I tried but this one just didn't resonate with me. I get where Blum was going but .... I DNF at about 30 percent.

I received a free Kindle copy of The Coincidence Makers by Yoav Blum courtesy of Net Galley  and St. Martin's Press, the publisher. It was with the understanding that I would post a review on Net Galley, Goodreads, Amazon, Barnes and Noble and my fiction book review blog. I also posted it to my Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Google Plus pages.

I requested this book as I am looking for different authors and the description sounded itneresting. It is the first book by Yoav Blum that I have read.

It is rare that I am unable to fulfill the commitment to read a book that has been sent to me for review, but this is one of those exceptions. I was unable to make any connection with the plot due to the writing style of the author which I find unengaging or even mildly interesting. Other reviews on this book run the gamut from one star to five stars (check Goodreads)  so others may find this book to their liking. My suggestion is to wait for it to be published and check out a copy from your local library before investing in a copy.

2.5 stars. I'm really mixed on this one. I was so excited to get my hands on this one because of the original premise of the plot. I really wanted to like it. The plot is very original - I don't think there are a lot of books out there about coincidence makers - if they even exist! BUT it disappointed.

The story centers around three coincidence makers (Guy, Emily, and Eric) who plan coincidences. They are given new jobs (basically coincidence missions) to complete. This is basically all I can tell you without spoiling the story.

The story is told in a very perplexing third-person narrative. It skips from one person to another, one scene to another without any breaks. It was hard for me to keep up. I wasn't too keen on the style of writing, but that was fine for me as long as the plot keeps me hooked. However, it took FOREVER for the book to start getting interesting, and even then it wasn't that "page-turning" suspense. I'll be blunt and say that I was 50% into the book before the plot started to make sense and everything started to connect. I get that story beginnings are boring 70% of the time, but usually I'll be getting nose-deep into a book by 20-30% in. When it takes halfway into a book to get me interested, there is a huge problem. However, I did finish the book. Majority of the reviewers rated 4-5 stars so I was wondering whether it was just me. Nonetheless I finished it because I was still curious as to how this book might turn out based on the premise, like I originally was. But I would definitely say I was not expecting how it turned out. I could definitely see this book turned into a movie though.

Thank you to the publisher, St. Martin's Press, and the author, Yoav Blum, for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an unbiased, honest review.

This book was a strange blend of genres, but in the end, I think it worked. It has a Sliding Doors feel, where coincidences change the outcome of a situation drastically and the coincidence makers have the job of making the pieces fit together, if that makes sense. It was a little odd and confusing, but there were parts I really enjoyed. This is definitely not going to be for everyone, but for the most part, I thought it was quite good.

Maybe I went at this book the wrong way. I wanted to know exactly what the Coincidence Makers were, how they determined what events they needed to impact, etc. I wanted the behind the scenes details. Instead the reader is required to mosey along with the main characters, Gus, Emily, and Eric as they complete their assignments and interact with each other. Randomly, short chapters with supposed history or lessons regarding coincidence making are thrown in. I didn't really get a sense for where the book was headed for most of the book. Finally when something happened I felt as though even the author wasn't sure where the book was going and had his own Coincidence Maker moment of inspiration. Thus it felt contrived instead of quirky.

This isn’t original. It’s the same concept as The Adjustment Bureau which is based on a short script from 1954 titled Adjustment Team. I could tell this when I first picked up the book and had hoped I’d enjoy it regardless. Unfortunately, that wasn’t the case.

Well, I didn't love it, but I didn't strongly dislike it, either. For me, this book seemed like a great idea. The concept seemed highly original and I was thrilled at having the chance to read it. However, when I began reading it, I soon became lost trying to navigate the story. You find yourself in an unknown location from the beginning and in my opinion, this does not help you to connect with the story. Then, things progress to become even more disjointed.

Some spots in this book were cute, others were funny, but some sections dragged a bit and I had to force myself to pay attention to what was happening and keep reading. Even by the end of the book, I still hadn't found a character that I truly felt I knew much about or really cared what happened to.

I didn't think this was awful, but I'm struggling to find a specific group that I would recommend it to. Honestly, I was happy to be finished with it.

This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher, provided through Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

A clever and inventive concept that made me think differently about coincidences and how a carefully orchestrated series of events can make a difference in situational outcomes. One simple tweak or a more elaborate plan makes no matter, these highly skilled confidence makers will ensure their tasks are done. What a cool but stressful job making each piece fit together! In one instance, a simple rearranging of a teacup at the edge of a table snowballs into something so much bigger. An engaging read with a good mix of fantasy and reality.
*will post in additional online venues once published.

Very clever, interesting premise for a book. This book still has me thinking about life, situations, cause and effect. I liked the interaction/development of the relationship between the coincidence makers as well as their interactions with those they were set to create coincidences for. Smart, clever, interesting read.

OH. MY. GOODNESS. What a lovely, lyrical story this was, and what a talent Blum possesses! This book was such an absolutely beautifully and delicately crafted tale - I didn't even realize how much so until near the end, when the purpose of all the coincidences finally became clear. (I can't say more because it would be a huge spoiler, but trust me.)

It's funny - with some books, the review writes itself. Either the plot or characters pour themselves out in such a way that they are easy to encapsulate with words. I've found this to be true with books that I really enjoy and ones that I don't. But then sometimes, the review is tough - and this is, oddly, also true with books I enjoy as well as those I don't. Sometimes, especially those I like. I think it's because there's magic in great stories, and sometimes that magic defies explanation. I try to explain the plot or characters that so captured my imagination and find that the words I use fall flat or, worse, sound banal or cliched or hackneyed. That's what happened here - everything I wrote to try and describe the magical glittering glory of this perfect, poignant, construction of Blum's read like weak, watered-down tea. The words felt listless and full of ennui, like the story itself was actively refusing to allow itself to be captured, like the magic could only be experienced firsthand.

And maybe that's what it is. This was One of Those Books that you read and enjoy on one level, as a pure construct of fiction, while at the same time word-worms wriggle their way into other, less conscious, levels of your mind - the levels that consider Big Things like destiny and purpose and the whys and wherefores that make life so damnably, confoundingly, phenomenally, indescribably intriguing. That's why you should read it. Because it's beautifully crafted and full of glorious ideas and bursts of language. Because it'll make you smile one one page and make your face fall on the next. Because it's thought-provoking and original and also - coincidentally - fun. Because it's a way of viewing the world that tries to make sense of the nonsensical, seemingly whimsical everyday-ness of life. But ultimately, and most importantly, because it's just grand storytelling.

My review copy was provided by NetGalley.

**Review will be published to blog closer to publication date**

I chose this book because:

When I was little, I was really into spy and detective stuff. My family and I visited a spy museum once, and I remember thinking, But how do the spies know which clues to pick up? What if an unsuspecting civilian accidentally dislodges/taints the clue and then the spy won’t be able to find whatever they were looking for?? (I was thinking of a situation where spies needed to correspond with each other secretly.) Basically, I was thinking about chance and coincidences. So I was immediately intrigued by this novel when I read the blurb. Also, when this novel first got on my radar, I had just finished binge-watching Nikita for the first time with my family, so I was really in the mood for a story like this.

Upon reading it:

It was hard for me to get into the story because the characters just felt like… characters. They didn’t feel real to me. I couldn’t tell what these Coincidence Makers were exactly. They weren’t quite mythical and weren’t quite human. The Coincidence Makers sort of seemed mythical because of the way they distanced themselves from humans and made humans seem so simpleminded, but the Coincidence Makers also sort of seemed human themselves in the sense that that there seemed to be an omniscient power over the Coincidence Makers that organised and delegated them in such human (and frankly, underwhelming) ways, and also in the sense that they just seemed normal in general. Furthermore, I wasn’t convinced by their methods of coincidence making and I felt like it was all based on pseudo-psychology, whereas I was more looking forward to reading hardcore specifics about how these coincidences were orchestrated.

I was also confused about who the main characters were for awhile when I first started the novel, because the storylines were disjoint in the beginning; they felt like they were supposed to be connected, but they didn’t go anywhere (at least not in the near future), so I was confused and I didn’t feel any suspense leading up to the great reveal, except for knowing that there was going to be great reveal, which I knew there would be because everyone on Goodreads mentioned in their reviews how everything came together in the end (without revealing any spoilers). And they were right-ish. Everything came together and happened in one chapter towards the end of the novel. For most, this great reveal made the slow pace meaningful. But for me, I was almost a little annoyed; it felt like everything that happened before the great reveal was just a placeholder for that moment, especially since I didn’t feel any suspense leading up to that moment. It’s kinda like how I felt about seasons 2 and 3 of How to Get Away With Murder (I didn’t watch any further; actually I didn’t even get through season 3), in which nothing seemed to happen all season, and then BAM it all happened in the finale. It makes stories feel drawn out.

All that said, I appreciate the concept of this novel though! I was getting a little bit of Now You See Me (2013), a little bit of Sundays at Tiffany’s by James Patterson, a little bit of Looking for Alaska by John Green, and a little bit of Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell—Now You See Me for the illusionists who plan for weeks leading up to the big show/coincidence, Sundays at Tiffany’s for that mystical and romantic touch, Looking for Alaska for that skewed idea of love, and Cloud Atlas for how seemingly unconnected things cumulate to reveal the main event. The Coincidence Makers is much easier to read than Cloud Atlas though haha. If you’re intrigued by the concept of this novel, I would say to give it a try for yourself and see if the writing style is for you! It’s an easy enough read. Also, the majority of reviews on Goodreads are super positive, so it’s definitely worth a shot! I think I just set my expectations too high; the plot really did seem right up my alley! If you’re just looking for a light read, rather than, say, to enlighten you about your childhood musings about spies, this one is solid.

(highlight to reveal spoilers and more opinions… just needa get some things off my chest)

Yo the part where Guy and Emily got together tho. And then Guy basically dumped her (I mean, as far as you can dump someone when you’ve hardly been with them). Aren’t coincidences supposed to bring out something already there? So shouldn’t the orchestrated coincidence only have revealed a feeling (Guy’s feelings) already there? And once that was realised, whether or not it was orchestrated, it uncovered a truth (of Guy’s feelings). So how does it make sense that he reverted right back once he found out the coincidences were orchestrated? Unless he’s that blinded by his “love.” In which case, I’m over it!! I was getting some major Looking for Alaska vibes and frustrations. Don’t waste time with a guy like that man.

Also Emily quit because of a boy?? Dumb. Maybe if I felt more connected to her beforehand, if I knew more about her, and not necessarily about the things that happened in her past, but at least about her tensions and feelings, then maybe I would have been able to sympathise.

So I've spent the last 5 days or so in a book slump caused by the last book I read. It's been festering in the back of my brain like an unwanted squatter and although I had loved it, I needed something to help me MOVE ON.

Enter 'The Coincidence Makers'. I was browsing through my NetGalley line up (I've requested too many again - help! It's a disease!) and this sounded as far from the book I had just read as possible and just the ticket to get me through my book hangover.

I thought the concept for this book was really interesting! Kind of like the film 'The adjustment bureau' in premise, but without terrible, terrible Matt Damon.

Imagine that there is an organisation that exists just to set up coincidences, in order to influence us mere mortals into making a decision one way or the other. The book really plays with the idea of free will vs. fate (or coincidence) . It's funny, I don't think I have ever believed in 'fate' but I do always look for 'signs' from the Universe that I've made the right choice about something - especially a major life choice. Go figure. But this really made me think that all our decisions aren't caused by one big change usually (such as losing your job) but are made from an accumulation of small nudges and changes in the world around you that slowly bring you around to a different way of thinking. Would you have made that same choice if you hadn't experienced a few of those small coincidences?

It's really hard to categorise the genre of this book; part mystery, part sci-fi, part romance, part fantasy, it's really not one thing or the other but its all the better for it. It's a teeny bit slow in parts, but the characters are wonderful, and the ideas are just so inventive that I loved it. It had a lovely unrequited romance, some humour and a great ending that tied everything together in a nice neat bow(I do like it when a book does that)

Partly because of its genre-bending nature, it's a book I'm finding hard to review. But lets just say that I really enjoyed it and it got me out of my funk by enveloping me in the most fascinating and endearing tale. I loved it.



Big thanks to Netgalley and the Publisher for this preview copy in exchange for an honest review.



The Coincidence Makers is published on 6th March 2018 by St Martin's Press

Fabulous, genre-defying, character-driven fiction

I loved this book. It was touching and philosophical, tinged with humor and sadness. It doesn’t fall neatly into science fiction because there is no grounding in science, yet it has a certain plausibility to it that also doesn’t fall into fantasy. It was just a great story that was difficult to put down. The characters were well-developed and fun and the story well-paced. It made me think of the coincidences in my life and had me questioning whether or not I had the benefit of my own coincidence makers. Kudos also to Ira Moskowitz who translated the book from the original Hebrew. I strongly recommend this book.

"Every now has a before.." Do you think there's such a thing as a coincidence? Think again. Blum offers a different perspective, that of people who make coincidences occur in order to create a wanted outcome. This is also a story of love; loving what's real and not imaginary, and accepting yourself.
Blum's writing is masterful and he weaves a unique tale. This is definitely a different kind of story, but it captured me from the beginning and didn't let go until the end.

It's rare that we come across a truly unique premise, but this is one of them. The blurb is a bit misleading, but if you go into this NOT expecting a thriller, you'll be along for an intriguing, romantic ride.

I received this book as an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for a fair/honest review.

I really liked the plot/concept of this book. There is an invisible organization that doles out luck, regulates imaginary friends and makes coincidences happen so two people meet, etc. Guy is a level 3 coincidence maker and the story follows him and his two classmates Emily and Eric. There were some odd plot developments that weren't really explained or fully explored that might have made this a more intriguing read. But I still enjoyed it.

This is a really hard book to review without giving away too much too, but I am going to do my best. The concept behind The Coincidence Makers is an intriguing one for sure, the idea of having people who we don’t know. Only see someone in passing, might even say hello to, having such an impact in out lives. Setting events in motion to get a specific outcome, whether a blooming romance or set on a course for success. Or something completely different. It all kinda makes you think.

The story centers around three coincidence makers, Eric, Guy and Emily. Throughout the story we follow each of them while they are “creating moments” in other people lives that they are meant to meet and change the course of some part of their life. Coincidences big or small, they do everything precise. They have to,or a different course might happen. Guy was given a special mission which was little different than the normal ones though. But this is more about Eric, Guy and Emily than just the coincidences.

There is a lot to learned about these three, because they’re all kind of mysterious at the beginning. We get to see things from their past through flashbacks which shed some light on at least two of them. Guy is still infatuated with someone from the past. Emily is in love with someone that doesn’t feel the same. While Eric stays a mystery. Just like how the ones whose lives they “change” are chosen and why. There is a clever little at the end which I though was pretty amazing!

The pace is a little on the slow side at first but certainly works in its favor and it does pick up too. So no worries. The Coincidence Makers was an intriguing concept, the what if’s, the line between free will and fate or coincidence. It was such a fascinating read!

While the premise of this book, based on the blurb, is intriguing I just could not get into it. I tried. Picked it up, put it down. Read other books in between. Sometimes I just cannot connect with a book. And the fault is not the author’s because I feel certain there are readers out there who absolutely love this book. Unfortunately, I am not one of them.

This book had an interesting concept centered around Eric, Emily and Guy, Coincidence Makers. In many ways it was similar to the movie, The Adjustment Bureau.
You are led through Coincidence Maker Training and then experience various missions that each of the aforementioned goes through.
This is a unique book and was a bit clunky in parts. Perhaps it's due to the flow (the way the training is interspersed throughout). Interesting concept though that perhaps nothing really ever happens "just because".
I received an Advanced Reader Copy from netgalley. All opinions are my own.

Thank you NetGalley for the chance to read an advance copy of the Coincidence Makers in exchange fie an honest opinion.

Good story, with a different subject for me, made for an interesting read. Is everything that happens to us really a coincidence or did a coincidence maker set everything into play? If so, would we even know? The story is about Emily, Eric and Guy, who met as classmates in coincidence making class. The book is about how they get their assignments and how they carry them out. Also, it is about how it changes them personally.

I will always wonder, after reading this book, if there really is someone pulling the strings that make our experiences happen for us. Good story.