Okay, I have to admit that this one took me a bit to get into, but once I did, I was absolutely enthralled. Eleanor isn't exactly a likable character, and many of her social interactions are pretty cringe-worthy. However, once her friendship with Raymond starts to build, the plot actually became very interesting and even a little adorable, yet sad, at times. Eleanor has never had any friends - never felt she needed them - and is too busy battling her inner demons and the insecurities her mother has ingrained in her that she doesn't have the time or interest in building any kind of relationship with anyone. As the story develops, though, readers will discover there is so much more to Eleanor and how she became who she is. As the trauma of Eleanor's childhood is slowly uncovered, readers will end up rooting for Eleanor and will be charmed by her growing friendship with those around her, especially the quintessential but adorably sweet computer nerd, coworker, Raymond. This one is well worth the read!

I enjoyed the book until the ending. It was confusing. I had several theories about the end, and eliminated the actual ending based on how some of the conversations went. So that was frustrating. Aside from that, I did enjoy the book and I am looking forward to the movie. I enjoyed the characters' development throughout the book the most. It's a good read alike for Ginny Moon by Benjamin Ludwig.

Eleanor Oliphant has created her own little world where each day is like any other with minimal variations except the weekends where she drinks enough vodka to remain in a stupor until it's time to go back to work on Monday. Highly intelligent, she views the world from a particular point of view, judging the actions and behaviors of others, usually finding them lacking. A Type A personality to the extreme, her black or white perspective "colors" her approach to any given task, leaving her questioning the random actions of those she encounters in her daily activities. It is no wonder she remains alone, shrugging off the stares of her perplexed coworkers while toiling away at the low paying job she has held since her youth. Then one day Eleanor falls in love and realizes that she must try to "fit in" to establish a relationship. On her quest to acquire the appropriate accoutrements, she suddenly enters a new realm helped along by a randomly based relationship with a coworker who befriends her after they witness a tragic event and find themselves assisting an elderly gentleman in need of their care. This leads to a series of possibilities which might just change the entire demeanor of the stilted Eleanor (or not).

Ultimately, it's the humor which raises this book to the next level. First time author, Gail Honeyman, has hit a home run in her debut novel, Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine. At times Eleanor’s thoughts mirror those of our own - “That much for a purse which is too small to hold anything but a tissue?” or “Another gift collection for another coworker on another special occasion?”. Her quirkiness makes her despicable characteristics somehow endearing and we start to root for her success, even though we all know she’s doomed to fail. And yet, . . . .

The author has the rare talent of forcing the reader to become emotionally involved, making us hope that somewhere out there is a life for Eleanor which is somewhat better than fine. Then when we think we have everything figured out, there’s a twist which changes our whole perspective. Kudos.

Now our only question to consider is who will play Eleanor in the upcoming movie and will they change the locale from Glasgow, Scotland to somewhere in the United States?

Five stars and a thank you to Netgalley for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This review also appears on my blog, Gotta Read.
https://ellenk59.wordpress.com/2018/09/05/eleanor-oliphant-is-completely-fine-by-gail-honeyman/