AD* | You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with.
When a stranger utters these words to Allegra Bird, nicknamed Freckles, it turns her highly ordered life upside down. In her current life as a parking warden, she has left her eccentric father and unconventional childhood behind for a bold new life in the city.But a single encounter leads her to ask the question she’s been avoiding for so long: who are the people who made her the way she is? And who are the five people who can shape and determine her future? Just as she once joined the freckles on her skin to mirror the constellations in the night sky, she must once again look for connections.
Told in Allegra’s vivid, original voice, moving from Dublin to the fierce Atlantic coast, this is an unforgettable story of human connection, of friendship, and growing into your own skin.
Five people. Five stars. Freckle to freckle. Star to star.
Freckles is a slow-burner - a novel that gradually gets under your skin.
This is the story of Allegra Bird, told in first-person, and beautifully written. Allegra is a unique and memorable character. She's full of contradictions - independent yet desperately searching for her place in the world. She's endearing, contrary, and refreshingly different.
Allegra's insights on the people and places she encounters during the course of the book really help bring her to life. She is a logical and methodical person, although once the axis of her world is knocked, she quickly loses her sense of self. Allegra may initially seem dull or routine, but her story is a joy to read.
Despite various hiccups and low points along the way, Freckles is ultimately a feel-good story. It's one of those books where you can't help but wish for a happy ending, hoping that Allegra will finally find what she's been searching for and achieve a sense of peace.
The book is well-paced and I found it to be quite a quick read. It's also compulsive reading as you can't wait to get to the end and find out what happens to Allegra. Interestingly, there are no speech marks in the book. All speech is written in-line within the rest of the prose, flowing smoothly from one train of thought to the next. It's different and does take a while to get used to, but the stylistic choices don't detract from this highly character-driven novel.
Quirky and uplifting, Freckles is an emotionally charged, thought-provoking read.
Rating: 4 stars
Freckles is available to buy now.
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* I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review
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