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Deze belediging komt heel hard aan en vormt de start van een zoektocht. Want wie zijn de vijf belangrijkste mensen in haar leven en welke invloed hebben zij op haar? Heeft zij die vijf mensen wel, met wie brengt ze de meeste tijd door? En hoe kan zij gelukkig(er) worden door zich te omringen met de juiste mensen? Kun je kiezen wie je maken tot wie je bent, en zo wie je zelf bent? Ze zal haar bestaande relaties moeten evalueren en ze gaat op zoek naar nieuwe connecties.
A: It intrigued and bothered me at the time that my age was so heavily focused on. I felt like a mature adult that had experience of the world but this seemed to confuse critics at the time. I look at twenty one year olds now and I’m surprised at what I achieved so young, but it does remind me to also not treat twenty-one year olds as though they are vacuous and inexperienced. I think that as people get older they can forget the depth of their thoughts and experiences at a younger age.When Allegra Bird first hears these words from someone shes not necessarily too fond of, it makes her reevaluate her carefully organised life. I was really excited to get to read this book early, it was already on my own 'wish list' and it didn't disappoint! Told in Allegra’s vivid, original voice, moving from modern Dublin to the fierce Atlantic coast, this is an unforgettable story of human connection, of friendship, and of growing into your own skin. That is when her journey really begins. And in true Allegra Bird style, the road is pretty turbulent along the way.
What if the people who have the power to change your life are the ones who have been there all along... Das Buch fing vielversprechend an. Allegra ist ein schwieriger Charakter, der Verletzungen mit sich herumträgt, sich vor allen Dingen im zwischenmenschlichen Bereich schwertut und auch sonst eher in den Kategorien bissig, stachelig bis unausstehlich einzuordnen ist. As she searches for connection, Allegra is about to find out that it is our differences that make life worth living - if only someone can help you to join the dots . . . So when a stranger tells her she’s the sum of five people – the five people she spends the most time with – she’s suddenly no longer seeking one person. She’s looking for five. Zijn woorden kwamen net als het paard van Troje onschuldig over mijn grenzen, en toen bam, bedrogen, alle troepen sprongen eruit, raakten me hard, achter elkaar door, regen me steeds weer en weer en weer aan hun speer.'
The 10 hour long audiobook is narrated by Amy McAllister and she is fabulous. She brings not just Allegra to life but imbues all characters with appropriate emotions. Her accent, her enunciation, her moods... all match the character she was voicing. Because of the relatively slow pace of the book, I think it ought to work much better as an audiobook. I think I am going to be in the minority with this book when I say that I was very disappointed in it. For fans of Eleanor Oliphant and other novels with a quirky lead character just trying to find her way in life.
Allegra realises she can’t even pin five people into her life, let alone them leaving their mark on her. But through this, and a side story of looking for her mother, Allegra develops and comes to realise that sometimes what you were looking for is what you have all along. Allegra Bird moves away from her small town to the big smoke with a dream job and a huge secret mission that would change her life forever, if only she had the courage to follow it through. I think the narrator of the audiobook was absolutely perfect for playing Allegra Bird. Her voice was so lovely to listen to, who doesn't love an Irish accent. But she also managed to get the humour down, she was so funny.
The pandemic has put an end to her boxing but on her long daily walks, Ahern plays movies and plots in her head, ones she has written herself. “And I never want to stop doing that,” she says. “My kids think I am boring. I won’t take risks like go on rollercoasters but I take risks in my work. And I want to make it better each time.” Throughout her teens Cecelia worked as a dancer and singer, performing in dance shows, pantomimes and took part in the Eurosong 2000 in the band Shimma. For the greater good of society, she no longer performs. Een vriendin met een rugzak en vanaf het moment dat ze Tristan ontmoet gaat ze op zoek naar haar vijf. Ze gaat op zoek naar zichzelf en naar wie ze wil zijn. En op een gegeven moment herkende ik delen van mezelf in Allegra. Die stoere, lieve meid. Die onwijs sterke meid, een doorzetter. Ze werd een voorbeeld voor mij en ik heb haar in mijn hart gesloten. Ze hield me een spiegel voor: álles kan als je in jezelf gelooft. She’s certainly irascible but Ahern’s given her layer upon layer. Despite her rigidity for example, she’s unpredictable and full of surprises.