Anybody Out There? by Marian Keyes

'I had to go back to New York and try to find him. There was a chance he mightn't be there but I had to give it a go because there was one thing I was certain of: he wasn't here.'

Anna Walsh is officially a wreck. Physically broken and emotionally shattered, she lies on her parents' Dublin sofa with only one thing on her mind: getting back to New York. New York means her best friends, The Most Fabulous Job In The World and above all, it means her husband, Aidan.

But nothing in Anna's life is that simple anymore!

Not only is her return to Manhattan complicated by her physical and emotional scars - but Aidan seems to have vanished.

Is it time for Anna to move on?

Is it even possible for her to move on?

A motley group of misfits, an earth-shattering revelation, two births and one very weird wedding might help Anna find some answers - and will change her life forever.

Hilarious, heartbreaking and life-affirming, Marian's unforgettable new novel is as epic as it is entertaining.

Oh my goodness, what a book!! I am officially a Marian Keyes fan girl. This book is the latest book in the Walsh sisters series, and in my opinion it is one of the best I have read by her, rivalling even Last Chance Saloon.

I've said before, and I will say it again I'm sure, that one of Keyes' skills is to take a very serious topic, and not only work through it, but make it funny and entertaining, and emotional and heart breaking. I cannot tell you the number of times that I cried during this book.

When we first meet Anna again, she is staying with her parents, who are as kooky as ever. She is scarred and has broken bones, and yet we don't really find out what has happened to her until a fair way into the book. Anna is also desperate to talk to her husband Aidan. We get to hear the story of how they met, and their life together in New York, where she has what appears to be the perfect life. Of course, not everything is perfect, and there are some surprising revelations, especially at the end of the book, but they definitely still fit the things that we knew about the characters in the book.

As Anna returns to work, her desperation to speak to Aidan increases until finally we find out where he is. It's not possible to discuss this book without major spoilers, so I will leave it at that, but I do really, really highly recommend this book.

There are lots of appearances by the other Walsh family members, but it was most fantastic to see the interactions between Anna and Rachel, and the super cool Luke from Rachel's Holiday, along with his friends The Real Men.

This was the second last book I read in 2006, and it was one of only five 5/5 reads for the year - definitely one of the most enjoyable and most memorable books of last year! Have I gushed enough yet?

Oh, and I am not alone in my enjoyment of this book! Clare from Confessions of a Book Addict gave it a 6 out of 4!

Rating 5/5

Finished reading on 30 December 2006