I tend to love gimmicky and high concept books, but this one I found very hard to get into and fully embrace as it just went too weird and to me.. I wish the author all the best, but this one was not for me.

It's some time ago since I listened to this audiobook and although a lot of the detail of it now escapes me, I do remember being thoroughly caught up in the narrative. There was such a heavy sense of sadness, loss and overwhelm to this novel and yet there was also this seed of hope trying to push through. It is an oddly curious tale but beautiful story and the narrator does a fine job with the telling of it.

I am so sorry, I did not enjoy this at all. The audiobook felt so statistic and energy less. The words and pages at time induced a feeling inside me of being very annoyed. Perhaps the physical book experience would have been very different but this audiobook was one of the most terrible experience. I won't be reviewing it on any other platform keeping in mind the mental health and feelings of the author.

Oh my! I'm not sure there are many words in my vocabulary that I can use to describe how I feel about this utterly all consuming novel and without spoiling things). It left me speechless, devastated and hopeful all at the same time and Isaac and his buddy Egg have left such a mark on my heart.

Isaac is depressed and ready to give up on life. He's closed the door to everyone trying to help him and has already ceased to exist in spirit and mind. Isaac is a character who just breaks your heart instantly. His perfectly imperfect relationship with Mary is lovingly crafted through flashbacks and this is how we learn about Isaac as he was too.

I'm not religious or spiritual but I'm a believer of seeking out the glimpse of good and Hope in terrible situations. This is what I believe Egg to be. Some sort of beacon of hope trying to break through the wall Isaac has surrounded himself with and shed a tiny amount of hope onto him. Egg appears when Isaac needs him the most and adds a little humour into a fairly dark story.

I adored Egg and his playfulness. I always got the feeling he knew and understood far more than he let on and knew that his purpose was to bring light back into Isaac’s life. Towards the end there is definitely more of a sense of this coming through. Egg’s development provides some light relief throughout and I loved how he was brought to life. I found myself chuckling out loud at his antics and Eggisms.

I was lucky enough to listen to some of this in an audio book and Johnny Flynn really does a fantastic job of narration. He conveys the emotional distress and numbness of Isaac whilst equally bringing the playful and mischievous Egg to lfe in stark contrast. He has the sort of voice I could listen to all day.

Isaac and the Egg is a beautiful story and Bobby Palmer tells it perfectly. In the beginning, it leaves you wondering what on earth is happening but by the end you will be completely smitten and in love. It’s unique, quirky and wonderful.

What can I say? Isaac and the Egg falls into one of those rare books that I have read twice because it’s so amazing. Well, full disclosure, one listen on audio and one read in print. I have always been a physical copy fan over any e or audio and whilst I adored this story both times, I think the print copy allowed me to savour it that bit more. But zero judgement here – all ways of consuming writing are great (as long you aren’t illegally downloading)!

I honest do not think I can do justice to the story, without trampling over the nuance and clever crafting, as my words feel clunky and clumsy. Isaac is a very very troubled man through a grief that is so large it consumes every fibre of his being and stops him moving forward with his life. He finds himself blacking out and losing huge chunks of time and memory and during one such time he encounters this strange egg. He is compelled to bring it home with him and over time realises there is so much more to Egg than simply an object.

The storyline is well thought out and treads a line between the reality of the human condition, and it’s capacity for love and heartache, alongside an element of surreal and mystical. Egg and Isaac get to know each other and Egg is a presence when Isaac is at some of his lowest moments. There is an element of inevitability in parts of the story but equally when they arrived I was still completely stunned and moved to the point of ugly tears on more than one occasion. Many books have moved me to tears but I can think of only a handful of books that have brought such a visceral reaction, like the characters were a part of my family and their pain was my pain. If you are feeling fragile I might suggest a few extra tissues but I think it might feel somewhat comforting to read despite the palpable grief?

I honestly cannot say enough good things about Isaac and the Egg. Don’t be put off by the slightly odd set up, between the covers is a fantastic storyline that can’t fail to make a mark. Perfection. I hope we soon have more to read from Bobby Palmer but goodness me has he set the bar ridiculously high! I think I might read this again, so Isaac is joining a very elite club of books read multiple times by me!

Isaac & The Egg
Bobby Palmer

Read by Johnny Flynn

I absolutely adored this quirky, warm, sad & funny book. What a wonderful writer Bobby Palmer is! His ability to engage & enthral his readers with such (seeming!) ease is really quite astounding. Although the theme of the story is one of deep sadness I was left with a heart full of hope (after I had mopped my face that is!)
A wonderful book. Highly recommend.

Special mention to the narrator Johnny Flynn for his excellent reading.

With my thanks to Netgally & the publisher @headlineaudio for the opportunity to read & review this book.

Isaac and the egg by Bobby Palmer

I listened to the audiobook of this and found it a slow burner but one that I really liked once I got in to it. The writing was understated and I thought it worked well on audio.

Isaac is grieving and meets a new friend, egg, who he takes home with him. They don’t speak the same language but egg’s presence helps Isaac to carry on with his life. Despite the sad undertones I found it a hopeful book and I will definitely be reading future books by Bobby Palmer.

Thank you to netgalley, the author and publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. Isaac and the egg is out now.

What a funny and touching book! This story is full of emotional moments and i really enjoyed the heartfelt way in which Isaac's story unravelled and we learned more about his situation, and the reason for his sadness.

Egg was a delightful character and it's antics made me giggle many a time throughout the book, bringing a light-hearted and humour feel to a book which covers some difficult topics.

A joy to read.

The narration was very well done, and the narrator did a great job with the sounds that Egg makes as communication.

Ive just finished this book and what a perfect one to read as we all think of a new year ahead . It has so many layers, funny, sad and thought provoking in equal measures.

The characters are so well written that I couldn’t help but fall in love with them. Anyone who has lost a love one will fully relate to Isaac. When Issac finds a huge egg in the forest their adventures begin each teaching each other lessons along the way.

The journey grief takes you on is so well portrayed. The importance of those around you family and friends was something which shone out as well. I loved the narrators voice on the audiotape it really brought the story to life and the divergent tones and voices really made listening enjoyable.

I would recommend this unique book which deals with such a difficult subject with empathy and hope.

I have avoided the recent trend of books about grief and have issues with audio so this was another choice that perplexed me in hindsight – that was until I started listening.

It is a sad and touching tale told without over-wrought angst or melodrama.
Isaac's emotional distress is expressed through the quiet as he struggles to live through his grief, shunning all company except that of Egg.
He eats, he sleeps and makes it through each day with the support of his sister, neighbours and his therapist while the events leading to Isaac's present state are revealed to the reader as Isaac is able to cope with them.

The spare prose is not sickly sentimental or manipulative, but has a wry, mildly humourous turn of phrase which is perfectly complimented by Johhny Flynn's narration. He has that particularly English inflection suggesting he is not taking life too seriously (despite the subject matter). And although his tone is calm and measured he manages to express such a wide range of emotion.

To be honest I was bowled over by this audiobook.
5 stars for everything and highly recommended.

This was one of the most stunning reads of the year I loved it and would urge everyone to listen or read. Let yourself be absorbed and enjoy the rollercoaster of a ride

Audiobook review narrated by Johnny Flynn.
This book was made for audio, and made for the narrator.
I cannot describe my enjoyment of this. Although maybe enjoyment is the wrong word- there are scenes that will break your heart, but scenes that will mend it.
The Egg is a weird character, there's no doubt. but he is superb. Johnny Flynn captures the humour and warmth perfectly, and his 'egg noises' were the best part. Even my fiance said, 'this is the best audiobook you've ever listened to', and he hadn't even heard a lot of it!
The warmth comes with pain though, and there are depictions of grief that literally took my breath away with their accuracy. I just want to be able to listen to this audiobook when my own grief becomes overwhelming.
It is outstanding.

I listened to an audio of Isaac and the Egg and I loved it. The story was very uplifting.

Johnny Flynn was a wonderful narrator and I think his voice suited the story very well- his narration really added to the experience too.

An astonishing, deeply moving and ultimately uplifting portrayal of the devastation of grief and loss, and finding a way back to carrying on living. All with the help of the mysterious and delightful Egg.
A Magical Realist delight.

I was in a really desperate book slump before I started this book. I honestly didn't have much hope for it as I wasn't sure what the make of the description. I love audiobooks though and the narration immediately pulled me in. I was addicted to this story and felt so many emotions. It was jam packed with grief yet devastatingly beautiful. It was humorous and brought me to fits of ugly crying. I am so glad that I took a chance on this book as it turned out to be exactly what I needed to get me back to devouring novels. This is the kind of book that sticks with you long after you've read it. Everything about it was unexpected from the book itself to my reaction and interpretation to it. I highly recommend consuming it as an audiobook as well because the narration really draws you in and makes sure you don't miss a single bit of the humour, emotion, or plot that makes this story so special. Thank you for the experience NetGalley!

This is such a heartbreaking, funny, but also uplifting audiobook. I very much enjoyed the narrator, his voice fits the story perfectly.

It’s a story of grief, and the intense pain of it, helped along by the egg….who is utterly adorable! There were a good few twists and turns in this that I did not expect.

Overall, funny, upsetting, and thought provoking.

My thanks to Netgalley and Headline Audio. My review is based on an advance copy that I received from the publisher

Many thanks to Netgalley, Headline Audio and the author for the ALC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book!!! This book!! It was just beautiful and painful and adorable!!

Isaac and the Egg is exactly what it is the story of Isaac and an egg he finds abandoned which turns out to be a creature that speaks a wierd language belonging to some other world. It's a story of healing, love, pain and acceptance.

To be honest, I cannot explain this story in anyway without giving away anything. Its completely mindboggling at first and you absolutely struggle to pinpoint what's going on and as the story progresses bits and pieces fall into place and you get the wider picture, which means you need to stay hooked till the end.

I feel like this is a hit or miss book, like you will either absolutely love it or you won't bother to finish it. One of the funny things for me with this story was how I would keep on picturing Isaac as an old man of 60's when in reality he is only in his late twenties, which was wierd and I had to keep on reminding myself...nop...not an old guy now!

The narration was brilliant to see the least, especially the conversation of egg, it was so adorable and perfect to the T.

TW: Grief, Suicidal intentions, death, depression, anxiety

This one was ok but it wasn’t really my cup of tea. I struggled making sense of it at times and the whole monster thing didn’t interest me.

The audio of this story had me in tears on my walk to work. So beautifully written and each page as captivating as the last. Such an unusual and sadstory which also manage to break my heart and warm it all at the same time.
Sublime

What a beautiful story. I absolutely loved it.

As I listened to the audiobook, I have to mention how brilliant the narrator, Johnny Flynn, was. He brought Egg to life and he told the story so well.

It’s a quirky, whimsical story with a serious theme at its heart. I don’t think I’ve ever read a book that tackles grief so well. It was heartbreaking in places, and I could really empathise with Isaac. I could well imagine being similarly distraught if anything happened to my own spouse.

Egg was brilliant and I loved the humour he provided. His and Isaac’s unlikely friendship was oddly touching.

I enjoyed how the author dropped pieces of the puzzle throughout the story, keeping the reader guessing about what the whole story was about. I did predict what was behind the locked door upstairs quite early on, but it didn’t affect my enjoyment of the story.

Considering it’s a story about grief, the focus is on hope, friendship and love. It’s a gentle, tender story with a hint of magic.

It’s hard to believe this story is a debut and I’ll definitely be looking out for more books by Bobby Palmer.