I give this book 3.5 stars.
I enjoyed this whimsical, quirky book and liked the narrator, Abi Sorenson, who was funny and self-deprecating. The plot was very original and interesting and the portrayal of Abi's relationship with her 4-year old son Oscar was extremely realistic and well written. However there was a huge amount of superfluous waffle in the narrative; other people's conversations Abi overhears while working in her café, excerpts from The Guidebook, reflections on other self-help books and just tangents in general. These didn't seem to move the plot along in any way, and could have done with being edited down. But otherwise an enjoyable, thought-provoking book in a very relaxed, confident style of writing.
I enjoyed this whimsical, quirky book and liked the narrator, Abi Sorenson, who was funny and self-deprecating. The plot was very original and interesting and the portrayal of Abi's relationship with her 4-year old son Oscar was extremely realistic and well written. However there was a huge amount of superfluous waffle in the narrative; other people's conversations Abi overhears while working in her café, excerpts from The Guidebook, reflections on other self-help books and just tangents in general. These didn't seem to move the plot along in any way, and could have done with being edited down. But otherwise an enjoyable, thought-provoking book in a very relaxed, confident style of writing.