Contemporary

Freckles

Freckles

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  • Create Date：2021-07-31 00:51:01
  • Update Date：2025-09-07
  • Status：finish
  • Author：Cecelia Ahern
  • ISBN：0008194920
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Summary

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。

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Reviews

Mrs。 I。 ，

Just three words really - loved this book！！I have never read a Cecelia Ahearne novel before but I would glad;y read another。 It is a real page turner。

Jessica ，

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 Thank you NetGalley and HarperCollins Australia for the eARC in exchange for an honest review。Allegra Bird， nicknamed Freckles， thrives on routine and is often left confused human behaviors and interactions。 After someone angrily tells her that she is a loser because she surrounds herself with losers （"you are the average of the five people you spend the most time with"）， she sets out to discover her "five" and believes they will put her on a path of empowerment， happiness， and self-improvement。 Thank you NetGalley and HarperCollins Australia for the eARC in exchange for an honest review。Allegra Bird， nicknamed Freckles， thrives on routine and is often left confused human behaviors and interactions。 After someone angrily tells her that she is a loser because she surrounds herself with losers （"you are the average of the five people you spend the most time with"）， she sets out to discover her "five" and believes they will put her on a path of empowerment， happiness， and self-improvement。There was such emphasis on her "constellation" in the early part of the book， that I was surprised at how little importance it was given throughout the rest of the story， other than what felt like a haphazard mention。 Another （very minor！） dislike was how disorganized， or maybe elusive， Allegra was about Ruth Brasil's visit。 Given how methodical she was about everything， I was surprised Allegra wasn't constantly following-up with Ruth's office until the visit was 100% confirmed。I liked the flashbacks to Allegra's boarding school days， and the miscellaneous village characters she sees on her rounds。 This book has humor， though I did wonder if Allegra was autistic making some of the humor at her expense for not "understanding" those around her。 However， this was a very enjoyable read。 。。。more

Heather ，

Thanks so much to the publisher and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for some honest feedback！ Freckles was such a great read。 I thought the main character， Allegra， was really interesting and I found her very intriguing。 The setting was great and the author really provided a great description of where everything was happening and the contrast between Dublin and Valentia Island。 The book features a diverse group of characters that really add to the journey Allegra goes on in this book。 For me， Thanks so much to the publisher and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for some honest feedback！ Freckles was such a great read。 I thought the main character， Allegra， was really interesting and I found her very intriguing。 The setting was great and the author really provided a great description of where everything was happening and the contrast between Dublin and Valentia Island。 The book features a diverse group of characters that really add to the journey Allegra goes on in this book。 For me， this was a really uplifting read and I really enjoyed it overall。 There was a nice message in the book and some funny moments too。 The pacing was good。 The one downside I had was I struggled with deciphering between dialogue and description or thought at times due to the writing style。A great read and one I would definitely recommend！ 。。。more

Charlotte Freeman ，

I found this book a little slow to get into， but once I had， I loved it。 Interesting theory behind the 5 people in your life who influence you。 Would recommend。

Helena ，

I have read books by Cecelia Ahern before， and loved most， but this was not one of them。 The writing was choppy， and I didn't care for the characters。 I had a hard time finishing it， but did so， because I loved Ahern's other writing 。 I have read books by Cecelia Ahern before， and loved most， but this was not one of them。 The writing was choppy， and I didn't care for the characters。 I had a hard time finishing it， but did so， because I loved Ahern's other writing 。 。。。more

Cora ，

I love Cecelia Ahern books but this just wasn't one of my favourites， I think I just didn't really warm to the main character。 I also found the way it was written a bit confusing （should this sentence be in speech marks or should it not was my thought a lot of the time）。 It's a bit of a slow burner but the ending was quite heart warming。Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review。 I love Cecelia Ahern books but this just wasn't one of my favourites， I think I just didn't really warm to the main character。 I also found the way it was written a bit confusing （should this sentence be in speech marks or should it not was my thought a lot of the time）。 It's a bit of a slow burner but the ending was quite heart warming。Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more

Emandherbooks ，

I enjoyed this book but I didn’t LOVE it！ Despite the book following Allegra on her journey I didn’t feel like I really knew who she was or that she had any major character development， I just craved a little more depth from her。 This， to me， hindered me really feeling connected to her and her story。 The story had some profound and thought provoking moments like most of Cecelia Ahern’s books， which I did enjoy。 It made me reflect on who my five people would be and how they’ve impacted and contin I enjoyed this book but I didn’t LOVE it！ Despite the book following Allegra on her journey I didn’t feel like I really knew who she was or that she had any major character development， I just craved a little more depth from her。 This， to me， hindered me really feeling connected to her and her story。 The story had some profound and thought provoking moments like most of Cecelia Ahern’s books， which I did enjoy。 It made me reflect on who my five people would be and how they’ve impacted and continue to impact my life。 。。。more

Charlotte Stockman ，

What a beautiful story。 As someone that spent a lot of time in life not knowing where I fitted i could really feel this book and every emotion that she went through。 Almost cried at the end but I won’t spoil the ending。 Sometimes we just don’t see what is right in front of our eyes and genuinely this book really made me think。 Would highly recommend reading。

Ang ，

I love Cecelia Ahern books。 I’ve not read a bad one yet and all have been five stars， many have moved me， made me cry and stayed in my mind after reading。 So I’m not really sure what’s happened here。 This is a slow book， difficult to read in places due to so much conversation between characters but no real indication of who is saying what。 The characters didn’t grab me and I neither liked them or disliked them。 The idea of the story was nice but I feel it’s probably a book for younger readers。 I I love Cecelia Ahern books。 I’ve not read a bad one yet and all have been five stars， many have moved me， made me cry and stayed in my mind after reading。 So I’m not really sure what’s happened here。 This is a slow book， difficult to read in places due to so much conversation between characters but no real indication of who is saying what。 The characters didn’t grab me and I neither liked them or disliked them。 The idea of the story was nice but I feel it’s probably a book for younger readers。 I think anyone new to the author would probably enjoy this but as a regular reader of hers this didn’t come up to her usual standard sadly。Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the ARC in return for an honest and unbiased opinion。 。。。more

Róisin （somethingarosie） ，

This is a story about loneliness， friendship and the importance of human connections。 Admittedly， I found it difficult to engage with the story。 There were a number of different storylines and something about it didn't quite come together for me。 This is a complex story with lots of seemingly unconnected occurrences。 While these happenings are connected， the connection seemed rather tenuous for the majority of the book and I felt I had to wait quite a while for everything to come together。 I rea This is a story about loneliness， friendship and the importance of human connections。 Admittedly， I found it difficult to engage with the story。 There were a number of different storylines and something about it didn't quite come together for me。 This is a complex story with lots of seemingly unconnected occurrences。 While these happenings are connected， the connection seemed rather tenuous for the majority of the book and I felt I had to wait quite a while for everything to come together。 I really enjoyed the aspect of the story that focused on Tristan and Allegra。 I would have loved to see more of their story arc and less focus given to Becky and her family。 I’m secretly rooting for a novel focusing on Allegra and her true core five。 Freckles the sequel， yes please！ I found this to be a very easy read and enjoyed the palpable Irishness that the narration styles bestows。 The characters are not particularly likeable。 Every single one of them has their flaws but that is an aspect of the book I really like。 My favourite character is Tristan。 A character I strongly disliked in the beginning but whose character development and growth is something to be greatly admired。 He genuinely learns from his mistakes and puts what learns into practice in order to be a better person。 While I found a lot of this story somewhat sluggish， the ending of this novel is absolutely lovely。 It is uplifting， encouraging and life-affirming。 I just wished the book had captivated me with such intensity throughout and not just in the final pages。 It leaves us on a thought-provoking note and encourages some self reflection。 I wonder， who are my five people？Thank you Harper Collins & Netgalley for my advanced copy。 。。。more

Reading Escapologist ，

3。5 starsThis is a difficult book to review。 The first thing I think I should mention is the lack of punctuation。 Ahern has not written like this before I think it’s only fair that people should not expect this to be like all her other books。 Don’t get me wrong， there is plenty of the Ahern pure loveliness in here。 There’s a character searching for something。 There are a lot of beautiful personalities in the mix。 There’s just something that didn’t feel right about this book for me。 Usually， her 3。5 starsThis is a difficult book to review。 The first thing I think I should mention is the lack of punctuation。 Ahern has not written like this before I think it’s only fair that people should not expect this to be like all her other books。 Don’t get me wrong， there is plenty of the Ahern pure loveliness in here。 There’s a character searching for something。 There are a lot of beautiful personalities in the mix。 There’s just something that didn’t feel right about this book for me。 Usually， her characters are likeable and her books are generally happy and positive。 This will make you feel really sorry for the lonely and lost character。 At times I felt really down and I don’t usually feel that way。 A mixed review。 If you can get past the confusion of the punctuation situation and you’re not worried about an overly negative mood， then this one might be for you。 。。。more

Christine Rennie ，

Freckles by Cecelia Ahern is an uplifting story a loud young woman， Allegra Bird， nicknamed Freckles。 The storyline is about how she wants to change her life and when someone talks about having five people in your life， to make those changes， Allegra is on a mission。Highly recommended

Deborah ，

Took me a little to get into this， but when I did boy did it give me some food for thought。 It very gently， touches on self harming and as you get further into the story other issues surface。 I recommend this book。

Deborah Johnson ，

Took me a little to get into this， but when I did boy did it give me some food for thought。 It very gently， touches on self harming and as you get further into the story other issues surface。 I recommend this book。

Caron ，

A story about Allegra aka "Freckles' and how through trial and a fair bit of error she finally finds the five people in her life that that are most important to her and help mould her into the person she is。 This book is an easy read and would make a good holiday book。 I didn't realise how invested with the character I had been until the ending made me cry。 No giveaways to those who haven't finished it yet， whether this was a good thing or bad thing！ Thoroughly recommended！ A story about Allegra aka "Freckles' and how through trial and a fair bit of error she finally finds the five people in her life that that are most important to her and help mould her into the person she is。 This book is an easy read and would make a good holiday book。 I didn't realise how invested with the character I had been until the ending made me cry。 No giveaways to those who haven't finished it yet， whether this was a good thing or bad thing！ Thoroughly recommended！ 。。。more

Lorraine ，

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。 I have read a few of Cecelia Ahern's books and enjoyed them but this book is a slow burner that smoulders to the end without really getting alight。 I didn't hate it but 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。 I have read a few of Cecelia Ahern's books and enjoyed them but this book is a slow burner that smoulders to the end without really getting alight。 I didn't hate it but I also didn't love it， it was ok。 I think it will appeal to readers who like books set in Ireland with quirky characters。 It is a story of family and friendships。 。。。more

Kirsty ，

Freckles - Cecelia AhernI received an advance review copy for free thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins UK and I am leaving this review voluntarilyYou 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 Freckles - Cecelia AhernI received an advance review copy for free thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins UK and I am leaving this review voluntarilyYou 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。 I find Cecelia Ahern’s books very enjoyable to read so as I soon as I saw this one was available to request I couldn’t resist and it did not disappoint。 It is a refreshing book to read and is heartwarming tale about friendship and connections。 I enjoyed reading this book from start to finish and I honestly think the whole concept is very intriguing and definitely had me thinking who my five people would be。 I have seen many mixed reviews， but I can honestly say that I would recommend this book， especially if you are a fan of Cecelia。 Rating 4/5 。。。more

Helen ，

This book is beautiful in so many ways - the inner character of Freckles， her real name Allegra， the language used by the author， I literally cried for Freckles - tears of sadness but ultimately of joy。 The characters are all well depicted。 The book literally carried me along as I shared her journey。 I am sure everyone will be able to relate to some of Freckles’ story。 The idea of being defined by five people in your life is such an interesting concept which made me think of the people I have in This book is beautiful in so many ways - the inner character of Freckles， her real name Allegra， the language used by the author， I literally cried for Freckles - tears of sadness but ultimately of joy。 The characters are all well depicted。 The book literally carried me along as I shared her journey。 I am sure everyone will be able to relate to some of Freckles’ story。 The idea of being defined by five people in your life is such an interesting concept which made me think of the people I have in my life and people I have lost。 Thank you Netgalley for letting me read this brilliant book。 I shall definitely reread it！ 。。。more

Julie Kelly ，

Freckles by Cecelia AherneI’m giving ‘Freckles’ 4 stars。 It is an engaging， uplifting read。 The main character， Allegra Bird is well-drawn and interesting one。 While she doesn’t always make the best choices， I was always rooting for her。 We get to know her well over the course of the book， as aspects of her life and character are revealed to us through flashbacks， and her interactions with those around her。 The setting of the book is very real too， as the action moves between the remote Valentia Freckles by Cecelia AherneI’m giving ‘Freckles’ 4 stars。 It is an engaging， uplifting read。 The main character， Allegra Bird is well-drawn and interesting one。 While she doesn’t always make the best choices， I was always rooting for her。 We get to know her well over the course of the book， as aspects of her life and character are revealed to us through flashbacks， and her interactions with those around her。 The setting of the book is very real too， as the action moves between the remote Valentia Island in Kerry and the affluent south Dublin suburb of Malahide。 The concept of the ‘five people’ is thought-provoking and gave me plenty to ponder both as I read it， and afterwards。 One gripe I have is that the dialogue in the book can be a little hard to follow at times as there are no quotation marks and it is interspersed with Allegra’s own observations。 All in all， a recommended read。 I received an advanced copy of ‘Freckles’ in exchange for an honest review。 All opinions are my own。 。。。more

Annie ，

A book about Allegra brought up by an eccentric father， her mother has had nothing to do with her since she was born。 Allegra is an individual character， currently working as a parking warden， we read about her deepest thoughts thoughts and little by little come to understand what has shaped her life choices。 Meeting Tristan a software developer，， she starts to think about the five most influencial people in her life。 Some encounters are better than others for her。 Is she too naive ？ It took me A book about Allegra brought up by an eccentric father， her mother has had nothing to do with her since she was born。 Allegra is an individual character， currently working as a parking warden， we read about her deepest thoughts thoughts and little by little come to understand what has shaped her life choices。 Meeting Tristan a software developer，， she starts to think about the five most influencial people in her life。 Some encounters are better than others for her。 Is she too naive ？ It took me a while to get to know and like her character， though by the second part of the book I was hooked and it became a real page turner。 I have enjoyed most of Cecelia Ahern's books， though they are not always an easy read。 Thank you to Net Galley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review。 Half way through I was thinking 3 stars but now I have finished I am giving it 4 。。。more

Annette Jordan ，

Freckles by Cecelia Ahern is the moving story of Allegra Bird， aka Freckles， a young woman who has moved to Dublin， away from the father who raised her solo， in search of the mother who abandoned her as a baby。 Freckles has always felt a little out of step with the rest of the world， struggling to make sense of social cues， and award to the point of rudeness。 She likes her job as a traffic warden， making sure people follow the rules plays right into her need for order， but a troubling encounter Freckles by Cecelia Ahern is the moving story of Allegra Bird， aka Freckles， a young woman who has moved to Dublin， away from the father who raised her solo， in search of the mother who abandoned her as a baby。 Freckles has always felt a little out of step with the rest of the world， struggling to make sense of social cues， and award to the point of rudeness。 She likes her job as a traffic warden， making sure people follow the rules plays right into her need for order， but a troubling encounter with a young man who seems to have no regard for the parking laws sets her spinning。 His idea that you are the average of the five people you spend the most time with causes her to pause and re-evaluate her life and question who and what matters most。This is a slow paced gentle book， with moments of humour counterbalanced by moments of heart breaking poignancy。 It is not a traditional love story， rather it is the story of a young woman's coming to terms with herself and her family and I know it gave me reason to pause and think about who I am choosing to spend my time with， and why。 Freckles may not be the most likeable of characters， but she is one that many readers will relate to。 I also really enjoyed the setting of the book， having lived in Malahide for several years it felt very nostalgic to revisit it in the pages of this book。 Ahearn has excelled in the cast of secondary characters that populate Freckle's story， they are vividly sketched even when we only meet them briefly， and she manages to make them believable without resorting to stereotype。 Overall a book with a lot of heart and a very enjoyable and rewarding read。 I read and reviewed an ARC courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher， all opinions are my own。 。。。more

Caroline ，

Unfairly I think there is a certain amount of snobbery， here in Ireland anyway， about Cecelia Ahern books。 I admit I don’t usually pick them up。 Of course， like the entire world I was a massive fan of PS I Love You but I never really gave her the credit she deserves a writer until now。 Freckles is an incredibly well written book。 One of my top five of this year for sure。 The writing actually blew me away and it really was a case of not being able to put it down。 I knew nothing about the book bef Unfairly I think there is a certain amount of snobbery， here in Ireland anyway， about Cecelia Ahern books。 I admit I don’t usually pick them up。 Of course， like the entire world I was a massive fan of PS I Love You but I never really gave her the credit she deserves a writer until now。 Freckles is an incredibly well written book。 One of my top five of this year for sure。 The writing actually blew me away and it really was a case of not being able to put it down。 I knew nothing about the book before I started reading it and I’m glad for that， so I just give a brief synopsis。 Freckles is a young girl who is at a crisis point in her life。 She has moved to dublin from Kerry and is working as a traffic warden for Fingal county council in the affluent suburb of Malahide。 She meets a man who starts her off on a journey of self discovery。 I love Freckles and all the minor characters in the story as well。 There is one flaw though， that it seems to me quite impossible for her to have made all those connections having only lived in Dublin for six months， but it didn’t take away from the story for me at all and I loved it from beginning to end。 I will now always reach for a Cecelia Ahern book when I see one on the shelf。 。。。more

Sophy Layzell ，

This was a slow burn and I abandoned it several times but ultimately came to enjoy it。 Allegra herself is at first prickly and hard to relate to but the more you come to learn about her， the more you root for her。 This ended up becoming a thought-provoking and satisfying read。

Val Millard ，

Such a lovely story about a girl who was abandoned at birth by her mother。 Allegra Bird has moved to be near her mum and try and get to know her before introducing herself as the baby she gave up。 Allegra is a traffic warden and one of the serial offenders she gives parking tickets to makes a comment about how you are the average of the 5 people you spend the most time with。 It makes her think about her life and who her closest friends are。 She goes home to visit her dad and friends she knew at Such a lovely story about a girl who was abandoned at birth by her mother。 Allegra Bird has moved to be near her mum and try and get to know her before introducing herself as the baby she gave up。 Allegra is a traffic warden and one of the serial offenders she gives parking tickets to makes a comment about how you are the average of the 5 people you spend the most time with。 It makes her think about her life and who her closest friends are。 She goes home to visit her dad and friends she knew at school before she went to live in Dublin and soon realises there is nothing left for her there。 It was very sad in parts but by the end Allegra has 5 new people she can rely on。 。。。more

Janine ，

Freckles is a lovely story that follows a meandering but very enjoyable path。 At the centre of the story is the idea that the five people we're closest to shape us and make us who we are， which is in itself an interesting idea。 But this thought completely throws our protagonist Allegra， causing her to question everything about her ordered， predictable life。Allegra is a unique， endearing， sometimes frustrating protagonist。 She is often lacking in awareness and I felt myself wanting to jump in and Freckles is a lovely story that follows a meandering but very enjoyable path。 At the centre of the story is the idea that the five people we're closest to shape us and make us who we are， which is in itself an interesting idea。 But this thought completely throws our protagonist Allegra， causing her to question everything about her ordered， predictable life。Allegra is a unique， endearing， sometimes frustrating protagonist。 She is often lacking in awareness and I felt myself wanting to jump in and speak to her， or guide her， but that is part of the charm。 We are witnessing Allegra figuring things out for herself and slowly finding her way home。There are a number of subplots to the main storyline， not all of which are resolved， leaving the reader to question and make their own predictions。 But overall it reaches a satisfying conclusion and I thoroughly enjoyed following Allegra on her journey of discovery。Thanks to NetGalley for providing me an e-copy of the book in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more

Sharon ，

I found this to be an OK read。 I think I possibly had too high hopes as I'm a great fan of the author and usually find her books uplifting; which， this is， but， gosh， it's hard work before then！Allegra Bird， nicknamed Freckles is such a sad， solitary， individual for whom little in life goes her way。 Given up by her mother at birth， it's always been her and her father and she's left him whilst she attempts to make a life for herself in the big city - Dublin。"You are the average of the 5 people yo I found this to be an OK read。 I think I possibly had too high hopes as I'm a great fan of the author and usually find her books uplifting; which， this is， but， gosh， it's hard work before then！Allegra Bird， nicknamed Freckles is such a sad， solitary， individual for whom little in life goes her way。 Given up by her mother at birth， it's always been her and her father and she's left him whilst she attempts to make a life for herself in the big city - Dublin。"You are the average of the 5 people you spend the most time with" is a sentence told to Allegra and which turns her life upside down as she attempts to identify her 5 people。What follows is heartbreaking at times and it's a satisfying conclusion， but， I found it a struggle to maintain interest and for that reason， I found it a 2* OK read。I am however grateful to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to preview and I hope it finds it's audience。 。。。more

Fiona Dee ，

I don't usually read books like this but thanks to netgalley I received a free copy。 Its light hearted， funny at times but without giving too much away， it's sad， unfair as well as uplifting。 Its an easy read。 Cecelia's natural humour really shone through。 I surprisingly really enjoyed this story。 I don't usually read books like this but thanks to netgalley I received a free copy。 Its light hearted， funny at times but without giving too much away， it's sad， unfair as well as uplifting。 Its an easy read。 Cecelia's natural humour really shone through。 I surprisingly really enjoyed this story。 。。。more

Emily Stevens ，

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for my ARC of this！ Overall a great book。 I felt like this book was mainly build up to a rather quick ending。 Allegra was a very different character to those I'd usually read about。 She seems to spend her life living on the edge of other peoples which was interesting！ Usually characters are the centre of their own story。 I struggled with some of the interactions because there were no speech marks！ But in general I really enjoyed it！！ I love that Cecelia doe Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for my ARC of this！ Overall a great book。 I felt like this book was mainly build up to a rather quick ending。 Allegra was a very different character to those I'd usually read about。 She seems to spend her life living on the edge of other peoples which was interesting！ Usually characters are the centre of their own story。 I struggled with some of the interactions because there were no speech marks！ But in general I really enjoyed it！！ I love that Cecelia doesn't just release the same stuff。 This was very different to anything else I've read by her！ 。。。more

Spadge Nunn ，

Allegra or “Freckles” is a 24 year old traffic warden who is deeply unlikeable， definitely delusional and a little drunk with power on the streets of Dublin。 This story follows her on her personal mission of self discovery。I found it difficult to get into this book because Allegra is really not a very nice person to be around， even fictionally。 But I’m really glad I persevered with it - the murky depths and slog of a beginning makes the character progression quite a rewarding experience。 Allegra Allegra or “Freckles” is a 24 year old traffic warden who is deeply unlikeable， definitely delusional and a little drunk with power on the streets of Dublin。 This story follows her on her personal mission of self discovery。I found it difficult to get into this book because Allegra is really not a very nice person to be around， even fictionally。 But I’m really glad I persevered with it - the murky depths and slog of a beginning makes the character progression quite a rewarding experience。 Allegra is told， by an angry motorist， that every human is the average of the five people they spend the most time with。 A thought that really resonates with her。 From then on she immediately goes about reviewing， reorganising and even recruiting new people to associate with。 It’s a story of personal growth， of the importance of good friends， and of life changing outlooks too。 Although the first half feels quite depressing at times， I think the payoff is worth pursuing。The favourite quote I’ve chosen below is one that perfectly captures Allegra’s attitude throughout the first half of the book:“There’s never truly any comfortable position while posing nude， something will always start to hurt at some point but at the beginning of the session I’d chosen to angle my body in the direction of the empty stool James is heading to， my legs parted ever so slightly， not because I’m shy of the others seeing but because I found the thought of a tardy artist being faced with an eye full of vagina amusing。 I have to get my kicks somehow。”Freckles will be published on 2nd September， thank you to NetGalley for the ARC。 。。。more

Louise Gaffney ，

What a great read。 I thoroughly enjoyed this and loved the main character Allegra。 It has echoes of ‘when all is said’ by Anne Griffin but is much better & not half as depressing！！ No spoilers but if you’re looking for a happy read that will tug on the heartstrings， read it！！ I got this book from Netgalley。

Reference

google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=Freckles

hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=Freckles&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft

The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,Freckles&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0