This is a contemporary novel by English author Bobby Palmer dealing with grief and loss.

Isaac Addy is struggling badly since the loss of his wife Mary. Then there is the surprising day he finds a giant egg in the forest. He takes the egg home and even more surprisingly Egg learns to talk, cook breakfast after a fashion, and generally help Isaac as he flails and flounders his way through his overwhelming grief. The humorous moment helps counterbalance what otherwise would be a very heavy story.

If you read this book you must listen to the audio version otherwise you will miss the amazing egg noises. This was an engaging, quirky but accurate look at grief. ( )

Isaac and the Egg is not really like any other book I've read. It's so unusual, to the point that I perhaps was a bit wary of picking it up, but I'd heard so many wonderful things about it and I'm so glad I've read it.

The book begins with Isaac standing on a bridge screaming. We don't know why yet. All we know is that he is distraught. When something screams back at him he discovers the Egg and takes him home. The story that follows is so unique and wonderful, and at times enchanting.

Isaac himself draws an inevitable comparison with ET and it certainly has the charm of that film, but with much more emotional adult themes. I think it would transfer to the screen just as well though. Egg is absolutely brilliant and I found myself smiling or laughing out loud at him. Isaac's interactions with him were just perfectly written and joyful to read. This is a story of grief and healing with the help of a friend, an eggy one, who somehow puts Isaac back together again.

It's hard to believe it's a debut novel. It's so clever, so brilliantly plotted and seamlessly woven together, and utterly full of hope after despair. I enjoyed it very much. ( )

I love it when an author crashes onto the literary scene with a debut novel and just blows your mind.

The book is indeed about Isaac. And an egg. No, not a chicken egg, or duck or goose egg, or even an ostrich egg. It's actually two-feet high and quite white and fluffy. And now everyone's going to think that this is either a children's story or something plucked from the sci-fi shelf.

Oh no, it isn't. Whilst this is a story of deep love, loss and the most intense grief, Palmer injects humour and wit and writes with perception and depth. He is without doubt an extremely talented author who manages to paint the most realistic picture with his words.

It is a most charming, poignant, tragic but heart-warming novel written with outstanding skill. I sincerely hope this exceptional writer is intending to write more, but in the meantime, someone has, just has to make a movie of this.

A phenomenal book. An excellent debut. A remarkable author. ( )