“But this was not a romcom, this was a tragedy of Shakespearean proportions and I had never been a fan of Shakespeare”
The first thing I noticed about this book was the fact I thought I disliked the main character, but that didn’t put me off reading about her. Effie is miserable and stuck in a rut, she drinks too much and is jealous of her “friends”. I read the majority of the book desperate to stop her self sabotage but as I finished the last page I realised what I was feeling wasn’t hate, I cared for Effie. I related to her in some aspects. As the book progresses with Effie causing a lot of her own chaos working her way through a list of goals written with potential new love Theo; I was yearning for them to find their happy ending. This is a book of twists and turns, it’s not your traditional easy read chick lit romance. This book hits hard, dealing not just with love but loss, alcoholism, illness and turbulent family relationships. It’s a great read, something I would definitely recommend.

Thank you to Avon Books and NetGalley for the advance copy of this book in return for an honest review.

wonderful heartbreaking novel about a very angry woman called effie and the man she meets theo who falls in love with her .

Wow this book will break your heart in two and then put it all back together and make you realise what a joy life can be and sometimes you don’t need someone else to work out your own value. This book is a beautiful and honest read and I was sad to get to the last page as it felt like I was leaving some old friends behind. I loved it.

I loved this book, this was one of those books that I kept seeing and knew that I needed to read from the first time I saw the cover.

Effie comes across as clumsy, lacking ambition and pretty blunt but as this story unfolds you get to know what sculpted her to be the person she has become and how one list changes the direction of her life.

A book full of superb real life scenarios and characters you can picture and who capture your heart. I loved this book and can't wait to see what comes next from this author!

Thank you to Netgalley and Avon for the opportunity to read this advanced reader's copy in return for my honest review. Effie is a very relatable character that I enjoyed getting to know. A book about finding your path at your own time, in your own way. Beautiful!

It took me a minute to get into it, too many of Effie's thoughts hit too close to home, but then I devoured this book. A lovely romance between two flawed but beautiful (inside and out) people and a great supporting cast. A nice love story about finding yourself and reconciling who you are with who you think you should be.

Thank you to NetGalley, Avon Books UK, and Hannah Sunderland for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I’m sorry to say that I found this book hard reading and I found that I couldn’t get on with the main character Effie. I found her so negative and down and whether it’s just what’s going on in the world right now, I just found it hard to read. Having read many of the other books, maybe I need to give it another go in 6 months or so!

Thank you to the author, Avon Books UK and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest opinion.

This was a wonderful story about opening up, believing in yourself, and finding your path in life. Effie, the heroine, starts off very prickly and unlikeable, and really grew on me. Part of that was her snarkiness, paired with the first-person narrative. I found myself laughing at various points - but there were also plenty of dark and deep moments, exploring themes of addiction, depression and anxiety. Yes, the way things resolved themselves were a bit too pat, but overall I found this a satisfying read.

Words can’t describe how much I loved this book! Effie was relatable, snarky & everything I love. Theo is the perfect male lead to help show Effie how wonderful life can be.

Overall a really heartwarming, funny read and I can’t wait to read more by this author!

Wow what a read!!!
I think alot of people can relate to Effie, in one way or another. Some parts of this broke me, had a good cry for her.
One that was hard to put down thats for sure. It was brilliantly written, really draws you in.
Not really been into these kind of books until recently.

Effie very much down on her luck. Seemed like she could never catch a break. And seeing everyone around her happy and moving on with their lifes. Meanwhile she was still living with her parents, single, and liked to drink a bit too much. Loved seeing how it all turned around for her. Even if she had to endure some really hard times.

Well deserved 5 stars. I'd say it's a must read. Hope everyone else enjoys it as much as I did!

Firstly, the good stuff: some of this book is really, really funny. I guffawed out loud several times, especially in the first few chapters. To be honest, this is what kept me going - I didn’t like the main character at all, or indeed many of the others (a few of whom were just plan cartoon-y), or the way the story seemed to be going. Later on, it saved itself from being too saccharine and predictable - it had to, I knew it would. And the whole thing, in addition to being hilariously witty at times, had a JoJo Moyes warmth and charm about it, and was moving in parts. Would I read it again? I’m not sure. But plenty of people would, and I can see it being developed for the big screen.

Absolutely loved this book! The emotions are real, you feel the true essence of Effie and everything about her

Very Nearly Normal was a delightful read that I found enjoyable and a great distraction.

Effie is a late twenty-something who has not found her way in life. Effie is quirky and just does not fit in to the world around her. Cue Theo who accidentally meets Effie and then proceeds to push his way in to her life.

This is a great story about finding one's way in life, friendship, being happy, and love.

I will definitely be looking for future releases from Hannah Sunderland.

I loved this! It’s a real story of love, life, adventure and friendships set in a modern day life with the problems any of us could face. Effie is a very open character with issues which make her harder to love, when on a date she meets another man, Theo who pursues her until she goes out with him. What follows is a beautiful story of love, heart-break and understanding the things that really matter. The characters are so easy to get to know and so likeable. I found this really sad in parts but, because I wanted so much for them to be happy. The ending is wonderful and this story is perfectly formed. I don’t normally choose books in this genre but am so glad I did, quite like a JoJo Moyes book. I very much enjoyed this and highly recommend it.

Effie's alcoholism explanations and excuses of why she drinks were well written. Effie's bad qualities make her seem very realistic and although I did not warm to her, a few chapters in Effie's character developed, and I found myself understanding her.
The relationship between her and Theo is well written, at times, tearjerking. The story is more than that of links - it's about Effie and Theo's lives, and the way their closeness changes each other.
I really enjoyed this book.
Hannah Sunderland's writing style is similar to Jojo Moyes, whose books I also really enjoy.
I thank NetGalley, Hannah Sunderland and the publishers for allowing me to read and review pre-publication in exchange for my honest review.

I didn’t think I was going to like Very Nearly Normal, I found Effie to be pretty unlikeable, but I stuck with it and I was pleasantly surprised. I loved the journey that Effie went on, this wasn’t just a romantic story, there was substance to the story and after finishing the book I felt like I wanted to go out and DO something! I loved it!

It's a very well written book, dealing mainly with alcoholism and its effects on everyone around the central character.
I have to say that i found Effie an absolute pain, so self involved, so egoistic, but I guess that is how the author wanted us to see her. She lives with her parents and has a job in a Bookshop where for a few moments each day she is happy. She meets Theo, who has issues of his own. Her relationship with Theo is interesting, and I did wonder how he put up witth her.
Thanks to NetGalley for a review copy.

Very Nearly Normal is Hannah Sunderland's strong debut novel. What's compelling about this book is that it is as much about personal growth as it is about the main characters' romance and relationship with one another. Effie and Theo each have their own challenges and secrets, but they have something special together. What's in question is if those individual foibles will drive a wedge between them, which feels very realistic.

Many thanks to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an unbiased review.

Very Nearly Normal by Hannah Sunderland was an interesting read for me. Reminiscent of someone close to me so very poignant in relation to Effie’s evolving self awareness of the part she plays in her own misfortunes. On the other hand definitely a little too predictable but hey, in these weird Covid19 times we need hope, and friends like Arthur and Caleb, and lovely loyal families and prospective positive endings. The book was very interesting and well written so kept me reading. Overall I enjoyed it and would give it three and a half stars but I’ll round up to four and embrace the predictability since I do love a satisfactory ending.

I was lucky to read an advance copy of this book via Netgalley and whilst I loved I loved most of the book, the ending was a bit of a let down which made me give it four stars.

After a terrible tinder date, Effie bumps into Theo who at first she doesn’t give him any attention until the next day when he returns purse. Over the weeks, they go on more dates and Effie get more attached and realised she is loveable. They get more and more close, creating a

Until, one night at a concert, a terrible accident has occurred and from then Theo shuts Effie out of his life completely. Effie, having low self esteem takes this a sign from everyone round. She considers leaving her life after getting kicked out former family home. Until she her boss puts her up and then Effie 2.0 is born!

Determined not to drink as much booze, help out with charities and comes to love herself and more confident.
I loved reading the way Effie became herself and more confident but the ending had me so disappointed as I can normal tell what is going to happen but not this time. I also got annoyed at the end chapter.
However, I would suggest this book for people to buy and would defo recommend.