The style of writing was not for me so I didn't finish this book.
I read the first pages and it is poetic but I'm not a fan of 1st person narratives at the best of times and this wasn't for me If I try it again I'll amend my review

Written in an unusual poetic style which I co fess I found rather difficult to get on with. I persevered with the book though and I'm glad I did.

Written in Irish dialect, Elaine Feeney's As You Were is a great read. Bleak, poetic, but also humourous, there are some dark themes.

Feeny is Irish and writes in an Irish dialect. I understand where she's coming from and where she wants to go, there's just one but: English is my 2nd language and the dialect is just too hard every now and then LOL.

Nevertheless, I was able to follow the story and enjoy her writing style. It's funny, emotional, original, and beautiful! Can I give less than 5 stars? Yes, I can but won't!

I didn’t like this book at all.
I did preserve through the first 100 pages
I couldn’t get into the story and found the writing style strange.

This was a lovely book written in a very unusual style, almost poetic in many ways and bleak yet humourous at the same time. Although Sinead's plight is tragic, the humanity and emotions shine through. Elaine Feeney is a very talented writer. That said, I didn't like or understand the ending! But that said, I would definitely read more of this author's books.

It took me a while to get into As You Were; it’s almost written in prose but I found that once I got used to the style I thought that was one of the reasons it’s so special and unique. This novel deals with some big topics and is set in a hospital where the protagonist is dealing with her cancer diagnosis, yet I didn’t find this a depressing or sad read. I can see why this novel might not be everyone’s cup of tea but I quite enjoyed the strangeness of it and I would recommend to those wanting to read something different.

I found this a difficult book to read, probably due to circumstances beyond my control so had to keep dipping in and out. My review is totally my opinion but this really wasn't a book for me.

This book was hard to review. I enjoyed the lyrical quality and the the different strands of stories from the other people on the ward. However, the main character was just so hard to engage with or sympathise with.

When Sinéad, a successful businesswoman and a mother to a young family, is admitted to hospital, she has told no-one other than a lone magpie about her terminal illness. As Sinéad grapples with her secret, she gets to know her ward fellows including a stroke patient, an older woman with dementia and secrets of her own, a cancer patient and a paralysed man.

I listened to this on audio and other than when text messages were read out and emojis described, I think the narration of this book was done well, and it was a book that mostly suited an audiobook format.

This is a book that has a few layers - there's Sinéad's mystery illness from the start that you can also assume is some kind of terminal cancer diagnosis but nothing is ever actually confirmed, and Sinéad's fear and inaction over this that has led to the worsening situation she is now. We also see her mull over her relationship with her husband and children, her role as the main breadwinner in the family, and the long effect living with an emotionally abusive father as a child has done to her.

And then we have Sinéad's relationship with Margaret Rose and Jane - the two older women on the ward, as well as that of Shane, the paralysed man in the bed beside her, whose wifi she steals, as well as Molly, the Australian ward nurse, and Mikael, the Polish orderly who tells the women how it is but always with kindness. The insular relationship you can have with people in the same close environment was explored well.

There were moments in this that were emotional and poignant, and I think Elaine Feeney touched on some important topics in this novel from miscarriage and the aftercare, the secrecy, as well Ireland's overall failure to care for women and their bodies. We witness the moment it's arranged for a young girl to travel overseas for an abortion, hear of a closeted love and another unmarried pregnancy that ended as many did years ago in a Magdalene Laundry, and what was then deemed to be a a shameful suicide. I do feel there was a lyricism to the writing in this, and after reading I learned Elaine Feeney is a poet and this makes complete sense to the tone and lilt of the novel.

I just do think there were parts that were slightly scattered, and a little bit manic (some of this caused by Jane who suffered from dementia, and whose dialogue was often nonsensical and therefore could get confusing). I can't pinpoint exactly what it was about this book I didn't like, it just didn't work for me despite me being able to see what the author was trying to do with the stories she was telling.

Unfortunately by the time of reading my personal circumstances had changed and found this wasn’t a book I could read comfortably at the time. Perhaps I shall come back to this again in the future.

Thank you to the publisher for my eARC copy of this book. Unfortunately I didn’t love this book and therefore didn’t finish, I just didn’t connect with this one. Not for me, sorry.

I didn't know what this book was about when I started it, so when it became clear it was about a woman dealing with a terminal cancer diagnosis, it made me feel both uncomfortable and interested. By that I mean, it's not a topic any of us like to dwell on (perhaps why I haven't read books with a lead character going through this before) but I wanted to see how it would be approached.

As author Elaine Feeney is also a poet, it had such a lyrical quality that made it very emotive to read. Definitely one that was a heavier read but a book that will remain with me for a while.

As You Were by Eileen Feeney is the story of Sinéad Hynes. She is currently residing in hospital having been diagnosed with cancer. No one in her family knows. Her day to day life is examined in this story as she traverses the dynamic of the ward that she is on. The old lady opposite who has dementia, the lady believed to have had a stroke and the gentleman who has ended up on an all female ward much to the chagrin of his daughter.

As You Were is brilliantly written and Feeney has elements of Marian Keyes in her delivery and although the over riding theme of the novel is one of sadness it is the small idiosyncratic nature of the characters and the nuances of Irish life that make the story enjoyable.

As You Were by Eileen Feeney is available now.

For more information regarding Random House (@randomhouse) please visit www.randomhousebooks.com.

As You Were by Elaine Feeney is a humorous and tenderly take on dealing with a cancerous tumor and the modern medicine all on one's own, and only relying on the internet for advice. I get the idea behind the book, but not the way it was presented.

The plot was everywhere - spanning several unrelated characters other than the protagonist with life and stories of their own and only connected to the protagonist because they are sharing the same hospital ward. At the same time, it seemed to be going nowhere.

Maybe this book was not for me.

Thanks to the author and the publisher for the ARC.

Verdict: One time read.

A brilliant read centering around rather depressing themes lightened by brilliant dry humor set in Ireland.

This was a great read and clearly written by a poet. The words followed beautifully resulting in such a moving story.

Great read.

Sinéad Hynes is a tough, driven, funny young property developer with a terrifying secret of being sick with terminal cancel. No-one knows it: not her fellow patients in a failing hospital, and certainly not her family. She has confided only in Google and a shiny magpie.
This story is the authors debut novel and I was surprised at that, it’s very well written, showing sensitivity as well as humour. I will definitely look forward to future novels from Elaine Feeny.
I do think the Cancer subject matter can be a bit close to home for some and therefore a hard read but this didn’t deter me, I found it a very interesting story that drew me in and was at times pretty emotional.

All in all a well recommended book.

Thanks for NetGalley and the publisher for a chance to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

#AsYouWere #NetGalley

A truly emotional read, from laugher through to sadness. This will probably stay with me for a while.

Thank you NetGalley for my complimentary copy in return for my honest review.

Sinéad Hynes is a married property developer with young children. When Sinéad is hospitalised she decides to hide the true nature of her illness from her family. From everyone except ‘a fat magpie’, that is.

As You Were follows Sinéad’s time in hospital, where privacy is not possible because those curtains people pull around their beds are not soundproof. As Sinéad struggles with keeping her secret, she watches the other people on the ward deal with their own problems.

In the bed across from Sinéad, Margaret Rose won’t let a suspected stroke stop her from running her family. Thanks to her trusty Nokia. Dementia means that Jane isn’t always aware of where she is and what is happening. Shane is a quiet man who has suffered a spinal injury. Hegarty is a local politician whose daughter is never far from his side.

Through this group of people who are forced to spend time together, Elaine Feeney examines the secrets people keep and why, Ireland’s history of institutions, the misogyny that is ingrained in women’s healthcare, and the kindness of strangers.

This is Feeney’s debut novel, but she is a published poet which I think informs her stream of consciousness writing style. A writing style that lends itself well to a hospital setting and Sinéad’s state mind.

As You Were is a page-turner tragicomedy that is written with a razor sharp focus on how the events of the past impact our present and future.

I have received an advance copy of this book via Netgallery. It took me a while to start it because since “Fault in our stars” and numerous personal stories about cancer I just couldn’t get myself into it.

I enjoyed the start and found Elaine’s style immersive and personal, however at times the mixture of styles within her writing can be distracting. Being at a cancer ward is never going to be fun and therefore I really struggled with reading it. #netgallery #asyouwere