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wthzmar's review against another edition
3.0
Sabem quando sentem que o livro não vos vai trazer nada de novo, que é previsível da primeira à última página? Pois bem, assim foi este!
É um livro focado essencialmente na Amber, na sua personalidade e desenvolvimento pessoal. Desde o início que não senti empatia com a personagem, chegando a irritar-me em diversos momentos. O romance da Amber e do Greg tem alguns momentos divertidos e que dão para rir mas não me conseguiu cativar por completo. Achei uma história monótona, muito “pobre” em ação e que nunca me deixou em êxtase.
Sinto que o que salvou o livro foi a parte final quando se descobrem alguns segredos, pois surge alguma ação e torna-se mais interessante a leitura. O facto de a Amber comparar as pessoas a chocolates achei uma ideia muito gira e até me fez questionar quais os tipos de chocolate seriam as pessoas que tenho na minha vida!
É um livro focado essencialmente na Amber, na sua personalidade e desenvolvimento pessoal. Desde o início que não senti empatia com a personagem, chegando a irritar-me em diversos momentos. O romance da Amber e do Greg tem alguns momentos divertidos e que dão para rir mas não me conseguiu cativar por completo. Achei uma história monótona, muito “pobre” em ação e que nunca me deixou em êxtase.
Sinto que o que salvou o livro foi a parte final quando se descobrem alguns segredos, pois surge alguma ação e torna-se mais interessante a leitura. O facto de a Amber comparar as pessoas a chocolates achei uma ideia muito gira e até me fez questionar quais os tipos de chocolate seriam as pessoas que tenho na minha vida!
novellenovels's review
emotional
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
garden_nymph's review against another edition
funny
relaxing
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
lauradunn84's review against another edition
5.0
Really funny and cute, great endearing characters! A real page turner and an easy page turner to read!
booksbyroot's review against another edition
4.0
Neste livro encontramos uma combinação de sexo, humor, amor e chocolate. Por cada página lida é garantida pelo menos uma risada e tudo isto graças a Amber.
Foi o primeiro livro que li da autora e adorei, é uma leitura linda e fluida. Amei obviamente a comparação de tudo a chocolate!
Não podemos obviamente esquecer o Greg e a personagem que ele é, eu ri tanto com as "histórias de vida" dele, principalmente com as que ele acabara na prisão. (ups spoiler)
"nunca terá de ficar à espera que uma tablete de chocolate lhe telefone"
Foi o primeiro livro que li da autora e adorei, é uma leitura linda e fluida. Amei obviamente a comparação de tudo a chocolate!
Não podemos obviamente esquecer o Greg e a personagem que ele é, eu ri tanto com as "histórias de vida" dele, principalmente com as que ele acabara na prisão. (ups spoiler)
"nunca terá de ficar à espera que uma tablete de chocolate lhe telefone"
tanya2301's review
emotional
informative
lighthearted
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
victory1891's review
5.0
*SPOILERS AHEAD*
The Chocolate Run is what Amber does when she’s feeling overwhelmed, usually by fear. Fear and the way it shapes us is a recurring theme – you see this with Amber (Fear of people not being happy with her), Jen (Fear that people won’t choose/stay with her), Greg (Fear of being used by a partner/being vulnerable to them), Matt (fear of commitment?), Eric (Fear of how children could change his marriage), Martha (Fear that her partner wouldn’t ask her to marry him). The book explores the variety of ways that people deal with their fears and how fear can manifest in a range of distractions and potentially destructive behaviours e.g. not owning and expressing your needs (people pleasing), promiscuity, having an affair, living two lives, going to a supermarket to sniff chocolate...
I found The Chocolate Run (TCR) really easy to read. Dorothy Koomson has an easy to read style that clearly communicates the thoughts of her protagonist Amber. Like most of her books I got into it straight away. I felt happy reading and re-reading this book. This book made me laugh (e.g. when Amber going shopping with Martha), feel uncomfortable (e.g. when Amber was told Greg about how him smashing the cup made her feel), feel angry (e.g. When Amber had to rescue Greg from Nina at the hotel) among other things. I enjoyed the plot, it was simple which allowed the story to be very character driven. Speaking of characters, I’ll go on to talk about the main ones in the book.
Amber: Amber is a people pleaser, she “goes along to get along” even if it means inconveniencing herself. I think a lot of this is driven by fear; This fear seems to originate from hearing her father beat her mother when she was a child; She makes a somewhat explicit reference to that being something she fears. This fear is most visible when Greg smashes a mug. What’s most interesting to see is how Amber’s free child “comes out to play” throughout the book. Initially her adapted child reigns supreme but having a romantic relationship with Greg seems to have coaxed out her free child; as the book progresses we see this free child manifesting in her other relationships. Amber’s transformation reminds me of how a friend of mine once talked about romantic relationships being “transformative” and you see that during the book. I must admit the chocolate sniffing thing was a bit strange and it’s an element of her character that I didn’t quite get, in terms of understanding where it came from. Amber’s relationship with her mother doesn’t seem too dissimilar from what I would expect between an African mother and their first generation British born child: the sternness, expectation and perceptiveness. I really enjoyed Amber’s relationship with her brother – there’s an openness in their dynamic that I really enjoyed.
I think Amber is a good choice as a protagonist although it may not seem so given how some of the other characters seems to have “stronger” personalities. Amber talks about feeling like the co-star in her life. I think she’s the glue that has helped to hold these characters together, or at least to grease the wheel. I think this is precisely the reason that she’s a great choice for the protagonist. Had the story been told through anyone else’s life I don’t think we would have gotten the complete picture we did.
Jen: Jen is the most insecure character in the book. I suspect this results from the seemingly chaotic and inconsistent parenting she received. It’s not just that she made efforts to sabotage all of Amber’s relationships with men, it’s also how drastically she changed herself to meet Matt’s professed ideal. It’s telling that Jen specifically sought to ruin Ambers relationships with men but seemingly not with other women. I imagine this reflects her trying to prevent Amber becoming close to a man and rejecting her like her mother did so many times. Jen in many ways epitomises the “frenemy”. I also think it’s interesting that Jen and Amber became friends. They both had fears that were driven by the men their mothers associated with. I also wonder if Amber’s people pleasing nature gave Jen the attention that she had been craving from her mother (subconsciously). Jen’s monologue about feeling victimised because she was beautiful was…” interesting”, “bitchy” and “self-absorbed”. Well, she was honest at least. It raises an interesting point about the perils of deriving your self-worth from others. It also seems a bit narcissistic – this assumption that men can pick Amber or her and that they should always pick her. I can’t remember if I was surprised that Jen and Greg had sex the first time I read it. Knowing them well it’s not that surprising, especially given the nature of the encounter.
Even though Jen and Matt’s relationship is discussed I didn’t find it to be a focus of my experience reading the book to be honest. I do wonder if they would last. On the one hand, they have both been exposed for keeping explosive secrets and have decided to remain together. On the other hand, they sometimes seem to me to be an example of the “sunken cost” fallacy. That said I might be basing this on when Jen implies that she settled for Matt because he was interested; she does say in the last chapter that they are getting married and trying for a baby.
Greg: I like Greg. He’s certainly committed to whatever he pursues, whether that’s Amber, Kirsty or shagging. I liked reading about his relationship with Kristy and helped to put into context why he was having sex with so many women but also why he was keen for a genuine commitment from Amber. here’s a sense of loyalty that I felt was one of Greg’s admirable traits - he didn’t spill Matt’s secret even though it seemed that he wanted to. His endless sexcapades reminded me of this “jack the Lad” culture that I loathe so much; Greg’s behaviour seemed to confirm to me how excessive sexual behaviour can be a distraction from vulnerability.
Other Notable Mentions
Matt: I didn’t find Matt’s character particularly interesting. Him having a secret wife genuinely surprised me but I didn’t find him to be particularly interesting.
Eric: Eric is probably my favourite character (followed very closely by Amber). I found him funny and honest in a way that was refreshing.
I didn’t know what to expect based on the title. I have read many Dorothy Koomson books and this is one of my favourites! I find it to be the most “feel good”. The others that I love (My Best Friend’s Girl and Goodnight Beautiful) are exceptional but both have somewhat complicated and bittersweet plots and endings, whereas this one is more upbeat despite fear being a key theme.
The Chocolate Run is what Amber does when she’s feeling overwhelmed, usually by fear. Fear and the way it shapes us is a recurring theme – you see this with Amber (Fear of people not being happy with her), Jen (Fear that people won’t choose/stay with her), Greg (Fear of being used by a partner/being vulnerable to them), Matt (fear of commitment?), Eric (Fear of how children could change his marriage), Martha (Fear that her partner wouldn’t ask her to marry him). The book explores the variety of ways that people deal with their fears and how fear can manifest in a range of distractions and potentially destructive behaviours e.g. not owning and expressing your needs (people pleasing), promiscuity, having an affair, living two lives, going to a supermarket to sniff chocolate...
I found The Chocolate Run (TCR) really easy to read. Dorothy Koomson has an easy to read style that clearly communicates the thoughts of her protagonist Amber. Like most of her books I got into it straight away. I felt happy reading and re-reading this book. This book made me laugh (e.g. when Amber going shopping with Martha), feel uncomfortable (e.g. when Amber was told Greg about how him smashing the cup made her feel), feel angry (e.g. When Amber had to rescue Greg from Nina at the hotel) among other things. I enjoyed the plot, it was simple which allowed the story to be very character driven. Speaking of characters, I’ll go on to talk about the main ones in the book.
Amber: Amber is a people pleaser, she “goes along to get along” even if it means inconveniencing herself. I think a lot of this is driven by fear; This fear seems to originate from hearing her father beat her mother when she was a child; She makes a somewhat explicit reference to that being something she fears. This fear is most visible when Greg smashes a mug. What’s most interesting to see is how Amber’s free child “comes out to play” throughout the book. Initially her adapted child reigns supreme but having a romantic relationship with Greg seems to have coaxed out her free child; as the book progresses we see this free child manifesting in her other relationships. Amber’s transformation reminds me of how a friend of mine once talked about romantic relationships being “transformative” and you see that during the book. I must admit the chocolate sniffing thing was a bit strange and it’s an element of her character that I didn’t quite get, in terms of understanding where it came from. Amber’s relationship with her mother doesn’t seem too dissimilar from what I would expect between an African mother and their first generation British born child: the sternness, expectation and perceptiveness. I really enjoyed Amber’s relationship with her brother – there’s an openness in their dynamic that I really enjoyed.
I think Amber is a good choice as a protagonist although it may not seem so given how some of the other characters seems to have “stronger” personalities. Amber talks about feeling like the co-star in her life. I think she’s the glue that has helped to hold these characters together, or at least to grease the wheel. I think this is precisely the reason that she’s a great choice for the protagonist. Had the story been told through anyone else’s life I don’t think we would have gotten the complete picture we did.
Jen: Jen is the most insecure character in the book. I suspect this results from the seemingly chaotic and inconsistent parenting she received. It’s not just that she made efforts to sabotage all of Amber’s relationships with men, it’s also how drastically she changed herself to meet Matt’s professed ideal. It’s telling that Jen specifically sought to ruin Ambers relationships with men but seemingly not with other women. I imagine this reflects her trying to prevent Amber becoming close to a man and rejecting her like her mother did so many times. Jen in many ways epitomises the “frenemy”. I also think it’s interesting that Jen and Amber became friends. They both had fears that were driven by the men their mothers associated with. I also wonder if Amber’s people pleasing nature gave Jen the attention that she had been craving from her mother (subconsciously). Jen’s monologue about feeling victimised because she was beautiful was…” interesting”, “bitchy” and “self-absorbed”. Well, she was honest at least. It raises an interesting point about the perils of deriving your self-worth from others. It also seems a bit narcissistic – this assumption that men can pick Amber or her and that they should always pick her. I can’t remember if I was surprised that Jen and Greg had sex the first time I read it. Knowing them well it’s not that surprising, especially given the nature of the encounter.
Even though Jen and Matt’s relationship is discussed I didn’t find it to be a focus of my experience reading the book to be honest. I do wonder if they would last. On the one hand, they have both been exposed for keeping explosive secrets and have decided to remain together. On the other hand, they sometimes seem to me to be an example of the “sunken cost” fallacy. That said I might be basing this on when Jen implies that she settled for Matt because he was interested; she does say in the last chapter that they are getting married and trying for a baby.
Greg: I like Greg. He’s certainly committed to whatever he pursues, whether that’s Amber, Kirsty or shagging. I liked reading about his relationship with Kristy and helped to put into context why he was having sex with so many women but also why he was keen for a genuine commitment from Amber. here’s a sense of loyalty that I felt was one of Greg’s admirable traits - he didn’t spill Matt’s secret even though it seemed that he wanted to. His endless sexcapades reminded me of this “jack the Lad” culture that I loathe so much; Greg’s behaviour seemed to confirm to me how excessive sexual behaviour can be a distraction from vulnerability.
Other Notable Mentions
Matt: I didn’t find Matt’s character particularly interesting. Him having a secret wife genuinely surprised me but I didn’t find him to be particularly interesting.
Eric: Eric is probably my favourite character (followed very closely by Amber). I found him funny and honest in a way that was refreshing.
I didn’t know what to expect based on the title. I have read many Dorothy Koomson books and this is one of my favourites! I find it to be the most “feel good”. The others that I love (My Best Friend’s Girl and Goodnight Beautiful) are exceptional but both have somewhat complicated and bittersweet plots and endings, whereas this one is more upbeat despite fear being a key theme.
waveycowpar's review against another edition
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
0.25
This is a “zero stars if I could” moment.
All you need to know about this book is that her best friend and boyfriend have sex with each other and at the end she works on rebuilding the friendship and takes the guy back because she can’t play the victim when she didn’t stand up for herself and make her feelings clearer in the past.
That’s some bull crap, gaslighting, the talk of someone who’s abused and blames themselves. Her bf and bff are crappy people but it’s ok as she didn’t stand up for herself. No thanks. Do yourself a favour and read something else.
All you need to know about this book is that her best friend and boyfriend have sex with each other and at the end she works on rebuilding the friendship and takes the guy back because she can’t play the victim when she didn’t stand up for herself and make her feelings clearer in the past.
That’s some bull crap, gaslighting, the talk of someone who’s abused and blames themselves. Her bf and bff are crappy people but it’s ok as she didn’t stand up for herself. No thanks. Do yourself a favour and read something else.
katie_jane2021's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0