Book Review: The Year That Changed Everything by Cathy Kelly

The Year That Changed Everything

by

Cathy Kelly

Publisher: Hachette Australia 
Publication date: 27th February 2018
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
Pages: 320
RRP: $29.99AUD
Format read: Trade paperback
Source: Own read

Three women celebrate their birthdays . . . 30. 40. 50. But their milestone birthdays marks the start of a year that will change everything . . .

Ginger isn't spending her 30th the way she would have planned. Tonight might be the first night of the rest of her life - or a total disaster.

Sam is finally pregnant after years of trying. When her waters break on the morning of her 40th birthday, she panics: forget labour, how is she going to be a mother?

Callie is celebrating her 50th at a big party in her Dublin home. Then a knock at the door mid-party turns her perfect life upside down . . .



 

It’s Callie’s 50^th Birthday. The day her whole life will implode and she, and her rebellious 14 year old daughter, will need to completely reassess their lives.

It is also Sam’s 40^th Birthday. A day that will see all Sam’s dreams come true but will also open up every insecurity she has ever felt.

Ginger should be celebrating her 30^th Birthday but instead she is attending best friend Liza’s wedding. She really doesn’t mind, her birthday can wait and there is a cute guy that has been very attentive. A chance overheard conversation has Ginger’s whole idea of friendship, and her own self image, shattered.

Told in alternating point of view of Callie, Sam and Ginger. Three complete strangers all sharing the same birthday and all found their lives changed forever in The Year That Changed Everything.

This is not only a story of how these three women fell apart and slowly rebuilt their lives and their confidence but also about family and finding true friendship where you least expect it. Each of the women, in their time of need, were supported by loving family.

I really enjoyed each woman’s journey and the anticipation of how they were going to meet but it is hard not to connect more with one character than another and Ginger was definitely my favourite.

We see, through Ginger, that body image is a real threat to someone’s self esteem and viscous comments by people posing as friends can reinforce this but when she has supportive people around her Ginger’s confidence soared.

There were also many wonderful supporting characters that were there to provide comfort, humour and even a love interest throughout the book.

The Year That Changed Everything is a feel good story of self discovery.

My rating  4/5    ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Photo credit; Goodreads

Cathy Kelly is published around the world, with millions of books in print. Cathy is the bestselling author of THE HONEY QUEEN, ONCE IN A LIFETIME, BETWEEN SISTERS and THE YEAR THAT CHANGED EVERYTHING, and is a No.1 bestseller in the UK, Ireland and Australia. Her trademark is warm and witty Irish storytelling about modern life, always with an uplifting message, a sense of community and strong female characters at the heart.
She lives with her family and their three dogs in County Wicklow, Ireland. She is also an Ambassador for UNICEF Ireland, raising funds and awareness for children orphaned by or living with HIV/AIDS.