Agatha Arch is well not just afraid of everything but is also overtly critical of every single person alive. This book started out really funny and her actions following her husband's cheating and her inner monologue was well quite quirky and funny but then once we get to know the real Agatha she was nothing but mean and annoying. Fear is a personal thing and everyone deals with it in a different way and that should be respected but i don't think that gives a pass for mean behaviour. Calling everyone names from the therapist to the homeless women did leave a bad taste. Initially my heart went out to her when none of her friends or family were there for her when her family fell apart but as the story went on, my feelings also diminished. ALso the stalking and stuff was not justified in anyway in the book. I mean i didnt get the purpose of it . Her love for her boys and the last few pages where she pulls herself up was the only redeeming quality of the book. I was so excited for this but it definitely didnt work for me the way i hoped it to.

Agatha Arch was a very interesting character to say in the least. At the beginning I felt bad for her and was hoping she would redeem herself after everything she had been through. Agatha is the light and comedy in this story and you really will laugh out loud. I loved her character development and the scenarios the author put her through. The given elements really brought this character and story to life!

My first DNF of 2021.

Agatha Arch Is Afraid of Everything has the odd line that is funny and parts of the story arch are interesting, but the rest is so unrelatable and odd, that it I couldn't carry on.

This is a review of the audiobook of this novel.

Agatha Arch is afraid of a lot of things, there are too many to list. 

The book  starts with Agatha catching her husband having sex with the  dog walker in their shed. . She chases the dog walker away and finds a hatchet and goes to work destroying the shed while she cries and screams expletives. The neighbors are left aghast at the destruction of the shed and the mess that she continues to leave her yard in.

Agatha then spends a good time spying  on her husband and Willow, the dog walker which at first is humorous but then becomes tedious.

As in true life there is an online mom’s group which she chats with constantly and feels judged by how she deals with the situation.  It is irritatingly true the way they poke into her business.

I received this audiobook from the publisher through NetGalley.

I was given a free copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.  Agatha caught her husband and their dog walker in a sensitive position in their back shed.  Agatha kicks the husband out and has to relearn life without him.  She faces her fears and makes a lot of quirky friends along the way.  A fun part of this book are the message boards and text messages that are used to reveal the story.  MULTIPLE laugh out load parts of this book.  Highly recommend.

Oof. This reminded me of a slightly better version of Holly Banks Full of Angst, which I also hated. While I guess it's not 100% out of the question that this is how an anxious woman would act if she caught her husband cheating and her entire life was turned upside down, I just don't buy it. All of it was just...ugh, and really missed the mark.

Anyway, thanks to NetGalley for the complimentary audio version of this novel in exchange for this very honest review. I appreciate the opportunity!

I enjoyed this audio book, it was a lot of fun and I laughed out loud quite often! However, I found it a bit long, and in places I did just want to move it along. I think, however, that anyone wanting some fun and escape in an audio book would really enjoy this.

** 2.5- 3 Stars **

Agatha Arch finds her husband in the backyard shed getting it on with the local dog walker. She is a very quirky writer who for the most parts keeps to herself. But she's also super anxious and annoyingly afraid of everything. With the help of her therapist, Agatha tries to overcome her fears and come out of her shell. She begins spying on her husband. This is definitely not a heavy read in the least bit. Agatha is quirky with plenty of comedic relief throughout. 

I saw a lot of similarities of Agatha to "Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine" but Agatha is more anxious and upbeat of a read than that. Some of the repetitive sentences throughout the read annoyed me in the audio version but I think I wouldn't have minded that while reading. The narrator had good cadence and tone, I did enjoy her reading. 

Overall, what seems like a very harsh deep read, is actually comedic and lighthearted. Nice change of pace from what I usually read, but also couldn't relate to the characters and never got "hooked" into this. 

Special Thanks to NetGalley and Alcove Press for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

**I received an advanced listener's copy of this audiobook from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.**

Yeah, I cant. DNF @ 26%

Agatha is unhinged. The start of her story is kind of interesting in that she pummels her shed with a hatchet as a reaction to finding her husband railing the local dog walker in it. Unfortunately, she's the definition of "psycho ex" and it's so jarring listening to her rambling, ranting thoughts. She also decided she's going to write a thriller book even though she's horrified of just about everything and she stalks the local Facebook mom group. If you're into some wacko, domestic, spiteful (but light?) chick-lit, this might be for you.

Agatha Arch's perfect suburban life shatters to pieces when she finds her husband screwing the neighborhood dog walker in their shed. Agatha Arch is afraid of everything, but her husband has always been there to calm her fears, but now that he has moved in with that dog walker Agatha is left to face her fears alone. She passes the days that her boys are with their dad by procrastinating her new novel and giving reality checks to the drama queens in her local Mom's Group on FB. But will she be able to stop being afraid and start living her life?

I am just going to say it.  Agatha Arch is a bit of a bitch. I listened to this book and found myself losing patience with the nastiness that she unleashed on her Mom's FB Group. In the online groups, I belong to, Agatha Arch would be considered a "troll."  I get it, deep down she uses her nastiness to cover up for her fears. But as she found out, everybody has fears. She is not alone in her anxieties and a little kindness can go a long way. Agatha Arch goes through transformative growth, for sure, but it wasn't early enough to make me like her more. That is how much I disliked her nastiness. - CLICK HERE FOR SPOILERS. 

Bottom Line - There are a lot of reviews and readers out there who found Agatha Arch is Afraid of Everything to be really funny. I was not one of those who found it funny. I finished the book because I was curious about her redemption, but it did not redeem my opinion of her.  What did you think?

Details: 
Agatha Arch is Afraid of Everything by Kristin Bair
On Instagram
Pages: 366
Publisher: Alcove Press
Publication Date: 11/10/2020
Buy it Here!
Thank you to NetGalley for the audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

Suburban New England Moms. A world of their own. From the Facebook Moms Group to the local gossip. Agatha Arch's life is thrown for a loop when she discovers her husband messing around with the local dog walker in their backyard shed. Agatha immediately loses it and hacks the shed apart with a hatchet. Agatha's life is suddenly changed and she finds herself needing to face her fears and she has A LOT of fears. For example, she is afraid of beans (beans!) after watching Silence of the Lambs. Agatha pretty much rubs the entire town the wrong way. She tries to work through her issues with her therapist, who she refers to as Shrinky Dink. She is continually causing drama on the local Moms Facebook Group. AND during all of this she is supposed to be writing a new novel.

This was a fun read and although Agatha is extremely anxious AND expresses it in a completely different way than I ever would, you can't help but root for her. I cringed at her behavior and choices a lot of the time, but through the course of the book, she learns to "come into her own". The Facebook Moms stuff was relatable. Those groups have plenty of drama! This is a good pick for fans of Where'd You Go, Bernadette and Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine.


The audiobook was engaging and fun to listen to!   Thank you to the publisher for the audiobook!

I started listening to Agatha Arch is Afraid of everything and was only able to make it about 20% of the way in. The story itself has amazing potential and I believe if I were to physically read the book over listening I would enjoy it. I just could not handle the poor narration. It wasn't for me. I have checked the book out from the local library in order to give the book and author a fair chance because honestly I truly believe I am going to like the book.

Agatha Arch really IS afraid of everything! From Fava beans (don't ask) to lightning storms, it would be almost be easier for Agatha to list the things that she wasn't afraid of instead of the things that she is. When she catches her husband of eleven years in a delicate position with the dog walker in their shed Agatha takes a hatchet in hand and goes to work. What follows is the story of Agatha facing the fears that she has one fear at a time while gaining necessary perspective.

It's hard not to love unexpected heroine Agatha Arch, even though she's prickly even at the best of times! As she navigates her fears and heartbreak and disappointment and yes, even her hope for the future, her human side comes out and makes her all the more endearing. I rooted for her to overcome her obstacles from the very beginning despite the fact that she isn't what we would consider to be a traditionally likeable character.

The unexpected secondary character here was in fact not Agatha's cheating husband but the Facebook mom's group that Agatha just couldn't stay away from for very long. I could relate to many of Agatha's grievances but could also see myself in some of the mom's posts. That aspect of the story alone made it worth the listen!

I listened to the audiobook version of this story and I really liked it in that format. The reader's voice seemed to suit the story and it flowed well. I was easily able to pick up where I left off when I had to turn it off and come back to it later. I've had it before where I start an audiobook, find something about it annoying, and end up not finishing it but this wasn't the case here. Both the reader and the story being told were compelling.

I thoroughly enjoyed this story about an untraditional heroine and how she overcomes what is a common and very real fear of many people! Agatha is a flawed character with lots to love about her and I found the writing to be enjoyable and the conclusion satisfying. I can recommend this in either format- either listening to it or choosing to read a paper copy.

I really wanted to love this book.  The alliteration is catchy and the cover is similar to Where'd You Go Bernadette which is a novel I really enjoyed.  I read a review that also compared this to Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine which I loved, so I had high hopes.

The novel starts off with Agatha finding her husband having an affair with "their dog walker" in their shed.  Agatha takes an axe and destroys the shed and by the way, they don't have a dog.  This beginning showed me that there were going to be quirky characters.  I love quirky characters. Agatha's sessions with her psychiatrist that she calls shrinky-dink told me that there were some issues and a bit of humour.  I love books that make me laugh.  The book then goes on to describe various ways Agatha starts spying on her husband and the dog walker.  This had potential.

Unfortunately, it wasn't long into the book that the story no longer held my interest.  The humour started to feel forced.  I get that the title is that Agatha is afraid of everything, but after a while it became too unrealistic for me.  

I also thought that maybe the audio would be helpful and make it come to life more.  Soneela Nankani is the narrator and she was fine.  It was the story for me that made it difficult to keep going back to this one.

Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for the audio of this book.

Bookworm Rating: 🐛🐛🌱

Laugh-out-loud funny; recommended of fans of Maria Semple’s Where’d You Go Bernadette. Agatha Arch is a woman in crisis after discovering her husbands infidelity in the backyard shed with the beautiful neighborhood dog- walker. While Agatha’s behavior is often cringe worthy, the reader can’t help but route for her. Sharp, witty dialog.

Agatha Arch is incredibly quirky. Agatha Arch is a woman in crisis after discovering her husbands infidelity in the backyard shed with the beautiful neighborhood dog- walker. While Agatha’s behavior is often cringe worthy, the reader can’t help but root for her. Definitely offbeat, but interesting. Agatha would not, in real life, be an easy person to like or even have any dealings with. I'm thankful that this was just a book!

i am totally obsessed with audiobooks these days. It helps because I can always have it on in the background while I'm doing chores or making dinner.  Covid pushed me right into it :)

Book Review

Agatha is the neighbour that makes you laugh at the same time as cringe. She catchers her husband having an affair and then seems to go slightly batty.  Her nerosis keeps her anxious as she's simply afraid of everything but somehow I still seemed to root for her.  I think partly it is pity and partly I think we all have a sneaky Agatha inside of us all.  

I have to giggle even writing this review because Agatha could be my husband's Nana,  Between the ramblings of her thoughts to the words that actually come out, somehow she found a place for herself in my heart.  But my gosh shes a nutter.  

Worth the fun read...even better as an audiobook though.  It'll keep you entertained the whole time.

Hello,

I am sorry for any inconvenience, but I did not get a chance to listen to Agatha Arch is Afraid of Everything before it was archived.  I didn't know audiobooks had archive dates.  Thank you for the opportunity to listen to this one.

I really enjoyed this novel and frankly was a little shocked at how much I identified with Agatha. I mean, every thirty-something mom these days is part of a mom group on some platform, and man, Kristin Bair O'Keeffe really captured the jungle that is those groups.

But more than anything, even though Agatha's specific fears and anxieties seem silly and small, they are so representative of the things that hold us back and make us second guess everything we do, and if we're doing the right thing for our kids, and if we're doing the right thing for ourselves.

There were some things, stylistically, that I found a little irritating, for example a lot of repetition when it comes to the recreation of the Facebook Mom's group, but generally speaking this book is really readable and quirky.

It was so refreshing to read a story about a character in which I could see myself, and also that didn't end in a perfect little bow with everyone in love and happy. Because life is messy, and it's OK if we're a little messy too.

Agatha Arch is Afraid of Everything, by @kbairokeeffe  is a contemporary story of a woman, #AgathaArch, who claims to be afraid of (almost) everything, including beans (yes beeeeeans as in green beans, kidney beans, fava beans any kind of beans lol)! This audiobook had me laughing sooo much and was just the uplifting ridiculously hilarious romp that i needed to round out this hideous year! Agatha finds her husband "screwing the dogwalker" in their shed and grabs a hatchet and destroys the shed whilst chasing the duo with said handaxe. As Agatha learns to cope with her separation and fears, she learns that she's not just capable but is a fearsome warrior. I really really enjoyed listening to this and highly recommend the audio! Narrated by #SoneelaNankani and omg what a great job she did!
Many thanks to @netgalley, the publisher, and the author for this advanced read. It was a fantastic fun listening experience & a wonderful story, 5 stars from here! Posted this also on Twitter (the dutchess) and Instagram (phillybookfairy) and go goodreads!