This was darkly funny and definitely hit some of my high notes. There was some judgement of the author that seemed to come through on different groups that was not appreciated and detracted from the story.

Great book, loved it.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for letting me access this book in exchange for my honest feedback.

A quick and easy read that I found myself picking up after a long day to unwind. The characters are beautifully written and I came to love them within the first few pages and was rooting for them all the way to the end. At times I wanted to stop reading because I just wanted the experience to go on for longer.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This has lockdown during COVID vibes and I really liked this view of the pandemic from Liam's point of view.

This book was a nice read for me. The setting was relatable for us who have been through live in pandemic era, and though sometimes I didn't get the jokes, it's still a worth to read!

Sadly, this book did not live up to my expectations. It presented as a humorous and potentially wry observation of life during lockdown. Unfortunately, I found it farcical and it really did not work for me. I did read it right through to the end but it really wasn't the book for me.

I admire authors who have managed to produce new books which have managed to use the National Lockdown as a positive plot device. Too many authors have just tried to pretend it never happened.
Andy Tilley has a great sense of humour. Liam, a student trapped in a . Manchester apartment block during lockdown, is a character who is like cannon fodder for the events unfolding around him. The small cast of characters are all misfits and drawn with a deft hand. The humour is dry with a gloriously manic denouement. This is a book everyone should have on their bookshelf.

This book is worth reading simply because it is so different. Described as a comedy, it has a deep streak of the tragic, too, and this is to the credit of the author who is able to draw on some of the lessons of the pandemic about privilege and perspective.

So, I finished this book feeling slightly disappointed. I’m glad I persevered with it, as I did almost give up on it due to the stiff characters and their personalities, but I think the story as a whole was worth reading

The Shocking Price of a Pair of Shoes
by Andy Tilley

DNF. This was just mean humor to most everyone. I could not even imagine the weak, crazy reason this book was even written.

Blah. This is a covid lockdown story. That's fine. However, the overt judginess was too much. You don't like big ladies? That's fine, a casual mention is more than enough. No need to carp on about it. The main character was extremely self absorbed and just wasn't relatable. I would have DNFed if it had been longer. I can't think of any audience that I'd recommend this to.

It is the start of the pandemic, and Liam spends the initial days of lockdown panicking and being self-righteous. After accidentally yelling at a homeless man from his balcony, the tramp, as Liam calls him, begins a sort of war with Liam that escalates quickly from taunting to (mostly kind of ridiculous) threats. There were a few parts that made me laugh (the conversation about licking Norman, for one), and it wasn't bad, but I didn't love the resolution at the end. It felt like a lot of craziness leading up to just...ending. 3.5 stars rounded to 3

The front cover really drawn me to the book and was so glad when I got accepted to read it but I found it but boring and not sure if I really want to read book about lockdown at present. I didn’t find it very funny either dont know if that’s my sense of humour. I also didn’t read it all just because I could not get into it. It just was not for me but I am sure over people will enjoy it.
Thank you NetGalley for letting me read this book.

I have lived in the town where this book was set. It was like a friend was describing their 2020 experience to me. I enjoyed it whilst I read it but I don’t think it will leave a lasting impression.

Right... I admit it was the snazzy cover and title that first lured me in, but I hadn't realized I had actually hit that request button until I saw that I was approved. There was something about the blurb of The Shocking Price Of A Pair Of Shoes that made me hope that my mistake would turn out to be a lucky one... But I guess that we can't always have what we want. The fact is that this story and me most definitely didn't get along, and the only reason I actually finished it is because it's so short. Oh yes, there were sadly DNF vibes going on while I was trying to struggle through The Shocking Price Of A Pair Of Shoes.

I'm keeping this review short to avoid a full blown rant, but there were multiple reasons why this story simply didn't work for me. I think I huge part of my problem with The Shocking Price Of A Pair Of Shoes was the so-called humor. I don't mind a dose of sarcastic and dry humor (usually my kind of humor actually), but there was just something about the actual humor and jokes used that left me with a bad taste in my mouth. Not only were a lot of the lines disrespectful, discriminating and simply distasteful, the main characters who were using them were despicable themselves. The way they talked, behaved and viewed others was just something I started to resent more and more up until the point I couldn't wait to see the back of them.

Part of my issue with this story could be a personal one; I'm simply not sure if I'm ready for COVID stories yet (although I have read them before). I guess it all depends on how it is incorporated into the plot, and while this story does show the two sides of the initial COVID scare, there were also parts of the plot that were truly distasteful. And not just that, but also simply not that credible at all and in moments even absurd. It seems like The Shocking Price Of A Pair Of Shoes wants to add as many crazy turns and shocking elements as possible, insulting people along the way and leaving most characters feel like cheap caricatures.

Honestly, I tried, but sadly The Shocking Price Of A Pair Of Shoes and me REALLY didn't get along, and I'm mostly left wondering why I didn't simply opt for a DNF instead. I guess you could have a different reaction to it depending on how you react to crude humor, insults and an unbelievable plot, but you won't see me recommending this title any time soon myself.

This was a quick, easy and darkly funny read that I read in one sitting. Well written with a storyline that everyone could relate to after the recent pandemic and well developed characters that all added sometihing to the plot. An enjoyable read.