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I Have a Bed Made of Buttermilk Pancakes
Cath Murphy, second-grade teacher, was feeling awkward and foolish, but she also felt this: quirky, cocky, small, funny, wicked and extremely blonde. As her mother liked to say, all meetings with new people, even locksmiths or seven-year-olds, can make you a little afraid. She was about to meet her new class and she had just met the new teacher: Warren Woodford.However, Cath Murphy has yet to meet the Zing family… "[Moriarty] has carefully and cleverly built an extraordinary book of great charm and originality… [the] narrative is studded with wry and lovely observations on life" (Sunday Telegraph)
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Der jungen Lehrerin Cath Murphy kommt ihr Leben total ereignislos und langweilig vor. Die junge Lehrerin, die auch noch unglücklich verliebt ist, ahnt nicht, dass eine ganze Familie mit nichts anderem beschäftigt ist, als sie zu beschatten und ihre Wünsche zu erfüllen. Die Zings sorgen dafür, dass Eminem Cath einen Song auf den Leib schreibt und dass sie von einem Olympiasieger im Schwimmen trainiert wird, von den anderen täglichen Überraschungen und Freuden mal ganz abgesehen … Warum die Zings das alles für Cath tun? Nun, das ist eine lange und seltsame Geschichte.
___________________________________________
Der jungen Lehrerin Cath Murphy kommt ihr Leben total ereignislos und langweilig vor. Die junge Lehrerin, die auch noch unglücklich verliebt ist, ahnt nicht, dass eine ganze Familie mit nichts anderem beschäftigt ist, als sie zu beschatten und ihre Wünsche zu erfüllen. Die Zings sorgen dafür, dass Eminem Cath einen Song auf den Leib schreibt und dass sie von einem Olympiasieger im Schwimmen trainiert wird, von den anderen täglichen Überraschungen und Freuden mal ganz abgesehen … Warum die Zings das alles für Cath tun? Nun, das ist eine lange und seltsame Geschichte.
424 pages, Paperback
First published November 1, 2004
17 people are currently reading
1060 people want to read
About the author
Jaclyn Moriarty
37 books1,531 followersJaclyn Moriarty is an Australian writer of young adult literature.
She studied English at the University of Sydney, and law at Yale University and Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge, where she was awarded a PhD.
She is the younger sister of Liane Moriarty. She was previously married to Canadian writer Colin McAdam, and has a son, Charlie. She currently lives in Sydney.
She studied English at the University of Sydney, and law at Yale University and Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge, where she was awarded a PhD.
She is the younger sister of Liane Moriarty. She was previously married to Canadian writer Colin McAdam, and has a son, Charlie. She currently lives in Sydney.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 81 reviews
May 21, 2007
This is possibly the most underacknowledged book of all time. I am bowled over by Moriarty’s creativity upon every reread. IHABMOBP is clever, sweet, and kind of awesomely weird. Despite its quirkiness (or maybe because of it), I actually found it to be filled with little moments and observations that felt like they were lifted directly from my own experiences. The dialogue feels very real; Moriarty has an amazing grasp on the bizarre rhythm of actual conversations. Unfortunately, I think you have to order this book from Canada, but it’s absolutely worth it. I can’t praise this book enough.
Lenny’s bathroom had an apricot theme and an art nouveau pattern around the tiles. Cath looked at herself in the mirror and immediately knew that she was drunk: it was just as she’d suspected.
‘Nine times seven is sixty-three,’ she said to the mirror. So she was not all that drunk. She was still there, inside her head, doing her nine times tables. But that woman there, that woman in the mirror? Who is that, Cath Murphy, who is that?
Seven times nine is-
In reverse, it was not so good.
Lenny’s bathroom had an apricot theme and an art nouveau pattern around the tiles. Cath looked at herself in the mirror and immediately knew that she was drunk: it was just as she’d suspected.
‘Nine times seven is sixty-three,’ she said to the mirror. So she was not all that drunk. She was still there, inside her head, doing her nine times tables. But that woman there, that woman in the mirror? Who is that, Cath Murphy, who is that?
Seven times nine is-
In reverse, it was not so good.
December 3, 2009
I don't particularly like singling one book out of the masses and labeling it as my favourite. But, when I'm called upon to do so, I generally say this one. This is the book I most wish I had written myself. It is completely adorable and whimsical whilst still feeling very reflective of every day life. It is as if Moriarty has filtered ordinary events through a romantic, magical lense.
August 27, 2019
“The three-legged race was not pointless. You used these skills when you ran in the rain with your arm around your lover’s waist.”
There is an element of Dr. Seuss prevalent throughout this novel, a kind of “Who-ville” aspect that really appealed to my quirky sense of humour. I read my first Jaclyn Moriarty earlier this year – her latest release for adults, Gravity is the Thing – and her style had instant appeal for me. I Have a Bed Made of Buttermilk Pancakes was first released back in 2004, so it has been a long time between adult fiction releases for Jaclyn. This novel though, is quite extraordinary. Truly original and so much fun with a fair bit of poignancy thrown into the mix. Jaclyn writes with an emphasis that jumps right off the page along with well-timed irony and plenty of humorous instances of stating the obvious – even if it is only with introspect. It is quintessentially Australian without any stereotypes and it dates very well – almost a classic in the making. At the heart of this novel is a mystery like no other and it amused me greatly once all the pieces of this charmingly puzzling book began to fall into place. If you read Gravity is the Thing this year and have a yearning for more of Jaclyn Moriarty, then wind back the years and pick up I Have a Bed Made of Buttermilk Pancakes. You will be utterly delighted with it.
“The complication was this: that, sometimes, in the darkest part of the night, she wished that the Secret continued. While her cheeks burned, angry and humiliated by their surveillance, somewhere in her heart was the cold recognition that now she was truly alone. It was almost as if, all her life, she had intuitively known they were watching and had basked in the limelight.”
There is an element of Dr. Seuss prevalent throughout this novel, a kind of “Who-ville” aspect that really appealed to my quirky sense of humour. I read my first Jaclyn Moriarty earlier this year – her latest release for adults, Gravity is the Thing – and her style had instant appeal for me. I Have a Bed Made of Buttermilk Pancakes was first released back in 2004, so it has been a long time between adult fiction releases for Jaclyn. This novel though, is quite extraordinary. Truly original and so much fun with a fair bit of poignancy thrown into the mix. Jaclyn writes with an emphasis that jumps right off the page along with well-timed irony and plenty of humorous instances of stating the obvious – even if it is only with introspect. It is quintessentially Australian without any stereotypes and it dates very well – almost a classic in the making. At the heart of this novel is a mystery like no other and it amused me greatly once all the pieces of this charmingly puzzling book began to fall into place. If you read Gravity is the Thing this year and have a yearning for more of Jaclyn Moriarty, then wind back the years and pick up I Have a Bed Made of Buttermilk Pancakes. You will be utterly delighted with it.
“The complication was this: that, sometimes, in the darkest part of the night, she wished that the Secret continued. While her cheeks burned, angry and humiliated by their surveillance, somewhere in her heart was the cold recognition that now she was truly alone. It was almost as if, all her life, she had intuitively known they were watching and had basked in the limelight.”
June 13, 2018
I read this book more than ten years ago and I still keep going back to it every now and again. The whimsy, the imagination and the quirkiness belies an incredibly tender warmth for a family. There is some real beauty in its characters, and in their relationships.
An old favourite. Enough so that to this day I still occasionally find myself thinking 'it was an action she would regret for the rest of her life' as I do something otherwise benign. Amazing.
An old favourite. Enough so that to this day I still occasionally find myself thinking 'it was an action she would regret for the rest of her life' as I do something otherwise benign. Amazing.
September 19, 2007
One of the most oddly-written, weird books I've probably ever read. I thought it was going to be a type of family chick-lit book with a bit of magic thrown in, but it was just, like, what? Little made sense until the end, and even then it was still only an alright book. It really wasn't anything like what I expected it to be. And it was a long thing, too.
September 23, 2015
This was another cover crush for me… I just couldn’t resist hot air balloon on cover, for some reason, and since I loved Jaclyn Moriarty’s The Colours of Madelaine series, I had certain expectations of this book.
As always, there are good reviews and bad though they all agreed that the writing is quirky. The Colours of Madelaine books were quirky and I loved it though I found it hard to sell to my book-club mates (most of them think she tried too hard) so I don’t have an issue with quirkiness. I was really looking forward to this, actually, and as I began reading, really enjoyed it… I even nearly snort-laughed which was a pretty good effort.
I think if you’re not an Aussie and specifically, Sydney-sider, you’d miss the references to ‘Banana Bar’, frozen chocolate coated banana, ‘Pie in the Sky’, etc. But as I happened to be one, I can understand her wistfulness in each of these things and wishing for them too! Time for a family road trip, methinks.
Halfway through the book, however, I started to be disillusioned with the book. Yes, it was fun but oh, there was too many secrets and betrayals that the whole story felt fractured. There is “the secret” which was supposed to be the twist but I didn’t even enjoy it… Did not like “the secret” and it didn’t catch me by surprise either.
On the book cover, this is marketed as “a fairytale for grown-up”. I’m sorry, this isn’t much of a ‘fairytale’… I could not pin point true-love and what was the moral of the story again? Hhhmmm, I’m just not convinced. In summary, as my 1 year old would say, ‘Beh!’
As always, there are good reviews and bad though they all agreed that the writing is quirky. The Colours of Madelaine books were quirky and I loved it though I found it hard to sell to my book-club mates (most of them think she tried too hard) so I don’t have an issue with quirkiness. I was really looking forward to this, actually, and as I began reading, really enjoyed it… I even nearly snort-laughed which was a pretty good effort.
I think if you’re not an Aussie and specifically, Sydney-sider, you’d miss the references to ‘Banana Bar’, frozen chocolate coated banana, ‘Pie in the Sky’, etc. But as I happened to be one, I can understand her wistfulness in each of these things and wishing for them too! Time for a family road trip, methinks.
Halfway through the book, however, I started to be disillusioned with the book. Yes, it was fun but oh, there was too many secrets and betrayals that the whole story felt fractured. There is “the secret” which was supposed to be the twist but I didn’t even enjoy it… Did not like “the secret” and it didn’t catch me by surprise either.
On the book cover, this is marketed as “a fairytale for grown-up”. I’m sorry, this isn’t much of a ‘fairytale’… I could not pin point true-love and what was the moral of the story again? Hhhmmm, I’m just not convinced. In summary, as my 1 year old would say, ‘Beh!’
August 11, 2018
I loved this book. It was ambitious as well as heart-warming, sharp, funny and insightful. The story centres on women's romantic lives and family relationships,and is told using an ambitious and cleverly-executed narrative structure. I liked this combination of an ambitious style and well-observed, real emotional situations and experiences. There were many insightful observations about women's experiences of relationships with men, sometimes told through bizarre but beautiful analogies. I found the three main women characters very engaging. The teenage character was also very well-written. I thought the author did well to have convincing adult and teenage characters. The magic-realism was well-written but not my favourite part. The emotional landscape of the characters was very well-observed and touching.
April 17, 2015
This book and "The Spell Book of Listen Taylor" cover the same events in different ways. It's a little confusing to say the least. I think this one might be the better retelling but since I read the other one a few years ago I could be wrong.
August 1, 2017
A list of things I really dislike about this book:
1. The fact that no one noticed that Cassie clearly has some form of OCD or anxiety & then proceeded to *help* this child? Ditto lack of help for Listen??? Who is clearly lonely, probably depressed, isolated etc. Um hello!! Pay attention to your children!! Please! Like sure they did in the very end for Listen but it took over a year?
2. the sheer intensity of the stalking??? the Zings had photos of everything, including Cath's *ankles*, sooo many people in her life watching her (including her freakin' cat!), a complete and total invasion of her privacy, meetings about it every week, like...the whole thing is really creepy, regardless of the situation or intentions. C'mon. Seriously??
3. The sheer number of affairs??! if they're not directly participating in one, they're fantasising about it. ffs.
4. where the hell is my magic??? Listen's spell book aside this is...not what i expected & certainly not what i wanted. i did enjoy the way it all linked up though, that was well done & surprisingly subtle.
5. This is something I noticed on re-reading one of Moriaty's young adult books earlier this year, but I actually find her writing style intensely annoying. Some bits are ok (Cath's mostly, & Listen's) but others are just!! so !! annoying!!! I don't know if it's just trying to "be in the characters" but it doesn't work.
6. This book doesn't seem to know what it wants to be, it's messy and there's a fair bit of unnecessary repetition. There's just...bad writing. It's disappointing.
It's not *all* bad. Some of it's fun, the twist would've been a surprise if I hadn't got annoyed and read a spoiler, the characters...are a little too 'trying-to-be-different" but do have hints of genuine depth. Moriarty writes kids well, and Listen is lovely, though I would've liked more depth from her. (Does this come out in "Listen Taylor's Spell Book"?) But overall this is just...disappointing.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 15, 2007
Sorta like children's lit. with a grown-up twist...a little weird. Took me awhile to get into it (I actually almost considered not continuing) but when you're stuck in a tiny apartment in Glasgow with crap tv you gotta do something! About half way it got interesting, enough to drive me to finish it. Heart-warming at times but generally just silly.
October 19, 2007
Fun, creative, adorable, and highly recommended.
July 12, 2007
Very quirky, very gripping and very enjoyable!!!
January 22, 2019
Ich bin ehrlich nicht ganz sicher wie ich dieses Buch raten soll.
Ich habe es in einem Zug durchgelesen und es war sehr unterhaltsam. Eine häufige Kritik, die ich gelesen habe, war dass Leute es verwirrend fanden, aber das ging mir gar nicht so. Im Gegenteil - die non-lineare Erzählweise war der Part, der mir am besten gefallen hat. Ich fand es großartig wie die Autorin vor und zurück (und zur Seite) gesprungen ist - wie man manchmal die Auswirkungen zuerst gelesen hat und dann erst Kapitel später in einem ganz anderen Zusammenhang erfahren hat wie es dazu kam. Auch die Perspektivwechsel fand ich sehr gut und literarisch eingesetzt.
Also Mrs Moriarty kann definitiv schreiben und beherrscht Pacing wie kaum eine Zweite. Kudos dafür.
Jetzt kommen wir aber zum negativen Part.
1.) Die Prämisse.
2.) Die Charaktere.
So in sich schlüssig der Plot auch erzählt ist (wer wann was macht und wie alles zusammenhängt etc.) kann das doch keine Sekunde darüber hinwegtäuschen, dass die Prämisse einfach kompletter Schwachsinn ist. Eine Familie tut sich zusammen um einen Menschen rund um die Uhr zu überwachen und ihr Geschenke zukommen zu lassen und ihr Leben zu verschönen? Und das alles weil ? Wieso hätten sie sie nicht einfach ???
Nichts daran macht irgendeinen Sinn. Außerdem ist es Stalking (ich meine, sie brechen regelmäßig bei ihr ein und bringen Kameras überall an!!!), aber die Autorin versucht es als quirky und adorkable darzustellen, was einfach nicht funktioniert.
Über die dämliche Prämisse hätte ich noch irgendwie hinwegsehen können, wenn ich nicht ein ganz anderes Problem mit dem Buch gehabt hätte.
Die Charaktere.
Abgesehen von Listen, die mir ehrlich und aufrichtig nah ging und die mir sehr ans Herz gewachsen ist und vielleicht noch Cassie, die echt süß war (die beiden Kinder halt), waren die Erwachsenen allesamt grässlich.
Cath ist so ein langweiliger, nichtssagender, stereotyper Charakter. Die ganze Art wie sie an ihre Affäre mit ihrem Kollegen rangeht (der genauso ein grässlicher Mensch ist) ist einfach nur ... langweilig. Dröge. Die Autorin versucht leider auch hier Quirkiness als Ersatz für einen Charakter zu verwenden und das funktioniert leider nicht. Alle Charaktere sind SO EXTRA. Sie haben alle lustige Ticks und sagen die ganze Zeit seltsame Dinge, sie tun quirky stuff. Aber sie haben null emotionale Tiefe. Sie sind alle wie Comicfiguren.
Und das ist das eigentlich, was ich dem Buch übel nehmen. Dass es am Ende völlig egal ist was passiert und wer mit wem zusammenbleibt oder sich trennt oder wen betrügt oder nicht. Weil die Charaktere vollkommen bedeutungslos sind und einem in keinster Weise nah gehen. Am meisten geärgert hat mich Marbie. Vielleicht weil sie so viel Potential gehabt hätte, aber leider am Ende die nervigste und hohlste von allen war.
Bei Fancy kam ganz am Ende wenigstens ein bisschen Character development - ein Ansatz, eine Prise, eine homöopathische Dosis. Aber bei allen anderen ... nope.
Und das ist das, was ich dem Buch viel mehr übel nehme, als die alberne Prämisse.
Schreib- und strukturtechnisch würde ich mir allerdings gerne das eine oder andere von der Autorin abgucken.
Ich habe es in einem Zug durchgelesen und es war sehr unterhaltsam. Eine häufige Kritik, die ich gelesen habe, war dass Leute es verwirrend fanden, aber das ging mir gar nicht so. Im Gegenteil - die non-lineare Erzählweise war der Part, der mir am besten gefallen hat. Ich fand es großartig wie die Autorin vor und zurück (und zur Seite) gesprungen ist - wie man manchmal die Auswirkungen zuerst gelesen hat und dann erst Kapitel später in einem ganz anderen Zusammenhang erfahren hat wie es dazu kam. Auch die Perspektivwechsel fand ich sehr gut und literarisch eingesetzt.
Also Mrs Moriarty kann definitiv schreiben und beherrscht Pacing wie kaum eine Zweite. Kudos dafür.
Jetzt kommen wir aber zum negativen Part.
1.) Die Prämisse.
2.) Die Charaktere.
So in sich schlüssig der Plot auch erzählt ist (wer wann was macht und wie alles zusammenhängt etc.) kann das doch keine Sekunde darüber hinwegtäuschen, dass die Prämisse einfach kompletter Schwachsinn ist. Eine Familie tut sich zusammen um einen Menschen rund um die Uhr zu überwachen und ihr Geschenke zukommen zu lassen und ihr Leben zu verschönen? Und das alles weil ? Wieso hätten sie sie nicht einfach ???
Nichts daran macht irgendeinen Sinn. Außerdem ist es Stalking (ich meine, sie brechen regelmäßig bei ihr ein und bringen Kameras überall an!!!), aber die Autorin versucht es als quirky und adorkable darzustellen, was einfach nicht funktioniert.
Über die dämliche Prämisse hätte ich noch irgendwie hinwegsehen können, wenn ich nicht ein ganz anderes Problem mit dem Buch gehabt hätte.
Die Charaktere.
Abgesehen von Listen, die mir ehrlich und aufrichtig nah ging und die mir sehr ans Herz gewachsen ist und vielleicht noch Cassie, die echt süß war (die beiden Kinder halt), waren die Erwachsenen allesamt grässlich.
Cath ist so ein langweiliger, nichtssagender, stereotyper Charakter. Die ganze Art wie sie an ihre Affäre mit ihrem Kollegen rangeht (der genauso ein grässlicher Mensch ist) ist einfach nur ... langweilig. Dröge. Die Autorin versucht leider auch hier Quirkiness als Ersatz für einen Charakter zu verwenden und das funktioniert leider nicht. Alle Charaktere sind SO EXTRA. Sie haben alle lustige Ticks und sagen die ganze Zeit seltsame Dinge, sie tun quirky stuff. Aber sie haben null emotionale Tiefe. Sie sind alle wie Comicfiguren.
Und das ist das eigentlich, was ich dem Buch übel nehmen. Dass es am Ende völlig egal ist was passiert und wer mit wem zusammenbleibt oder sich trennt oder wen betrügt oder nicht. Weil die Charaktere vollkommen bedeutungslos sind und einem in keinster Weise nah gehen. Am meisten geärgert hat mich Marbie. Vielleicht weil sie so viel Potential gehabt hätte, aber leider am Ende die nervigste und hohlste von allen war.
Bei Fancy kam ganz am Ende wenigstens ein bisschen Character development - ein Ansatz, eine Prise, eine homöopathische Dosis. Aber bei allen anderen ... nope.
Und das ist das, was ich dem Buch viel mehr übel nehme, als die alberne Prämisse.
Schreib- und strukturtechnisch würde ich mir allerdings gerne das eine oder andere von der Autorin abgucken.
June 23, 2023
A beautifully written book and it had some really interesting characters but I just didn't like the PLOT and the CHARACTER RELATIONSHIPS.
The Vogue quote on the cover said "A bewitching novel full of imaginative and unexpected twists and turns... Funny and completely charming". The first part, yes. The 'funny and completely charming' no.
I also found the blurb misleading, as it only mentions Cath Murphy, but Cath is only one of multiple narrators - the others being Fancy Zing, Marbie Zing, Listen Taylor, and Maude (Mrs Zing), plus a few more. Fancy, Marbie, and Listen would easily qualify just as much as Cath in the role of main character and narrator.
So why did I not like it? Because this was a novel about one unhappily dysfunctional family, multiple unhappy dysfunctional couples, and several unhappy dysfunctional children. It was a novel full of affairs and broken hearts and bullying and tragedy. I did make it to the end of the book where the denouement was fun and it all finally made sense, but it was uncomfortable to read throughout – not just because of the cheating and affairs but really because some of the characters were written as completely lacking in any ability to direct their own lives. The obvious example of this was Marbie Zing, who has a relationship she loves with a man she loves, yet has an affair for no apparent reason at all with a man she doesn't even like or find attractive. She was worried about doing something to ruin what she had, so perhaps she sabotaged herself. And given how she immediately spills the family secret to the man she sleeps with, perhaps we're meant to think the Zing Family Secret has driven her a bit mad? Certainly it created craziness for the family. But I found that kind of narration which glosses over character motivations so they appear to lack any agency while walking further and further towards unhappiness unpleasant to read, so this book just wasn't for me.
The Vogue quote on the cover said "A bewitching novel full of imaginative and unexpected twists and turns... Funny and completely charming". The first part, yes. The 'funny and completely charming' no.
I also found the blurb misleading, as it only mentions Cath Murphy, but Cath is only one of multiple narrators - the others being Fancy Zing, Marbie Zing, Listen Taylor, and Maude (Mrs Zing), plus a few more. Fancy, Marbie, and Listen would easily qualify just as much as Cath in the role of main character and narrator.
So why did I not like it? Because this was a novel about one unhappily dysfunctional family, multiple unhappy dysfunctional couples, and several unhappy dysfunctional children. It was a novel full of affairs and broken hearts and bullying and tragedy. I did make it to the end of the book where the denouement was fun and it all finally made sense, but it was uncomfortable to read throughout – not just because of the cheating and affairs but really because some of the characters were written as completely lacking in any ability to direct their own lives. The obvious example of this was Marbie Zing, who has a relationship she loves with a man she loves, yet has an affair for no apparent reason at all with a man she doesn't even like or find attractive. She was worried about doing something to ruin what she had, so perhaps she sabotaged herself. And given how she immediately spills the family secret to the man she sleeps with, perhaps we're meant to think the Zing Family Secret has driven her a bit mad? Certainly it created craziness for the family. But I found that kind of narration which glosses over character motivations so they appear to lack any agency while walking further and further towards unhappiness unpleasant to read, so this book just wasn't for me.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 19, 2022
This book is simply amazing. It’s lyrical, magical, special in a way that’s difficult to describe. It sings, it captivates, it hums. Sometimes it hurts. It’s both complete fantasy, and very, very real.
I won’t go into spoilers but the situation with Listen cuts into my core every time. I had the same painful experience, and this book reminds me that just because people in your past treated you poorly, it doesn’t mean that anything is wrong with you. When Marbie says she doesn’t think the school deserves another chance with Listen - I cry. I sob my heart out. It’s the most vindicating feeling. I would love this book for that alone, but I don’t have to. Every character is deep, interesting, crazy, smart, ridiculous… human.
If you are looking for something different to read, if you’re open to feeling your heart dip and soar, and mourn when the story’s done… This is the book for you.
I won’t go into spoilers but the situation with Listen cuts into my core every time. I had the same painful experience, and this book reminds me that just because people in your past treated you poorly, it doesn’t mean that anything is wrong with you. When Marbie says she doesn’t think the school deserves another chance with Listen - I cry. I sob my heart out. It’s the most vindicating feeling. I would love this book for that alone, but I don’t have to. Every character is deep, interesting, crazy, smart, ridiculous… human.
If you are looking for something different to read, if you’re open to feeling your heart dip and soar, and mourn when the story’s done… This is the book for you.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 18, 2020
I first read this back in high school and finally got my hands on another copy after thinking for a long time that I’d like to reread it. I liked it just as much as I remembered! It turns out I had forgotten most of the plot so I enjoyed the twists and turns as much as the first time around, if not more! As advertised, it has a very ‘fairy tale for adults’ feel, as well as feeling very timelessly australian. There’s a lot in there that is exactly my sense of humour or reminds me of the way I think... I feel like it’s something I would have liked to have written myself, that’s how much it appeals to me! I’m happy to have rediscovered a new/old favourite!
June 28, 2025
jaclyn moriarty is one of my favourite YA authors and i've wanted to read this adult book for so long! right before i jumped into it, i was thinking of how delightfully whimsical her YA books are and how interesting that her sister's suburban dramas have been so successful and never could've guessed at how she kept this story so fanciful but wove in all that same interpersonal family conflict (there was so much cheating omg)!! it is SO intricately all tied together i am still reeling at how she did it. AND she pulled the same trick on me as she did with another one of her books!! she got me twice!!! with the same trope oh my god how!!
February 17, 2019
The characters in the book were believable and interesting. The style of writing was annoying and frustrating. It was choppy and all over the place. The storyline was interesting but not written in a way that kept the reader focused. This could have been a really great book if it was written properly. There were too many unnecessary insertions of random information about balloons. It was disappointing to get bogged down in the quagmire when a really good story was drowning in it.
November 10, 2019
I started this book but couldn’t get beyond that. Maybe I didn’t give it the chance it deserved but it jumped around too much for me and this was the second time I tried to get through it. I have now accepted that this book isn’t for me and have given it away. The back cover summery and book title were what had originally drawn me in but sadly they were not enough to make me stick with this sprawling family.
August 24, 2019
This book deserves a higher rating than what is reflected on Goodreads. Moriarty is a gifted writer - her twists and turns make this a page turner. (Her writing is much less predictable than her sister’s bestsellers!) Who knew that a book rife with infidelity could be lighthearted and fun? The book has a twist of magic and fantasy, but the characters are still very human and relatable.
July 23, 2023
In a personal best in procrastination, I finally read this book after owning it for 18 years!!!
I mostly liked this book, wouldn’t say I loved it but I did enjoy it in general and that it was out of the ordinary. Some other reviewers stated that they didn’t like the writing style but I quite did and how it all strangely tied together.
I mostly liked this book, wouldn’t say I loved it but I did enjoy it in general and that it was out of the ordinary. Some other reviewers stated that they didn’t like the writing style but I quite did and how it all strangely tied together.
April 25, 2020
The YA version of this book (The Spell Book of Listen Taylor) was my absolute favourite when I was young. When I was reminded of these books recently, I decided to give this one a go. Even knowing the overall plot and its twists and turns, I thoroughly enjoyed and would sincerely recommend it.
January 22, 2021
This book was recommended to me years ago and has been sitting in my kindle purchases for too long. I finally picked it up and read the first half slowly, and the second half all at once. I like it, I did! Its quirky and unique and has some fantastic concepts. I just didn't like it as much as I had hoped. Still - I take my hat off to Jaclyn - such a fun writer.
May 22, 2019
I loved the way this book was written and the way it was pieced together kept me intrigued.
April 12, 2020
Mega fajny przykład lekkiej, ciepłej powieści ze świetnie skonstruowaną fabułą, perełka z bibliotecznej półki.
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April 19, 2020Jag ville inte läsa klart den här. De första 85 sidorna var alldeles för tråkiga. Kanske försöker jag läsa den på nytt någongång.
July 29, 2020
2.5 stars, trying too hard to be original
October 31, 2020
It was cute and quirky. I enjoyed reading it. Although at times I had a hard time maintaining interest. It’s a meh for me, not bad, but not completely my cup of tea.
July 22, 2021
The Truman Show meets Dr. Seuss.
It's a very whimsical and light read.
It's a very whimsical and light read.
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August 30, 2022I love this book and it is good to read again I am amazed that no one has made a series out of it!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 81 reviews