I found it hard connecting with this book and engaging with the character of Matilda. I am not sure wether this was because I am a man, however, I have never struggled with Bridget Jones and books alike. I found the character quite dour at times and there was a rawness to her loss. However, I am still giving this book three stars as I am aware that this is still a well written book and although it wasn't to my taste I am sure it will be for many people. There were also a couple of laugh out loud moments.

This is definitely a beautifully written book and an impressive debut, but, gosh I found it hard work and confusing at the beginning. It's a raw book about grief and pain and it's a no holds barred read. However, if you stick with it, it's a powerful debut read, just, not one for me.

I feel strongly about being balanced and fair with my reviews and as such I'm afraid this was a 2* OK read for me as, although I can appreciate it's beauty, it genuinely was just OK overall for me as I almost gave up many times.

Thanks to NetGalley and Hodder and Stoughton for the opportunity to preview.

A very poignant story of how a woman unravels very well written and is funny in parts especially as her friends try to help not always successful.
Enjoyable read and different to most stories.

This is witty and a little bit gritty story of real life and love among a group of twenty-somethings in London. It's so page-turning and feels very authentic and of the moment - sure to reflect and console readers for its evocation of the life, work, love, and friendship, the challenges of self-acceptance during this time of life and sort of finally growing up!

I read this book slowly, dipping in and out rather than gobbling it up but such is the voice that it never took more than a paragraph before I was immersed again. As a White Millennial Sad Girl novel comparisons to Sally Rooney are probably inevitable but What A Shame is a better-humoured book with a far bigger heart than that!

This sadly wasn't really my cup of tea. It Nearly ended up on dnf list as I didn't connect or even care about any of the characters. It did get better but the only character I really liked was Constance

Personally, this novel wasn't for me. The premise was interesting, but the characters had a quality to them that didn't seem believable, and I found them irritable most of the time. The dialogue seemed a bit forced and not natural flowing, for me

Mathilda is a complex character but you'll stay with her as she discovers why she is like she is and who she wants to be. Funny, heartbreaking, hopful.

What a shame is a story founded in grief and loss, however I found this book rather difficult to get into and after 50 pages in I gave up. The narrative isn’t clear and the dialogue seemed forced.

I don’t know if the issue is that I didn’t get far enough into the book to have a better opinion, so my advice would then be to hold on a bit longer than I did.

I love a messy-woman-in-the-city story so this ticked a lot of boxes for me.

This book is written in second person which I found quite confusing at first cause it’s directed at two other characters, but about half way through I settled into it.

I like this book a lot except for the last 50 pages or so when it becomes quite spiritual which wasn’t really for me, and I found some of the end a bit twee. I also expected a bit more darkness from the “curse” mentioned in the blurb.

4 stars

Excellent modern voice.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for letting me access an advance copy of this book in exchange for my feedback.

Once I got into it I really enjoyed reading this book. I loved the concept of Mathilda being 'cursed' and the strange ways she tries to remove the curse, Mathilda as a character is very funny and witty, but you can feel the pain she is going through and I just wanted her to start feeling better about herself. The way the author writes about loss felt very fresh and original. I enjoyed this book, but it did take me a while to get into it, I think because of the 2nd person narrative and the fact there are two 'yous'. But overall a great read.

Bergstrom reworks the "coming-of-age" novel into an original story about a thirty-something woman beginning to confront the trauma that has so fundamentally shaped her adult life so far. Most effective was the stark contrast throughout the novel between the protagonist's professional, polished persona and the profound pain she was experiencing behind the scenes.

I absolutely loved this book, it was enthralling from the start and I was dissapointed when it finished, I would definitely recommend this book, one of the best I have read this year

Definitely beautifully written but too confusing for me. I really wanted to like this book and the story of Mathilda resonated with me in so many places but still the whole journey was too bumpy for me and I could not fully enjoy the ride. The issues which are touched on are worth highlighting and just for these this book does deserve a read, it was just not for me.

I blitzed through this book over the weekend as I just could not get enough. I enjoyed every second. Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Bold and original, this is not afraid of talking about issues that women face all the time. Mathilda is a great character and her group of friends cover a wide range and she has many issues to deal with. Great writing, interesting ending.

This book is pretty short and I read it in a day . It deals with grief and loss told by the view of Mathilda, who was a weird central character and I am not sure if I liked her yet! I found the writing very beautiful and intricate. I have this 3.5 stars

Mathilda is left reeling by the death of one loved one and the unexpected departure of another. Her closest friends are worried about her and, realising that she can no longer carry on feeling so crushed, Mathilda reluctantly agrees that, although she's unconvinced that she's 'cursed' she'll undergo a ritual cleansing bath. As well as the bathing ritual (complete with candles and potions), she has a tarot reading and goes to Italy for another life-changing experiment with drugs.
The book has a rich cast of characters, is very believable and you really warm to Mathilda. I enjoyed it and would definitely recommend.

Thanks to NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for this Advanced Review Copy.

A Fantastic Debut Novel.

"At first there was drama and morbid excitement--all the morose trimmings that come with the early stages of mourning and grief." ... From this opening line, we are propelled into the life of a troubled woman in her twenties, who tries to deal with grief, flat sharing, and building a career.

Told in first person narrative, this book takes us into the very heart of the main character, Mathilda, and shows us her pain and grief in all its rawness. By 6% of the read, I had made so many notations for lines that resonated that I had to calm it down, lols. This novel is so realistic and true to life and addresses some stark societal issues such as male dominance, rape, domestic abuse, and sexual abuse (off-page). As the narrative unfolds, the reader soon comes to see that Tilda is hiding something big from herself, a thing she absolutely must deal with before she can truly heal. Below are just a few of those wonderful lines I mentioned above ...

"There's only so long those who love you can dampen their own happiness out of sensitivity for your misfortunes."

And ...

"You're perfect the way you are. You just need to face your shit. He didn't break up with you because you did something wrong."

And ...

"Her pregnant pause turns into a barren land where no words can propagate."

Okay, okay, I'll cease and desist now before I tell you the whole book! This read will make you cry laughing, and laugh from crying. And any difficult issues are dealt with sensitively, which makes it a much easier read than you might expect. I'm sure it won't come as any surprise when I give this fabulous debut women's f fiction novel a solid 5 stars. For certain, I'll be looking out for more books from Abigail Bergstrom.

***

NOTE ON RATINGS: I consider a 3-star rating a positive review. Picky about which books I give 5 stars to, I reserve this highest rating for the stories I find stunning and which moved me.

5 STARS: IT WAS AMAZING! I COULD NOT PUT IT DOWN! — Highly Recommended.
4 STARS: I WOULD PULL AN ALL-NIGHTER — Go read this book.
3 STARS: IT WAS GOOD! — An okay read. Didn’t love it. Didn’t hate it.
2 STARS: I MAY HAVE LIKED A FEW THINGS —Lacking in some areas: writing, characterisation, and/or problematic plot lines.
1 STAR: NOT MY CUP OF TEA —Lots of issues with this book.