Roar by Cecelia Ahern

I bought and read this earlier in the year, and it seemed only right to post my review today as it has just been released in paperback!

Roar is collection of short stories, thirty to be exact, and each story tells the tale of a different woman dealing with some challenge whether this be an internal struggle or an external situation. What really sets Roar apart is the quirky and original way the stories are told, they are unexpected and unpredictable which I absolutely loved. They’ve made me laugh, they’ve made me cry, but they’ve also me sit up, pay attention and think.

The real beauty of this collection is the wide ranging appeal. These are the type of stories that you could read today, then pick up in another 10 years and find that your perspective and understanding of them have altered. I found when reading that there were some stories I identified with absolutely, while others, didn’t do much for me personally, and yet other ladies who I’ve spoken with had a completely different view as to which they most related to.

On the whole, I found these stories to be uplifting and supportive of women – there was just one story which I found to be quite disappointing due to its judgemental tone towards a certain type of woman (and quite heavily towards a certain reality family) which for me, felt out of keeping with the message of solidarity. The story itself was good and well written, it just felt to be a damning condemnation of a way of life which really jarred tonally for me.

A really enjoyable collection, one which I will be keeping on the ‘forever’ shelf and dipping into for years to come!

Synopsis

A story for every woman.
A story for every moment.

Whether you want to laugh
To be moved
To love
To feel less guilt
To cry
To be comforted
To ROAR
There is a story for you.

From Sunday Times bestselling author Cecelia Ahern comes a collection of witty, original and moving stories for women everywhere.