This is the first chapter of a upcoming book and will entice readers to read the complete book. Rooney has a good writing style.

As others have noted, this is a very short extract which doesn’t give much away about the subject of the novel. However, it’s intriguing and I’m definitely interested in reading the rest. Sally Rooney’s insightfulness and subtle characterisation just seem to get stronger and stronger.

Such a tiny extract but oh so beautiful.. Sally draws us in to the scene from the very first sentence and doesn’t let us go. The extract reads very much like a short story and I am looking forward to reading the rest of the book.

Thank you to Faber and Faber LTD for this extract to Sally Rooney's upcoming novel "Beautiful World, Where Are You"

This extract only gave me 14 pages worth so I actually cannot critique this to the maximum as it isn't enough for me to form an opinion. However, it is just on par with Rooney's previous 2 novels so it is being held with high regard. I'm excited to see how this goes further.

I thought that this would be the full book and I’m disappointed to see that it is only a chapter. The chapter is intriguing though.

4 stars

I know that Sally Rooney is somewhat of a polarizing author in the book world for a variety of reasons, but I have to admit that the blurb for this book did draw me in. Reading the first chapter reminded me a little bit of Hemingway and the sparseness with which he writes. The interactions and descriptions are incredibly matter of fact without much attention given to the inner life of our characters. It didn't necessarily bother me when reading this chapter, but I think that it would if I read the whole book. I'm still not certain whether I will get the book when it comes out, but I am more intrigued than I was previously.

Thank you to NetGalley and Faber & Faber Ltd for this extract in exchange for a fair and honest review!

I haven't read anything by Sally Rooney yet, even though I hear great things about her previous novels. Based on this first chapter I believe this to be a very intriguing book and I will probably check it all in its entirety when it's available.

A totally enticing first chapter teasing the reader to know more about Alice and her life and as to why she is now living in a rectory off the Irish coast. Sally Rooney ,with such skill, pulls you in with nuanced detail and imagery that leaves you longing to move onto chapter 2 .

Atmospheric, distant, mysterious. I’m not sure yet if I’d like to read the entire book. This is one of those stories that has to grow to me and the excerpt was just too short for me to decide whether I’d love the story or not. What I’m not a fan of are dialogues without quotation marks. They may make the story more atmospheric but also more difficult to read.

I really enjoyed Normal People and Conversations with Friends, and I suspect I'll like this one, too. The excerpt was intriguing, and I will certainly pick up a copy of the book when it's released.

This extract (the first chapter) of Sally Rooney's highly anticipated new novel Beautiful World, Where Are You introduces us to Alice and Felix, who meet for a date that goes somewhat ambivalently. It's hard to gauge much about the book from this extract, other than some mystery around the characters, as it's a very short chapter, though the style of dialogue is good, with a combative sense even though the characters are being outwardly nice. As someone who was more of a fan of Conversations with Friends than Normal People, it'll be interesting to see what this one is like, though from this short extract it didn't feel particularly distinctive.

When I reviewed Sally Rooney's short story "At The Clinic" (from which "Normal People" is derived), I was pleasantly surprised about her use of free indirect discourse. The same thing happened here (bear in mind I haven't read any of her novels... yet) and the words just flowed perfectly in my mind and my imagination.

This is apparently the first chapter of her upcoming novel but it kind of felt like a short story in itself as well. I'm very intrigued now and want to read more as soon as possible! Many thanks to the publisher for giving me a glimpse of an undoubted future great novel.

This extract was a good wee hook to this book. I was drawn to this having read several titles by Sally Rooney and I will be continuing by purchasing this book when out. Already we have a sense of who these characters are as she does in most books and I can’t wait to read about their story. I would have liked if this extract had maybe been two chapters long just to see a bit more about where it was going!

This extract has really intrigued me! it totally makes me want to pick up the book on its release date. honestly previously i havent been able to get into Rooneys books but this was interesting. while it was only a short extract therefore i didnt really get to know the setting or characters i would love to read more about them! also im in love with the cover of the book and have never read a book set in ireland before!

This was my favourite Sally Rooney yet. She is just such a mood. The story follows four characters, but mostly Alice and Eileen who have been friends for a long time but are now living in different cities and communicating mainly by email. The story is told by an external narrator, so only through the emails do we truly get a glimpse inside Alice and Eileen’s heads. This was different from Rooney’s previous books but I actually really enjoyed the style.

The style of the imperfect characters and relationships is very reminiscent of Normal People and Conversations with Friends. They are so real and raw that you can’t help but connect with them, even though they are far from perfect, and even frustratingly unlikeable at times. I can feel the heartache in these stories, the pressure of not knowing what you’re doing and where you’re going, what you thought your life would be versus what is. This is strictly a character driven story, and one that will sit with me for a long time.

It's well written (although I hate it when authors use reported speech but don't use speech marks, makes it so much more difficult to read) and descriptive, but the chapter was terribly anticlimactic and there was nothing about it that made me desperate to read on. As a taster chapter designed to leave people eager for more, this really falls a bit flat.

One chapter simply is not enough! I am hooked. The first chapter has captured my attention and ends on a cliffhanger, leaving me eager to know more.

Rooney excels at portraying the intensity and complexity of human relationships. This is evident here, even within the short few pages of the first chapter. From the excerpt I’ve read, I believe Alice is an enigmatic character and I’m looking forward to learning more about her when the book comes out in September.

Rooney’s descriptive writing is spectacular. Her ability to tell the reader plenty of information about the characters & their lives while saying relatively little, is mesmerising. I am excited to read more!

The first chapter of Beautiful World, Where Are You certainly leaves plenty for the reader to wonder. You're introduced to two characters, Felix and Alice, who are in their late 20s (maybe early 30s) on a first date. The conversation is pretty typical of a first date, but there are moments where Rooney drops hints at "something more," such as why did Alice leave New York? Why did she move to the Irish countryside. I feel as though I know a lot less about Felix, so I am eager to learn more. Off to a strong start, though I don't have a strong sense from the first chapter as to where the book is headed. Looking forward to reading more!

It is very hard to review a book on the basis of just the first chapter but it was a very good opening. A woman meets a man for a blind date in a seaside hotel bar, they talk, often rather obliquely, then walk to the home she has just moved to.

This doesn’t sound much, but Rooney succeeds in intriguing the reader. Things are understated or left unsaid. I was hugely frustrated not to be able to read more and will order the book on release.

things that i liked from the first chapter:

- the natalia ginzburg quote (opening with a quote of hers will always be a win in my books)
- rooney's quiet, cold even, tone
- the ambiguous atmosphere between the two characters
- the pacing and direction of the dialogue

all in all, i actually really loved this chapter. it reminded me a bit of rooney's short story mr. salary (which is permeated by a similar air of ambivalence). this a promising start and i will definitely be reading this once it comes out.
i just hope that i will find the characters less annoying than in NP and that once in italy we will actually have scenes involving italian characters (there is a tendency in novels by english-speaking authors to set there stories abroad and feature very few characters from that place, focusing instead on another 'expats').