Anybody Out There: The heartwarming, laugh-out-loud bestseller of love and si...

Brilliant.

First off, I have to admit that if I had known what this book was about, I would never have started it. I hate things to do with death, terminal illness, life-changing accidents, the whole shebang. Unlike most women I know I actively avoid weepy films and will not even conscience the idea of watching The Snowman as it is simply too sad. Yes, I am an emotional coward (should have seen the state of me at the end of Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close) and it does my mascara well for me to swerve the more sentimental aspects of the chicklit genre. (Incidentally I don't say chicklit like it's a bad thing, just so you know.) I'll be honest - the only reason I bought this book was because it was cheap, about half the price of the other Marian Keyes books, so I thought I'd give it a go. I had read a couple of other books by Marian and had thoroughly enjoyed them, though I echo the sentiments of other interviewers when I say that these books really do offer a lot more than the pastel-coloured front covers might suggest. There is a broadness and detail of the topics covered that make them a richer read than most other novelists aimed at females these days. This was the first book I had read that featured the Walsh family (I thought all MK books were stand alone) and I am so glad there are others to read and look forward to. Anna, the protagonist of this book is a very likeable and sympathetic character which is no mean feat when in other hands she would merely come across as a victim. The Anna character work particularly well within the context of her family - the emails between Anna, her sister Helen and their mother are laugh-out-loud funny and I am really looking forward to reading the Helen book (may even pay full price for it!) The subject matter is sad, but the wealth of supporting characters provide light relief so a pleasing balance is struck. I really did care about the characters in this book, and have to confess, I wept at the end. I liked the pace of the book, and the subject matter is well-split between the comic and the tragic too. I highly recommend it, even if you do normally skirt the more deep-and-meaningful books on the market.

I love the Walsh sisters. In preparation for the newest novel, which updates Anna's story, I decided to re-read Anybody Out There, as it had been so long since I first read it. Anna is recovering from an accident, laid up at her parents' house in Ireland, but desperate to get back to her life, her job and her love, Aidan, all still in New York. This is a beautiful and sad exploration of grief and healing, with the usual deep care for humanity from Keyes and some brilliant moments of light relief with the emails between Mammy Keyes and Anna and Helen's tales of her life as a private detective. Going back to these early novels, you can see just how much Keyes has matured as a writer and how much more confident she is handling her material now. I still love the early books, but I am very excited to see what happens for Anna next.

Girlfriend wanted this as a gift, was very happy to recieve and even happier when reading it. Whilst i myself did not read it, after finishing it she came straight to me with the words "that was amazing!" and has since re-read it again so anyone in the space looking for a gift for their book loving partner this seems to be the one! Brownie points for me!

Poor condition front cover cracked.

This is my third time reading this book as I’m now going to read the sequel My Favourite Mistake which I’m looking forward to. I love the Walsh sisters stories, all very relatable and funny too. Highly recommend

I loved this book, laughed a lot out loud and cried too. Marian writes with the Irish humour I love , Mother Walsh is a scream, so is Anna's sister. Such believable characters and such sensitive writing about a subject that touches us all . Just love the Walsh family

Bought as a birthday present. Enjoyed by recipient.

I love Marian Keyes! Pleasant reading as always.

Marion Keyes is an excellent writer. This story about Anna and Aidan was fascinating! I laughed (she is very funny) and I cried. Her prose is very touching! You will be thinking about this story long after you have finished it.

Marian Keyes is back as my favorite author, right up there with Nick Hornby. I have read everything she's ever written. Her last few books left me feeling less than than elated but I'm loyal. And she's back. Making my life easier to handle because I have the worlds she creates to immerse myself in. Her characters become my best friends. I find myself talking about them during dinner with my husband. The minute I open her books I am swept away to another world, where I'm a fly on the wall, where I identify with the depth of feeling and vulnerability of her characters, and where I don't feel like such an odd ball in the world. We're all odd balls. It's what keeps life interesting. But her books do so much more for me than entertain. They enlighten me, they make me think about the circumstances of people, and they make me feel a plethora of emotions. In the words of e.e. cummings, she opens me, pedal by pedal. When I closed this book I just sat there staring at it, carressing the cover, thanking it for giving to me without asking for anything in return (except the cover price, which was worth every penny. I have a Marian Keyes library.) Don't miss out on this gem!

Another Marian Keyes I loved so much I didn't want it to end....

Actually this was my first book from Marian Keyes and I really loved it from the very beginning until the end. I hardly could put it aside. This story brought me from laughter to tears in the space of a minute. Yeah, maybe the Helen plot was a bit to much, but Anna's story an the development of her feelings was really affecting. Buy the book and build your own opinion but I think it's really recommendable.