DNF at 27%
I hadn’t read the other parts of the series, which was a mistake on my part, so the story just wasn’t connecting for me.

This book is an excellent continuation of the Olive Kitteridge story, though nothing can be as good as the original.

I was excited to return to the world of Olive Kittredge, assuming it would similarly engage me. Elizabeth Strout is so gifted, and I have loved most of her novels. I would place this one solidly in the middle--it wasn't my favorite but it has the wonderful hallmarks of all of Strout's brilliant work.

I just love Elizabeth Strout's books, and this one might have been my favorite yet! She has such a real, human way of creating characters and such a literary and yet highly accessible style of writing. Absolutely recommended!

Another great offering from Elizabeth Strout. If you enjoyed the original Olive Kitteridge, you'll love this book.

Olive Kitteredge will always be among my favorite books, and this follow up is like visiting with a difficult, loveable friend. Elizabeth Strout is always worth reading, and this book is not exception - just plain exceptional.

I am sorry for the inconvenience but I don’t have the time to read this anymore and have lost interest in the concept. I believe that it would benefit your book more if I did not skim your book and write a rushed review. Again, I am sorry for the inconvenience.

I was not a fan of Olive, Again. I was bored and only made it 1/4 of the way through the book before I decided not to finish.

RATING: 4.5 STARS
2019; Random House Publishing

Olive Kitteridge is back, and she is just as fascinating as she was in the previous novel. We have some new characters and some familiar ones. As the previous novel, this another great example of a writer who can make character studies so interesting. I would recommend reading Olive Kitteridge first, as it may not make as much sense being read on it's own. Reading this first would also take away from the character development between books.

***I received a complimentary copy of this ebook from the publisher through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.***

Elizabeth Strout can do no wrong. She is an auto-buy author for me!
I am loving Olive so much. The way that I feel so intertwined in her life is *chefs kiss*.
Thanks so much for the ARC of this book - I definitely have the physical copy on my shelf now. Can’t wait for the next Strout book!

I will read anything Strout writes. We return to the world of Olive Kitteridge- but this is a new Olive. She's still very much herself, but in this rendition she is quite a bit older and wiser and more self-aware- in part thanks to her second husband who sees her and loves her as she is, but can also call her attention to her Olive-ness. I absolutely adored this meditation on aging and change and introspection. I think Strout is phenomenal, and I can imagine my book club reading this second volume after having read Olive Kitteredge years back. I truly loved the interconnectedness of the stories, as so many of the characters felt like old friends at this point.

Five stars.

Very well written but Olive just doesn't appeal to me. There were a lot of characters to keep track of - which I didn't mind - but Olive just isn't an enjoyable character to me. I've had plenty of friends who've loved this series though!

I think an alternative title to this one could be Olive Grows Up because I definitely saw a lot of growth for Olive in this book. I love the way Strout connects the stories in the book to each other through Olive's presence and I love that even the bleakest stories have a shimmer of hope and a possibility of change. Highly recommended for fans of the town of Crosby, Maine and it's realistic albeit cantankerous main character, Olive Kitteridge. (Even better when read while vacationing on the coast of Maine, I must say.)

I have enjoyed each and every one of Elizabeth Stout's novels. "Olive, Again" was just as great as the others. Her novels are so poignant and full of depth. Definitely worth the read, but take your time on this one!

In this novel, Elizabeth Strout takes the reader again to the small town of Crosby, Maine and one of the most memorable inhabitants, Olive Kitteridge. Olive is still the person she always was, quick to say whatever is on her mind and surprising to those around her. She is older now and life has changed. Olive's husband Henry has died and she is a widow. But things change and Olive meets Jack, a retired Harvard professor and they fall in love and marry.

The novel is a collection of stories about those who live in Crosby and their relationships to Olive. There is the woman fighting cancer whose friends ignore her because they don't know what to say yet Olive steps in and visits and gives the woman space to say the forbidden things that are preying on her mind. There is the teenager who is cleaning houses to make enough money to get out of town and who develops a strange relationship with the husband of one of her employers. The reader gets to find out what is going on with the Burgess brothers, another of Strout's novels.

Throughout the novel, Olive is the blunt woman who many turn away from and who always speaks her mind. She isn't sure if her only son likes her although she knows he loves her. She can show amazing kindness but is also quick to bring her friends and acquaintances to task when she sees them straying. Those who liked the first novel, Olive Kitteridge, will enjoy returning to Olive's life and hearing more about this unique individual. This book is recommended for readers of literary fiction.

Elizabeth Strout does it again with this engaging sequel about Olive Kittridge. If you liked "Olive Kittridge", you will definitely enjoy reading "Olive, Again"!

I received a free ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I absolutely loved Olive Kitteridge, so I had high hopes for this book. For the most part, it didn't disappoint. I laughed, I teared up, I gasped at the things she said. It was a book that gave you all the feels. I think you can read this without having read the first, but why deny yourself! There were a couple downfalls. There were a lot of characters to keep track of. And if you take breaks from reading it might be hard to remember where exactly they fit. Also, I could have done without the stereotypical view of Trump and his supporters. I'm getting pretty tired of that being thrown into all the books. So, Instead of a 5, I'm rating this 4.5.

I really wanted to love this book, and I am in the minority of my friends with similar tastes. I first started this in summer 2020 and it was just... bumming me out, for lack of a better phrase. I've tried to pick it up two times since then but it's just not for me.

This is a follow up to Strout’s earlier Olive Kitteredge...once again set in the small town of Crosby, Maine and told in short stories, many of which involve Olive in some way or another, from minor character to center stage.

If you liked Olive Kitteredge at all, you’ll enjoy catching up with Olive again. She’s lovable in her peculiar way, often grumpy, very matter-of-fact, delightfully honest and real. There are many laugh out loud parts of this book and several tender, heartwarming moments too. Strout has a talent for writing beautifully about the mundane and ordinary, and to me, there’s nothing better. This is at least the second book I’ve read this year set in Maine and I’m becoming quite fond of this place I’ve never been.

I listened to the audio of this book and enjoyed hearing Olive come to life. Her quirky expressions made me smile - “Godfrey!” (My mom says this often and it always makes me chuckle.)

I always want more from short stories and this was no exception but weaving Olive through it all helps it come together.

Wow what a novel! Somehow I missed out on the debut novel by Elizabeth Stout, but ran across this one and was intrigued by the storyline. I'm so glad that I gave it a try! I really enjoyed this novel and will be promptly starting the first novel in this series. I look forward to her work in the future!