequently, I felt James Hannah did a fantastic job of bringing her character to life in a rich a meaningful way.
Another character that certainly deserves to be talked about is Sheila, Ivo's nurse. I wonder if the author has spent time in a hospital or perhaps has a nurse in his life as I'm a nurse by profession, and felt as though she could have been been a colleague at some point in my career. There's a certain way to best take care of someone who is dying and it's truly an art. Sometimes it's best to leave someone to silence, sometimes it's best to draw them out. There are times when distraction is a good tactic and times when the problem must be faced head on. Times when you are asked to muddle in business you really would prefer not to be involved in and times when you must gently and respectfully insert your nose in a place it may not belong under other circumstances. What I'm saying is that everyone should have a Sheila when the times comes...
As for Ivo's sister and circle of friends, I found them to be relatable. They provide influences that are times positive and, at times, not. They give good advice and bad. Probably not much different from friends we all have now and especially when we were young. It's sometimes difficult, particularly in the case of Ivo's friend Mal, (short of Malachy but interesting that mal means bad in French) to tell if they have malintentions or simply the selfishness and recklessness that are part and parcel of youth itself. In any event, suffice to say that friendships are tested.
Though there are lots of heavy topics and themes presented in this book, it's beautifully written with wit and warm compassion. I look forward to seeing what James Hannah will come out with next.
4.5/5 stars
Please visit Lit. Wit. Wine and dine. to read more of my reviews.
Thanks to Sourcebooks Landmark via NetGalley for providing me with a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
March 19, 2016
If you know me you'll know I dislike 'sick-lit' - books about terminal illnesses written to make you cry and sob. I don't like it when a writer takes the idea of a disease that has caused insurmountable suffering to real people only to turn it into a heartbreaking story complete with an illfated love, broken heart, emotional manipulation and all that. You don't need plot twists to show cancer as ugly and you don't need to throw in unrealistic cancer perks like trips to Amsterdam to make your story look enchanting - I'm looking at you John Green.
But James Hannah does justice to writing about terminal illness and he does it so well. This book is about Ivo who is dying alone in his 40s. I like that the book was sad but not maudlin. I loved that this book will remind anyone to be careful about the choices they make and about how to treat people they love. I had mixed feelings about the characters (which is good) but I loved Sheila, Ivo's carer. James Hannah beautiful portrays the kindness of carers and nurses - something I wish we'd see more of in contemporary books.
Once you start you'll pretty much know where the story is going but that won't affect your experience with the book. The writing was quite interesting with some really beautiful passages. If you love someone James Hannah will make sure you know you have to cherish them and he'll make sure you savor every minute of holding their hand.
Many thanks to publicist Chere Tricot from Penguin Random House for sending me a copy of this book. I loved it!
But James Hannah does justice to writing about terminal illness and he does it so well. This book is about Ivo who is dying alone in his 40s. I like that the book was sad but not maudlin. I loved that this book will remind anyone to be careful about the choices they make and about how to treat people they love. I had mixed feelings about the characters (which is good) but I loved Sheila, Ivo's carer. James Hannah beautiful portrays the kindness of carers and nurses - something I wish we'd see more of in contemporary books.
Once you start you'll pretty much know where the story is going but that won't affect your experience with the book. The writing was quite interesting with some really beautiful passages. If you love someone James Hannah will make sure you know you have to cherish them and he'll make sure you savor every minute of holding their hand.
Many thanks to publicist Chere Tricot from Penguin Random House for sending me a copy of this book. I loved it!
July 15, 2015
This storyline is cleverly original, as we met the narrator in a hospice and learn about his life through a game his nurse tells him to play... reliving his past through the alphabet. This is a sad and thought provoking read and I did shed a tear or two at the end. I highly recommend this book and will keep an eye out for more from this author.
December 9, 2015
Beautiful. Sad. I loved this wonderful book.
October 14, 2019
I’m going to sound childish or very old but what can you expect when you don’t look after your own health and go with peer pressure?! Very eye opening book. Sad but a good read. Truth can be painful and useful
March 18, 2017
Actual rating 3.5 stars. Beautiful but Its kinda sad story I think.
January 22, 2015
Ivo is forty years old and at first we don't know much about him apart from the fact he is dying in a hospice. He doesn't want any visitors and seems resigned to just lying in his bed waiting for the end to come. Sheila, his nurse, suggests a game to him to help keep his mind active and spirits up. He has to name a part of his body for each letter of the alphabet and remember a story about himself to go with it. This makes him recall events from his past and we start to find out more about him as well as his family, friends and girlfriend Mia.
Some parts of the story are incredibly sad and I was in tears on a few occasions. Despite this I didn't find the book a depressing read and rattled through it quickly. It looks at relationships in a different way to anything I've read before and I enjoyed finding out about decisions and mistakes Ivo had made in his life. It is wonderfully well written and hard to believe this is James Hannah's debut novel. Very early on I felt this was going to be a book I loved and I was right.
Thank you to Transworld and Netgalley for a review copy.
Some parts of the story are incredibly sad and I was in tears on a few occasions. Despite this I didn't find the book a depressing read and rattled through it quickly. It looks at relationships in a different way to anything I've read before and I enjoyed finding out about decisions and mistakes Ivo had made in his life. It is wonderfully well written and hard to believe this is James Hannah's debut novel. Very early on I felt this was going to be a book I loved and I was right.
Thank you to Transworld and Netgalley for a review copy.
October 31, 2018
It's so easy to blame others for all that's gone wrong in a life, especially a life that has become a litany of grief and regret.
Ivo lies in a hospice bed; he is forty years old and he's waiting for death. His nurse, the kind and caring, funny Sheila - were you waiting out in the corridor? You came straight in. Oh yeah, keeping vigil outside your room every minute of the day, sweetheart. And it's only a coincidence that's where we keep the biscuits - suggests a game to stop him going bananas: to think up an alphabet of body-parts, and each one holds a memory, a story. Some of them are sad (Feet: 'Mum rubs my feet. I can see she's found my card. Happy Father's Day. Mum must have dug it out of the bin); some are funny (chesticles: tiny breasts like wasp stings); some angry (Jugular: There's definitely a way you can kill someone if you know the right pressure points); or uplifting (Wings: A bird. A fluttering bird. Hold our hands against the sky. Two songbirds, fluttering on the eddies. That's when we'll be together, mingling in the wind); but most, by far, are sad (Kidneys: I've put off making this call for as long as I can. There has always been that finest thread of hope. The tiniest thread that I'm about to snap forever). The game is not the happy experience Sheila intended. For Ivo, it becomes a soul-wrenching journey through a sad and wasted life; a search for redemption; a hunt for the cause of all his wrong-turns, and wherever he looks, he finds, at the eye of every storm, one constant, his selfish, boorish, ego-centric 'friend' Mal. But is that true? There's plenty I could say about the very end of this very good book, but I risk spoiling it utterly.
Sheila's game of the bits of the body is a clever device for telling Ivo's story and The A - Z of You and Me is such a well-crafted work: the plotting and the pacing are as practically perfect as in any novel I've ever read. The writing is quietly emotional; affecting, but never mawkish or saccharine - And now I'm aware that I keep saying how miserable Ivo's life has been, and the sadness is there, it pervades the narrative like the smell of vetivert, but the misery lies in Ivo's perception more than his reality. It is only at the end of his life that he can see the whole picture; all the joy and many delights his life has held, and all embodied by a scented woollen blanket filled with memories.
This is a wonderful book. Though the tale itself is not particularly fresh or original (how many novels are?), the execution is, and the ending is faultless, and absolute perfection.
Ivo lies in a hospice bed; he is forty years old and he's waiting for death. His nurse, the kind and caring, funny Sheila - were you waiting out in the corridor? You came straight in. Oh yeah, keeping vigil outside your room every minute of the day, sweetheart. And it's only a coincidence that's where we keep the biscuits - suggests a game to stop him going bananas: to think up an alphabet of body-parts, and each one holds a memory, a story. Some of them are sad (Feet: 'Mum rubs my feet. I can see she's found my card. Happy Father's Day. Mum must have dug it out of the bin); some are funny (chesticles: tiny breasts like wasp stings); some angry (Jugular: There's definitely a way you can kill someone if you know the right pressure points); or uplifting (Wings: A bird. A fluttering bird. Hold our hands against the sky. Two songbirds, fluttering on the eddies. That's when we'll be together, mingling in the wind); but most, by far, are sad (Kidneys: I've put off making this call for as long as I can. There has always been that finest thread of hope. The tiniest thread that I'm about to snap forever). The game is not the happy experience Sheila intended. For Ivo, it becomes a soul-wrenching journey through a sad and wasted life; a search for redemption; a hunt for the cause of all his wrong-turns, and wherever he looks, he finds, at the eye of every storm, one constant, his selfish, boorish, ego-centric 'friend' Mal. But is that true? There's plenty I could say about the very end of this very good book, but I risk spoiling it utterly.
Sheila's game of the bits of the body is a clever device for telling Ivo's story and The A - Z of You and Me is such a well-crafted work: the plotting and the pacing are as practically perfect as in any novel I've ever read. The writing is quietly emotional; affecting, but never mawkish or saccharine - And now I'm aware that I keep saying how miserable Ivo's life has been, and the sadness is there, it pervades the narrative like the smell of vetivert, but the misery lies in Ivo's perception more than his reality. It is only at the end of his life that he can see the whole picture; all the joy and many delights his life has held, and all embodied by a scented woollen blanket filled with memories.
This is a wonderful book. Though the tale itself is not particularly fresh or original (how many novels are?), the execution is, and the ending is faultless, and absolute perfection.
March 13, 2015
The A to Z of You and Me by James Hannah is a story of love, loss, truth, redemption, of life and death.
As forty year old Ivo lays in his hospice bed awaiting the end, his nurse suggests he play a simple game to distract himself. For each letter of the alphabet, he is to name a part of his body and recall a positive memory relating to it. A is for Adam's apple, and anus and ankle, B is for blood, C is for chesticles... and slowly Ivo's lifetime of achievements, regrets and failures is revealed.
"‘You find suddenly you’ve done all these terrible things for - for no reason, almost. Things that didn’t seem terrible at the time, you know? And not for a long time. But you find that - you know, your whole world’s changed because of them. Lots of people’s worlds. You’ve made your mark, whether you like it or not.’”
With each letter, Hannah unravels fragments of Ivo's past as he reminisces about family, friends and the love of his life, Mia. For Ivo the memories are often uncomfortable, there are parts of his life he doesn't want to think about, but a precious few make him smile.
"You’re everywhere. The memories of you, the shape of you. All the parts of my body seem to come together and remember you.”
Despite Ivo's encroaching fate, The A to Z of You and Me is not as bleak or as sentimental as may be expected. Hannah's portrayal of Ivo is raw and honest, but also compassionate. Darker moments are lightened by the humour and kindness of Ivo's nurse, Sheila, and the regular reminder that life, even in the midst of death, goes on.
The unique structure of the novel is appealing and works well, merging the past with the present. The pacing is good and the details of Ivo's life are teased out slowly to provide ongoing interest.
The A to Z of You and Me is an emotional and poignant story, a well written novel from a promising debut author.
March 13, 2015
I GULPED down this novel in one sitting, ignoring everybody in the house until I was done. It was so, so much more than I was expecting - Ivo's story is both heart breaking and infuriating. There were times when I wanted to reach in and shake him, shouting, "WHY??? WHY DID YOU DO THAT??? You KNEW what would happen if you did that!", which has to be an excellent indication of quite how attached I became to Ivo during our short time together.
Some characters in this story are downright loathsome, but so very easy to relate to. Everybody knows someone like Mal, (whether or not they are friends with him is another matter), if you have siblings you can understand Ivo's relationship with Laura, and anyone who has ever lost someone they love will relate to Ivo's relationship with Mia.
In short, I loved this novel. I loved Ivo, even though he made me cry, laugh and bloody furious in turn. James Hannah has written a beautiful, sensitive tale of love and loss, of anger and regret that will stay with me for a very long time.
Some characters in this story are downright loathsome, but so very easy to relate to. Everybody knows someone like Mal, (whether or not they are friends with him is another matter), if you have siblings you can understand Ivo's relationship with Laura, and anyone who has ever lost someone they love will relate to Ivo's relationship with Mia.
In short, I loved this novel. I loved Ivo, even though he made me cry, laugh and bloody furious in turn. James Hannah has written a beautiful, sensitive tale of love and loss, of anger and regret that will stay with me for a very long time.
August 2, 2015
This book was presented to me as a book club read and at first I thought, oh dear, a book set in a hospice, this might be a depressing read. How wrong was I. This was beautifully written and through the concept of Ivo recounting his past by taking a letter of the alphabet, we find out about the man, and his past, his regrets and eventually why he is in the hospice. Ivo is a solitary man, he doesn't want visitors and he seems to push people away but the scenes with the young girl whose mother is dying in the next room showed another side to him. It was so very moving and yes it was sad but also uplifting and I am so glad that I read it. Don't make my initial mistake and write it off, this might just be one of your best reads of the year.
December 22, 2015
Adam's apple, Blood. Chesticles, Diaphragm, Eyes, Face, Gut, Heart, Insulin, Kidneys, Lips, Muscles, Nose, Palm, Quim, Rib, Skin, Tear ducts, Uvula, Voice, Wings...
That's how hard I read this book that I memorized most of the Ivo's A-Z without even peeking into the book and successfully know most of it by heart. That's how much I dig this book.
The story was mainly set at a place where Ivo currently lives and get treated from kidney failure. To get him distracted, Sheila the nurse, suggested him to play the a-z game where with every alphabet he has to link it to a body part and tell a story.
Right from the beginning, I could already tell that this would be one moving book and it sure was.
It flows so subtly from Ivo's childhood memories and his growing older and I like how Ivo tells his whole life story slowly just by bringing you to point A-Z. Although it's easier said than done, I've loved every single page of this book.
Throughout reading this book, my heart goes out to Ivo completely and utterly. James Hannah did such a great job incorporating Ivo's whole life in such a melancholy and ideally depressing way but also managed to slot in some hilarious and smile-worthy lines to lighten it all up. It's a balance of everything I want to read.
I couldn't help but wrench together with Ivo and couldn't help asking, ''What exactly did Ivo do wrong that he deserves all of it?''
Ivo was just a average man who fell in love with Mia (and her eyes) and just wanted things to stay that way. Where exactly did it go wrong for Ivo and Mia?
I love the little adventures of Ivo and Mia in the morning to decorate the trees, I love the way Mia cares so much about Ivo and how concerned she is about Ivo's health, I love how Ivo loves Mia so much and I love they way Ivo tells the story of them together.
What exactly pains me the most is that I actually foresee Ivo's life as anyone else's too - ageing and growing old and losing people and screwing things up as humans do.
It saddens me to know that ageing and growing old might not be easy.
It saddens me that we all might end up just being average or worse a nobody.
It saddens me that many would grow old as unhappy and miserable as Ivo
and I feel that no one deserves that kind of loneliness and pain, and definitely not Ivo.
That's how hard I read this book that I memorized most of the Ivo's A-Z without even peeking into the book and successfully know most of it by heart. That's how much I dig this book.
The story was mainly set at a place where Ivo currently lives and get treated from kidney failure. To get him distracted, Sheila the nurse, suggested him to play the a-z game where with every alphabet he has to link it to a body part and tell a story.
Right from the beginning, I could already tell that this would be one moving book and it sure was.
It flows so subtly from Ivo's childhood memories and his growing older and I like how Ivo tells his whole life story slowly just by bringing you to point A-Z. Although it's easier said than done, I've loved every single page of this book.
Throughout reading this book, my heart goes out to Ivo completely and utterly. James Hannah did such a great job incorporating Ivo's whole life in such a melancholy and ideally depressing way but also managed to slot in some hilarious and smile-worthy lines to lighten it all up. It's a balance of everything I want to read.
I couldn't help but wrench together with Ivo and couldn't help asking, ''What exactly did Ivo do wrong that he deserves all of it?''
Ivo was just a average man who fell in love with Mia (and her eyes) and just wanted things to stay that way. Where exactly did it go wrong for Ivo and Mia?
I love the little adventures of Ivo and Mia in the morning to decorate the trees, I love the way Mia cares so much about Ivo and how concerned she is about Ivo's health, I love how Ivo loves Mia so much and I love they way Ivo tells the story of them together.
What exactly pains me the most is that I actually foresee Ivo's life as anyone else's too - ageing and growing old and losing people and screwing things up as humans do.
It saddens me to know that ageing and growing old might not be easy.
It saddens me that we all might end up just being average or worse a nobody.
It saddens me that many would grow old as unhappy and miserable as Ivo
and I feel that no one deserves that kind of loneliness and pain, and definitely not Ivo.
February 1, 2015
Ivo is in a hospice. He is a young man, he does not belong in this place you would think. Sadly for Ivo he knows this and he is as he lies in his bed, thinking over the life he has led so far and what trouble there has been and what love he has had and subsequently lost.
We don't know why Ivo is in a hospice. We know very little about him and there seems to be no or few visitors. He is isolated. He blames people. He does not want to face the guilt of his past. His only contact is with Sheila the nurse with a sense of humour and wanting to give Ivo and everyone a sense of purpose even if they are coming towards the end of their lives.
Sheila uses the A to Z game. Name a body part and tell a story about it relating to your past. Ivo takes up this challenge somewhat reluctantly but anything to stop his mind becoming too anxious. And as you start to think yourself as parts of a body, we learn about Ivo.
As this recollection continues through the book, we start to get a picture of the man who is lying in this bed. How he came to be there? What went on before him? What effect he had on others around him?
This is ultimately a sad book, but there is something rather refreshing about it. It's style is different as we go through the alphabet piecing together the story. The structure is strong as the story unravels in front of us. At times I felt like I was intruding on something so precious, so beautiful and desperately sad that I did want to cry. At others I felt I was sharing in the 'gallows' humour that made me chuckle, as one memory triggered another.
As Ivo finds peace with the emotions and actions that have affected his life? Will the ultimate action mean he can now return to his one yearning - his only true love?
It has such a gentleness about it, that you want to hold onto its memories, you somehow treat the book and the story with some sort of reverence not afforded to other novels. It is not a book to pick up if you want some light reading but that does not make in a turn a difficult read. You need to be in a gentle place to read this and get the most out of it. A debut novel with a difference, it is going to make people talk.
We don't know why Ivo is in a hospice. We know very little about him and there seems to be no or few visitors. He is isolated. He blames people. He does not want to face the guilt of his past. His only contact is with Sheila the nurse with a sense of humour and wanting to give Ivo and everyone a sense of purpose even if they are coming towards the end of their lives.
Sheila uses the A to Z game. Name a body part and tell a story about it relating to your past. Ivo takes up this challenge somewhat reluctantly but anything to stop his mind becoming too anxious. And as you start to think yourself as parts of a body, we learn about Ivo.
As this recollection continues through the book, we start to get a picture of the man who is lying in this bed. How he came to be there? What went on before him? What effect he had on others around him?
This is ultimately a sad book, but there is something rather refreshing about it. It's style is different as we go through the alphabet piecing together the story. The structure is strong as the story unravels in front of us. At times I felt like I was intruding on something so precious, so beautiful and desperately sad that I did want to cry. At others I felt I was sharing in the 'gallows' humour that made me chuckle, as one memory triggered another.
As Ivo finds peace with the emotions and actions that have affected his life? Will the ultimate action mean he can now return to his one yearning - his only true love?
It has such a gentleness about it, that you want to hold onto its memories, you somehow treat the book and the story with some sort of reverence not afforded to other novels. It is not a book to pick up if you want some light reading but that does not make in a turn a difficult read. You need to be in a gentle place to read this and get the most out of it. A debut novel with a difference, it is going to make people talk.
December 27, 2016
Ivo doesn't have much time anymore and he spends his last weeks in a hospice. He's staring at the walls and there isn't much to do except waiting for the inevitable. His nurse Sheila tells him to do the A to Z game. He has to think of a body part for each letter and then he has to come up with a story that goes with it. The game brings all kinds of memories to the surface. Ivo thinks about his family, his friends and most of all the love of his life. Unfortunately this doesn't bring him peace. His past is tragic and there's a lot he wants to forget. He refuses to see anyone any longer, but maybe visitors are what he needs even if those visits are difficult.
The A to Z of You and Me is a beautiful story about a dying man who hasn't always made the right choices. Ivo hasn't looked after his body the way he should have. He was easily influenced and didn't take care of himself at times. He has a story to tell, a sad and real one. I read this story with tears in my eyes. Even though Ivo is a broken man in many ways he has loved deeply. There are so many emotional layers and James Hannah has explored each and every one of them thoroughly which results in a brilliant story. He describes Ivo's illness and approaching death in a sensitive way and there's a lot of compassion, warmth and kindness in his story telling.
James Hannah has an open and honest writing style. His descriptions are vivid and clear and he uses the exact right amount of words. I loved his sentences and the way Ivo talks to the love of his life. It was raw and heartbreaking, but also sweet at the same time. There's always a balance so the story doesn't become too heavy. The ending is surprising and fitting. There's no hope that Ivo can survive, but there's still a small trace of hope in the story. I kept wishing he would be able to get some closure before it would be too late. Ivo really got under my skin and I read The A to Z of You and Me in one sitting. I absolutely loved this amazing, moving novel.
The A to Z of You and Me is a beautiful story about a dying man who hasn't always made the right choices. Ivo hasn't looked after his body the way he should have. He was easily influenced and didn't take care of himself at times. He has a story to tell, a sad and real one. I read this story with tears in my eyes. Even though Ivo is a broken man in many ways he has loved deeply. There are so many emotional layers and James Hannah has explored each and every one of them thoroughly which results in a brilliant story. He describes Ivo's illness and approaching death in a sensitive way and there's a lot of compassion, warmth and kindness in his story telling.
James Hannah has an open and honest writing style. His descriptions are vivid and clear and he uses the exact right amount of words. I loved his sentences and the way Ivo talks to the love of his life. It was raw and heartbreaking, but also sweet at the same time. There's always a balance so the story doesn't become too heavy. The ending is surprising and fitting. There's no hope that Ivo can survive, but there's still a small trace of hope in the story. I kept wishing he would be able to get some closure before it would be too late. Ivo really got under my skin and I read The A to Z of You and Me in one sitting. I absolutely loved this amazing, moving novel.
April 30, 2016
This is a heart-breaking story about a man who lies dying, one who paid a heavy price for polluting his body with drugs and booze. Losing the love of his life, long-term job, estrangement from his sister, Ivo was once a shining star but he fell in with the wrong people and one day made a devastating mistake that changes his life forever. Had he listened to his conscience, or heeded his body’s warning signs, his story may have had a ‘happily ever after’ ending, but it doesn’t. Living with kidney failure, subjected to dialysis three times a week for years, and being injected with morphine to ease pain is Ivo’s reality. Living in a body that no longer seems to be his own.
Ivo has a lot of time to think about things he should have said or done, or not said or done. Enter his angel of a nurse, Sheila, a hard-working caring professional who always seems to know the right thing to say, whose wise words include her advice to a grudge-carrying Ivo to “don’t leave anything unsaid to the people who matter. It only takes a few words to change your world.” Will he be able to forgive the people in his life who played a part in getting him where he is today?
The “A to Z” comes to play when Sheila suggests an “A to Z” list as a way to pass the time. Ivo begins to define an ‘A to Z’ list that includes things he’s got but doesn’t know about or as he says, ‘The things I never paid attention to in biology at school.”
Watching Ivo’s life implode was heartbreaking; bad choices to ‘fit in’ and feelings of invincibility make people do reckless things and can change life in a heartbeat.
The weight of guilt, the strength of friendship, consequences and forgiveness are at the heart of this quite quirky yet very touching novel by first time writer James Hannah.
Ivo has a lot of time to think about things he should have said or done, or not said or done. Enter his angel of a nurse, Sheila, a hard-working caring professional who always seems to know the right thing to say, whose wise words include her advice to a grudge-carrying Ivo to “don’t leave anything unsaid to the people who matter. It only takes a few words to change your world.” Will he be able to forgive the people in his life who played a part in getting him where he is today?
The “A to Z” comes to play when Sheila suggests an “A to Z” list as a way to pass the time. Ivo begins to define an ‘A to Z’ list that includes things he’s got but doesn’t know about or as he says, ‘The things I never paid attention to in biology at school.”
Watching Ivo’s life implode was heartbreaking; bad choices to ‘fit in’ and feelings of invincibility make people do reckless things and can change life in a heartbeat.
The weight of guilt, the strength of friendship, consequences and forgiveness are at the heart of this quite quirky yet very touching novel by first time writer James Hannah.
March 2, 2015
Books about terminal illness are a current trend. But unlike most of these, The A - Z of You and Me isn't overly sentimental. There are no sob stories and no final messages to loved ones. It's not bogged down with details of death and illness, but is an uplifting yet sad story of misspent youth, bad life choices and the repercussions of self-destruction.
James Hannah has produced an original honest look at a life with plenty of regrets. This emotional journey made me laugh and cry, with wry humour on one page and sad revelations on the next.
To begin with, all you know is that Ivo is dying in a hospice, refusing any visitors. His nurse Sheila suggests a game to pass the time - go through the alphabet from A to Z, find a part of your body for each letter and think of a story or memory relating to it.
The A - Z of You and Me carries a whole host of emotions - love, guilt, blame, hopelessness, loneliness, shame and grief. I expected the book to be disjointed - literally just an A to Z list - but it is so creative and well written that it flows seamlessly from beginning to end, each entry linking to the next. As the story unravels, Ivo's journey to the hospice is revealed, alongside snapshots from his past.
The A - Z of You and Me covers a difficult topic, but I found it to be an easy read with a perfect pace throughout. The ending, in particular, is beautifully written and well-deserved.
I received an Advanced Reader Copy from NetGalley and Doubleday in exchange for an honest review.
James Hannah has produced an original honest look at a life with plenty of regrets. This emotional journey made me laugh and cry, with wry humour on one page and sad revelations on the next.
To begin with, all you know is that Ivo is dying in a hospice, refusing any visitors. His nurse Sheila suggests a game to pass the time - go through the alphabet from A to Z, find a part of your body for each letter and think of a story or memory relating to it.
The A - Z of You and Me carries a whole host of emotions - love, guilt, blame, hopelessness, loneliness, shame and grief. I expected the book to be disjointed - literally just an A to Z list - but it is so creative and well written that it flows seamlessly from beginning to end, each entry linking to the next. As the story unravels, Ivo's journey to the hospice is revealed, alongside snapshots from his past.
The A - Z of You and Me covers a difficult topic, but I found it to be an easy read with a perfect pace throughout. The ending, in particular, is beautifully written and well-deserved.
I received an Advanced Reader Copy from NetGalley and Doubleday in exchange for an honest review.
February 18, 2015
This is an incredibly sad and powerful book. Hannah's novel centres on Ivo in his hospital bed, dying. To take his mind off his pain, nurse Sheila sets him the task of thinking of a body part for each letter of the alphabet. So begins a disjointed revealing of how Ivo came to be in hospital, of his loves, his friends, his losses, his misspent youth. The trope could feel gimmicky, but Hannah's sensitive writing, his portrayal of even the bad guys as understandable, means you never resent the author for using this model to power the novel forward.
Hannah's characters are not likeable, they are selfish, drug users, inconstant friends and so Ivo's on off girlfriend Mia stands out as an almost angelic figure. The herd mentality, the pull of family and long standing relationships away from new ones, from better opportunities is explored without judgement. These are young people doing the foolish things that youth and lack of self esteem or self knowledge lead them to do. The impact of seemingly insignificant decisions, a few drinks, a night out at a club, moving in with a certain flatmate, have huge consequences for all that they could never conceive of at the time. The book shows how the simplest things can be hardest to attain, how jealousy and mistrust corrode even the purest love. How we can be our own worst enemies and that it takes very little to get pulled away from the life you want and in to one the complete opposite of all you think good.
As well as exploring the emotional side of Ivo's life, the novel is gripping in its descriptions of how it feels to be unwell, the cold across his knees once in a wheelchair, the waiting for someone to relieve his pain, the need for moisture to be brushed against his lips. The cruelty of Ivo's illness paired with his isolation from loved ones makes this a truly heartbreaking work that stays with you long after the last page.
A graduate of Curtis Brown's Creative Writing course, Hannah has produced a touching novel. I'm sure I will be one of many who look forward to his next.
Hannah's characters are not likeable, they are selfish, drug users, inconstant friends and so Ivo's on off girlfriend Mia stands out as an almost angelic figure. The herd mentality, the pull of family and long standing relationships away from new ones, from better opportunities is explored without judgement. These are young people doing the foolish things that youth and lack of self esteem or self knowledge lead them to do. The impact of seemingly insignificant decisions, a few drinks, a night out at a club, moving in with a certain flatmate, have huge consequences for all that they could never conceive of at the time. The book shows how the simplest things can be hardest to attain, how jealousy and mistrust corrode even the purest love. How we can be our own worst enemies and that it takes very little to get pulled away from the life you want and in to one the complete opposite of all you think good.
As well as exploring the emotional side of Ivo's life, the novel is gripping in its descriptions of how it feels to be unwell, the cold across his knees once in a wheelchair, the waiting for someone to relieve his pain, the need for moisture to be brushed against his lips. The cruelty of Ivo's illness paired with his isolation from loved ones makes this a truly heartbreaking work that stays with you long after the last page.
A graduate of Curtis Brown's Creative Writing course, Hannah has produced a touching novel. I'm sure I will be one of many who look forward to his next.
August 31, 2015
The A-Z Of You And Me is wonderfully sad with a touch of humour. A delight to read with perceptive detail and a slightly quirky style. James Hannah slowly reveals forty year old Ivo's touching story and current predicament. An excellent debut that will both amuse and move you and one I can highly recommend.
Ivo lies terminally ill in the St Leonards hospice and his amazingly lovely nurse Sheila suggests he plays the A-Z game to occupy his mind. You must alphabetically name a different part of the body and with each part provide a relevant short story. And so Ivo begins and with each letter and body part Ivo tells us important elements of his past life.
The love of Ivo's life has been Mia and this book in large part is their love story. How they met, fell in love and how Ivo remembers her in the past and how he feels about her now. We meet his family and his closest friends. But there is unfinished business here and the book beautifully tells us what it is and how it is finally resolved.
Certainly a very memorable debut novel that can't fail to affect you. Human emotions, kindness and love when well written about can often produce excellent novels and James Hannah has achieved that here. Cleverly constructed producing a whole mix of emotions this book is one you really should read and I'm sure you will enjoy it as much as I and many other readers already have.
July 13, 2015
I read this because it was recommended to people who loved Me Before You (one of my favorite books). Maybe that's why I only gave The A to Z of You and Me two stars - I was constantly comparing the two books. While Me Before You put me through an emotional rollercoaster (I still get choked up if I think about it for too long), this one left me untouched, unmoved. Clearly by the rave reviews, I'm in the minority. I will say the writing is beautiful, and I would definitely read other books that James Hannah writes.
January 23, 2016
This is a such a special book that has really stayed with me. It is beautifully written, carefully crafted and incredibly moving. I can't think of many other books that have tackled a sad subject like this with such lightness of touch, pace and humour - I just need more people to read it now so I can talk about it with someone!
May 30, 2022
Eh. This was an okay book, but sad and depressing with a character I not only couldn't relate to but wanted to punch in the face. And the writing style (labeled as "spare" in a cover blurb) was choppy and unappealing. And it had a bad ending, which sort of ruined any chance I may have had of liking it. And it wasn't even A to Z. It was A to X.
June 11, 2022
I have never cried this much at a book. The themes of tragic loss, wrong paths and ((especially)) end of life care really touched quite raw nerves of mine. There were elements to the plot that angered me; I just wanted to shake Ivo and tell him to walk away from the toxic people he calls his friends, but evidently his retrospective retelling of events is the characters way of doing this himself. I truly loved reading this book, even if it broke my heart.
February 20, 2016
I received and electronic copy of this publication in exchange for an honest review.
3/5 Stars
This is the story of Ivo. Ivo is a 40 year old man who is in a hospice dying of kidney failure. Estranged from his friends and family, Ivo seeks solace from his nurse, Sheila. To pass the time and keep his mind active, Sheila gives him a game to play. For every letter of the alphabet, think of a body part and a story from his life to go with it. So Ivo starts, narrating the important bits of his life back to us through alphabetical body parts, giving us the story of love found and lost, friends and family close then torn apart, and ultimately how he wound up in the hospice all alone.
I really did enjoy this book and Ivo's story, but it falls short on the rating a bit for me simply because it didn't really wow me. Hannah's writing is absolutely brilliant and strings you right along for each letter of the alphabet. There is a consistent pace throughout. You could sit down and read this easily in one sitting. It doesn't really lull either, which is fantastic. Ivo is also a really likable character. He's not perfect and he knows it, he doesn't play the victim. He knows he is responsible for the events transpired in his life and isn't quick to pass blame.
Where it fell short for me was the tragedy that ultimately tore everyone apart, and the underlying moral of the story that I felt wasn't executed as strongly as the books description would imply. The event that transpires, that the whole story is building up to, just feels so cliche. I really don't know how to say that without sounding somewhat monstrous, implying that someones death could be cliche, but it is. While I understand it would be difficult to find a way to alter the events while keeping the same outcomes, it was just an overused tragedy for me and it definitely took away some of the shock factor. Well, that and the fact that you could tell what was coming from a mile away.
Not every story needs a moral, but The A to Z of You and Me promises a greater message just from its cover blurb. That is not untrue. There are definitely some themes here that get you thinking. But there impact is not as profound as I had expected. Ivo spends a great deal of time being stubborn in his resolve to not see any visitors in the hospice, and yet at the very end he seems so incredibly quick to forgive. I understood the urgency of the situation, but it just felt a little off to me.
If you're thinking of picking up this book for some light reading, I'd say do it. The story here is not undeserving of your attention, it just might not impact you in the ways you thought.
3/5 Stars
This is the story of Ivo. Ivo is a 40 year old man who is in a hospice dying of kidney failure. Estranged from his friends and family, Ivo seeks solace from his nurse, Sheila. To pass the time and keep his mind active, Sheila gives him a game to play. For every letter of the alphabet, think of a body part and a story from his life to go with it. So Ivo starts, narrating the important bits of his life back to us through alphabetical body parts, giving us the story of love found and lost, friends and family close then torn apart, and ultimately how he wound up in the hospice all alone.
I really did enjoy this book and Ivo's story, but it falls short on the rating a bit for me simply because it didn't really wow me. Hannah's writing is absolutely brilliant and strings you right along for each letter of the alphabet. There is a consistent pace throughout. You could sit down and read this easily in one sitting. It doesn't really lull either, which is fantastic. Ivo is also a really likable character. He's not perfect and he knows it, he doesn't play the victim. He knows he is responsible for the events transpired in his life and isn't quick to pass blame.
Where it fell short for me was the tragedy that ultimately tore everyone apart, and the underlying moral of the story that I felt wasn't executed as strongly as the books description would imply. The event that transpires, that the whole story is building up to, just feels so cliche. I really don't know how to say that without sounding somewhat monstrous, implying that someones death could be cliche, but it is. While I understand it would be difficult to find a way to alter the events while keeping the same outcomes, it was just an overused tragedy for me and it definitely took away some of the shock factor. Well, that and the fact that you could tell what was coming from a mile away.
"'What you don't get right, you can always put right. Don't be afraid to change your mind.'"
Not every story needs a moral, but The A to Z of You and Me promises a greater message just from its cover blurb. That is not untrue. There are definitely some themes here that get you thinking. But there impact is not as profound as I had expected. Ivo spends a great deal of time being stubborn in his resolve to not see any visitors in the hospice, and yet at the very end he seems so incredibly quick to forgive. I understood the urgency of the situation, but it just felt a little off to me.
If you're thinking of picking up this book for some light reading, I'd say do it. The story here is not undeserving of your attention, it just might not impact you in the ways you thought.
January 25, 2015
*ugly sniffing noises* *nose blowing* *wipes tears* right then. Review. *Sniffs* I'm good, I'm good. So this book is...well....as you can tell, it was a bit of a "I'm not gonna cry, I'm not gonna cry....don't cry....don't cry.......sobs all over the place" type book.
We start off merely knowing Ivo is dying in a hospice, and his nurse gives him a little game...find a body part to match each letter of the alphabet, and with each body part, we learn more about Ivo as he gives us a memory related to that body part, as well as small sections of his time in the hospice in the present day with visitors and so on.
I want to first state that while this book did make me cry at parts, it's not a depressing book at all. Seriously. I even had a small chuckle here and there. The book is fantastically written, it was like a mystery unfolding as you're trying to work out what exactly went on in the past, and putting the pieces of Ivo's life together, I sped through this with no problems, other than I couldn't predict what was going to happen and found myself being surprised at every turn.
You see all of Ivo's mistakes and how his decisions contributed to them, and it makes you think about your own life, and what you're doing and how something you do could end up affecting your life later down the line. I enjoyed the way the book looked at and portrayed relationships, the different ones you have and so on, and how they change your life and add to them and so on. They where all very well written.
The game being used to tell Ivo's story could have gone very, very wrong, but instead it went so right, and it's hard to believe this is the authors debut novel, the device for telling Ivo's story is fantastically well executed and I can't imagine Ivo's story being told any other way, it just wouldn't work! The story has a fantastic pace, flowing through until the end, and it's an end that fits the book so perfectly, and fits Ivo.
I also feel I should mention he book showcases just how fantastic a job hospices and their staff do, it gives such a positive outlook, and I really enjoyed Sheila as a character. Not to mention Amber, I found that an interesting relationship. I felt like each character was very well written, each had more depth than you first thought, and you learn more about other characters as well as Ivo, as the story goes on. There's more than meets the eye with this story and its characters.
This book is beautifully written, original, and heart wrenching as well as uplifting, and it really makes you change your outlook on life and look at your own relationships with people.
We start off merely knowing Ivo is dying in a hospice, and his nurse gives him a little game...find a body part to match each letter of the alphabet, and with each body part, we learn more about Ivo as he gives us a memory related to that body part, as well as small sections of his time in the hospice in the present day with visitors and so on.
I want to first state that while this book did make me cry at parts, it's not a depressing book at all. Seriously. I even had a small chuckle here and there. The book is fantastically written, it was like a mystery unfolding as you're trying to work out what exactly went on in the past, and putting the pieces of Ivo's life together, I sped through this with no problems, other than I couldn't predict what was going to happen and found myself being surprised at every turn.
You see all of Ivo's mistakes and how his decisions contributed to them, and it makes you think about your own life, and what you're doing and how something you do could end up affecting your life later down the line. I enjoyed the way the book looked at and portrayed relationships, the different ones you have and so on, and how they change your life and add to them and so on. They where all very well written.
The game being used to tell Ivo's story could have gone very, very wrong, but instead it went so right, and it's hard to believe this is the authors debut novel, the device for telling Ivo's story is fantastically well executed and I can't imagine Ivo's story being told any other way, it just wouldn't work! The story has a fantastic pace, flowing through until the end, and it's an end that fits the book so perfectly, and fits Ivo.
I also feel I should mention he book showcases just how fantastic a job hospices and their staff do, it gives such a positive outlook, and I really enjoyed Sheila as a character. Not to mention Amber, I found that an interesting relationship. I felt like each character was very well written, each had more depth than you first thought, and you learn more about other characters as well as Ivo, as the story goes on. There's more than meets the eye with this story and its characters.
This book is beautifully written, original, and heart wrenching as well as uplifting, and it really makes you change your outlook on life and look at your own relationships with people.
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