An arresting debut novel about grief, but in the most wonderfully oblique way’ Reverend Richard Coles Many books leave their mark; how can they not? You journey with characters through events big and small, all the time privy to their hopes, dreams, fears and loss, and come out the other side with a resolution good or bad that re-defines life for that character forever after. A tender, funny and surprising meditation on grief and hope . . . like nothing I've ever read before' STYLIST

I wanted to sit and talk about this wonderful creation while I was absorbing it, because that's what it does, Bobby Palmers narrative will seep into your very pores. You will want to share every last paragraph of this multilayered triumph, while at the same time wanting to stay quiet, to understand what others make of it, wonder whether you share the same thoughts. My advice is to read it with people, many people, experience it with company. Isaac Addy might be an alien. He certainly feels like one. Apart from Joy’s flying visit and his sessions with Dr Abbass, he’s barely interacted with anyone of his own kind in months. He looks like one, too. What did Isaac Addy look like last year, before he zapped all his human friends away? Not like this. This, whatever this is, is as alien as can be. His stalagmite hair and stalactite beard make him seem like he’s from a world where the inhabitants are made of stone. His eyes used to sparkle, but now they shine only as much as two polished pebbles one would find on a beach. Isaac has hardened, calcified.” (P. 165) My thanks to Netgalley and the publishers Headline PG, for the ARC in return for providing an impartial review.Isaac has no idea where the egg has come from or what it’s doing there but he’s overcome with the need to protect it, so he bundles it up and takes it home. The two are unlikely companions. But their chance encounter will transform Isaac’s life in ways he cannot yet imagine.

Isaac and the Egg by Bobby Palmer is not a book I would normally read. It is different but it was entertaining. It has moments of sadness where you can feel the pain that Isaac is feeling. The struggle is so real, in dealing with loss, of trying to survive. You are taken on a journey of grief, from denial to anger and finally acceptance. The story is well-written, poignant, and a little quirky. Lisa, QLD, 4 Stars To even give away a hint of the astoundingly imaginative narrative of Isaac and the Egg would be to ruin the journey into its gloriously soul excoriating wonders but suffice to say, Palmer has crafted what feels like almost all the time you’re reading it, like the definitive guide to what grief feels like. Original, quirky, utterly compelling. These are the words that I would use to describe this book. However don’t be fooled thinking this is just a story about a cute little egg. While it is funny in places this is a book about grief, Isaac is in a bad place and his feelings are raw.An arresting debut novel about grief, but in the most wonderfully oblique way' Reverend Richard Coles

Maybe he will finally understand why he went there that morning. Maybe he will find a way to tell the truth. So, what do you do when you read (and listen) to a book that you want the whole world to read, but you don't want to tell them too much about it, because this book is one of the most personal books that I have come across in a long time and it is a book that is best started with absolutely no preconceived ideas. Heartbreaking and heart-stealing, this bestselling modern-day fable is an unforgettable novel about sorrow, joy, friendship and love. Isaac And The Egg is a charming story about Isaac and the egg he meets in a forest at a terrible point in his life. It’s funny, sad and makes for an engrossing read. Isaac’s story involves grief and despair but also hope. It would be a good book for bookclubs as there is a lot to discuss and plenty of themes to explore. It’s a wonderful debut novel. Julie, NSW, 5 Stars Though most of the plot is very intense because of grief and mental breakdowns being the prime focus, there are still some light scenes and humorous banter between Isaac and Egg. These are really well-done and don’t feel out-of-place despite the dreary theme.

Isaac Addy is contemplating suicide. While standing on the ledge of a bridge, trying to build up the courage to jump off, he suddenly hears some screaming. In following the noise, he stumbles upon a 2 foot high white egg in the forest. Isaac feels a sudden kinship with the abandoned egg and decides to take it home. Thus begins the unexpected journey of Isaac and his strange companion, whom he decides to name ‘Egg’. ( Yeah, not the most imaginative guy, this Isaac!) Moving and clever... Although it starts with a death and darkness, it's a story of hope and embracing newness' JUSTIN MYERS, THE GUYLINER He eats, he sleeps and makes it through each day with the support of his sister, neighbours and his therapist while the events leading to Isaac's present state are revealed to the reader as Isaac is able to cope with them. Isaacs rouwproces wordt indringend en levensecht beschreven, je wordt helemaal meegenomen in zijn ellende en zijn gevoelens zijn confronterend, realistisch en intens. Wanneer de radeloosheid alles over lijkt te nemen ontmoet hij Egg, en deze onvoorwaardelijke vriend is alles wat Isaac op dat moment nodig had. De exacte rol van Egg blijft lastig te duiden, maar of hij nu een wezentje is, een hallucinatie, een metafoor voor het rouwproces of een soort gids die Isaac telkens een extra stapje laat zetten, je moet je uiteindelijk maar gewoon aan zijn bestaan overgeven en zijn rol in dit verhaal accepteren. En hoewel de fantasie voor mij op sommige momenten net te veel botste met de aangrijpende gebeurtenissen, waardoor het geheel dan iets té absurd werd, zorgt Egg ook voor ontwikkeling, een zekere luchtigheid en humor en sluit je hem alleen daarom al in je hart. A tender, funny and surprising meditation on grief and hope . . . like nothing I’ve ever read before’ STYLIST

Isaac and The Egg completely astounded me! What a beautifully written novel about love, grief, joy and life…I could not put it down. The representation of a young man dealing with profound grief is written with such empathy and with hints of deepest despair and moments of pure joy. I cannot recommend this beautiful book highly enough. Denise, NSW, 5 Stars As this was the audio book I listened to, I’ll cover the audio aspect first. It was the narrators wonderful voice that captured both my interest in listening to a book for a change, and capturing my interest in the story itself. I listened to a sample first, and by the time the sample had finished I had to know more of what happened next and what this story was about. It sounded so sad and of course by now I was hooked into the brilliant story telling by Johnny Flynn.

Diaries & Calendars

I read it in one breath... true and tragic and funny and hopeful and big - big enough somehow to contain all of our stories and all of our lives inside it' JOANNA GLEN A great deal of this control is achieved through the novel’s humour which is threaded throughout. Sometimes it’s with the wry, easy smile of a film reference, or the excellently positioned epigraph, but at other times it’s via the perfectly timed punchline, such as that which comes after Isaac and Egg’s shopping trip to town which had me laughing out loud. Make no mistake, this level of calibration - this pitch-perfect tone of the confessional - is HARD to achieve, but when done well it is masterful in its subtlety. Measured, comic and moving... A sad, funny and original novel about grief, loss and embracing change' DAILY MAIL