#AllThat'SBrightAndGone#NetGalley

A six year old girl from a dysfunctional family is traumatized when her mother stops her automobile in the middle of traffic and gets out of the car to wrestle with psychological demons and is hospitalized in a mental facility. The little girl, now cared for by her uncle, becomes convinced she must discover who murdered her older brother in order for her mother to get well and come home.
A poignant story of the adult world filtered through a six year old's perceptions and reasonings.
Thank you NetGalley for this advance copy for my honest review.

Review By: ILoveToRead/Librarian

I wasn’t sure if I’d like this book, seeing as it’s told from the POV of a six-year-old girl, but I was really surprised by how quickly I devored it.

The story begins with Aoife, whose mother is in the hospital after having experienced an episode while in the middle of a busy road. Aoife is no stranger to her mother being confused, but she is caught off guard while her mother begins speaking to Theo when she knows he‘s dead.

Aoife’s Uncle Donny comes to take care of her until her mother is able to leave the hospital, but Aoife is convinced the only way her mother will be allowed to come home is if she solves her brother’s murder. This seems like quite the endeavor for a six-year-old to take on. Even with her imaginary friend Teddy and her neighbor Hannah to help her along the way, she discovers that there is a lot she doesn’t know about the grown-up world and her family’s history.

I really enjoyed reading this story! For such a young girl, Aoife was a very strong and determined character. My heart ached for her, especially while experiencing all of the pain and frustration she went through. At times I felt anger for her too. I didn’t realize until much further into the book just how little she knew about her family. I think there’s a time and a place to keep secrets from children to protect them, but sometimes it’s better to be open and honest to help children grow and mature in a healthy way. Making that distinction is not always easy for a parent, so I understood why Aoife’s family kept so much from her.

Highly recommending this one!

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2920689460

This book is so touching and beautifully written from a young girl’s point of view. She embarks on a journey of discovery when her mother has a breakdown. In her quest to bring her mom back she finds out the truth about her brother and her imaginary bear friend Teddy. It is poignant, endearing and well written. A sad yet gentle tale of tragic happenings written from a child’s perspective, the story unfolds through her innocent eyes and naive world view. Highly recommend this book!
Goodreads review: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/21448068-tania

Our storyteller is a six year old child from a seriously dysfunctional family. Her mother's mental health is precarious and she becomes overwhelmed while driving to the mall. She is hospita!ized and her brother Don agrees to move in and take care of Aoife (pronounced EE-fah).. He is stunned to find the house in such disarray that Aoife must show him how to navigate the narrow pathway from the front door to the kitchen.

The reader is shown how bright Aoife is but also shows how little she knows of the real world. There were times when I became tired of her misinterpretation regarding adults. The writing is good. There is a real surprise near the end of the book that wrapped up the return of normality for Aoife.

I received an Advanced Reader's Copy from Crooked Lane Books through NetGalley. The opinions expressed are completely my own.
#AllThat'sBrightandGone #NetGalley

This story is told from the perspective of six year old Aoife. Her single mother is hospitalized, and fortunately for Aoife, pronounced EE-fa, her uncle steps in to take care of her, until her mom can come home. The story centers on Aoife having to figure out what happened to her older brother. If she could “bare the mantle” to solve this mystery, then her mother will be able to come home. It turns out, she’s a very brave 6 year old!
I had no idea what to expect from this book. I had not seen any reviews or summaries before I read it. You have to want to read the story through the eyes 👀 and words of a 6 year old girl. Needless to say, that little 6 year old girl 👧 had the courage (with the help of her faith in greater powers), to face and deal with a family crisis. Inspiring. Thank you #netgalley and @elizanellums for the digital copy in exchange for my honest review.

I would rate this book 3.5. Unfortunately, I can't do so here and thus I'm writing it.

This book is about 6-year old Aoife (pronounced Ee-fa) who is trying to fix her broken family. Her mother has had a nervous breakdown and is in the hospital because she is 'confused' and her understanding is that her older brother, Theo has been murdered with the killer at large. She is convinced that if she solves her brother's murder her mother will come back soon. As soon as the 4th of July because her mother has promised her to take her to see the fireworks.
Aoife is on a mission and along with her best friend Hannah and imaginary friend Teddy she decides to take matters in her own hands so that her mother can come back home.
This is a sweet book where you feel Aoife's confusion and pain. She just wants her mother back and knows that her mother does get 'confused' at times but is willing to help her however she can.

The book drags a little at times but overall is a nice, sweet read.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for a digital ARC of the book in exchange for an honest review.

A gorgeous, heart-wrenching thriller, written from Aoife's (pronounced Ee-fah) perspective. Aoife is a six year old girl, who doesn't quite understand the way the world works.

The way the story unfolds, introducing characters and key themes that play a role in solving Aoife's mystery- in order to get her mum out of hospital is gripping, and is worth every page of reading.

Rating: 4/5

(This review will feature on my blog on November 26!)

A sweet book told from a 6 year old's perspective, with just the right amount of mystery. It was interesting enough to keep my attention but I'm not sure I'd necessarily recommend it.

Review posted on Goodreads
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2907840735


6 year old Aoifa knows her brother Theo is dead. She also knows that no one else can see her best friend Teddy. What she doesn't know, is why her mother stopped the car in the middle of an intersection and got out, or when her mother is coming home.

Raised by a religiously devout mother, Aoifa is extremely sheltered, and the grief her mother went though in losing her first born child lends itself to the confusion surround his death.

A murder mystery told by a child, "All that is Bright and Gone" is an engaging and well written story that unfolds in ways you don't expect.

I was given an advanced readers copy of this by @netgalley for an honest review.
And unfortunately, my honest review is that this book was lacking a good bit. Told from the perspective of a six year old with a WHOLE lot going on in her family. I do understand the unreliable narrative, especially with her being so young, but I still felt like I wasn't given enough information. I still have so many questions! So like, was it a supernatural story? Did everything really happen? Was her Mom schizophrenic? Was she? Plus, having a five year old daughter myself, there were some things that Aoife knew/could do/was allowed to do that seemed to not be in sync with her age. 🤷 A lot of questions, a few answers. It kept my interest, and I did want to find out the big mystery. However, as a whole, I wouldn't recommend it. #AllThatsBrightAndGone #NetGalley #ARCReading #CurlyBookReviews #2019Reads

Aoife [ee-fa] and her mother Siobhan [sha-van] live a particularly bohemian life. Just the two of them. Oh, and Teddy, Aoife's make-believe bear, and Theo, Aoife's brother who inhabits the house as a ghost, because he was murdered.

This lifestyle comes to a screeching halt one day when Siobhan suddenly brakes the car and begins screaming. And screaming. Siobhan is taken to the hospital, and Aoife's uncle Danny comes to take her home.

The story of how Aoife comes to the truth about Theo is a richly rewarding read.

I read this EARC courtesy of Net Galley and Crooked Lane Books pub date 12/10/19

loved this book. Highly recommend. Great character development. Interesting story. Didn't want it to end.

This book was different. It made me sad to see Aoife have to go through everything she went through, but at the same time, it was interesting to see things through her eyes. I can’t imagine a 6 year old having to deal with the things she went through, but I think that’s what kept me so intrigued. Overall, this was a good read!

I received an ARC of this novel from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Family story told from the viewpoint of a 6 year old child whose mother suffers from a mental illness. Very sweet novel that shows empathy for the parent who truly loves her daughter and is doing the best that she can.

I love this book and all of its loving, flawed characters.

Nellums pens an intriguing mystery as seen through the innocent and curious eyes of 6 year old Aoifa and her “imaginary?” Friend Teddy.
Caught in a world of adult assumptions and forgotten memories, Aoifa unravels the tale piece by spellbinding piece.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC of All That's Bright and Gone by Eliza Nellums. This is a sad story about a six year old girl named Aoife. After Aoife's mom is put in the hospital for being "confused" about Aoife's brother Theo, Aoife decides to find out what happened to her brother.

CHARGE (What is the author trying to say?): To explore whether secrets are better left alone or exposed.

FACTS: A brother disappears from his sister’s life. She assumes he is dead but is that so? How does a family adapt to their new reality? Ripples of this disappearance flow outward into all aspects of the family’s life. Can revelation of secrets bring healing, or should some things be left unknown? Family dynamics, abuse, and mental health all play a part in this rather improbable story.

VERDICT (Was the author successful?): Guilty, as charged.

Writing: 4/5 Plot: 4/5 Characters: 4.5/5

A strange and captivating book that gets better and better with each page. Six-year old Aoife (pronounced EE-fah) misses her mama who is “confused” and has been taken someplace to help her feel better. With the help of her imaginary friend — a large bear named Teddy — and her slightly older and more confident neighbor Hannah, Aoife sets off to solve the mystery of her brother’s murder with the childish logic that this will allow her mother to come home again.

Aoife is the most compelling of narrators — her mind is young and she has been kept uninformed about the big issues facing the family (as is typical of six-year olds). She tells her story piece by piece, describing events and her interpretation of them in an utterly convincing manner — her mother’s “confusion,” visits from cee pee ess (child protective services), and the explanations her Uncle Donnie, Father Paul, and her mother’s “special friend” Mac give in answer to her questions.

A beautifully imagined book about a child growing up and making sense of her (in no way average) world. A surprising and well-structured plot, good writing, and well-drawn characters as depicted from Aoife’s perspective. Understated themes of mental illness and what it means to be crazy.

Highly recommended.

This book focuses on a six-year-old little girl and the troubled family she has. Six -year-ole Aeife does not understand why her mom is in the hospital after she stopped her car in the road and started talking and carrying on with the other drivers. Since her mom has mental issues she needs to remain in the hospital Aeifer uncle' takes care of her since he does not want her to become a foster child. Once her uncle comes to her home he is shocked at the state of the house. Aeife has a friend who is a bear named Teddy , the trouble is no one else can see him and her mom has warned her never to tell other people about him. Aeife also has a brother but she believes he is dead and says that her mom gets confused and talks like he is alive. Things become worse when Aeife believes that her mom has been in the hospital longer than Aeife wants her too and decides that the only way her mom will be able to come home is if she finds out who killed her brother. One night Teddy convinces Aeife that with his help they can find out who killed her brother. Thus, begins Aeife's search for her brother.

I enjoyed this book and a Aeife and her adventures the only reason I gave it 4 starts is because the middle of the book is a little boring an I almost gave up reading but just that time it started to pick right up. The ending is a surprise and it really makes the book. I would recommend this book to others.

Thank you Net galley for allowing me read this book.

I was kindly sent this book by netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Overall I enjoyed this one it was a nice easy read and would be a 3 stars from me. I haven’t read any books by this author previously but I would in the future.