Full review now up on the blog: http://www.thewritinggreyhound.co.uk/2018/01/book-review-phantom-limbs-paula-garner.html

Gripping, exhilarating and full of twists and turns, Phantom Limbs is undeniably a stand-out debut.

Told from the perspective of Otis, a teenage boy stuck in the past and torn apart by his feelings for the people he loves, the book presents a melancholy view of a life riddled with guilt, hurt and uncontrollable teenage hormones. At times sad and sweet and at others hopeful, the overarching thread linking the narrative together is one of grief and learning to come to terms with extreme loss.

Youthful innocence and naivety are perfectly juxtaposed with sadness and teens who are old before their time, creating a gloriously rich cast of characters as complex as the lives they lead. The story just goes to show how one event can end up having such a large, long-lasting impact on multiple lives - grief is something that never goes away, it is only bottled up and hidden out of sight.

Garner is also a master when it comes to tactfully navigating tricky situations. Her characters are rich and multi-faceted, showing different sides to their personalities as they come to terms with the past, present and future throughout the story. Both physical disability and mental health are present in the story and are not shied away from - the characters react in apt, realistic ways which really does add an extra element of believability to the novel.

4.5 flowering magnolia stars

Slow start and it took me a while to really settle into the story, but once I did - pages flew. A view into the complex mire of grief, loss, love and self identity, that is woven so truthfully that the character's pain is real. The book ended so well that it immediately gave it an extra half star from a solid four star read.

THIS BOOK WAS SO AMAZING IM SHOOK
I picked this up for free at my local library book group and its been sitting around for ages. finally when I stopped checking out books, I dove into my unread stack of owned books. at first I didn't want to start this bc I wanted to read something lighter but I fell to temptation by the cover and a glimpse of the reviews

OK BUT WHERE TO EVEN START WITH THE GREATNESS....
the writing, holy moly, I was so absorbed. Otis's narration is so raw and honest and poetic, I couldnt. believe he was so young. otis HIMSELF is one of my favorite male characters of all time now, he's just so interesting (swimming + poetry + past + personality); I want a friend like him. all the characters tbh were well developed, AND THE CHARACTER DYNAMICS JGJSKJGKSNG DARA AND OTIS WERE BY FAR THE BEST RELATIONSHIP IN THE BOOK, (only second to mason & otis). like I'd read an entire prequel of dara and otis meeting & dara forcing otis into swimming. like Please God. another off topic good thing: even though mason is dead, he felt real. not alive, but when meg or otis thought about him and who he was as a child, I could imagine him doing those things, being a kid, and it really brought their grief to life.
AND THE FEELINGS OF GRIEF IN PHANTOM LIMBS WAS SO PREVALENT AND WELL EXECUTED, between mason and meg and otis & their families, and daras personal burden and everything evERYONE was suffering. I'm just shaken by how everyones grief was so palpable-- Garner mustve been hurt a lot to be able to express it this well.

anyways this is one of my new favorites. like really really really high up on my list, near IGTYS & ADDtSotU. I will definitely be re reading, and forcing it upon all of my friends

4.75⭐️ J’ai adoré Otis et le fait que ça soit sa perspective que nous suivions! Vraiment une belle histoire

I'm so grateful I had the opportunity to read the ARC of this beautiful, poignant story. Otis is such a great character. He suffers two powerful losses early in the story: his brother dies and his girlfriend, Meg, leaves him. Lucky for him, he has a great life/ swimming coach in Dara. She doesn't let him wallow in self pity but makes him stronger with her tough love. When Meg returns after three years, he's a different person, or he thinks he is. I loved reading how he searches for the right balance of remembering the past without letting it cripple his future. A fantastic debut!

it was... i'm not sure how to describe it. it was certainly a good story, a little heavy on the suspense for me. as a swimmer, i was laughing a lot at how much explaining the swimming parts took (swimmers have their own language). it just didn't feel real. otis and meg, while very nice characters, were not whole in the sense that makes them jump off the page. and i don't want to bash this book, because it was a nice read, but it was not the best i've ever read. i did enjoy the part about swimming, though. i'll always love swimming

Beautifully written coming of age story about love , loss, grief and forgiveness. Otis is a charming boy dealing with a lot of emotions after the sudden loss of his baby brother three years ago and the sudden reemergence of his ex girlfriend. The story is sensitively written and you can feel that the author has obviously had to deal with the grief of having to live after someone you love has been lost. The dialogue is crisp and realistic, the friendship between him and his best friend is brilliant and honest. Hands down it was a fabulous book and one I would definitely recommend. As a Mom I really struggled with the storyline as it deals with the death of a small child and the one scene had be chocking down sobs. Other than that a solid debut novel

Favourite quote

When she got this way , my dd would say to me quietly , "The smart money's on shut up and do it."

“Here’s the truth about healing. It’s a fucking myth—an idea they try to sell you on to keep you from killing yourself. You love someone and they leave, but they never entirely go away. You feel them there, acutely, like an amputated limb.”