I received an ARC of this wonderful book, courtesy of Penguin Random House Canada. I'm so glad that I read it; now I can highly recommend it to all my friends. The Authenticity Project is the title of a green notebook that travels from London, UK to a small village in Thailand and back, via the people who have written their very personal stories in it. By sharing their truths and reading those of others, the characters learn how to accept and live comfortably with their own authentic selves. I loved the way the notebook connected these strangers by chance and served as the glue that ultimately bound them together as close friends. .

P.S.. I think that one of the movie studios should option it!

The Authenticity Project is one of those books that will stay with me a long time, for many reasons. If you've read the blurb, you know that an elderly man, Julian, leaves behind a notebook in a cafe. In it, he's written his story, and he challenges the next person to write their truth. Monica, the cafe owner, finds the notebook, and adds her story. In total, six people put their stories in writing in this notebook.

So first, I love the structure of the novel: It's told through the eyes of six different characters and as each person adds another little bit, the story begins to build. It's not told in a strictly linear fashion. Characters come in and out of each others' stories, and some questions that are raised in one person's story are answered later in another person's story. Not every person is given the same amount of time to "speak," and in fact one character who comes in a bit later adds only a few paragraphs to the notebook. Writing in this style cannot have been an easy feat to pull off; done well, as it is here, it's fascinating. As a bonus, each chapter is short so this is a very easy read.

Secondly, the characters: I found myself reading more and more slowly as I neared the end, just because I didn't want to finish this book. Not to sound terribly needy or anything, but I think the characters are all people I have elements in common with, and I wanted to continue hanging out with them just a little longer. Julian, the elderly man, starts things in action. Monica, the cafe owner, is the touchstone of the book. Alice is a new mom and influencer whose life is nothing like she presents it to be on Instagram. These characters, plus three more who write in the notebook, all have quirks and foibles that resonated with me on some level.

Third and very importantly, the writing is stellar. The more I read, the more invested I became in the story. I started rooting for characters, and being disappointed when they let me down. I hoped the romantic pairing that I wanted to happen, would happen. Some of the stories unfolded the way I wanted but there were definitely surprises, including some I didn't like. Some of the ways in which the notebook made its way into the hands of the next recipient stretched the boundaries of belief ... except that I totally bought into it because the author persuaded me with her writing that it could have happened this way.

I'm thrilled to have discovered author Clare Pooley, and I hope we'll be hearing a lot more from her in the future.

----------

NOTE: I've included links below to reviews on Goodreads, to my blog and to Instagram. On Instagram, my review is in the Books section of my Stories. I can't post a review on Amazon.com until the book is released but I'll do that as soon as I'm able to.

I wasn’t sure if I was going to like this book, however within the first chapter I was hooked.
I liked the idea of the notebook being secretly passed around for others to find and how the characters felt comfortable telling their stories- hopes, fears and dreams.

It’s a heartwarming story of how small and connected the world truly is and how people from all walks of life are interconnected.

I got lucky, by being one of the first 50 or something NetGalley members to respond on an email invite for this title. I thought it looked like fun, light reading, which it was, but it surpassed my expectations. Okay, it's a "feel good" novel of the kind of "pay it forward" and "everything/everyone is connected" trope, if there is such a thing, but I thought it reached further than the basic trope. It starts with Monica, the owner of a coffee shop, finding a notebook entitled "The Authenticity Project." In it, she reads the story of an elderly man who admits to being lonely. He launches the notebook to see if it can help him meet people. Monica reads his story, adds her own, the notebook is picked up by someone else and so it goes on. It all sounds just a bit hokey, but it's not. The characters are really well developed, likeable, and human. No one is quite what he or she seems on the surface. I really enjoyed the way the author showed us how our impressions of other people can be so misleading, especially in one case, the story of an Instagram Influencer whose life is a lot different than what she shows her thousands of followers. By the end of the book I felt like I knew all the characters and would like to visit Monica's cafe and meet them. Highly recommended.

I have to admit that before I started this book, I was very skeptical of the idea that a simple notebook would carry the entire story - but this is exactly what happens and it's thoughtfully done in a very sweet way.

As the book gets passed around, readers get introduced to some incredible characters - each with their own secrets, stories, and challenges. This gives readers a really interesting perspective on the story as we see everything through several different eyes.

My only complaint is the story lags slightly in the middle - but the very beautiful (and absolutely perfect) ending more than makes up for it!

I really want to be thank the publisher and Netgalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review. This was a really lovely read!

I was really excited to read this book the plot seemed to be very unique.

The plot of the book, a notebook left in random places filled with peoples stories, the authentic story, what they really see their life as and what they want it to be. The notebook created a unique group of friends and brought life back into some, and all was going well till secrets were revealed (this secret is what ruined the book for me, I was really enjoying the book and would have given it four stars before it was revealed) still a great book overall.

I received this book to review from NetGalley. This is a story of a notebook, that is passed between 6 people and brings and binds them all together. It’s a story of finding oneself, of love, of friendship and compassion. I laughed and cried while reading this book. It will change how you look at strangers. And you will find that it is with a little more understanding and care. I loved the story and the characters! I highly recommend reading this novel. This is one of those books you will want to read again!

I know, I know, I don't give out very many 4 stars, but I really liked this book on many levels. I was given a free e-copy by NetGalley and was interested because it was a first novel for this author. I found the book charming, witty and well-written especially for a first novel. The story line was engaging- "The Authenticity Project" was hand-lettered on a green notebook left behind in a London cafe by an old man. Monica the cafe owner saw the back of the man as he left and intended to return it to him. First she read what he had written in the book and thus began a story with twists and turns, fun, romance, and people coming face to face with the truth in their lives. We met Julian, Monica, Hazard, Riley, Alice, and many side characters. The author developed the characters so well, that I even began to predict how they would react to the various situations in which they found themselves. Since the story has a modern setting, there is the usual use of electronic devices; in fact one of the characters is an "influencer" on Instagram. But there are many aspects of the story that take us back to a simpler time of handwriting in journals and learning how to draw. Personally I loved this emphasis. I like to write in a daytimer, and I have reverted mostly to reading books printed on paper. In fact, while reading "The Authenticity Project" I found myself wanting to reread the various journal entries, something that is more difficult to do while reading on a tablet!
All in all, an entertaining book, that reminded me of "A Man Called Ove". Well done, Clare Pooley!

How much time do you spend thinking about who you are and your place in this crazy world? When Monica finds a notebook in her quaint neighbourhood cafe she believes that someone has obviously left it behind. With good intent she opens the notebook hoping to discover a clue to the owner. What she does not expect is a confession from an artist now recluse sharing his feelings of loneliness, and a suggestion that the finder of this book share their own secrets and struggles.

What follows is a series of events that alter the lives of a unique cast of characters who are each struggling in some way with some aspect of their life.

To avoid spoilers, I will not include a description of the characters that Pooley has created. Instead, and I think this is more the point of the novel, is that I will focus on the message The Authenticity Project spoke about and how it made me feel.

As an adult it is SO HARD to make friends. You believe that certain people will not know how to handle your friendship, life is too chaotic as it is, and really how could someone who looks like that/acts like that/talks like that/or any other combination know what it is like to be me.

It is so difficult to be vulnerable around other people because to share weakness to some is to admit being weak. The reality is that to share weakness is to be authentic. The other important thing to remember is even when we believe we are being authentic, we can be the most inauthentic and unreliable person to our own self.

I received an advanced copy of this book by the publisher and author in return for a fair review.

The Authenticity Project is an interesting story of a group of people who come together from reading a green notebook called The Authenticity Project. Friendships are formed and each individual helps those around them become their authentic self. A delightful story. #netgalley

“How well do you know the people who live near you? How well do they know you? Do you even know the names of your neighbors? Would you realize if they were in trouble, or hadn’t left their house for days?”

These are the first lines written in a plain, pale-green exercise book that is left behind in a café, lines that remind us of how isolating urban life can be. This deliberate act of leaving a notebook behind brings together six key characters. Characters that are lonely, or lost, or suffering from some sort of addiction, or putting up a front for the sake of appearances. All are in some way lying, to themselves, to others or both. Now all that may sound depressing but the story is not. It is an uplifting, often humorous tale that in the end provides hope and serves as a reminder of how we all need to connect face to face, not by texting or posting photos on Instagram. And it is also a reminder of what family is about and that family can take many unique forms. We are shown that to know ourselves isn’t just an inward journey but also a journey that involves reaching out and connecting with others, even those who we may initially not like or find frustrating.

I enjoyed this book and was immediately invested in the characters. Did I like them all? No, but I learned to understand them and appreciate them because of their weaknesses, not despite them.
A very worthwhile read.

Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for giving me the opportunity to read this book.

This story was both heartwarming and witty. The characters were not likeable but by the final chapter they felt like friends. I was spellbound from the first as I read this fast-paced tale of friendship and discovery. In some ways, it reminded me of My Grandmother Asked Me To Tell You She's Sorry - with eccentricity and extremely different personalities, but it was also a work entirely of it's own making - unique, touching, and emotionally-engaging. I found it funny and frustrating, and even a little heartbreaking when I cried at the end.

I requested to review this book because I was in the mood for something lighter that handled some interesting topics with a bit of depth. The Authenticity Project fit the bill with its compelling plot about a notebook that makes its way into the lives of six people who share their private feelings within its cover.

This is a light read but it's predictable - so predictable that I almost put this book down at the halfway point because I figured I could pinpoint exactly how things would go down (and I found it a little dull at this point). I decided to finish the book hoping for a change of heart, but my initial predictions were correct and things ended as I had expected. Kind of satisfying, but kind of not.

This a light read featuring the POVs of several characters which are woven together well. I liked how the book progressed to each person and their personal stories while creating a sense of community among them. But even though the book is lighter fare, it needed more depth - more tension, unique story twists instead of relying heavily on popular romantic tropes and more depth to its characters. (Note: I'm still confused as to why Pooley made Monica the spitting image of the well-known TV character from Friends of the same name)

Overall, this was a sweet, light read that had great potential but was a little too predictable for my tastes. Readers who enjoy light reads with a small town feel and a story with a nicely wrapped up ending will enjoy this book.

Great story with interesting concept - a notebook is left in a coffee shop and anyone who finds it is invited to share their "authentic" thoughts about their thoughts and dreams. I enjoyed the characters' stories, with a surprising twist at the end.

thanks to Netgalley and publisher, got this book for review. I do enjoy the book, the premise is clever and the characters are likable. the plot revolves around a small notebook, people write in this notebook and this in turn brings people together. overall, solid book

I’m struggling a little about how to review this book. Ultimately I enjoyed it! It was uplifting and easy to read. I truly enjoyed getting to know the characters and I especially enjoyed getting to know new characters as the book went on.

I found the book dragged though, a few times I felt like I should be already done and didn’t know why I still had so much of it left to read. I found the entries in The Authenticity Project notebook to be not as well written as the book itself (which also could have used some work in places). I also found some of the decision making and miscommunication at points to be juvenile and annoying.

Overall, I would recommend this book if a light hearted feel good fiction is your thing, it just didn’t hit the mark for me.

The Authenticity Project, was conceived by Julien, a lonely septuagenarian. He lamented that nobody really ever tells the truth, to their friends or their neighbours, about how they are really feeling. So, in an attempt to get people to actually tell the truth, Julien writes his "story", in a green notebook, with the title "Authenticity Project"on the cover, and, decides to leave the notebook in the local independent cafe, where the owner, Monica, picks it up. Monica reads Julien's "truth", and decides she wants to help Julien. The next thing you know, she is writing her own story in the authenticity project, and she leaves the notebook in the bar across the street from her cafe. And the project continues from there, the book changing hands many times.

I really enjoyed reading this book for so many different reasons. For the most part, the authenticity project shows us that you could never really tell how a person is truly feeling just through "appearances". We all have become experts at hiding the truth. Furthermore, when you tell your true story, its possible, that your friend, co-worker, or neighbour, may know just what you are missing to help you actually get out of your rut, or achieve something you have been dreaming of. I also really enjoyed author Claire Pooley's writing style. The book was a pleasure to read, with lots of little sentimental/inspiring words.

"Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, today is a gift."

"Mother is a verb, not a noun. I think it means there are many ways to mother, without actually being one. Look at you and your cafe, you nurture loads of people everyday."

Finally, I would just like to add that readers should know that Claire Pooley, in her own life, had to face her own demons, when she found herself drinking excessively, so she is more then familiar with getting into a rut and digging yourself out.

I really enjoyed The Authenticity Project by Claire Pooley, and highly recommend it! 5 stars! Thank you #netgalley for the early e-ARC in return for my honest review.

"How well do you know your neighbors? How well do they know you? Everyone lies, but what if you told the truth instead". This is the question that the Authenticity Project asks. It's a green notebook that gets passed around and each character writes their story. It keeps you reading because you want to find out who will find it next and how will that change the story. It's a very engaging storyline told through multiple characters lives that all intersect. It also deals with some very current topics.
#theauthenticityproject #netgalley #indigoemployee

The Authenticity Project is a charming story that brings together a group of lonely people from very different walks of life. In each other they find a kind of family and all the love, jealousy and frustrations that go along with it. This is a lovely book that will lift your spirits while you wait for spring.

The Authenticity Project was such a delight to read! Six unlikely friends are eventually brought together due to a little green book, as they all try to tell their truths and be more authentic in an ever-growing world of the inauthentic, staged and deceptive.

The book started with just a few key players, and I knew more characters would get added as the book went on. I didn’t want this at first; I loved the first few characters and didn’t want their stories to fade out, but of course I grew to love each new character that was introduced, and was eager to hear their story and discover what they would add to the Authenticity Project. It culminated so beautifully! This book made me laugh out loud with its bang on observations of social media and the characters personality quirks and quips, and it also tugged at my heart strings. I loved this book and I highly encourage all to read it!