My Rating – 5 stars Published May 9th 2017

Plot-No one’s ever told Eleanor that life should be better than fine.Meet Eleanor Oliphant: She struggles with appropriate social skills and tends to say exactly what she’s thinking. Nothing is missing in her carefully timetabled life of avoiding social interactions, where weekends are punctuated by frozen pizza, vodka, and phone chats with Mummy.But everything changes when Eleanor meets Raymond, the bumbling and deeply unhygienic IT guy from her office. When she and Raymond together save Sammy, an elderly gentleman who has fallen on the sidewalk, the three become the kinds of friends who rescue one another from the lives of isolation they have each been living. And it is Raymond’s big heart that will ultimately help Eleanor find the way to repair her own profoundly damaged one.

This is one of those books which takes it own sweet time to get invested and once you continue reading without any inhibitions you fall in love with author’s writing . The story is very simple one with Eleanor living her life in a routine. Just like it says in the title of the book, Eleanor Oliphant is completely fine….well she thinks she is. She is honestly not worried that she may be missing out on anything. She is content with her life.Eleanor is a little bit….odd. She’s very intelligent and well-spoken with impeccable grammar (thanks to Mummy) but she lacks the ability to filter what she says and therefore she will tell you exactly what she’s thinking. This can lead to very awkward situations. The story is told from Eleanor’s point of view. We go along for the ride as she navigates her way through her life, learning to stand up for herself. But it won’t be easy. Secrets and memories that have been tucked away for many years can be painful to remember.

When you have trouble with social skills I can see how it would be easier to refrain from situations where things could go wrong so fast….. It would be easier being alone. As I mentioned there are many funny moments throughout the book. I really like how the author wrote these parts. I never felt like I was laughing AT Eleanor but at the things she said or the situations she ended up in. However, there are also many sad and painful moments. Times where I felt terrible for Eleanor. Raymond’s character is laden with interesting quirks and details. He sticks by Eleanor through her worst–he’s the best friend you never knew you wanted. I loved him too!

Some of the funniest parts came out of nowhere – the phone doesn’t ring often but if telemarketers call Eleanor whispers “I know where you live” and hangs up. Often it was what she would be saying to herself that was funny.
An incredible read that had me bouncing from one emotion to the next. The author did a tremendous job bringing these wonderfully unique characters to life.It’s hard to believe this is the author’s debut novel.
There are so many words that can be used to describe this novel – hilarious , unique, heartwarming, heartbreaking, charming, hopeful, inspiring, and COMPLETELY unforgettable.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!