I must start by thanking both NetGalley as well as the publisher Viking for my eARC in exchange for my honest review.
This was not my favourite Matt Haig book. It read too much like The Celestian Prophecy. It certainly was no Midnight Library.

Matt Haig is consistently one of the best writers out there, and this book is another great addition to his works. While this story wasn't told in my preferred format, I did still really enjoy it and it was fun to follow how it ended up.

Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for providing me with an arc for an honest review,

In her seventies, lonely and grieving the loss of her husband and her son, Grace Winters can’t remember the last time she felt real joy. But things begin to change when she learns a long-lost friend has left her a house in Ibiza. Suddenly, Grace is thrust into a world of eccentric locals, wild parties and natural beauty that is (literally) out of this world. As she comes to love her newfound home, she must harness new gifts as well as strengths she didn’t know she had to save a beloved local spot from a greedy hotel developer.

This book was a lot of fun! It has a message that’s so overwhelmingly positive that it almost felt a bit cheesy, but I had a good time reading it. I really liked the characters, and the setting was beautifully described. I was surprised by the sense of suspense and tension I felt as Grace and her friends fought to save a local landmark. As I approached the end of the book, I couldn’t stop turning the pages.

Although this wasn’t a short book, it was a quick read, so I’d definitely recommend it to anyone looking to bust out of a reading slump.

Matt Haig, "The King of Empathy", has struck gold once again with yet another life-changing journey of a novel. He is the Indigo Author of the Month in September for a reason. We will be certain to recommend this one to everyone who loved The Midnight Library. Thank you for the chance to review.

I’ve only read The Midnight Library by Matt Haig so I wasn’t sure what to expect with thjs one. It’s weird, it’s quirky and has themes of loss, grief, healing, found family and forgiveness. This book definitely pushes the boundaries of magical realism and tiptoes into sci-fi but I still really enjoyed it. Even though Grace is in her seventies, I found her relatable. If you’re feeling ready for some weird (in the best way) then add this to your list!

Thank you to NetGalley and Viking books for the advanced copy.

This is my first Matt Haig book. I was not one of the millions back in 2020 or after that read The Midnight Library (and probably never will be at this point) but I was expecting this book to be as good as "they" all said the last one was.
I was excited to be approved for this one because of the popularity of The Midnight Library! I tried so hard to like it. I tried to keep reading the see where this was going, it started off just all right so it took a lot of effort when I was thinking about all the other books I could be reading instead. I kept reading to try to get used to the style and to find something to grab ahold of to keep me interested. I gave it my best shot but I gave up at 30%. There was nothing happening, in my opinion and I did not like the main character. And things started to turn weird, and unrealistic.
And really.... who responds to a letter from a former student who really is asking for help with a "letter" like this?

Thanks to Netgalley and HarperCollins Canada for the opportunity to try to read this book.

The Life Impossible by @mattzhaig 🌊

Thank you so much @netgalley + @harpercollins for an advanced readers copy of this amazing book, it truly was an honour getting to read this book💙

Diving into this story about a 72 year old retired math teacher and her journey to Ibiza, I didn’t quite know what to expect. I quickly fell in love with matt haigs writing, everything flowed seamlessly, it almost felt poetic. My imagination was instantly filled with the rich details of the Ibiza scenery, the mysterious magic that lives on the island and so many different emotions. The character development between both the female main character and the male main character warmed my soul, and the exploration of the deeper meanings of life and appreciation left my mind wandering in the best way. Some of the dialogue between characters felt a little lack lustre at times but overall this has to be one of my favourite reads of the year. Being able to explores themes of grief, loss, nature and the meaning in life all packed up in such a magical warm hug that is the Ibizan sun and matt haigs writing was truly an experience I won’t forget.

Troupes: contemporary fiction, magical realism, historical fantasy, second chance, forgiveness + grief

Rating: 5/5 stars⭐️



Goodreads:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6784517464

Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/prettygirllibrary/p/C_dWT3fgjwW/

This historical fiction/magic realism mash-up is pure Haig. The characters are rich in emotion and the setting(s) are extraordinary.

Grace is a retired math teacher, who is mysteriously left a small home on an island in the Mediterranean by a long-lost acquaintance. Against her better judgment, she travels there with no plan to stay long. Soon Grace meets the curios locals and surprisingly finds her adventurous side. She also finds herself on a quest of sorts - in search for answers about the friend who mysteriously brought her across the world for no ‘apparent’ reason.

It isn’t a face-paced story by no means, and I honestly didn’t fall in love with it until after I put it down to consider it on the whole. It’s ultimately a lovely story about all that life has to offer, even when you think you’ve done it all 😊

Thx to #netgalley & @vikingbooks for this arc opportunity. All Haig fans are going to love this.

While it took me a while to get into this one, it was ultimately a satisfying, feel-good wondrous adventure of a book! Good on audio narrated by Joanna Lumley and Jordan Stephens, this book begins with retired Math teacher, Grace Winters receiving a letter from an old friend telling her she's left Grace her ramshackle house on the tiny island of Ibiza.

With no responsibilities holding her back, Grace embarks on a life-changing trip with a one way ticket to take her chance starting over in a whole new country. Filled with magical realism, a mysterious gift-giving sea creature and a compelling mystery to find out what really happened to Grace's friend, Christina.

Told with short chapters, letters and mainly from Grace's perspective, this novel deals with grief, forgiveness, the power of community and the importance of fighting against environmental corruption and capitalism. I also really enjoyed Grace's philosophical mathematical musings.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy and @prhaudio for a complimentary ALC in exchange for my honest review. While I don't think this topped The midnight library for me, it was still quite original and entertaining. Recommended for fans of books like The brilliant life of Eudora Honeysett.

Delighted to include this title in the September edition of Novel Encounters, my column highlighting the month’s most anticipated fiction for the Books section of Zoomer, Canada’s national lifestyle and culture magazine. (see column and mini-review at link)

Matt Haig's sweet spot is sci-fi and sentiment with a mind to cracking open our world just a little wider to let the wondrous in. The Life Impossible begins with the hardened grief of a woman who has shut herself off to experiencing joy or anything more than mere existence, then through a curious set of circumstances finds herself metamorphizing from her closed off life to one where she is (quite often literally) connected with all the life around her. Haig's themes are finding meaning and purpose, especially through the relationships we form and the risks we take: risks that typically take the form of honesty and vulnerability. Tell that person what they mean to you, trust the world not to harm you, break the habit that doesn't serve you any longer. His message is explicit and clear, and is reinforced through the actions between side characters and side moments of compassion that Grace increasingly witnesses amongst strangers.

The sci-fi elements are pretty concrete (we're talking alien life, here), so readers who have a hard distaste for anything skiffy may not be the audience. Otherwise, it's rooted enough in contemporary reality and has broadly appealing themes that it should be a crowd-pleaser and is easy pickings for book club.

I’m fully confident this will be an outlier opinion.

Septuagenarian Grace Winters needs Ibiza more than she realizes. Grief has burrowed deep, regret has set in, she’s lost her feeling of self-worth, and she’s almost become numb to the possibility of happiness. She heads to Ibiza and a home she’s inherited, trying to make sense of her friend’s death. Suddenly, she’s forced to step outside her comfort zone and befriend the eccentrics of Ibiza who expose her to their bizarre ideas. It’s making room for possibilities in her life that allows Grace to change her trajectory and outlook and positively impact her new island community.

I always feel inadequate and frustrated when I read a Matt Haig book. I know that it’s certainly not his aim. As I reached for The Life Impossible, I did so with hope and an open mind, but the same feelings returned and I am finally convinced that I am not his target audience.

I’ve tried many times to appreciate or harness the energy in Haig’s writing, but I always feel like I’m a cowboy on a wild horse trying to lasso without a rope. For me, navigating the random epistolary narrative stuffed with paranormal events and mindfulness over-saturation set off a barrage of avoidance techniques and I had to force myself to finish.

I appreciated where Haig was going with this speculative fiction. Despite having a STEM teacher’s brain that operates best on organization and planning, I could see the appeal of a hedonistic lifestyle and I could see Grace’s transition - maybe even laugh with her as she tried to harness her new power - but it was all just ‘too much’ for this reader who relishes believability and reality. I couldn’t wrap my linear brain around the shape-shifters and portals as a way to start afresh. I’ll stick to pivoting within the confines of reality in order to experience ‘the life impossible.’

Despite not enjoying this book as it was intended, I’ll say that Haig and I do agree on one thing - you’re never too old for a fresh start!

I was gifted this copy by Harper Collins Canada and NetGalley and was under no obligation to provide a review.

Do you believe in Serendipity? The reason I ask is I believe this book was meant to find me at this exact moment in my life .

As I turn 50 in exactly one month from today writing this review , and I must admit I have not been myself lately and this book was a gentle reminder to just “ LIVE “

I’ll be honest I went into this book totally blind , I saw the authors name and knew he wrote The Midnight Library which I had heard nothing but good things, so naturally I had to see if I could snag this ARC!

“When you grieve someone you see their message in everything. Even in the sunlight on a blade of grass.The whole world becomes their translator.”

“Someone once told me the way to die happy is to die complete . To live like you eat a delicious meal.To devour and enjoy every course so that when you have finished you are full, and enjoyed every mouthful, but aren’t too sad there is no more.”

Without giving too much away this was a story about hope and forgiveness in yourself.

Grace was the most charming and imperfect character who at the age of 72 inherited a little run down bungalow in Ibiza from a friend she has not seen in 45 years .

The curiosity in Grace finds herself exploring this idea and the story is told through her perspective of what happens over a course of time in a letter to a student of hers who reaches out to her during a difficult time he is going through.

The story is touching , thought provoking, beautifully illustrated, loveable characters with a touch of supernatural realism.

I think if you’re willing to open your heart & mind you will find this story to be one you will think about often !

Thank you NetGalley ,Harpercollins Canada and Matt Haig for this exquisite digital ARC!

Respectfully Another Read by Angie