Graham Patterson is a comedian who makes a fateful decision to get a tattoo that as it turns out gives him the ability to see two other "what could have been" lives, and the ability to choose which life to stay in. This was engaging and definitely thought-provoking, although it got a little confusing with other characters and their tattoos and involvement in his timelines.

An easy read that kept me engaged with thoughtful characters and storyline - I’ll keep an eye for this author, no doubt!
Thanks Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC opportunity!

I loved this book! I was engaged and on board from the first page.
The concept is complicated, convoluted and wild and I wasn’t sure I would keep up and I am certain I didn’t keep up all the way.
As the main character Graham once said, it is ‘magic’ and once I embraced the magic I was satisfied with the story and the wonderful characters within.
The connections throughout the book kept making me happy and engaged.
If this was made into a film I would be in the front row!

Not bad. I didn't like as much as I thought I would. Carroll has written a lot of books, and seems to have a lot of respect from his readers, so I may have to circle back to his earlier work.

Thanks very much for the free ARC for review!!

If Dickens had written the screenplay for Sliding Doors instead of A Christmas Carol, he probably would have gotten this book, which was far more engagingly written by Carrol, however. Although at times I struggled to follow timelines in the narrative, and felt like a hamster on acid going crazy on its wheel, the book holds up throughout (partly because it is not long) and makes one think as well as entertain.

Se Dickens avesse scritto la sceneggiatura di Sliding Doors invece che A Christmas Carol probabilmente avrebbe ottenuto questo libro, che peró é stato scritto in modo decisamente piú accattivante da Carrol. Sebbene a volte facessi fatica a seguire le timeline nella narrazione, e mi sembrasse di essere un criceto sotto acidi che impazzisce sulla sua ruota, il libro regge per tutto il tempo (anche perché non é lungo) e fa riflettere oltre che divertire.

I received from the Publisher a complimentary digital advanced review copy of the book in exchange for a honest review.

I´ve read most of the books written by Jonathan Carroll and I like them all. This one feels a bit disappointing.
I think most of us ask ourselves a universal question: what if? What if I got married earlier/later/never at all? What if I had rejected that job and gone after another? What if I moved there instead of here? What if...?
Now imagine you have a chance to find the answer to some of your questions, what would you do?
Well, we know what the main character did.
It all sounds intriguing and interesting.
Unfortunately the story despite its brilliant beginning, gets tangled to a point when it feels like the author himself got lost and wasn't sure anymore what is it that he wants to say. Twists and turns are interesting but other characters' explanations as to what is going on and why aren't convincing.
I like little details and descriptions in Carroll's prose, this is valuable. Especially how he describes photographs. There is unusual delicacy and intimacy in the way he tells us stuff.

Engaging, original, and thoroughly enjoyable. A recommended purchase for most general fiction collections.

What a super fun read!
Graham Patterson is a failing comedian on the road, considering his options. When he stops in a small town, he decides to take a gamble and request a very strange tattoo in a beguiling tattoo parlor. This action sets off a series of events that we all would love to experience. Through his tattoo, Graham gets the opportunity to live his other lives not yet chosen. With help from the artist, he learns how to navigate a few of his potential future "Grahams."
The writing is beautiful and the experiences are big and bold. This is a feel good novel with a big message. If you like magic realism, consider how life could have been, or just want to try sometime new and inspiring, Mr. Breakfast is f0r you! #MelvilleHouse #JonathanCarroll #MrBreakfast

If this were a movie, I would have started re-watching it immediately after finishing so I didn't miss a single interconnected piece of the puzzle. Graham gets a tattoo that lets him visit 2 other versions of his life, and he will get to pick one to stay in: famous photographer, famous comedian, or quiet family man. He meets a woman who also has this tattoo but doesn't visit any of her lives but gets drawn into Graham's fluctuating timeline. A person involved in their lives also gets the tattoo and gets to figure out which life he wants, though all are closely related to Graham's. And at some point, past, present and future begin to overlap. It is complex, engaging, thought provoking, and at times confusing for both the reader and for Graham. Not an easy read, but extremely engaging and satisfying. I wish my TBR pile wasn't so large so I could justify rereading this one.

This was my first book by Jonathan Carroll, and it won’t be my last. The premise was intriguing and the book itself was thoroughly enjoyable.

I'm a huge Jonathan Carroll fan—The Wooden Sea is one of my favorite books and for awhile I spent so much time tracking down out of print copies of his books, haha. It was a little weird and surprising, and I was always interested to see where Graham's story (or stories) was going to go.

That said, it's not my favorite book by Carroll. I thought the ending was a little lacking, and there were some details I wish he'd have spent more time on, and other parts of the book, I wish he'd have spent less. I liked the inter-connectedness of everything, I wish it had a few more creepy moments, tbh.

I'd definitely recommend this, but if you're new to the author, maybe start with some of his earlier books. Thanks so much to NetGalley. for the ARC of the American/english version of this novel (I was soooo excited to get it)!