In a Thousand Different Ways: the gripping, unforgettable new novel from the Sunday Times number 1 bestselling author

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She is already living with her two brothers and mother, who is deep in her own mental health issues, and as time goes by, she finds herself caring for her wheelchair-bound mother, living a life she is coping with but suffocating herself as well. Iceland. It’s one of my favourite countries to visit. When I was there for the first time I felt the landscape was so different to anything I’d ever experienced before that I had the feeling this is what it must be like to be on another planet. Lily isn’t well, Alice has finished school and she becomes her mothers full time career. Looking after Lily isn’t easy, and Alice does it and as a hobby she starts growing plants. Alice moves to London, she finds herself a little flat, becomes friendly with her neighbour Naomi and she struggles to find a job. Alice wears a mask, sunglasses, gloves, and she won't shake anyone's hand and this comes across as her being rather strange. If you asked me to describe this book in a colour, I would call it the blue of a mist - pretty to look at but not very discernable. If you asked me how I felt reading it, I'd say it tugged at my heartstrings but it also left me a bit confused - what was the point? Is it a sort of bildungsroman? Just a story of a woman with Synesthesia? If you asked me whether I would recommend the book to others, I'd say it depends on whether you would like to spend an evening reading about a woman, her struggles with her undiagnosed condition, beautiful relationship with her older brother, complicated relationship with her mother and a romance that just didn't seem right. I’m not interested in writing the same novel twice. I’m drawn to writing about challenging, transitional moments in people’s lives, and that theme never changes, but how I go about telling the story changes so very much I’m sure it sends my publishers’ heads in a spin. I’m often too quirky to be commercial and too commercial to be literary and while I’m comfortable with not fitting in, it’s never easy when it comes to knowing where to put me on a shelf. What projects are you working on?

In a Thousand Different Ways | Cecelia Ahern - NetGalley In a Thousand Different Ways | Cecelia Ahern - NetGalley

I was immediately drawn to Alice, and I would do anything to protect her. I felt empathy for her in dealing with the gift, and I can’t imagine what it must be like not only to know everyone's feelings, but you could be affected by those feelings too 🥺 The character development is excellent, especially Alice who is a fantastic character – strong & develops with experiences. There is a lot of complexity in the characterisation, and it is very nuanced. The relationship between Alice & Andy while unusual in parts, I felt had its rough edges in terms of portrayal. I did like the part where Alice mentions understanding his soul without her powers. The early parts of the book progress as a string of incidents, while later the story takes time leaps. I found many sections to be slow, and it could have been shorter. The last portion spans many years in Alice’s life, but I liked that approach as I think the author probably felt there was not much new material which could be introduced. The end summary on Alice navigating her relationships & life’s experiences through colours was beautiful.Her older brother Hugh tries to protect Alice and their younger brother Ollie from their volatile mother but leaves as soon as he’s able, which coincides with Alice being sent away to a school for troublesome children. In reality it’s a lifesaver for her and for the first time she’s accepted despite her idiosyncrasies. The book itself is just stunning. It is so special and unique and unlike anything I have read before. Alice, our central character absolutely pops from the first moment we meet her. Following her incredible life journey was amazing. I felt like I knew Alice and was in her world in every way. All the characters are very well written and so distinct from each other. Some to love, some to dislike but each one is clearly defined and important to the overall story. In a Thousand Different Ways tells us the story of Alice Kelly who has the gift (even though it doesn't seem that way at times) of being able to see how people around her feel. How wonderful you think. But when you do think about it, it really must be exhausting. Not only does Alice see how people feel but she sees how others soak up others' feelings. This brings a unique element to the story so much. Kudos for all the intense and correct research into it. I am excited that so many people who taste this book will know of it. I have a friend who smalls things as colours and tells me mould is like a dark murky purple. I’ve just begun writing my new novel which will be the 20th novel I publish. Have you ever made a literary pilgrimage?

In a Thousand Different Ways: the gripping, unforgettable new

We see glimpses of her past, future and present as she goes to a special school, her life after that as she starts to try and discover who she is and meeting people who accept her. Some who even think she is special in ways she doesn't even known. I was over the moon when I got a copy of cecelia book as I'm huge fan of hers. I just love how she really has thought outside the box with the story well she dose with all books but this one blow me away . She really knows how to make you feel so much emotion with this story . A gorgeous cover, alas the book did not live up to it. This was pretty poor and one for diehard Cecelia Ahern fans only. Utterly wonderful . . . Cecelia Ahern is a master storyteller at the absolute peak of her powers. Her heroine, Alice Kelly, is completely unique – beguiling, complicated, extraordinary – and she’ll change the way you see the world’ Clare Pooley, bestselling author of The Authenticity Project

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I don’t want to give too much of the story away, which I think is so easy when giving a review – I highly recommend this book. Such a beautiful story of family and love. The audiobook narrated by Amy McAllister was good, especially the distinction she provides to different characters. A beautiful cover – very apt for the story.

In a Thousand Different Ways: the Gripping 9780008194987 - In a Thousand Different Ways: the Gripping

Alice realised at 8 years of age that she could see the colours of people's moods swirling around them, changing with their thoughts and desires; manifesting their actions. Bewildered by her curse (or is it a gift?), it causes her to be distracted, distant, and different, as others' auras reach out and attempt to affect and influence her too. She must even deflect people's happiness because, 'you shouldn't steal someone else's happiness. You have to make your own.' Alice needs to find a way to live with herself and live her life, in spite of the colourful insights she sees, 'wondering why it is that I see every part of everyone and most of them never see me at all.' This book is her journey: hiding, deflecting and manipulating and finally accepting: her differences become her strength. Synaesthesia is an interesting condition and it has worked well as a plot device in a few books that I’ve read in recent years, but hanging the entire story on synaesthesia is not really a runner. It becomes very repetitive - there are only so many ways of describing how colours appear - the red mists, the murky browns, the swirling purples. Less “a thousand different ways” and more a case of, well, just a few really. Beautifully executed. I cannot recommend this enough and the audiobook is out of this world. Try it! I loved everything and I highly recommend this for your reading or listening list right now. Cecilia Ahearn is a genius and has pulled out an absolute corker for us all. I still have Alice’s Dublin accent in my head reminding me of the year I lived there. Did I mention he Narrator? I am actually going to look for other audiobooks she has worked on. Five huge stars! Ahern has unique and beautiful writing with a captivating storyline and characters' depth and development. I loved how she described the different moods and feelings related to the colors. Like a baby is associated with gold color, it’s fascinating when Alice knows that her teacher is pregnant before her teacher knows herself. Alice is just a young girl when she starts seeing colors swirling around her mother, Lily. Soon she starts seeing colours around everyone and soon learns they are reflecting the person’s mood & emotions. But Alice doesn't want the gift, and struggles with adjusting to being different to everyone else. At times, it's overwhelming for her feeling everyone's emotions, so she hides away from the world and only interacts with very few people.A stunning, wonderful, powerful tale: Alice lives with her mother and two brothers, one older and one younger. Alice has synaesthesia (to see or feel in colours)only this isn't recognised until she is older and sadly she is seen as being different and a trouble maker. She sees the anger in her mother and the calm in her older brother. Imagine being able to see and hence make a judgement of someone by the colour surrounding them. When there is a crowd you are overwhelmed, when seeing strangers you can make a call. When Hugo, her older brother, goes to university and her younger brother is on the wrong side of the law it is left to Alice to look after her mother as she is now in a wheelchair. And in some ways Ahern’s theme here is similar. We spend quite a bit of time with a young then teenaged Alice before she moves into adulthood. Alice has synesthesia – something her older brother calls a gift but she sees (for much of her life) as a curse. In a Thousand Different Ways I have had a life-long relationship with colours. Enduring them, accepting them, surrendering to them.'

In a Thousand Different Ways: the gripping - AbeBooks In a Thousand Different Ways: the gripping - AbeBooks

Alice Kelly has a gift (or curse, depending on your perspective). She sees an aura around people, sensing their emotions and moods, owing to a condition called synaesthesia. She grows up in an unhappy home with a bipolar mother who neglects Alice and her brothers. This is the story of Alice’s life and ultimately, it’s a rather odd, humdrum and depressing one. Tell me about your new novel, In a Thousand Different Ways. What was the inspiration and how did it evolve? Der neueste Roman von Cecilia Ahern ist kein Wohlfühlbuch. Und trotzdem war ich ziemlich gefesselt von Alice' Geschichte. An mehreren Stellen hab ich mitgelitten mit ihr - schlussendlich aber hat Alice ihr Leben ziemlich gut gemeistert. Ein tapferes Mädchen und eine starke Frau. Und jeder neue Abschnitt in ihrem Leben hat sich dann ja auch meistens als Verbesserung herausgestellt. I didn’t find those aspects challenging to write. I feel very comfortable writing about people’s foibles – I love to go into the dense dark spaces of the mind and see the world from my character’s eyes. The more nuanced they are, the better. Why do you think you are drawn to writing about loss? Unsurprisingly her mother bites the hand that feeds her as soon as she’s able and Alice escapes. Again. This time however she has a plan.

This is both a complex and simple story about relationships and family and about love and friendship. I felt perhaps the pacing was a bit inconsistent though at the same time recognise Ahern slowed to focus on certain moments in Alice’s life… fast forwarding through others. Normally it can take me maybe a week to two weeks to read a book, but not Cecelia's latest offering. I have only read one of her other books but like I said something about this drew me in. Wither that was the cover, the description or simply because its Cecelia.