When a suicide attempt goes hilariously awry, Abigail Carter, PhD candidate and owner of a gorgeous kitten named Cedric, finds herself with a brand new blog. Abigail soon finds herself writing about her daily troubles and tribulations - a future mother-in-law from hell, an ex-boyfriend turned cop, an armed bandit dressed as Father Christmas and the reappearance of Chastity MacKenzie, the girl responsible for Abigail's removal from boarding school years before. And when it looks like Samuel, Abigail's fiance of five years, may be having an affair with Chastity, Abigail realizes that it is time to tackle her problems head on...Review:
Abigail's unique personality was evident from page one, and was a riot of enjoyment every page thereafter. I loved her character, her back-and-forth mood swings, her intelligent, yet crude, language, and the way she approached every situation, from cats and family members, to mortal enemies, etc. I also liked Abigail's relationship with Samuel; they played off of each other flawlessly even though they sometimes seemed like polar opposites. Their dispositions were very realistic and easy-to-relate to, often causing me to shake my head, laugh out loud, or cuss a blue streak right along with them. The book is based on Australian author Kathryn White's blog, and is formatted as a collection of time-ordered blog entries, each delving in to Abigail's thoughts and feelings about her ever-changing state of mind. I enjoyed reading the diary-esque entries which added to the overall tone and made the novel feel more modern. The pacing was not as steady as I am used to, but I felt that it went along with the flow of the plot-line, especially since Abigail herself was unsteady about the future. I always enjoy reading books where I learn new vocabulary, and I definitely got an earful from Being Abigail, particularly her definitions of skank and wanker (not what you'd think...). The only problems I saw were with grammar, and they did not take away from the novel's readability. Overall, well-developed characters, believable scenarios, and a plot full of attitude make this book a worthwhile and fun read!
Rating: On the Run (4/5)
*** I received this book from the author in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.
Thank you for your brilliant review. Glad you enjoyed Being Abigail.
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