The Butterfly Effect: A Novel
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- Create Date：2020-12-09 04:12:56
- Update Date：2025-09-07
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- Author：Rachel McKenny
- ISBN：9781643855295
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Summary
"A warm， winning debut from a talented new Midwestern voice。" J。 Ryan Stradal， New York Times bestselling author of Kitchens of the Great Midwest
A Man Called Ove meets The Rosie Project in this "delightfully off-kilter" （Rachel Yoder， Nightbitch） tale of a grumpy introvert， her astonishing lack of social skills and empirical data-driven approach to people and relationships。
Is there such a thing as an anti-social butterfly？ If there were， Greta Oto would know about itand totally relate。 An entomologist， Greta far prefers the company of bugs to humans， and that's okay， because people don't seem to like her all that much anyway， with the exception of her twin brother， Danny， though they've recently had a falling out。 So when she lands a research gig in the rainforest， she leaves it all behind。
But when Greta learns that Danny has suffered an aneurysm and is now hospitalized， she abandons her research and hurries home to the middle of nowhere America to be there for her brother。 But there's only so much she can do， and unfortunately just like insects， humans don't stay cooped up in their hives eitherthey buzz about and。。。 socialize。 Coming home means confronting all that she left behind， including her lousy soon-to-be sister-in-law， her estranged mother， and her ex-boyfriend Brandon who has conveniently found a new non-lab-exclusive partner with shiny hair， perfect teeth， and can actually remember the names of the people she meets right away。 Being that Brandon runs the only butterfly conservatory in town， and her dissertation is now in jeopardy， taking that job， being back home， it's all creating chaos of Greta's perfectly catalogued and compartmentalized world。 But real life is messy， and Greta will have to ask herself if she has the courage to open up for the people she loves， and for those who want to love her。
The Butterfly Effect is an unconventional tale of self-discovery， navigating relationships， and how sometimes it takes stepping outside of our comfort zone to find what we need the most。
A Man Called Ove meets The Rosie Project in this "delightfully off-kilter" （Rachel Yoder， Nightbitch） tale of a grumpy introvert， her astonishing lack of social skills and empirical data-driven approach to people and relationships。
Is there such a thing as an anti-social butterfly？ If there were， Greta Oto would know about itand totally relate。 An entomologist， Greta far prefers the company of bugs to humans， and that's okay， because people don't seem to like her all that much anyway， with the exception of her twin brother， Danny， though they've recently had a falling out。 So when she lands a research gig in the rainforest， she leaves it all behind。
But when Greta learns that Danny has suffered an aneurysm and is now hospitalized， she abandons her research and hurries home to the middle of nowhere America to be there for her brother。 But there's only so much she can do， and unfortunately just like insects， humans don't stay cooped up in their hives eitherthey buzz about and。。。 socialize。 Coming home means confronting all that she left behind， including her lousy soon-to-be sister-in-law， her estranged mother， and her ex-boyfriend Brandon who has conveniently found a new non-lab-exclusive partner with shiny hair， perfect teeth， and can actually remember the names of the people she meets right away。 Being that Brandon runs the only butterfly conservatory in town， and her dissertation is now in jeopardy， taking that job， being back home， it's all creating chaos of Greta's perfectly catalogued and compartmentalized world。 But real life is messy， and Greta will have to ask herself if she has the courage to open up for the people she loves， and for those who want to love her。
The Butterfly Effect is an unconventional tale of self-discovery， navigating relationships， and how sometimes it takes stepping outside of our comfort zone to find what we need the most。
Editor Reviews
Praise for The Butterfly Effect:
“A warm， winning debut from a talented new Midwestern voice。”
—J。 Ryan Stradal， New York Times bestselling author of Kitchens of the Great Midwest
“Delightfully off-kilter…[Lovably-flawed] Greta’s comically critical point of view interrogates midwestern norms and gendered stereotypes in a story that explores the legacy of familial dysfunction。 Come for the butterflies， and stay for Mans McKenny's acerbic authorial eye which examines the complexities of the Midwest and its quiet dramas。”
—Rachel Yoder， award-winning author of Nightbitch
"a lovably grumpy and unfiltered heroine。 As a reader， you’ll undergo your own metamorphosis and realize how much you needed this story。"
—Faith Salie， Emmy-winning contributor to CBS News Sunday Morning and author of Approval Junkie
Reviews
amief
，
The Butterfly Effect's description was what drew me to the book， but I ended up disappointed。 On the positive side， I found all the entomology trivia interesting and the overall academic "nerdiness" of the book appealed to me。 However， that wasn't enough to overcome the fact that I failed to connect with the main character， Greta， and the book is her POV。 Is she meant to be Neurodiverse / Autism spectrum， and therefore challenged by social skills and lacking empathy to take in other people's perspectives and emotions， or is she just naturally unsympathetic， rude， and selfish？ To call her merely "introverted" is misleading。 I didn't like the character and I had little empathy for the way her life was unfolding throughout the book。 An example would be when her twin in in a coma after his aneurysm and she's more irritated by her own plight than empathetic to his - that's what led me think she's possibly on the spectrum， but the author never made it clear enough， so I just didn't like her。 It is well written and has good pacing， but it was a challenge for me to want to keep reading with how little I connected to the main character。 This one was a DNF for me at 40%。 Advanced copy provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review。
Cristie Underwood
，
This was a pretty good read that reminded me of A Man Called Ove。 Even though I knew how this book would end， it was an enjoyable read and the characters were well-developed。
Erica
，
The Butterfly Effect is a story about family， relationships， finding love， and personal growth。The protagonist Greta is not the typical female character in a romance Shes brilliant， especially where insects are concerned。 Socially though， poor Greta is awkward and eccentric。 Initially， I didnt like Greta at all。 I was， however， invested in the outcome and finding out if she was going to get it together！ Shes working on her PhD in for Costa Rica when shes notified about her twin brothers The Butterfly Effect is a story about family， relationships， finding love， and personal growth。The protagonist Greta is not the typical female character in a romance She’s brilliant， especially where insects are concerned。 Socially though， poor Greta is awkward and eccentric。 Initially， I didn’t like Greta at all。 I was， however， invested in the outcome and finding out if she was going to get it together！ She’s working on her PhD in for Costa Rica when she’s notified about her twin brother’s aneurism。 Although Greta is very focused on her career and academia she returns to Iowa to care for him。 Greta carries a lot of guilt because she wasn’t there when their father died。 Greta tends to push others away and her path to love is a rocky one。 This story isn’t your traditional light hearted romance; that’s actually why I enjoyed it。 I loved all the things I learned about butterflies， I’m a bit nerdy like that！ This book was well written， original， and had lots of heart。 I rated this one 4/5 stars。 Thank you to Alcove Press and Rachel Mans McKenny for my advanced copy of the book to review。 。。。more
Tommi Powell
，
This debut novel is quite remarkable， settling about the reader like a comforting hug or a blanket made by your grandmother。 Its not artificially sweet， but rather naturally sweet， like the nectar the butterflies that flit about the novel feed upon。Greta Oto prefers bugs to people， data to drama， and Lepidoptera to love。 In her world， things are black and white there is no room for any grey。 The only person shes really let in is her twin， Danny， and theyre not exactly on the best of terms。 With This debut novel is quite remarkable， settling about the reader like a comforting hug or a blanket made by your grandmother。 It’s not artificially sweet， but rather naturally sweet， like the nectar the butterflies that flit about the novel feed upon。Greta Oto prefers bugs to people， data to drama， and Lepidoptera to love。 In her world， things are black and white – there is no room for any grey。 The only person she’s really let in is her twin， Danny， and they’re not exactly on the best of terms。 With nothing holding her back， she heads to Costa Rica to research her beloved butterflies and avoid an Iowan winter。 But somewhere， a butterfly alighted on a flower， and Danny suffered an aneurysm。 And Danny， the good twin， the popular twin， the twin who could see colors in sound， was in serious condition。 Greta， full of regrets from past decisions， hurries to his side。Socially awkward and matter of fact， Greta makes no attempt to play nice with Danny’s fiancée， Meg。 She is growly and disagreeable， showing her teeth whenever Meg tries to get too close。 Her ex-boyfriend Brandon is a different story entirely。 She had let him in。 His passion for butterflies had become her passion， and now she had to beg him for a job at the butterfly conservatory so she can get off Meg’s couch and keep her academic career from derailing after being removed from the Costa Rica research project。 It’s easy with him， easy to remind her how easy it was。 And with his pretty new girlfriend， being easy is dangerous。 Max is different。 One of Greta’s closest friends， Max understands her better than most。 Things with him are nice and uncomplicated， until they aren’t。 Add a mother who abandoned Greta and Danny after falling for a man other than their father， and you’ve got the perfect recipe for a research project into families and what ‘home’ actually means。Greta Oto’s prickly personality and the warmth of the novel make it a rather easy comparison to A Man Called Ove， but it has a distinct heartbeat as fragile and powerful as the wings of glasswing or a swallowtail。 This well-written and feel-good story of science， facts， family， and healing should certainly find a home on your shelves， because we all need a hug， whether we realize it or not。**ARC rec'd from the publisher 。。。more
Lovemybooks2020 Cindy Ward
，
🍾📖Happy Pub Day to 𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝘽𝙪𝙩𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙛𝙡𝙮 𝙀𝙛𝙛𝙚𝙘𝙩 by Rachel Mans McKenny 🎉🎊！𝘈 𝘔𝘢𝘯 𝘊𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘥 𝘖𝘷𝘦 meets 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘙𝘰𝘴𝘪𝘦 𝘗𝘳𝘰𝘫𝘦𝘤𝘵 in this delightfully off-kilter tale of a grumpy introvert and her astonishing lack of social skills。𝗦𝘂𝗺𝗺𝗮𝗿𝘆: Is there such a thing as an anti-social butterfly？ If there were， Greta Oto would know about itand totally relate。 An entomologist， Greta far prefers the company of bugs to humans， and thats okay， because people dont seem to like her all that much anyway， with the exception of her 🍾📖Happy Pub Day to 𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝘽𝙪𝙩𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙛𝙡𝙮 𝙀𝙛𝙛𝙚𝙘𝙩 by Rachel Mans McKenny 🎉🎊！𝘈 𝘔𝘢𝘯 𝘊𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘥 𝘖𝘷𝘦 meets 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘙𝘰𝘴𝘪𝘦 𝘗𝘳𝘰𝘫𝘦𝘤𝘵 in this “delightfully off-kilter” tale of a grumpy introvert and her astonishing lack of social skills。𝗦𝘂𝗺𝗺𝗮𝗿𝘆: Is there such a thing as an anti-social butterfly？ If there were， Greta Oto would know about it–and totally relate。 An entomologist， Greta far prefers the company of bugs to humans， and that’s okay， because people don’t seem to like her all that much anyway， with the exception of her twin brother， Danny， though they’ve recently had a falling out。 So when she lands a research gig in the rainforest， she leaves it all behind。But when Greta learns that Danny has suffered an aneurysm and is now hospitalized， she abandons her research and hurries home to be there for her brother。 But there’s only so much she can do， and unfortunately just like insects， humans don’t stay cooped up in their hives either–they buzz about and… socialize。 Coming home means confronting all that she left behind， including her lousy soon-to-be sister-in-law， her estranged mother， and her ex-boyfriend Brandon who has conveniently found a new non-lab-exclusive partner with shiny hair， perfect teeth， and can actually remember the names of the people she meets right away。 Being that Brandon runs the only butterfly conservatory in town， and her dissertation is now in jeopardy， taking that job， being back home， it’s all creating chaos of Greta’s perfectly catalogued and compartmentalized world。 But real life is messy， and Greta will have to ask herself if she has the courage to open up for the people she loves， and for those who want to love her。𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝘽𝙪𝙩𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙛𝙡𝙮 𝙀𝙛𝙛𝙚𝙘𝙩 is an unconventional tale of self-discovery， navigating relationships， and how sometimes it takes stepping outside of our comfort zone to find what we need the most。Thank you @suzyapprovedbooktours and @rachelmansmckenny for the gifted copy of this book。 It is available today to purchase！ 。。。more
Denise Wilbanks | This Is My Everybody
，
BOOK PREVIEW: The Butterfly Effect by Rachel Mans McKennyLet's see how the story startsSTORY。。。 An entomologist， Greta far prefers the company of bugs to humans。 But when she learns that her twin brother， Danny， has suffered an aneurysm， she abandons her research in the rainforest to hurry home to the middle of nowhere America to be there for her brother。Coming home means confronting all that she left behind， including her ex-boyfriend Brandon （who also runs a local butterfly conservatory！） All BOOK PREVIEW: The Butterfly Effect by Rachel Mans McKennyLet's see how the story starts…STORY。。。 An entomologist， Greta far prefers the company of bugs to humans。 But when she learns that her twin brother， Danny， has suffered an aneurysm， she abandons her research in the rainforest to hurry home to the middle of nowhere America to be there for her brother。Coming home means confronting all that she left behind， including her ex-boyfriend Brandon （who also runs a local butterfly conservatory！） All creating chaos of Greta's perfectly catalogued and compartmentalized world。 But real life is messy， and Greta will have to ask herself if she has the courage to open up for the people she loves， and for those who want to love her。WHAT SHOULD I EXPECT WITH THIS BOOK？。。。。 Butterfly conservatories？ Scientists who are star-crossed lovers？ Yes… and yes！！Definitely all in。。。 ✨😎✨The Butterfly Effect by Rachel Mans McKenny2020 New Book Releases | December Contemporary Romance Books | For The Love Of Science | Novels With Science Themes--------------------All my reviews can be seen at This Is My Everybody | Books & DIY Home Ideas | Denise Wilbanks at www。thisismyeverybody。com 。。。 Including my video tutorials for DIY home ideas inspired by recommended books to support you in bringing your favorite books to life in your life and home。You can see all my December Book Previews & additional features for The Butterfly Effect by Rachel Mans McKenny at https://www。thisismyeverybody。com/boo。。。✨😎✨A big thank you to Rachel Mans McKenny， Alcove Press and NetGalley for providing me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review。 All opinions expressed in my review are my own。 。。。more
Nursebookie
，
I really enjoyed reading The Butterfly Effect by Rachel Mans McKenny for one of the most unforgettable characters I have read。 Greta Oto is an especially unique protagonist - an unpleasant grouch， whom I think would thrive living in this current pandemic。 Greta would only be so happy with these stay-at-home orders and maintaining the 6 feet apart distance from everyone else， not having to socialize nor talk to anyone， unless you are an insect， that is。 Gretas character really appealed to me the I really enjoyed reading The Butterfly Effect by Rachel Mans McKenny for one of the most unforgettable characters I have read。 Greta Oto is an especially unique protagonist - an unpleasant grouch， whom I think would thrive living in this current pandemic。 Greta would only be so happy with these stay-at-home orders and maintaining the 6 feet apart distance from everyone else， not having to socialize nor talk to anyone， unless you are an insect， that is。 Greta’s character really appealed to me the more ornery she gets the more I adored her。 When Greta’s twin brother suffers a life threatening brain aneurysm， she abandons her PhD research in entomology in Costa Rica， flies back to the Midwest， and back to the life and people she had left behind。 Mans McKenny writes a heartwarming and uplifting story about families， people， bugs， and effects of human behavior。 The writing was deft， clever， and well researched。 I really enjoyed those fun facts about bugs dispersed throughout the book and the well weaved storyline that incorporates the past into the present。 。。。more
Kathleen Gray
，
Know in advance that Greta's one redeeming quality might be her love for her twin Daniel。 She's a distinctly unlikeable character who pushes people away in part as a defensive mechanism。 A scientist who studies butterflies （I learned a bit about them）， she heads home from Costa Rica when Daniel has an aneurysm。 She's incapable of dealing with his fiance Meg （a cheery woman） or her estranged mother （no gem herself）。 There's also conflict with Brandon， her boss and former boyfriend， and Max。 In Know in advance that Greta's one redeeming quality might be her love for her twin Daniel。 She's a distinctly unlikeable character who pushes people away in part as a defensive mechanism。 A scientist who studies butterflies （I learned a bit about them）， she heads home from Costa Rica when Daniel has an aneurysm。 She's incapable of dealing with his fiance Meg （a cheery woman） or her estranged mother （no gem herself）。 There's also conflict with Brandon， her boss and former boyfriend， and Max。 In fast， there's a lot of conflict between Greta and everyone and between Greta and herself。 McKenny does not come out and state it but you will wonder if Greta is in the spectrum。 This one wavered for me- with peaks and valleys in the plot and writing。 On balance， however， it's an interesting portrait of a woman。 Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC。 I'm looking forward to more from McKenny。 。。。more
Kathy
，
4。5 stars。The Butterfly Effect by Rachel Mans McKenny is a captivating novel of family， love and self-discovery。Greta Oto is slightly estranged from her twin brother Danny， but she does not hesitate to fly home from Costa Rica when she learns he is in serious condition at the hospital。 But returning home is not easy since she sublet her apartment， she does not like Danny's girlfriend Meg and she is now working for her ex。 Greta is also shocked to discover Danny has been in contact with a very 4。5 stars。The Butterfly Effect by Rachel Mans McKenny is a captivating novel of family， love and self-discovery。Greta Oto is slightly estranged from her twin brother Danny， but she does not hesitate to fly home from Costa Rica when she learns he is in serious condition at the hospital。 But returning home is not easy since she sublet her apartment， she does not like Danny's girlfriend Meg and she is now working for her ex。 Greta is also shocked to discover Danny has been in contact with a very unexpected person。 While stumbling through a new subject for her thesis， Greta is also struggling to maintain her friendship with Max who is suddenly not as accepting of her faults as he was before。 With Danny's life changing so drastically in the aftermath of the aneurysm， what will Greta do about her own future？Greta is more comfortable with bugs than people and she is somewhat prickly。 She is also socially awkward out of the laboratory so she is not exactly warm and fuzzy。 Greta is not at all comfortable talking about her feelings but she knows she needs to express her regrets to Danny about her behavior。 She also makes no effort to hide her dislike for Meg but she does set aside her disdain for Danny's sake。 Greta is also at a loss as cracks begin to appear in her friendship with Max。 Having completely messed up her life， will Greta figure out how to fix her mistakes before it is too late？The Butterfly Effect is a heartfelt novel with an engaging storyline and interesting characters。 Greta is flawed and imperfect， but it is easy to root for her as she gradually realizes she needs to make changes in both her life and herself。 Danny's situation is heartrending and his struggles are realistically depicted。 Rachel Mans McKenny brings this charming novel to a heartwarming and uplifting conclusion。 I greatly enjoyed and highly recommend this wonderful debut to fans of the genre。 。。。more
Danny Santana
，
I thought I would really like this book， but I didn't like any characters and the plot didn't leave me wanting more in any minute， and that is the most important thing for me。The book tells the story of Greta， who had to leave her research and return to care for her brother who suffered an aneurysm。 Greta is a scientist， who works with insects and especially butterflies， so for everything and any situation she uses the science and behavior of insects to explain everything and especially human I thought I would really like this book， but I didn't like any characters and the plot didn't leave me wanting more in any minute， and that is the most important thing for me。The book tells the story of Greta， who had to leave her research and return to care for her brother who suffered an aneurysm。 Greta is a scientist， who works with insects and especially butterflies， so for everything and any situation she uses the science and behavior of insects to explain everything and especially human behavior。 And that was what attracted me to the book。I marked the book a lot， all the comparisons of human and insect behaviors and the learnings of Greta， who has to learn to deal with her brother after a brain injury。 And still learn to deal with people。The book has great teachings and it's good to see Greta's change and growth， but I couldn't feel immersed in this reading。 It's not a bad book， I just didn't like it。 。。。more
Danielle
，
At the heart of this amazing book is Greta。 She is a scientist and prefers the company of bugs over the company of other people （some days， can anyone blame her？）。 The one exception is her twin Danny。 When Danny gets sick， she leaves everything and goes to help him。 Which also means returning home。 When she has to enlist the help of an ex-boyfriend in order to finish her dissertation， everything changes。Honestly， I disliked Greta thru most of the book。 But。。。I loved the book。 The correlation At the heart of this amazing book is Greta。 She is a scientist and prefers the company of bugs over the company of other people （some days， can anyone blame her？）。 The one exception is her twin Danny。 When Danny gets sick， she leaves everything and goes to help him。 Which also means returning home。 When she has to enlist the help of an ex-boyfriend in order to finish her dissertation， everything changes。Honestly， I disliked Greta thru most of the book。 But。。。I loved the book。 The correlation between bugs and humans was actually pretty interesting。 I definitely recommend this book。 。。。more
Linda Zagon
，
Rachel Mans McKenny， the author of The Butterfly Effect has written a memorable， thought-provoking， and heartfelt novel。 The genres for this novel are Contemporary Fiction and Fiction。 The timeline for this story is set in the present and goes to the past when it pertains to the characters or events。 The author describes her cast of dramatic characters as flawed， complex， and complicated。 This is a story of self-awareness， growth， communication， forgiveness， and second chances。 I love the way Rachel Mans McKenny， the author of “The Butterfly Effect” has written a memorable， thought-provoking， and heartfelt novel。 The genres for this novel are Contemporary Fiction and Fiction。 The timeline for this story is set in the present and goes to the past when it pertains to the characters or events。 The author describes her cast of dramatic characters as flawed， complex， and complicated。 This is a story of self-awareness， growth， communication， forgiveness， and second chances。 I love the way the author visually describes the settings and the characters in this story。Greta Oto is totally a scientist in every sense of the word。 Her life revolves around the scientific method and her appreciation of insects and bugs。 Greta notes the challenges that bugs respond to in the environment。 If Greta could devise an approach like this to people， it probably would make her life easier。 Greta is an introvert and has problems dealing with people or even showing compassion or love， unlike her twin brother Danny。Greta is working out of the country but comes back when Danny has an aneurysm。 The two had a falling out， but she wants to be there for her brother。 In order to afford to live here， Greta takes a job studying butterflies with her ex-boyfriend。 She also has to deal with Danny’s perfect fiancee and her mother who has re-surfaced after abandoning both Danny and Greta years before。I would highly recommend this thought-provoking and memorable novel。 。。。more
Michelle Blake
，
Twins - so alike and so different。 Greta is an introverted soul with a passion for science。 Danny is an extrovert with a passion for music。 They drifted apart when Danny started a relationship with Meg， but a medical emergency brings them back together in a way they did not/could not expect。 The Butterfly Effect is a tale of siblings， love， loss， bugs and butterflies。 It weaves through this medical emergency and watches the characters change and mature。
Tamara Morning
，
Title: The Butterfly EffectAuthor: Rachel Mans McKenny Genre: FictionRating: 4。0 out of 5 Once I got past the idea that Greta was just an unlikable person， I enjoyed this book。 But yeah， Greta is kind of a jerk。 I mean， I get her being uncomfortable around people and not having any idea what to say， butbeing deliberately mean and unfeeling is a bit much。Good writing here and I like the conceptentomology fascinates me， and Id love to work in the rainforest or a butterfly conservatorybut Greta was Title: The Butterfly EffectAuthor: Rachel Mans McKenny Genre: FictionRating: 4。0 out of 5 Once I got past the idea that Greta was just an unlikable person， I enjoyed this book。 But yeah， Greta is kind of a jerk。 I mean， I get her being uncomfortable around people and not having any idea what to say， but…being deliberately mean and unfeeling is a bit much。Good writing here and I like the concept—entomology fascinates me， and I’d love to work in the rainforest or a butterfly conservatory—but Greta was unlikable enough to detract from the read。 And…the cover makes this look like a light rom com read， but it’s not。 It’s really much more a journey of discovery for someone who’s never bothered to care about anyone besides herself。（Galley courtesy of Alcove Press in exchange for an honest review。） 。。。more
Annamae
，
Thank you #Netgalley and Alcove Press for an ebook ARC of The Butterfly Effect by Rachel Mans McKennyI choose The Butterfly Effect by Rachel Mans McKenny based on story description as well as the cover。 This novel is a character driven study of a variety of relationships one encounters in life。 Greta at times is socially awkward to the point of painfulness at times。 This novel follows Greta an entomologist conducting research in Coasta Rica， when she is notified about her brother Danny's health Thank you #Netgalley and Alcove Press for an ebook ARC of The Butterfly Effect by Rachel Mans McKennyI choose The Butterfly Effect by Rachel Mans McKenny based on story description as well as the cover。 This novel is a character driven study of a variety of relationships one encounters in life。 Greta at times is socially awkward to the point of painfulness at times。 This novel follows Greta an entomologist conducting research in Coasta Rica， when she is notified about her brother Danny's health issue and returns home immediately to be there for Danny。 This novel as little action and is a slow read at times。 If you are interested in relationships this might be the book for you。 。。。more
M。 [storme reads a lot]
，
Some parts of this book I loved， others I did not。 I can relate to Greta because I also love Star Trek。 I would not want to spend time with bugs， but I do love my cats， which is kind of the same thing？Dealing with the guilt of not being there when her dad died， Greta rushes home when her bother has a medical issue。 She tends to push everyone away and she can be selfish and rude。 Sometimes she was too much at times， and I wanted her to at least try and be a human。 I have the same issues but I do Some parts of this book I loved， others I did not。 I can relate to Greta because I also love Star Trek。 I would not want to spend time with bugs， but I do love my cats， which is kind of the same thing？Dealing with the guilt of not being there when her dad died， Greta rushes home when her bother has a medical issue。 She tends to push everyone away and she can be selfish and rude。 Sometimes she was too much at times， and I wanted her to at least try and be a human。 I have the same issues but I do tend to at least make an effort at times to connect with people so I do not end up alone and totally alienated from everyone around me。 I wanted to shake her a few times for being so ridiculous。 Yes， she did have a lot to deal with but she was not even trying when her family was making an effort。It was a little slow， but I did like the story most of the time。I think this is a good debut novel， and I look forward to more from this author。 Thank you NetGalley and Alcove Press for the ARC in exchange for an honest review。 All thoughts and opinions are my own。 。。。more
Brittany Walker
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I am so sorry to say this， But I simply could not get into this book。 I had tried multiple times。 I couldn't grasp the concept of the book， nor the story line and lost interest pretty quick。 However， I LOVED the cover of the book and love that is it a feel good read for times like these when the stress levels are at an all time high。 I will try to revisit this book at a later date in hopes of finding interest in it。Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with this ARC in exchange for my honest I am so sorry to say this， But I simply could not get into this book。 I had tried multiple times。 I couldn't grasp the concept of the book， nor the story line and lost interest pretty quick。 However， I LOVED the cover of the book and love that is it a feel good read for times like these when the stress levels are at an all time high。 I will try to revisit this book at a later date in hopes of finding interest in it。Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with this ARC in exchange for my honest feed back。 。。。more
Susanne
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Thank you to the author， Alcove Press and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review。I loved the unconventional route this story took - making the heroine an entemologist， and showing in practical terms what that means。 Not an especially cute and cuddly topic to focus your life's work on （the heroine is a doing a postdoc）。 But then the heroine herself is pretty much the opposite of cute and cuddly， and her social awkwardness is almost painful at times - not to mention annoying and Thank you to the author， Alcove Press and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review。I loved the unconventional route this story took - making the heroine an entemologist， and showing in practical terms what that means。 Not an especially cute and cuddly topic to focus your life's work on （the heroine is a doing a postdoc）。 But then the heroine herself is pretty much the opposite of cute and cuddly， and her social awkwardness is almost painful at times - not to mention annoying and horribly hurtful for those around her。 However， we see what happened to make her retreat into her shell and become the way she is， and what happens to help her overcome at least some of that to start slowly blossoming toward the end。 Yes， bug metaphors all the way。 。。。more
Andrea Wenger
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I requested this book from NetGalley because it was described in such terms as "warm and winning" and "delightfully off-kilter"。 I did not find it to be those things。 I associate quirky characters with fun reads， and I found the tone of this to be depressing。 I'm sure there are people who want to read about a woman sitting at the bedside of her twin brother after he's had a stroke， but I'm not one of them。 DNF。
Nabiha Tahsin
，
𝐈 𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐝 𝐚𝐧 𝐀𝐝𝐯𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐑𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰 𝐂𝐨𝐩𝐲 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐏𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐯𝐢𝐚 𝐍𝐞𝐭𝐠𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐲。 𝐀𝐥𝐥 𝐨𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐛𝐞𝐥𝐨𝐰 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐦𝐲 𝐨𝐰𝐧。 'The Butterfly Effect' follows Greta a PhD student who abandons her resarch on Butterflies at Costa Rica as her only twin brother Danny suffers aneurysm。 She detests her soon to be sister in law Meg and so hasn't been maintaining a constant contact with her brother。 Yet she loves him dearly and so leaves her hard earned resarch for the sake of him。Back home， she must confront everything 𝐈 𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐝 𝐚𝐧 𝐀𝐝𝐯𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐑𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰 𝐂𝐨𝐩𝐲 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐏𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐯𝐢𝐚 𝐍𝐞𝐭𝐠𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐲。 𝐀𝐥𝐥 𝐨𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐛𝐞𝐥𝐨𝐰 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐦𝐲 𝐨𝐰𝐧。 'The Butterfly Effect' follows Greta a PhD student who abandons her resarch on Butterflies at Costa Rica as her only twin brother Danny suffers aneurysm。 She detests her soon to be sister in law Meg and so hasn't been maintaining a constant contact with her brother。 Yet she loves him dearly and so leaves her hard earned resarch for the sake of him。Back home， she must confront everything she left behind including her estranged mother， her lousy soon to be sister in law and her ex boyfriend Brandon， who is dating someone new now。 She loves everything Greta doesn't，among which there's definitely socializing。 I had mixed feelings about this one， though the disliked part weighs high over here。Let's start with the liked part-The book put emphasis on entomology。I liked the way the writer took effort to write about all the insects and butterflies。 Their structure， habitats， mating and everything was well researched，which was educative。Okay！ I love Biology， so yeah！ these stuffs interested me a lot。 Also， the nerd vibes was interesting。 Apart from the main character， the supporting characters were all interesting and "humane"。 Max was a great friend throughout the book。 I really liked this character from the book。Okay now let's go on with the frustrating parts-Greta can be as anti social as she can， but as like insects， human too don't remain closed in their hoods on the contrary prefer to buzz i。e socialize which Greta can't stand。 She bluntly opposes and insults anyone on her way even if they mean to help her。 But one thing's for sure that's her love for her brother Danny。Major part of the book focused on Greta， her troubles with her brother's health issues， parental abandonment issues， her unresolved feelings for her ex（ new boss）， unreasonable hatred for her brother's fiance， her resarch work and PhD（ I was really looking forward for the PhD student theme）。 I think I would've enjoyed this book better if the main character wasn't as annoying， whiny， selfish， bluntly rude， unkind， spiteful and add in more negative adjectives as you like。 It's to be noted that， Danny and Greta didn't have a conventional childhood with their father passing and their mother's abandonment， which has left some sort of scar in the twins lives in different ways。But Does her unconventional childhood give her a pass to be obnoxious， insensitive， spiteful， spot on rude， unsympathetic and an absolute jerk to others？ NO！！！ Throughout the book she makes unbelievable rude judgments on others， hurts others feelings consciously， goes on being unreasonable and immune to other's opinions and feelings。If she were suffering from a behavioral disorder or Autism， then it would've been acceptable。 There's a fine line between introvert and antisocial， this book clearly points it out。 I wonder if Greta's character arc was written off Sheldon Cooper from TBBT。 But believe me， when I say she definitely crosses Sheldon Cooper on the race of being insensitive and obnoxious。 Even Sheldon Cooper wouldn't be as insensitive as her。By the end of the book， Greta somehow started to look back on few of the messes she created。 But still， I would say it wasn't a significant amount of character development， I was looking forward to。Overall， The storyline was intriguing but I wasn't impressed like the way I thought I would be。 Nevertheless， there are people for whom this book worked greatly， so， if you're thinking about reading it， surely give the book a chance cause everyone has different perspectives right？ 。。。more
Desiree
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I absolutely love The Butterfly Effects quirky heroine， Greta Oto。 Shes socially awkward， loves the Star Trek spin-off The Next Generation， and just wants to spend time with her butterflies and bugs because theyre so much easier to understand than people。 Still wracked with guilt for not being there for her father when he was dying， Greta feels compelled to leave her PhD research in Costa Rica behind and fly back to Iowa when her twin brother， and musical prodigy， Danny suffers an aneurysm。 I absolutely love The Butterfly Effect’s quirky heroine， Greta Oto。 She’s socially awkward， loves the Star Trek spin-off The Next Generation， and just wants to spend time with her butterflies and bugs – because they’re so much easier to understand than people。 Still wracked with guilt for not being there for her father when he was dying， Greta feels compelled to leave her PhD research in Costa Rica behind and fly back to Iowa when her twin brother， and musical prodigy， Danny suffers an aneurysm。 But， once home， Greta struggles to get along with Danny’s beautiful perky fiancée Meg， their estranged mother Martha who abandoned the family when Greta and Danny were just 14 years old， not to mention Greta’s ex-boyfriend Brandon。 Greta has a habit of pushing people away and not seeing past her own discomfort with the complexities of human relationships。 Will Greta get it all together before it’s too late？The novel is a bit slow at times， and I did find myself struggling through a few seemingly forced-in social commentaries that in my opinion weren’t pertinent to the plot。Overall， the novel is a lovely story of personal growth， and while old with subtlety， the tale has a lot of heart。 Another great choice for book clubs from newcomer Alcove Press， an imprint of Crooked Lane Books， which launched its first offerings just a few weeks ago on October 6th， 2020。 The Butterfly Effect releases December 8， 2020， along with another Alcove Press forthcoming hit， The Mermaid from Jeju。Thank you to Rachel Mans McKenney， Alcove Press， and NetGalley for providing a free copy in exchange for an honest review#TheButterflyEffect#RachelMansMcKenny#AlcovePress#NetGalley 。。。more
Buffyanna
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Greta， who admits to being unapologetically prickly， is antisocial， rude， mean-spirited and thoroughly unlikeable。 She cuts short her butterfly research trip to South America to return home when her twin brother suffers a brain aneurysm。 Whenever anyone （her brothers fiancée， the nurses， her ex-boyfriend/new boss） tries to be helpful， Greta all but verbally attacks them， twisting their platitudes into the most uncharitable versions of condescension possible。 The major part of this story seems Greta， who admits to being unapologetically “prickly”， is antisocial， rude， mean-spirited and thoroughly unlikeable。 She cuts short her butterfly research trip to South America to return home when her twin brother suffers a brain aneurysm。 Whenever anyone （her brother’s fiancée， the nurses， her ex-boyfriend/new boss） tries to be helpful， Greta all but verbally attacks them， twisting their platitudes into the most uncharitable versions of condescension possible。 The major part of this story seems like a journaling of Greta’s issues with her brother’s health crisis， her dysfunctional family dynamics， unresolved feelings for her ex-boyfriend， hatred of her brother’s fiancée， her struggles to complete her PhD， and a confusing friendship with a fellow entomologist candidate。 It is hard to read about Greta。 Most of the time， she is thinking spiteful， unfounded and unkind thoughts about the people around her。 Otherwise， she would be reticent and avoidant。 She is truly unlikeable by design。But， I volunteered to read and review this book on NetGalley so I must see it through。 “It’s called The Butterfly Effect” I thought， so “maybe Greta will have a chrysalis event？”The main focus of Greta’s unscheduled homecoming is her dedication to her twin’s post-aneurysm recovery。 At times， it seems as if she is purposefully antagonizing Danny’s support system so that she could have him to herself。 Yet， even with Danny， she can barely open up and talk with him。Finally， at the 85% mark comes an epiphanous event that actually forces cold， self-centred Greta to question her disinterest in the people around her。 She decides that she wants to try harder to be the friend and sister that her friends and brother deserves。 This comes about by small yet significant gestures。 The dedicated reader is rewarded with a warm ending， but nevertheless dubious of the effort invested。（An ARC for this book was graciously provided by the publisher via NetGalley。） 。。。more
Miriam
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[this book was kindly given to me by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review]I'm very conflicted right now。 This book was by no means bad， but I also am by no means mind-blown or excited。I liked the writing very much - poetic at places， melancholic but realistic。 It suited the main character Greta very well。 I appreciated the character development， which was done well in my opinion - very subtly， it grew on you gradually。However， the rest of it wasn't really appealing - [this book was kindly given to me by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review]I'm very conflicted right now。 This book was by no means bad， but I also am by no means mind-blown or excited。I liked the writing very much - poetic at places， melancholic but realistic。 It suited the main character Greta very well。 I appreciated the character development， which was done well in my opinion - very subtly， it grew on you gradually。However， the rest of it wasn't really appealing - don't get me wrong， if the writing and the character development are fine， that's a big part of the book， but it isn't all。The main character was extremely， let me repeat， extremely unlikeable。 Selfish， close-minded， grim and gloomy。 Make excuses， I know she had all these traumatic things happen to her and I appreciate the realness of it all， but it was not a pleasant experience。I didn't really understand some of the characters， but that's probably because I was looking through Greta's eyes who didn't want to understand them。 I'm not sure where the problem happened， but there was one where it shouldn't have been。To sum things up， I'd probably give The Butterfly Effect a try， but don't be surprised if it disappoints。→2。5 stars 。。。more
Nisha Joshi
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I liked this book right from the beginning。 The story is good， the writing is great and the characters are well sketched out。 Greta is not very likeable but the other characters make up for it。 in fact， at times， i even wondered why others even tolerated Greta and her behaviour。 This book talks about family and why it is important to have a support system without sounding preachy。 Overall， a funny and insightful book。 I will look forward to reading more from Rachel Mans McKenny。Thanks to I liked this book right from the beginning。 The story is good， the writing is great and the characters are well sketched out。 Greta is not very likeable but the other characters make up for it。 in fact， at times， i even wondered why others even tolerated Greta and her behaviour。 This book talks about family and why it is important to have a support system without sounding preachy。 Overall， a funny and insightful book。 I will look forward to reading more from Rachel Mans McKenny。Thanks to Netgalley and Alcove Press for giving me this ARC in exchange of an honest review。3。5 stars rounded to 4。 。。。more
B。
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The author is attempting to see whether readers will enjoy a novel if the main character is pretty unlikable。 If that was the experiment， it failed。 I just didnt like this character and since the book is told through the first person， that meant we were stuck in Gretas mind the whole time。 I dont know if she was supposed to be somewhere on the spectrum or just was someone without much empathy or the ability to relate to people， even someone she really cared for like her twin brother。I just didnt The author is attempting to see whether readers will enjoy a novel if the main character is pretty unlikable。 If that was the experiment， it failed。 I just didn’t like this character and since the book is told through the first person， that meant we were stuck in Greta’s mind the whole time。 I don’t know if she was supposed to be somewhere on the spectrum or just was someone without much empathy or the ability to relate to people， even someone she really cared for like her twin brother。I just didn’t want to spend several hours in the mind of a rather selfish， unfeeling person。I voluntarily reviewed an advanced reader copy of this book that I received from Netgalley; however， the opinions are my own and I did not receive any compensation for my review。 。。。more
Nancy Mijangos
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I received an ARC of this novel from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review。 Greta returns home from a doctoral project to help care for her twin brother， Danny， after he suffers an aneurysm。 While at home， away from a research project for her dissertation， she encounters many emotional issue--all of which she finds difficult to navigate。 Her most pressing issue is the return of her mother， who abandoned the family when the twins were 14。 Another issue is her brother's fiance， whom she I received an ARC of this novel from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review。 Greta returns home from a doctoral project to help care for her twin brother， Danny， after he suffers an aneurysm。 While at home， away from a research project for her dissertation， she encounters many emotional issue--all of which she finds difficult to navigate。 Her most pressing issue is the return of her mother， who abandoned the family when the twins were 14。 Another issue is her brother's fiance， whom she dislikes。 Add to these circumstances， Danny doesn't bounce back， her funding is cut for her project， she doesn't have funds or a secure place to live， and she can't quite figure out the men in her life。I love Greta。 Her struggles are real， and her aspberger-ish way of dealing with life is both amusing and painful。 。。。more
Bookadmirer
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DNF at 15%It was boring and the female protagonist is selfish。 The blurb seemed good and the title was unique， that's why I was a bit excited。 However， I just didn't like it。 Arc provided through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
Nishantika Neeher
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I received this Advance Review Copy from Netgalley and Alcove Press in exchange for an honest review。Thank you Netgalley and Alcove Press！！I was every excited after reading the blurb but man was I disappointed。 The plot felt amazing but the main protagonist is so unlikeable that it was very hard for me to connect with her。 There were no character development and had to dnf it at 50%。 it was just very hard to get into。
Kelly Duran
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There is something so fantastic about falling in love with a book that has an unlikable and， at times unpleasant， protagonist。 A person that you find yourself rooting for even as she treats the people around her badly。 That was exactly what I found in THE BUTTERFLY EFFECT and I loved every chapter。 Greta Oto is a wonderfully flawed character who prefers the company of butterfliesor any bug actuallyto real people。 Shes a scientist first in all situations because science she understands; love and There is something so fantastic about falling in love with a book that has an unlikable and， at times unpleasant， protagonist。 A person that you find yourself rooting for even as she treats the people around her badly。 That was exactly what I found in THE BUTTERFLY EFFECT and I loved every chapter。 Greta Oto is a wonderfully flawed character who prefers the company of butterflies—or any bug actually—to real people。 She’s a scientist first in all situations because science she understands; love and friendship not so much。 When Greta’s twin brother suffers a brain aneurysm， she must abandon her PhD research project in Costa Rica and return to her small midwestern town to help him。 By returning home， Greta must deal not only with the change in Danny， but also confront many of the reasons （and people） that made her want to leave in the first place。 Mans McKenny does a great job of weaving Greta’s family history with the current timeline to give the reader a much better understanding of why Greta is the way she is。 And while there were times where I found myself wanting to give Greta a talking to， I always understood why she acted the way she did and， as a result， found myself so much more invested in her journey。With crisp writing full of wit and insight， THE BUTTERFLY EFFECT is a highly enjoyable read that I encourage you to pick up when it releases on December 8。 I know I， for one， am definitely looking forward to reading more from this author。 Big thanks to Alcove Press for the advance reading copy。 。。。more
Amie
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The Butterfly Effect's description was what drew me to the book， but I ended up disappointed。 On the positive side， I found all the entomology trivia interesting and the overall academic "nerdiness" of the book appealed to me。 However， that wasn't enough to overcome the fact that I failed to connect with the main character， Greta， and the book is her POV。 Is she meant to be Neurodiverse / Autism spectrum， and therefore challenged by social skills and lacking empathy to take in other people's The Butterfly Effect's description was what drew me to the book， but I ended up disappointed。 On the positive side， I found all the entomology trivia interesting and the overall academic "nerdiness" of the book appealed to me。 However， that wasn't enough to overcome the fact that I failed to connect with the main character， Greta， and the book is her POV。 Is she meant to be Neurodiverse / Autism spectrum， and therefore challenged by social skills and lacking empathy to take in other people's perspectives and emotions， or is she just naturally unsympathetic， rude， and selfish？ To call her merely "introverted" is misleading。 I didn't like the character and I had little empathy for the way her life was unfolding throughout the book。 An example would be when her twin in in a coma after his aneurysm and she's more irritated by her own plight than empathetic to his - that's what led me think she's possibly on the spectrum， but the author never made it clear enough， so I just didn't like her。 It is well written and has good pacing， but it was a challenge for me to want to keep reading with how little I connected to the main character。 This one was a DNF for me at 40%。Advanced copy provided courtesy of the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Sara Oxton
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