Sarah Haywood (1)Reseñas

2.5 stars I guess. Not a big fan of this trend of books about cold, socially awkward, unemotional robot people but somehow this book still made it on to my library hold list and one I had it, I had to read it.

I like the idea of love & motherhood loosening up a rigid personality and this one had a fairly interesting (if predictable) backstory for why our heroine was so uptight but they didn’t really explain the unraveling of her knots very well. They did a decent job with her friendship with her neighbor but really didn’t do much with the romance side. It just seemingly inexplicably came to be that she loved and was loved by a nice, handsome man.

Opportunity lost.

Odd British lady looses her mother which leads her to finally let some people in despite her prickly antisocial nature. It was cute but not a particular stand out to me.

Some family drama with a dash of romance.

Susan has been trying to control everything in her life as a way of avoiding emotional pain. But her accidental pregnancy and the death of her mother throw her carefully protected life into upheaval. Along the way she discovers family secrets and reconciles some of the painful relationships in her life. Susan is prickly but over the course of the novel I really came to like her and enjoyed seeing her open up.

Susan is called by her brother, Edward, to advise her that their mom, Patricia Green, has died. Susan takes it matter-of-factly, after all, her mother had strokes, and was older. At the funeral, Susan faints, and realizes she is pregnant by her friend of convenience, Richard. When the will is read, Susan believes Edward influenced their mother to allow him to live in the house. Susan investigates-questioning her Aunt Sylvia and Edward's friend Rob, while digging up old family secrets and discovering some things about herself.
Cute story, but predictable, including the twist.

Susan is definitely prickly. She keeps everyone at a very measured distance and has convinced herself that it is what is best for herself. She soon learns that at some point you are not going to be able to isolate yourself anymore and asking for help is no longer a choice.

The fall-out from her mother's death leaves her and her traumatic childhood exposed - and it seems she realizes that the "sensible" walls she's built around herself and only preventing her form seeing the truth about those around her and herself. However at times her prickly nature was so exaggerated that I had a hard time believe that she would have such a rapid change of heart and be so willing to change so quickly. I would have liked more internal dialogue and struggle on that front, to see her really wrestle with giving up her solitude and independence.

Although I barely liked the main character, I enjoyed the story. I listened to it on audiobook and it was well done. If the author writes more books and makes her characters more likeable, I will definitely read them.

I liked this book up until the end, which is how I'm finding romances, in general. Very good stories until the fairy-tale endings where every character acts completely differently from their behavior in 99% of the rest of the book--and they all live happily ever after. Bogus. I've tried the genre and it's just not for me.

‘The Cactus’ is a lightly amusing, readable novel about an unmarried, socially awkward, 40 something woman coming to life for the first time. There’s nothing wrong it, but it suffers from the fact that it came out around the same time as the excellent ‘Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine’, which tackles a similar subject matter with more success.
Whilst Eleanor raises against the world a bit, Susan (the heroine of ‘The Cactus’) just kind of muddles through and there’s a lack of any dramatic tension as a result.
It’s not a bad book, it’s just a little too gentle and uneventful.

The main character is purposefully unlikeable initially. About half way through the book she really started to wear on me and I didn't want to keep reading, it felt like a slog at points. The ending does try to make up for that, or "explain" her, I just wish it didn't take so much to get there.

A touching debut novel about a woman who learns that life cannot be always be dictated by the rules that one sets, and that complexities shape our world in unpredictable ways, no matter how diligently we fight to protect against these unforeseen challenges.

What is this genre? I love it. It's like a warm sweater or comfy pants. A needed buffer between other books.

I bought this because it sounded up my alley, but despite giving it a fair chance, I don't seem to enjoy reading it. There's not a particular thing. I don't think I care about the main character enough. I thought it was nice to read about someone not in their 20s, but the problem is that that doesn't really show in storyline. I guess this just isn't for me. In any case it's not the break my brain needs...

I found this a disappointing read. I'd had high hopes, based on the author's credentials and the comparisons with Eleanor Oliphant is Absolutely Fine. I was expecting something similarly quirky. Got off to a good start with some public sector employment lols, but unfortunately it seemed quite formulaic. Took a long time for things to happen, and then the end of the book was rather rushed, and seemed entirely predictable and a bit pedestrian.
I read some reviews saying that the main character was a real feminist icon, and it didn't feel like that. It reminded me of something, but it wasn't Eleanor Oliphant.

I can see why people may compare this book to Eleanor Oliphant, as the protagonist appears to demonstrate the inclination toward autistic behaviours, as in EOICF, is a single woman living alone, as in EOICF, and has a level of personal emotional damage, as in EOICF. I think the comparison should maybe stop there though. d
The device of the cactus of the title - demonstrating the prickly nature of the protagonist, who was raised in tough and emotionally 'arid' conditions, and like the cacti on the windowsill, has yet to 'bloom' is fairly clear. The story is fed slowly throughout the pages, with small clues throughout. I remember thinking "I should be noting this conversation, as this character said X, and that will be significant later" and it was. I did guess elements of the whole picture because of these clues, but they didn't spoil the story, they were obviously left there for that purpose. All in all, it was a good story and enjoyable as it unfolded.

This was a nice, light read and read quickly. Susan is uptight and likes things done her way, which is obviously the correct way. I enjoy a main character who would probably irritate me in real life but is funny and entertaining on paper. Susan's perfect life is upended when she finds out she is pregnant which is not in her life plan. As we follow Susan through her nine months of pregnancy we see her and her extended family experience loss while gaining new appreciation and love for one another and for themselves.

Overall I enjoyed this book. My one issue is that at the 75% mark I felt the tone of the book took a sharp turn. The ending felt rushed to me and slightly forced. It was still a good ending but the delivery could have been smoother. I think Rob was my favorite character. He felt the most authentic to me and I loved his passion around landscaping. I was actually craving more dialogue on this.

It was a decent book but not my favorite Hello Sunshine book club pick.

La protagonista di questo romanzo è un'asociale ai limiti dell'Asperger: una donna che si avvicina alla mezza età e che si è costruita una totale indipendenza economica, affettiva e relazionale; lei non ha bisogno di nessuno e non vuole dipendere da nessuno, nonostante la laurea in legge ha scelto un impiego pubblico di livello medio proprio per non aver a che fare con la gente, intrattiene da anni una proficua relazione senza obblighi di coinvolgimento con un tizio conosciuto tramite un annuncio sul giornale, fatta di incontri a cadenza settimanale senza altri strascichi.
La morte della madre e un contenzioso ereditario con lo scapestrato fratello minore portano a galla la sua difficile infanzia, con una madre pressoché anaffettiva nei suoi confronti e un padre gravemente alcolizzato, isolamento sociale e bullismo a scuola. Ecco le radici della perfetta corazza di Susan e del suo distacco dalla gente e dal mondo
Personaggio peculiare, decisamente godibile per certe sue ottusità sociali; il libro, ovviamente, vira verso pennellate di rosa in questa sua vita organizzata, che la protagonista stessa sente come inesplicate e inesplicabili.

Last summer there was no escaping this book.
Everywhere I looked, there it was. Naturally, I had to jump on the bandwagon. (a bit late to the game but still..)

What was I expecting? Boy meets girl. Girl is standoffish. A few speed bumps thrown in for good measure. Will they? Won't they?

What did I get? Boy meets girl. Girl is uptight, rude and extremely annoying. The only bump thrown in is a pregnancy bump. Will they? Won't they? Ugh....who cares.

The only thing I did like was the audiobook's narrator, Katherine Manners.
She made the whole experience tolerable otherwise it would definitely have been thrown into the DNF pile.

Read on Staycation at Folly Beach. Comparisons to Eleanor Oliphant are inevitable.

This book reminded me a lot of Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine. Susan was interesting to read about and I liked how details were slowly revealed as we went, not all at once. I wasn't a fan of her very quick choice right at the end, otherwise it was a good read.

4.5 stars.

The Cactus by Sarah Haywood is a wonderful character-driven novel that is both humorous and poignant.

Forty-five year old Susan Green's unexpected pregnancy is not the only thing turning her well-ordered life upside down. The recent death of her mother is upsetting but it is the reading of the will that really infuriates Susan. After learning their mom left the family home to her drunken, unemployed brother Edward, Susan blocks probate as she tries to prove that Edward unduly influenced their mom into leaving him the house. In order to prove her theory, she befriends Edward's mate Rob Rhys in an effort to uncover the truth. With both her due date and the hearing looming ever closer, Susan begins to realize that control is an illusion and vulnerability is not necessarily a bad thing.

Susan is not exactly a warm and inviting person and she does not believe in sugarcoating the truth. She does not suffer fools gladly nor is she overly tactful in her business or personal relationships. She has a very pragmatic, logical and unemotional approach to all aspects of her life and she is fairly rigid in her beliefs. Her dysfunctional, unhappy childhood is at the root of her rigid and controlling behavior and honestly, the more Susan reveals about her unhappy past, the easier it is to empathize with her need to micromanage her environment and dispassionately analyze every situation.

Susan's viewpoints on motherhood are unexpectedly funny (and obviously somewhat ill-formed) and she is quite uncomfortable with letting people into her personal space. She gradually forms friendships with people who accept her as she is although they do smooth over some of her rougher edges. It is easy to recognize that Susan's standoffish persona is designed to protect her from being hurt by anyone. After learning about her horrible childhood, it is completely understandable that Susan would do everything possible to shield herself from further pain.

The Cactus is an absolute gem that is chock full of witty observations, pithy interactions and a lead protagonist who is impossible not to root for. Susan is a prickly character who undergoes spectacular growth while still retaining the unique qualities that are a reaction to her life experiences. The secondary characters are very endearing with the exception of Edward whom readers will most likely want to throttle every time he appears. Late in the novel, Sarah Haywood throws in a shocking plot twist that forces Susan to re-examine and reassess much of her life both past and present. The novel's conclusion is incredibly satisfying and ultimately, quite healing.

The Cactus by Sarah Haywood. Susan Green has a very organized and structured life. She relies on no one and is in complete control of her own life. She has always kept the same flat and the same job, never going out and stuck in her ways. She never wants to rely on anyone so that no one else could let her down. Like her collection of cacti, she has “evolved to thrive in arid conditions.”
When Susan’s mom dies and she finds out she is pregnant things begin to change. She is forced to let some people into her life and when she does this, she slowly begins to bloom. She learns that, “Sometimes you have to lose something to gain something.” Her neighbor asks her, “What’s the worst that can happen if you stop saying no to everything and everyone?” So Susan takes her advice and starts saying yes to things.
Susan is hard to like at first, but she is also hilarious. From the cover insert: “In this witty and heartfelt debut, one woman’s unconventional journey to motherhood means learning to embrace the unexpected.” I adored this book and all it's lovely and quirky characters.
I also love this quote from the book: “These days, fairy tale endings come in all shapes and sizes. It’s ok for the princess to end up with the prince. It’s ok for her to end up with the footmen. It’s ok for to end up on her own. It’s also ok for her to end up with another princess, or with six cats or too decide she wants to be a prince. None of those make her any more or less a feminist.”
“It’s never too late to bloom.”
*Also a selection for Reese Witherspoon's book club.

Well, I absolutely loved this book, when I first started it and the protagonist was moaning about being contacted about her mother’s death I thought it was going to be a load of drivel with superficial characters, I persevered and before 1/4 way through I was really enjoying it.
The book was a pleasure to read, I loved the characters and the plot.
All in all a good end to the year.

The Cactus is a light chick lit romance about a quirky – and I hate to say it - prickly woman in her mid-forties who finds herself facing a life-changing event. It’s got a little Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine vibe going on but doesn’t approach that book’s level of sharp wit and humor. Also, it gets a bit syrupy near the end. I still enjoyed it although a big part of that may be due to the outstanding performance by the audiobook's narrator.