I’ll start this review with a warning – this book deals with some pretty harsh incidents of bullying and self-harm, so if this is something that you have experienced, it may be best to approach this book with caution.

That being said, The Lonely Life of Biddy Weir is a beautiful book which shows the harsh reality of being ‘a bit different’, but also gives Biddy a chance to speak up and pay back years of anguish – and that part of the book is absolutely delicious!

It is a tough read, as Biddy goes through some horrible stuff, and it’s just not fair – you can see she is a little girl whose circumstances are not her fault, but because she refuses to be awed by the most popular girl in school, she has to suffer for it. It’s a hard life for her as a child of an older, single parent, and yet she finds many things of beauty in the everyday, even if that’s splatters of bird poo. But, of course, for this difference she must be punished, and it goes way beyond what you would expect by saying ‘kids can be cruel’. What Biddy suffers is years of abuse and shame, which she comes to think is thoroughly deserved.

After one such episode, Biddy makes a tragic decision that affects the rest of her life, but in her later years she steps out of everything she has known and starts to make a friend, who is able to help her look at her past and take away the shame she has always felt about it.

It really is a lovely book if you’re looking for a story of an oppressed girl finding her feet and acheiving things she thought she didn’t deserve, thanks to her experiences as a child, but it is really tough to read those sections that deal with the bullying.

Very much recommended.

A story on how bullying can affect some one but overcome it. A range. Of. Emotionals are expressed in this book.

Firstly, I just have to say that this book has a simply stunning cover. It reminds me of the forest that grew around Sleeping Beauty, shielding her from the outside world...which links very nicely to my feelings towards Biddy Weir. I would have liked to have created a shield of thorns to protect her from spiteful girls with such hurtful words, but unfortunately the world is cruel and apparently what doesn't kill us makes us stronger.

Biddy isn't like the other children at school, she's very comfortable with her own solitude and is happy to spend her time painting birds and examining their poo. She lives with her father and without a female influence she has to find her own way in the world. This is something that the other children exploit and Biddy finds herself the cruel butt of jokes at the hands of the ringleader, Alison Flemming. Alison is a spiteful girl who will do anything to be the most popular and pretty girl in the school. She doesn't realise that when you peel away her outer layer, underneath it all she is an ugly, bitter girl.

All the cruel taunts and name calling have a heartbreaking effect on Biddy and many years later she finds herself living as a recluse. She has been told so often that she is weirdo that she believes it and acts like one. Of course, there's absolutely nothing wrong with being weird, it's part of the beauty of the human race. Who is to say what is weird and what is not? Then one day Biddy is introduced to Terri, who is a little bit weird herself, and Biddy can finally talk about what happened to her as a child. As she talks, she begins to heal and I hope perhaps finally realises just how special she is.

This was an emotional rollercoaster of a read. I was furious with Alison Flemming and her team of mean girls, albeit fictional characters but we all know they exist. Through their cruel jibes they have scarred Biddy for life and no matter how many times you tell yourself that 'sticks and stones may break your bones', unfortunately words do ultimately hurt you. I wanted to tell young Biddy what my Nanna told me: 'You'll see your day, pet.' but you'll just have to read this fantastic book to find out whether Biddy sees her day.

You will go through a rainbow of emotions on this journey with Biddy Weir: anger, sadness, heartbreak and happiness as the beautiful Biddy-shaped butterfly emerges from her weird chrysalis. An uplifting, brave and stunning debut from Lesley Allen worthy of every single one of the 5 stars I have awarded.

I chose to read an ARC and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

This book probably deserves a full review but sometimes you just don’t find all the words, sometimes the story doesn’t find your emotions just as much as you had hoped.

I liked the book. Biddy is a character that resonates with all of us who have suffered from bullying. I was the weirdo, too. While Biddy found solace in her very own way, I was cast aside because I liked books better than talking about boys or God knows what they were talking about. I was never invited anywhere. I wore different clothes, even if my mom was doing her best for me to have all the trendy stuff. I lacked confidence and I held my head low. Just like Biddy. I took comfort in something that has been a part of me ever since: books for me, I’ll let you discover her thing.

It was sometimes painful to go back to those days as the writing perfectly captured the feeling of ostracism and the nastiness kids are capable of. Boy did they were mean. What saddens me is that they are even meaner now.

The reason it took me so long to come up with something to say is that Biddy’s situation is taken to the extreme. I am not talking about the bullying, there is no limits to what children can do to one another. My problem laid with her family situation, living with her father, not learning about anything from life because they were somehow stuck in their own claustrophobic bubble. I had a hard time relating to her because of this. You don’t have to go that far to be the weird one. Sometimes the littlest detail sets you apart from the others and it is all it takes to make you the weirdo. So I felt having Biddy stuck in such an extreme situation, as an “explanation” for not fitting in, was somehow belittling other experiences.

You cannot really enjoy this kind of books, you go through them wondering why you, why her, why them. You feel all the emotions and you hope for the best.

The ending was good enough, the circle was full and hope won in the end. I think it is important to remind people being weirdos is okay is that is what you think you are, that we shouldn’t spite on differences, that we shouldn’t let others decide what and who we are and maybe we’ll see that happens someday.

I haven’t actually written a review of The Lonely Life of Biddy Weir yet as it’s one of my December reads, but I loved this book. Following the life of a girl who’s been convinced throughout her whole life that she is a “Bloody Weirdo” and so believes she can’t possibly be anything else, it’s heartwrenching and really appeals to anyone who’s, as the tagline states, “a little bit weird”. Full review to follow, but I promise you’ll come away from this book still thinking about it for days.

Following the life of a girl who’s been convinced throughout her whole life that she is a “Bloody Weirdo” and so believes she can’t possibly be anything else, it’s heartwrenching and really appeals to anyone who’s, as the tagline states, “a little bit weird”. The story starts from even before Biddy is born, detailing her unusual entrance into the world, how she realised her status as a “weirdo” and was so convinced of it, her growth from childhood into adulthood, and how she deals with it. This is a book that’s raw and honest about growing up and being bullied, some parts are hard to read, especially if it’s something you’ve experienced in your life, but it’s a brilliant story.
This was one of my favourite reads in 2016!

The Lonely Life of Biddy Weir is a heartbreaking story about bullying told through the eyes of the victim. Biddy's mum walked out when she was a baby leaving her to be brought up by her emotionally withdrawn dad who doesn't really know where to start bringing up a young girl. Although her dad loves her dearly he's not good at expressing himself and talking about feelings and emotions so the pair spend most of their time in silence.

Biddy is an intelligent little girl but lacking in social skills so her peers choose to avoid her rather than trying to befriend her, until Alison Flemming arrives at her school. Being the new girl, Alison is out to impress and to be popular and she decides the best way to do that is to start picking on Biddy. No-one used to take much notice of Biddy, just accepting that she was there on the sidelines, not bothering anyone, just not fitting in, but when Alison starts calling her 'Bloody Weirdo' it doesn't take everyone else long to catch on, to the point where even poor Biddy herself thinks that she's a bloody weirdo.

Being unable to confide in her father and having no friends Biddy suffers in silence and focuses on her drawing and her love of birds.

In the second half of the book Biddy is older but still socially awkward, preferring her own company and still believing that she's a weirdo. Her father's doctor is concerned for Biddy and visits her often. On one visit he asks about the painting of a local house called Cove Cottage which Biddy did for her father, telling her that his friend Terri Drummond would love to see it as she lives there and trying to encourage her to visit but not divulging that she's also a therapist.

Given the subject matter, The Lonely Life of Biddy Weir isn't a comfortable read by any means, but it's written in such a hauntingly beautiful way it makes for compelling reading. Lesley Allen writes in such a way that makes it impossible for the reader not to empathise with Biddy, I was living every moment with her and willing her reach out and open up to the few people who genuinely wanted to help her. I wanted to reach into the pages and be her friend, to tell her that her life meant something and that although her scars would never completely heal, they would fade over time and she would find reasons to smile again. Biddy Weir is one of those rare characters that will stay with me for a very long time to come. I can't recommend this book highly enough and I hope there will be more coming from this highly talented author very soon.

With kind thanks to NetGalley and publishers Bonnier for the review copy.