This book can only be described as bonkers. An old woman with Alzheimer’s and a young man who is nursing a broken heart travelling together would definitely make for fun.

The fact that Maxine has disappeared from the home without telling anyone could well be true when you know something about people who suffer from Alzheimer’s, however what starts off as a jolly jape does deepen when Alex learns of her plans but this does not take the fun away from the story.

DNF at 13%.

THE BLURB: A suicidal ninety-year-old woman with Alzheimer's and a heartbroken depressed young man share a ride to Brussels that ends up changing their lives forever.

I have started and stopped this book several times, it's nearly a year since I started reading it. Unfortunately, I have just noticed on the NetGalley page that it says 'translated from the French' and frankly I guessed that this wasn't written in English, the writing was just too stilted and took me back to 'A' level French literature (and not in a good way). I don't know how to describe it, maybe the French speak differently or maybe there's a 'literature speech' that the French use when writing but it reads (to me) unnaturally, it pulls me out of the story and I just can't summon the enthusiasm to continue reading any longer.

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

I wanted to enjoy this so much more than I did, sadly I just found it a bit too crazy for me, but far out and not really my cup of tea

I just could not gwt into this book. I kept putting it down and picking it back up over a few weeks and i finally gave up. Maybe ill give it another shot later on.

This book was such a surprise - and such a joyous one at that. The blurb was intriguing but the actual read was pure joy. The two central characters were witty and rounded and real. The intergenerational banter was brilliantly handled. An absolute revelation. Loved it, loved it, loved it.

The idea of the book is some kind of interesting but the execution is not the best. I really had to push to finish this book i felt it was dragged a long time. the characters i did not feel anything about them not that i needed to connect but i felt that something was missing. The plot is simple and i was expecting maybe a bit more. It is a light read and it has his funny moments but sadly all of this was not enough for me because it felt like so many other books and it lacked a bit of something different to be rememberable in a few months for me

I real feel good story that is enjoyable to read.
It had the right amount of challenges and emotions. It was humorous to read in parts but I felt that it just went into a deeper tone too. It touched upon a new journey, self awareness, fears, lies, truths and gaining hope and confidence
I loved the adventure and the characters developed nicely.
Would recommend.

I really struggled to get into The Car Share by Zoe Brisby and did try to persevere but had to give up about half way. Sorry not for me.

I received a complimentary copy of this book "The Car Share" and all opinions expressed are my own. This was such a fun book. I loved the characters and the antics that they got into. Just really a great book.

Delightfully funny and unexpectedly tender, you will fall in love with this dynamic duo as soon as you meet them! Alex has no idea what “Max” will be like when he agrees to a rideshare and is surprised when a 90 year old woman hops in his car! Max is just as unsettled getting into a car with a young man with bloodshot eyes and is convinced he must be on drugs. Hilarious antics abound as these two slowly uncover each other’s stories and discover that friendship knows no age. Brisby does an amazing job of bringing these characters to life. I definitely look forward to a reread of this one in the future!

Slapstick comedy, odd ball characters, farcical situations, and a great deal of miscommunication and misunderstanding is the backbone of this story, alongside the realities of growing old and the exploration of depression.

That Maxine is 90 yet acts more like a teenager, and Alex is barely out of his teens and has the outlook and demeanour of a pensioner, is another twist in this unusual tale.

A story in which you can suspend belief for a few hours and simply enjoy it for the outrageous comedy that it is.

This is all about a trip to Belgium taken by a young lad and a 90 year old woman. Maxine has her reasons for travelling to Belgium and Alex has agreed to drive there. There are some amusing scenes where he gathers that Maxine has dementia .
An interesting concept.

What a nice book to cheer us up during this dismal year (or two!). I was a little unsure, when offered the chance to read this book, whether to or not as there have been several books about older folks doing mad things in the last few years. then I remembered that I had enjoyed all those I had read, so happily read this and was not disappointed.
This book has been excellently translated from the original French, so there is no feeling whatsoever that one is reading a translated book. The story was good, the quirks of Max became more understandable as the novel progressed, and the ending was satisfactory. Despite my initial dislike of Alex, Max's company did rub off on him, and I did enjoy how the characters developed.
I recommend this book to anyone who wants to read something a bit light-hearted, although with a stronger message underneath.

Thank you Hodder & Stoughton for an opportunity to read this emotional roller coaster read.

Alex, who suffers severe depression, justifies going to Brussels by offering a car share to share costs he picks up Max and discovers Max is not male but an 80 year old woman, Maxine, suffering from Alzheimer’s!
They both have their own misconceptions and demons which along the way they help one another and become friends, causing disruption, embarrassment and mayhem and disclosing their innermost thoughts and secrets to each other.
Can their friendship survive?
A very thought provoking book which was sometimes hard but frank reading.

I have personal experience with Alzheimer’s so this hit home for me a lot. Characters were good and it was a good story.

I was sent this book by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I love to love books that I read, and I love to write reviews about books that I loved to read. So, if I’m mucking around about writing a review, it is usually because I did not love the book. The Car Share is a cute book. I’d like to be more enthusiastic, but I’ve been mucking around with this book for over two months. The premise is cute, as are the characters, so this book is going to appeal to many readers. I might even enjoy watching the movie. But (could you feel that coming?), cute just isn’t enough for me. I’m at 70% and it will probably take me another few months to finish (I’ve read at least five or more books since starting The Car Share). This is not DNF material. For me it was a road trip to nowhere. I know I will come back to this review in a few months, when I’ve finally finished the book and perhaps shed a tear or two at the end.

Alex is driving to Belgium and advertises for a car share to defray costs. He is a severely depressed young man of 25, with little self-esteem - and to top that off, he is mourning having been dumped by his girlfriend (Was she ever really his girlfriend? This part seems a bit amorphous.). Max is a feisty 90-year-old woman who needs a ride on her escape route to Belgium where she has scheduled her euthanization. She oozes the self-confidence of a woman who has lived a full and happy life, with memories of a marriage to a loving and beloved husband, but is derisive at having been reduced to the indignities of an old-age retirement home and now finds herself spiraling down the rabbit hole of Alzheimer.

The couple have some hilarious experiences on their trip, and, if not for the disparity in ages, this could have been the ultimate meet cute. I can predict the tears of joy or despair, waiting for me at the end of their journey – but I haven’t the patience to wait any longer….

Thank you NetGalley and Hodder and Stoughton for an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review. The opinions expressed are my own and I believe this book will have great appeal to a wide range of audiences.

The concept of this book is great, and it has a few funny bits, but it could have been so much better. I didn’t particularly warm to either Maxine or Alex and felt like it dragged on longer than necessary. Thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher for the opportunity to review. Unfortunately just not for me.

I loved this book! A wonderful tale of an unlikely meeting of minds. It's incredibly funny, a little bonkers but so poignant. Another great Zoe Brisby read!

Loved this book, such a funny read. I have since purchased a copy for my friend, A must read that will brighten your day!

Zoe Brisby's laugh a minute novel deserves to be a rip-roaring success, the perfect antidote to the misery of our pandemic times. Although it took me a while to immerse myself in this zany comic caper, after that I was all in, as the outrageously unforgettable purple haired 90 year old, Max (Maxine) and the depressed and lonely 25 year old, Alex, embark on a gloriously vivid technicolor car share, a mad cap road trip to Brussels.