A ninety year old lady with Alzheimers, also one with decided views and opinions and a mild young man whose heart is broken go on a trip to Brussels, sharing a journey which is rife with so many ups and downs, quirky incidents and eccentricities which add to the story.

The book combines Maxine (Max) who is a thirty year old in an older body. Confident, sassy and bold she is going to Brussels to be euthanized. All this without informing the Retirement Home where she was resident. Alex is escaping the humiliation of a rejection and finds in Maxine a fascinating character who in turn attracts him (for her confidence and sass) and frightens him when he becomes a wanted character for abduction and kidnapping!

The book is charming (for Maxine's malapropisms) her way of handling situations and Alex's manner of a sort of "follow the leader".

Sometimes you meet characters within books that you simply feel sad saying goodbye to.

I absolutely adored meeting Maxine and Alex and sharing their road trip to Brussels. It was full of laughs, reflection, going on the run, making memories and friendship.

A fun portrayal of the power of an unlikely friendship and the impact of strangers on life choices.

My only tiny criticism is that I would have liked more of Alex’s backstory.

I needed an uplifting read, and a freind recommended this book to me. The title reminded me of my husband's Uber experiences,the stories he was told during his rides.
What a humorous positive learning experience we share with 25 yr old Alex and unknown age Maxine.. Alex is an only child and raised in deprived loving nurtured home. Money was there, he even went to college to learn law. SOmehow, he is lacking more in his life. His dr. diagnoses him as a depression going on and to take a few days off and enjoy life for awhile.
He runs a carpool service and needs to find a match to take the ride with him from France to Brussels.
Here he is going to seek the girl who broke his heart because he heard she may be living there.
Physically,Maxine is a 90 year old senior who runs away from her living in a caged retirement home.
Yet,Maxine is wiser and younger than her years.
Maxine,living with Alzheimers , because in Brussels it is legal to end life there.
This road trip turns into a hilarious and emotional car ride. WHat they both don't expect is the retirement home has them as fugitves on the run, Alex as the kidnapper and poor Maxine as the hostage.
The newscast aired on varyiing tvs where they go eat ,has Alex in fear.Now not only does he have to cope with his depression but how to survive in a jail cell.
Thiese announcements during their road trip is a story in itself, how rumors unfold and stretch out the truth of their travels together.
We learn their fears,truths,strengths and weaknesses.
They find a bonding freindship to hold their strengths, weaknesses,fears and joys together.
I held my breath,and gasps in ending chapters.What a surprising outcome and sadness and smiles.
I want to thank Netgally and Hodder & Stoughton for this ARC.

A lightly amusing book about Max and Alex, lots of emotion to go through and you can see how their friendship was forged.

Harold and Maude Meet 2021
This novel reminded me more than a little of the 1971 cult classic film, 'Harold and Maude'. We have a lovely young man in his 20's put together with a 90-something woman on a road trip. He is clinically depressed and she wants to go to Brussels to be euthanized. The story goes from deep discussion to situational humor and back for the entire trip. It gets deep and philosophical and then goes to almost slap-stick humor. And it works! It is an entertaining book that has the one on death's door teaching the younger one how to live the great life he has before him. And the young man needing her tutelage gives her a reason to live, at least for now. The book is well worth reading, but I needed to stretch it out over several days. I received this ARC book for free from Net Galley and this is my honest review.

This is a good book if you want to read a lot of conversations and do not mind matter of life viewpoints of the opposites of life and death. However, by the end of the book I was not one of those people.
It is a good book which shows the reality of ageing as well as the reality of the mindset of a person with a mental illness. This book has high praise from me at showing the truth of how depression can affect a person. As well as this it took an interesting take on how people were affected by the war in central Europe, and not merely only from a British or German view point. These truths should be written now before many people forget.
Alas this is a seemingly light-hearted read and deciding on a genre for this book is hard. I would say drama at the most part however, if so then the front cover of the book should reflect this. As despite people trying to rebut the statement; people really do judge books by the cover.

Overall, it was an ending that surprised me and that is hard with books today. Yet, if I were given a blurb that fully reflected the book I may not have picked up this book to read. Despite this I fully recommend this to anyone who wants to read about the fascination relationship forged between a metaphorically drowning teenager and a wily older lady.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Thank you for the opportunity to read 'THe Car Share' by Zoe Brisby.

I thought this was a delightful book and enjoyed reading it very much. While it was funny at times, it was also very poignant and the relationship between the troubled Alex and the eccentric Max was beautiful. I would love to have met both of them. I will be contacting Zoe Brisby, as she suggested, for the follow-up chapter! I'll look forward to reading more of her work.

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book. WOW this book had me laughing out loud from the first chapter. Characters that I instantly fell in love with a storyline so far fetched it’s believable. I loved this book it’s one of those books that lifts your spirits when your having a bad day. This book has me wanting more from Alex & Maxine. She was such a breath of fresh air, really good sense of humour. Brilliant book. 5 stars and more.

Gosh this book has taken me ages to read, and I have no idea why, oh but what fun it was!!
Maxine and Alex were perfect for each other on their 'car share' but what escapades they went on!! Just shows you, no matter how or what you are feeling or what age you are, you can have fun, but also help each other with your past experiences, even if one of you is suffering with depression, and the other, well, let's just say has 'Alzheimers'!!
I've had quite an adventure with this book, let alone the characters in it!!
Wonderful!!

If a book could have physical comedy, this novel would be a lesson in how it’s done. Both humorous and heartwarming, The Car Share takes the reader on a journey to Brussels, learning along the way how to tackle life’s challenges. Very enjoyable!

When 20 something Alex gives a ride share to 90 something Maxine, they don’t expect to like one another or have a connection. However Maxine quickly decides she wants to help Alex with his depression and Alex finds a tender spot for Maxine. This was a sweet and funny story about life. I enjoyed Maxine’s spirit and Alex’s heart and the connection between the two, as well as seeing what mischief the two would get into next on their journey to Brussels.

This book was bonkers in all the best ways...I am totally here for it as it was just the thing I needed, it was light and humorous with a message of hope. As far as the writing, its quick witted and a little corny at times...which I enjoyed. The cover of the book is soooo cute too, I can't get enough of those colourful cartoon covers.

I so adored Maxine and her attitude towards life and refusing to grow old. She has such spunk and I can only hope I get to be that old and stay that feisty. I loved the music that Max and Alex enjoyed in common and while reading I had the tunes going through my head. I lost my hearing a couple decades ago and the old stuff is all I know, so that was a pleasant surprise for me too.

Overall this is a feel good read with a satisfying ending that ties things up with a neat bow. If you like quirky characters, witty writing and reading about characters that get themselves into silly situations it's worth a read. It's a book you don't need to take too seriously, just sit back and enjoy the ride.

When Alex, a depressed young man, shunned by the girl he's secretly obsessed with, decides to drive across France to Brussels, he advertises for someone to share the cost of the trip on a ride share site. When he arrives to collect Max, his passenger for the trip he doesn't expect to see Maxine, a woman in her 90s with early symptoms of Alzheimers. However, as Maxine will tell him she's really much younger than that, a young person locked in an old person's body. She has her own reasons for going to Brussels and is excited to have escaped from the prison like retirement village she lives in. After she decides he is not the drug addled man he appears to be, Maxine is determined to shake Alex out of his depression and make him see the possibilities life has to offer. And what fun they have on the trip! They fit more unusual experiences into their time together than Alex has experienced in his whole life so far, and he in turn is able to help Maxine find what she most yearns for

Zoe Brisby has written a delightfully quirky and laugh filled road trip by two seemingly mismatched people. Maxine has a handbag that is the size of the Tardis inside and is able to produce pretty much any item needed at any time. She also has a collection of slightly incorrect metaphors which are hilarious. But it's Maxine's wild and free spirit that steals the show and reassures us we are never too old to look for new experiences and take all that life has to offer.

The Car share by Zoe Brisby is an emotional, uplifting read.
Twenty-five-year-old Alex recently diagnosed with depression decides to take a trip to Brussels and advertises someone to car share to split the costs. Maxine accepts so when Alex goes to meet her, he thinks he is meeting a young girl. Only to meet ninety something Maxine who is suffering from Alzheimer’s, on her way to Brussels to end her life.
Although the pair are of different ages, they seem to compliment each other. Maxine an eccentric woman but young at heart seem to believe in Alex who suffers from depression. They both go on a life affirming journey that will change their lives together.
I thank Hodder and Stoughton for ARC of this book. This was a heart-warming, hilarious story that I couldn’t put down and I loved ever minute of it. 5 stars from me.

This humorous, heartfelt book was just what I needed as a light refreshing story.
It also took me back to my favorite movie when I was younger - Harold and Maude. Here again, we have an unlikely duo of a very old woman, looking to end her life and a young man, suffering from depression. She takes him on as her project. “Sometimes fate was a funny thing: putting someone in your path who needed saving while you yourself were doomed.”
The characters are enjoyable. I even had a real fondness for Marty, who spells out emojis rather than using them. And Max is a piece of work, with her interesting use of language.
The plot is fairly predictable, the only mystery being whether Max will go through with her plan. Having said that, I enjoyed this book and appreciated the sweet messages imparted.
My thanks to NetGalley and Hodden & Stoughton for an advance copy of this book.

Alex and 90 year old Maxine share a car journey to Brussels. He is trying to escape a broken heart, she is on her way to a euthanasia clinic. Both depressed for different reasons, will the carshare help them? Funny and compelling reading, I really enjoyed the book.

What a lovely story, the friendship between the two main characters grew in a lovely way, they were very well written and I was glad to see that the "older" person was a bright and bubbly, they complimented each other perfectly. The story had me laughing, crying and everything in-between. The only thing I didnt pick up on was that it is set in France, I assumed it was set in the UK and I thought I had missed the channel crossing (LOL) when they were talking about the French countryside.

The car share
By Zoe Brisby
Pub Date mar 25 2021
This book made me smile it’s a emotional read. This book is about Alex who is 25 and Maxine who is 90 something and they both share a car on a trip to Brussels. Alex is suffering from depression and Maxine tries to talk and support him they bond great together and try to help each other out in the end. They had great friendship through the book. This is a great book through to characters helping each other out. I smile with some of the conversation they had with each this is a funny book even though it deal with depression I love this book.

I never read books like this. Ever! Cute is not in my lexicon. BUT my friends all loved this so much that, in my continuing quest for “something different” and suffering a severe case of FOMO, I thought “why not?” What harm could it do? And to my amazement and delight I really loved this story. Not just because it was heartwarming, which alone is not enough for me. But because it was seriously funny, I mean laugh out loud funny. My husband was giving me strange looks as I chuckled and chortled my way through the book. It may well be the funniest thing I’ve ever read!

There not much you need to know about the plot. Alex is 25, seriously depressed and is going to Brussels to, well, he’s not totally sure but his former high school crush lives there. Maxine is “none of your business” but let’s say in her nineties and she is going to Brussels to get euthanised before she succumbs to Alzheimer’s. They both decide to do the trip as a car share although Alex is a little nonplussed when he pulls up at the address given and finds it is a retirement home. Maxine has absconded without telling anyone. What follows is priceless! These two needed to meet and through the two day journey they learn a lot about each other but more importantly, about themselves.

Along the way they have a series of madcap adventures which are just hilarious. Maxine may be on her way to die but she intends to enjoy the trip as much as possible and also lift Alex out of his melancholy. Poor Alex is dragged from one adventure to the next, scared of his own shadow, while the indomitable Maxine brazens her way through every obstacle. The scene is the Prada store alone was priceless. But Alex also comes to care for Maxine too and is not comfortable with the idea of dropping her off at the clinic in Brussels to be euthanised.

I could talk about Maxine’s handbag which contained everything one could possible need except the kitchen...well, who knows, she may even have had a kitchen sink in there. And her malapropisms alone were worth reading the book for. So - contrary to my usual reading preferences I absolutely loved this funny, heartwarming and generally uplifting book. Do yourself a favour and grab a copy! Thanks to Netgalley, Hodder & Stoughton and Zoe Brisby for providing a review copy. My opinions are my own.

A super fun read. Two total strangers share a ride to Brussels. Max is a 90 year old spark plug who hates living in her nursing home, suspects she has Alzheimers, and is therefore escaping to a hospital for a scheduled euthanasia. Alex is a twenty five year old with problems of depression and heartache after being jilted by his heartthrob. He's a lonely, insecure soul whose parents have contributed to his lack of self esteem.

The ride is hilarious with adventures and hi-jinks along the way. Maxine is a laugh a minute and she's determined to help Alex learn self-love and confidence. Alex, on the other hand, is surprised by his feelings of love for Maxine and will do anything to thwart her end of life plans.

Thanks NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review. Really enjoyed this one.