Famous Last Words by Annie Sanders
| Famous Last Words by Annie Sanders | |
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| Category: Women's Fiction | |
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Reviewer: Jo Heffer
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| Summary: Lucy Streeter has always been reasonably happy but she would never have described her life as exciting. However, when a virtual stranger tells her she only has a few days to live she starts to look back on her life with regret. There are so many things that she wishes that she could have done but now it's too late. Or is it? | |
| Buy? Yes | Borrow? Yes |
| Pages: 288 | Date: August 2010 |
| Publisher: Orion | |
| ISBN: 978-1409112761 | |
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The author Annie Sanders is in fact not one person but two. Annie Ashworth and Meg Sanders have combined their writing skills in order to produce some highly entertaining novels such as Famous Last Words. This is a book that is both witty and thoughtful and I enjoyed it immensely from the moment I started reading.
The story centres on Lucy Streeter who is a very ordinary woman leading a very ordinary life. She is quite happy running her designer clothes shop and being mother to her grown up son Nat. However, one evening her life is thrown into turmoil after meeting Micah, a fortune teller, who kindly informs her that she only has a few more days to live. Normally, Lucy would dismiss this as absolute rubbish, but unfortunately too many of his other predictions seem to be coming true so she has to sit up and take notice. As she does, she comes to the sad realisation that she has not made the most of her life and there are many things that she should or could have done.
Once she has got over the initial shock though, Lucy starts to see this 'death sentence' as surprisingly liberating and sets about making up for lost time. This includes a complete makeover, telling a few people what she actually thinks and tackling the nasty new landlord who has taken over the leases of hers and her friends' shops and is raising the rent dramatically. Lucy manages to reinvent herself in a few short days and although many of her friends are quite startled by her actions she finds that she likes her new self very much. It's just such a shame that her last day is rapidly approaching. Which it does, and then it passes and Lucy realises that she is actually still alive.
You would think that she would be relieved but instead she is mortified remembering all the things she has said and done thinking that she would not be seeing certain people again. There follows, with Micah's help, a race against time to try and set things right especially before certain people realise. But at the end of the day, does she really want to do that? After all, this is the new Lucy now, the one that speaks her mind and sticks up for what she believes in!
Famous last Words is a wonderfully entertaining book written in a warm and witty style. The story moves along at a good pace that kept my interest from start to finish. It is told in the first person with Lucy as narrator, so you know from the first moments that she has not really died. Because Lucy is telling her own story though, you do really feel like you get to know her and can definitely sympathise with how she feels. She is a very engaging character too and it is brilliant to see how she changes and also her friends' and family's reactions to her.
Although it is essentially a humourous read it does invite the reader to be a little reflective too. I couldn't help thinking about the things I had or had not done with my life and wondering how I would choose to spend my last few days too. I would hope that I would follow Lucy's example of throwing caution to the wind and making the most of every minute which is what she does in a highly entertaining manner.
Although at times the story is a bit farfetched it is hugely enjoyable and just right for a little bit of easy escapism.
I'd like to thank the publishers for sending a copy to The Bookbag. We also have a review of Instructions For Bringing Up Scarlett by Annie Sanders.
If you like the sound of Famous Last Words, why not also take a look at A Change For The Better by Pamela Fudge.
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You can read more book reviews or buy Famous Last Words by Annie Sanders at Amazon.co.uk Amazon currently charges £2.99 for standard delivery for orders under £20, over which delivery is free.
You can read more book reviews or buy Famous Last Words by Annie Sanders at Amazon.com.
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