Can you *imagine* nervously putting this out as your debut novel and it being as big a hit as this? I mean, isn't this every author's dream?! Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine has been reviewed by every book blogger and their mum at this point, but I'm going to drop in my two pennies worth.
The hype for this was all over the Internet towards the end of 2017 and early 2018, but I left off reading this for a couple of months until it had died down a little to give me time to read the book as objectively as I could. When I finally got around to it, I realised that in every review I'd read and Instagram caption, no one had ever mentioned that Eleanor *might* be on the autism spectrum. She's someone that must abide by a strict routine, she's incredibly intelligent and she finds stepping out of her comfort zone, especially engaging in social situations, extremely difficult.
However you look at it, it's clear that Eleanor's anxiety is extreme. She has certain rituals and routines that make her feel safe and she avoids excessive interaction with others. Every Friday she buys two bottles of vodka, and prepares for a blissful weekend away from everyone, only interrupted by a weekly phone call from Mummy.
As you progress through the book, it's clear that Eleanor has had a difficult past. From mentions of being in care, to her physical scars, to her lack of family, something is off. It takes the work of Raymond, her co-worker who befriends Eleanor, to dig beneath the layers and help her.
*SPOILERS FROM HERE ON*
If I'm honest, this didn't *quite* live up to my expectations, and I think it's in part because I'm a hopeless romantic. I wanted Raymond to like Eleanor as more than a friend, and because it seemed like he did, I felt absolutely betrayed when he found a pretty blonde girl to get with. I wanted Eleanor to be viewed romantically by someone, to help us all believe that it's possible to be admired and desired, even if you're a little odd. I felt the sting of rejection, even if Eleanor didn't.
The main saving grace was that the twist at the end was something I genuinely didn't expect. As I was reading the book, I was convinced that I'd guessed the twist, but in reality I had no idea. Honeyman threw a total red herring in our way to get us off the scent, and I have to say it worked pretty darn well.
I would still definitely recommend it, as I *know* I would have liked it a lot more without all the hype. Plus, I'm definitely still hoping that there will be a Part 2 where Raymond gets his act together!
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