I finished all that she can see by Carrie Hope Fletcher on a plane, January 1, returning from a holiday trip to London. This review isn’t about the trip, but yes, it was lovely. I received this book as a gift while visiting my dear friend in Manchester. “This looked like your kind of read,” she said, “and you need to escape a bit” (or something along those lines, allow me some literary liberties). And it is! The first half, anyway. A deeply empathic baker, Cherry, loses her father, and she starts baking away her grief, only to discover that her bakes carry a magic that help people heal their Meddlums—scary monsters that she can only see, named Loneliness, Worry, Sadness, and so on. Of course, she meets others along the way with similar gifts of sight, including Chase, who is gifted with only seeing the best qualities in people. Chase’s sight, however, turns him into a rather cynical fellow—wouldn’t you be, seeing someone’s Joy show up when they’re bullying someone else?
Anyway, mild spoilers ahead, the second half reveals that there is a Guild who monitors and oversees those with similar gifts to Cherry and Chase, which is where the book takes a dark turn. I wasn’t expecting a rather violent, sci-fi-esque shift to the novel, and I felt like I read two separate books by the end. It was a little disappointing, as it was t the book I wanted to read, once I’d finished the last paragraph.
The descriptions of the food were wonderful, and there are three recipes included for shortbread, Victoria sponge, and chocolate chip cookies (haven’t tried any of them yet!). I truly enjoyed Cherry’s character—she’s sweet, intelligent, and wise—and I love her insistence on wearing pajamas everywhere she goes. Her romance with Chase was sweet, if forced and rather predictable. Fletcher’s writing style is easy and engaging, if a little disjointed at times. I had some difficulty following the events during the big climax, but that could also be due to the sleeping pill I took in an attempt to sleep the entire flight home. Full rating? 2.5/5 stars. Worth the read, but it’s not one to keep on my shelf.