Cover Image: In a Thousand Different Ways

In a Thousand Different Ways

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Member Reviews

Thank you for letting me listen to this audiobook by one of my all time favourite authors. I love this authors writing and how she sets a scene for her characters. Thoroughly enjoyed it.

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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.

EDIT I have now listened to the audio version and It was even better, the narrator was so good she added to Alice's personality and made the characters come even more alive. Her accents were great and my only quibble was the voice she gave Gospel.
Listening to this book was good therapy and gave me a lot of food for thought and now I'm going to miss Alice (and even Lili!) more. I cannot recommend this book highly enough.

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In a Thousand Different Ways is a unique and brilliant novel from Cecelia Ahern. At the age of 8 years old Alice realises she has an ability that other people don’t. Growing up in a dysfunctional family with only her older brother for support she has to find ways to deal with this on her own. Despite feeling like it is a curse rather than a gift, she manages to help many people in her life but can she ever lead a happier normal life?
I absolutely loved this book, the characters and the narrator. It was hilarious at times as well as highlighting sensitive and difficult issues. Highly recommended

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Really enjoyed this. A very unique & well written story. I would highly recommend this audio book. Nice narration too.

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A great book! I love the way this book was written and the story was told, taking us on the main characters journey and through her struggles.

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A vivid,vibrant and emotive tale greets one in In a thousand different ways.Born in a dysfunctional family Alice was different from all other children of her age. Since, an early age she begin to see people's colour corresponding to their inner emotions and from that time onwards her life was not the same. Her special situation was diagnosed as Synesthesia which caused her severe headaches too. It was hard for her to mingle freely with people without getting affected by their aura. The trials and tribulations of her life will keep the readers engrossed till the end.
The author have woven a complicated, layered and gripping story full of raw human emotions that will tug at your heart.The characters are flawed and well carved.The tale moves at a steady pace.The opinionated society, the cut throat competition at the work place and the masked people whose emotion get triggered in unexpected situations are well portrayed in the book.Mental health is one of main themes of Alice journey.
A beautiful interplay of colour that one can't possibly miss.

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I think this is a book which, for me, will work better as a hard copy rather than audio. I found the narration distracting; I don’t know why, but I just couldn’t get into the rhythm of the tale and despite a number of attempts, I’m unable to finish the audiobook.

Thus far, the central character, Alice , is a triubled little girl and it’s clear that she has an unusual gift…she sees people in colours. But will it turn out to be a curse and how does it shape her as a person and her interactions with others. I am intrigued to find out as the premise is different and it has the feel of a well rounded family saga. On the basis of what I’ve heard so far and ignoring the narration, I’m giving the book 4 stars.

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condition called Synesthesia, she is able to see people’s auras in the form of colours. Some are nice but some are not She can tell if people are telling the truth or if they are not, what mood they are in that day and she can see what their moods and emotions are but for 8 year old Alice this is all so overwhelming and exhausting for her especially as the colours keep on coming and never stop. Alice is growing up in a dysfunctional family with her mum Lily who suffers from depression and her adorable older brother Hugo who is always there for her. As Alice grows older she learns that her ‘gift’ can be quite useful used in the right way. This is a beautiful and fascinating audiobook. It’s is bright, colourful and narrated expertly by Amy McAllister who manages to portray all the different characters in the book so well which makes the story so enjoyable to listen to. Thank you Netgalley and Harper Collins for my copy.

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Wow! What a different book, so unusual. I always look forward to reading Cecella Ahem books and have read most. Everyone is different so don't expect more of the same with this author. This audio version is read so well and really brings out the character of Alice especially.
I won't repeat the synopsis here but just to say that this is the story of an unusual and gifted woman who finds it hard to fit into the world as the rest of us see it. This is a beautiful story with a deep understanding of what we might call 'disability' or special needs. A wonderful book for a book group to ponder and discuss.

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Thank you for my ALC of this book.
I like Ahern’s other books so was excited for this. I did like the premise and the book but the long chapters and pacing drew me out of the book at times

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Wow this book was amazing. Auras and chakras feature as the theme for the gifted main character, however you can take away the colours and replace with intuition and gut feeling. Sad childhood and sibling relationships are a major factor in how the story evolves and main character forms her own characteristics until she can mature to realise her own potential. A story of coming of age, being regarded as different and tackling life’s hurdles on your own. Family dynamics and when to just walk away, but make your peace before it’s too late. I just loved the colours though and felt it added so much validity to our feelings and trust your own sense of fairness and emotional intelligence. We can’t take on everyone else’s problems and how to recognise when that happens. You figure it all out and then you die, your legacy is the family you leave behind, sorry not meant to be morbid, a very uplifting read. Thank you #NetGalley for the audiobook to review.

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This is my first book of Cecelia Ahern. An unusual story, very well written, and I look forward to reading more of her books.

Alice has a rare condition – Synesthesia, due to which she see colours as a sort of aura when she sees people. The colours reflect the moods & mind of the person she is seeing. I was curious to see how this develops as I have seen such unusual conditions/abilities used well and used poorly. In this case, Alice’s relationships with others considering her unusual ability forms the crux of story is all about and is well written. Alice recognizes this ability when is only eight, and has tough family circumstances. Her brother Hugh is supportive, but her mother Lily struggles with illness, and her brother Ollie gets into trouble (later landing up in the jail). A substantial portion of the book covers Alice’s early life and later introduces some romance. Alice runs into Andy, and she is disconcerted as she cannot see his colours. She gets accustomed to a different way of forming relationships.

The character development is excellent, especially Alice who is a fantastic character – strong & develops with experiences. There is a lot of complexity in the characterisation, and it is very nuanced. The relationship between Alice & Andy while unusual in parts, I felt had its rough edges in terms of portrayal. I did like the part where Alice mentions understanding his soul without her powers. The early parts of the book progress as a string of incidents, while later the story takes time leaps. I found many sections to be slow, and it could have been shorter. The last portion spans many years in Alice’s life, but I liked that approach as I think the author probably felt there was not much new material which could be introduced. The end summary on Alice navigating her relationships & life’s experiences through colours was beautiful.

The audiobook narrated by Amy McAllister was good, especially the distinction she provides to different characters. A beautiful cover – very apt for the story.

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I’ve read a lot of Cecelia Ahern’s earlier books and they are always emotional reads. This one did have aspects of that but overall didn’t live up to her other works for me.
I liked the concept of the story but the timeline jumped around a lot and so you could get easily confused as to where you where with it.
The last quarter of the book felt like it was quite rushed as well as I would of liked to hear more about Alice’s children and how she finally settled into her gift more.


Thanks to Netgalley and Harper Collins Uk for the chance to read this ARC

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I listened to this on audible and don't know if it was the narrator or the storyline or both but this really didn't work for me.

The narrator when she did the voices for the male characters and Lily the mum sounded more like The Wicked Witch of the West and it was so off putting.

I struggled to connect with Alice, the main character and although the subject of seeing colours and auras is interesting I just didn't enjoy this story.

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If you’ve ever read a book by Ahern before, you know you’re in for a treat. And this one is no exception. Read beautifully by McAllister, I fell in love with this one. The story, the characterisation, the setting, the pace. I loved every bit of this one. So much, that I bought a gorgeous signed copy.

Alice is such a beautiful soul - right from the flashbacks of her childhood, to the end of this story, and my heart broke for her on many a time. That ending - of my goodness - that really did hit me with a sucker punch.

This is the second novel I’ve read with a main character that has a unique ability when interacting with people around them (the other one is the excellent and also recommended The Colour of Bee Larkham’s Murder by Sarah J Harris). But I love how for Alice, it literally pulls her through the wringer, and you’re with her along for the ride. She does not have an easy life (so parts aren’t easy to read) and those around her struggle to relate. But she does have some beautiful relationships along the way.

In short, I loved it - read it. Try to get the audiobook if that’s your thing!

Thanks to NetGalley, the team at Harper Collins UK Audio, and the author for the opportunity to listen to this review copy.

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WoW!!!!! In a Thousand Different Ways by Cecelia Ahern and Narrated by Amy McAllister was a beautifully written. it was a book just took "My breath away" from start to finish I wasn't sure of this book but the cover caught my eye and I am so glad it did, it's beautiful.
The narrator Amy McAllister was perfect. Cecelia Ahern is a wonderful storyteller and I will be looking out for her books in the future.

I highly recommend this book. I loved it.

Big Thank you to NetGalley, Cecelia Ahern, and HarperCollins UK for my advanced copy of In a Thousand Different Way.

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The cover is beautiful, the story was amazing, the narrator was absolutely fabulous, I really loved it!

Thanks to NetGalley, the editor and the author for the opportunity to access this ARC.

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Wow! I absolutely loved this audiobook! I have to rave about the Narrator, what sheer talent and brilliance! one singular Narrator managed to effectively not do every single character’s distinctive voice but their tone, accent, country of origin and even dialects! From a Cork to a Dublin accent, on to Glaswegian and British. She even manages ages of characters from very young to old. Their personalities come to life. It was like watching a movie or listening to a radio play with multiple narrators. Seriously folks, it’s utter genius and it’s what makes the audiobook just pop. I would of enjoyed the novel reading it also but this is THE best audiobook ever. A bad or boring Narrator can kill an audiobook, so choosing one carefully is a must. Kudos!

The book itself is just stunning. It is so special and unique and unlike anything I have read before. Alice, our central character absolutely pops from the first moment we meet her. Following her incredible life journey was amazing. I felt like I knew Alice and was in her world in every way. All the characters are very well written and so distinct from each other. Some to love, some to dislike but each one is clearly defined and important to the overall story.

Never heard of Synesthesia? You will now. This is what Alice loves with and it’s how she sees every single living through different eyes. Others call it her gift “what colour am I Alice?” but to Alice it is a burden and impacts everything. Not a mental disorder but a neurological condition people are born with. It can be many types, you could hear music and see shapes. You could hear a word and it has a colour to it, you may read a word such as “street” and smell oranges. Incredible right? This brings a unique element to the story so much. Kudos for all the intense and correct research into it. I am excited that so many people who taste this book will know of it. I have a friend who smalls things as colours and tells me mould is like a dark murky purple.

I wanted to know, love and protect Alice. Her life starts out very tough and my heart ached for her. So many things happen in her lifetime and it’s a really emotive story. The characters are each so interesting also and their roles in Alice’s life is fascinating. This is a book that will stir many emotions. I have cried twice reading a book in my lifetime of thousands and the ending of this had tears running down my cheeks.

Beautifully executed. I cannot recommend this enough and the audiobook is out of this world. Try it! I loved everything and I highly recommend this for your reading or listening list right now. Cecilia Ahearn is a genius and has pulled out an absolute corker for us all. I still have Alice’s Dublin accent in my head reminding me of the year I lived there. Did I mention he Narrator? I am actually going to look for other audiobooks she has worked on. Five huge stars!

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I loved everything about this book!
I highly recommend for everybody who enjoys a good read.
Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this arc in exchange for an honest review!

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Such a beautiful book which is really brought to life with the amazing narrator! I loved Alice’s journey and felt like I was experiencing the journey with her in all its amazing glory! This book had me feeling every emotion. The description and language used was so clear and poignant Absolutely loved every part of this book.

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