There's something very reassuring about sitting down with a Cecelia Ahern book, you just know you're in the hands of a confident story-teller. In a Thousand Different Ways delivers exactly what you'd expect, a beautiful story about a unique main character who you can't help but root for.

Thank you NetGalley and the Publisher for the opportunity to read this book, I really enjoyed it.

This is the story of Alice Kelly who has synesthesia, she can see a colourful aura of people's emotions and moods in everyone.
It is an interesting story with a well drawn cast of characters and a unique plot which I thoroughly enjoyed.
I dropped a star from the rating as the story jumped around quite a lot from the present to the past, but as I had an advance reader copy I really hope it will be fixed up in the final edit.
Highly recommend!

A superb read which I could not put down!

I’ve long been fascinated with the subject of auras - how some people can see them and how they can reveal the emotions of a person. I had never thought, however, about the negative impact on someone with this ‘gift’. Cecelia Ahearne tells the story of how Alice’s ability to see auras impacts her whole life. She is immersed in the turmoil of other people’s emotions until she finds a way of existing in society. The end is simply beautiful.

Cecelia Ahearne is a gifted story-teller and ‘In a Thousand Different Ways’ doesn’t disappoint.

A touching, warm, and moving story about Alice who sees colours around people. Colours. Dancing around their heads and their bodies. Happy colours, sad colours. She feels them, and whatever they’re feeling, she feels herself. Everyone is completely transparent under her gaze.

The novel follows her life from a difficult childhood to self-discovery and the happy ending that the reader anticipates throughout.

Alice initially wants to isolate herself from everyone; she lives in solitude, which brings her even more sadness and disappointment. Slowly, with the help of true friends and nature, which never fails to heal, she learns to control her gift and live her own life.

The characters are completely human, with a wide range of emotions and relatable situations.

If you don’t feel your own pain, you cannot recognise it in others. Our own suffering can cultivate the ability to help others.


Cecelia Ahern is a master storyteller, and I thoroughly enjoyed this outstanding book.

I was completely immersed in this story and sped through it in a day. The way it was written with few chapter breaks meant you just got sucked into the story and went with it.

Alice was an interesting character, slightly awkward but with what she was dealing with your occasional frustration with her was expected.

My only slight dislike was the controlling nature of her relationship with her husband - stopping her seeing her friends, his behaviour at the wedding, telling her how much she can share with him, but despite this I loved reading about their lives together.

Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book.

I’ve enjoyed all of the books I’ve read by Cecilia Ahern and this is no exception. I’m fascinated by synthasaesia so was really interested to read this book about Alice who sees colours around people which differ according to their moods and personalities….gold signifying innocent life, pregnancy and babies, white from the crown of the head when someone passes, lust shown to her as pulsing red. She also sees colour around living objects such as trees but suffers with headaches and migraines from this ‘gift’. As an observer it seems like a wonderful talent to possess but it must be overwhelming.

Alice is a wonderful character and I loved learning about her and following her life.

I liked the sheer originality of the unusual ideas in this book. It was well written, with some interesting characters, who were not perfect as real people are not. I had a few tiny gripes, but for some great ideas I have to give this book full marks.

Wow, this book really blew me away, I just absolutely loved it! Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me an advance copy, I will definitely be recommending.

Wow! This book was just incredible. I couldn't stop reading, I was absolutely absorbed in the story. I think it will take a lot to top this one. I adored every thing about it. The characters, the storyline, amazing. Thank you to the author, publishers and netgalley for an e-arc in exchange for an honest review. I'd give it 10 stars if I could.

Such a, unique, extraordinary story, I was drawn in from the beginning and could almost feel the colours of the different characters as Alice saw them this was so beautifully written. I cried so many tears and will miss Alice kelly for a very long time.
My thanks to Netgallery for my opportunity to read such a wonderful book.

Alice has a life changing experience when she is 8:years old, she realises she sees colours surrounding people, they vary as to what emotions they are feeling. She has a difficult family life with a mother who is bi-polar, a father who leaves when the children are young, an older brother, Hugh, she idolises and a younger brother, Ollie, who becomes a problem the older he gets.
Alice’s gift leads to problems at school and she gets sent to a boarding school for difficult children where she makes 2 good friends who we briefly meet again once Alice has moved to London and is trying to find a job she can do.
I have read a lot of books by Cecelia Ahern but this was the first one that took me a while to get into reading. I am glad I persevered as I enjoyed it the more I read.

An absolutely epic read that I enjoyed immensely. It was so well done, so well-written, I looked forward to reading it every night. It was different to any book I had read before. It had a unique premise, insightful characters, and a really interesting take on how we see life differently. I also liked the fact that it went through her entire life. I did wonder if the end was a little rushed but it didn't detract from the enjoyment. A five-star read by a talented writer.

Thank you NetGalley and Harper Collins for a digital review copy of this wonderful book in exchange for an honest review.

“Finding your way is never a simple journey…

Alice sees the worst in people.

She also sees the best.
She sees a thousand different emotions and knows exactly what everyone around her is feeling.
Every. Single. Day.

But it’s the dark thoughts.

The sadness. The rage.
These are the things she can’t get out of her head. The things that overwhelm her.

Where will the journey to find herself begin?”

I am a great fan of Cecelia Ahern’s books but this one really blew me away! I was totally immersed in this book with its unique storyline about Alice Kelly and her ability to see peoples colours. This is storytelling at it’s finest and I found it a moving, beautiful read that will stay with me for a long time.

What an absolutely beautiful book! I loved the characters and was completely engrossed. It's so, so lovely. Highly recommended.

Another wonderful story from Ahern looking at unusual characters, in this case Alice who sees and reads auras, both in people and in nature. The book spans most of her life and is filled with wisdom and beautiful description, as Alice tries and stumbles to navigate growing up in light of her gift, which for a long time she sees as a curse. Heart breaking at times, funny in others, it’s a real story of light and shade in a world of abundant colour.

Alice sees the worst in people.

She also sees the best.
She sees a thousand different emotions and knows exactly what everyone around her is feeling.
Every. Single. Day.

But it’s the dark thoughts.
The sadness. The rage.
These are the things she can’t get out of her head. The things that overwhelm her.

Alice has a gift- though she doesn't always perceive it this way. She views people's auras, her ability enabling her to detect and feel how others' feel vividly. Burdened with the pain, despair and anxiety of others she develops ways to shield herself from the transference of their colours.
Cecilia Ahern has produced a masterpiece here, an original premise for a book and mesmerising characters. Simply stunning. Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

An intriguing read that had me hooked from the start. Unusual subject matter of Synesthesia which I had come across before but not to such an extent as Alice, the main character together with a gift of insight makes this an unforgettable book.. Wonderful development of characters throughout and the world through Alice's eyes throughout her life which was somewhat timeless. Certainly a powerful book and I think Cecelia's best that I have read to date. A resounding 5 stars.

Loved it ! From the first few sentences the story had me. An interesting plot and characters you could visualise, don’t want to give things away but I felt I was “ seeing “ too, it was so well described . A delight to read and I loved it was a complete finale even though I did have a lump in my throat. Definitely a bestseller and yet again a totally fab book from Adele.

I absolutely loved this book! Alice is a little girl living with her two brothers and her single parent mother who seems to be suffering depression. Alice does not have.a happy childhood. One day Alice returns home from school, petrified at the amount of deep blue hanging around in the air, unable to wake her mum up. The blue seems to be suffocating her. Alice is disruptive at school and she’s confused with herself. Several years later her brothers girlfriend realises what is different about Alice. Alice sees colour around everyone. She can tell if they are good or bad; happy or sad; a danger or a safe person. It’s a medical condition, it’s all clear now. Alice struggles to come to terms with this and spends most of her adult life hiding away. Until she meets Naomi, a Reiki healer, who makes her see her gift differently. Alice eventually lets in love, and her world is turned around, I absolutely loved this story.