Roar

A wildly imaginative book of fantastical tales illustrating different aspects of womanhood. The bitesize stories made the book easy to dip in and out of. Every woman will be able to relate to at least one of these tales. A refreshing read.

This is a very unusual book. In fact I don't think I've ever read anything quite like it. It is a collection of short stories which explore what it is like to be a woman in the current day and age. Well worth a read. A book which I will not forget for some time to come.

This book contains thirty short stories, each of which tackles some aspect of womanhood. The stories are often outlandish and fantastic, completely remote from reality yet depicting situations, attributes and personality traits which are very recognisable from the world in which we live.

This is a fascinating, unique and very clever idea for a book. The creativity and imagination which has gone into dreaming up the stories is astonishing. I imagine (and this is pure guesswork) that the book was conceived many moons ago as a seed of an idea. It has probably sat on the back-burner and been added to as the author goes about her life and notices yet another scenario which pertains exclusively to women – their place in society, the way they see themselves, the way they are perceived by others etc. etc. until a large enough collection was formed to publish a book. And it really is quite an extraordinary book.

My only negative comment is that, for me, the execution didn’t quite live up to my expectations because it just wasn’t subtle enough. The stories were very original yet somehow lacked finesse. It was very much a sledgehammer approach which meant that the situations were easily recognisable (and I concede that I may have missed the point if they had been too subtle) but I found that the writing style became a bit “samey” as the stories went on.

I would recommend this book wholeheartedly to the female half of the population. I really have no idea whether it would appeal to men, or whether they would be able to relate to it, or whether they may even be affronted by it but it would be interesting to find out.

This was a book I read through my Book Club. I haven’t read any of Cecilia Ahern’s previous books so didn’t know what to expect.

I have read the first few stories and just found them a bit silly - and so short. I’m sure there’s some deep meaning to them but it was wasted on me. Unfortunately, as you can tell, it wasn’t for me.

Blimey, what a usual collection of short stories.
Each one stands out as a real life situation even though the tale itself is science fiction, I was reminded a little of the Roald Dahl books " tales of the unexpected".
So insightful into how woman feel, think, look, express themselves but in a totally original writing style.
The fact the tales are very short is handy if you want a quick read whilst on the go.
Highly recommended this.

Although this collection of short stories are very cleverly written, the style and content were just not for me.
I read a few of the stories and unfortunately found myself giving up.

I’ve dipped in and out of this book of short stories, all entitled ‘The Woman Who…’ There’s a real variety, and some are thought-provoking, some are fantastical, some entertained (me) more than others. I read this with my book club and would ordinarily avoid short stories so it’s perhaps not a fair rating from me.

Oh WOW. I loved this book. Strong impressions and thoughts. Not a blaming everything on all men book but a brilliant self strengthening book. I want to send it to every woman and girl I know. Amazing that all the stories are written by one woman as each one is so different but each has great insight into a woman's insecurities, worries, feelings of inadequacies and feelings.
A book I will read over and over again and highly recommend to everyone.

📚 I was very sceptical before picking up this book because I generally don't like compilations of short stories. However, after the first chapter I couldn’t put this book down.

📚 Cecelia Ahern dissects social societal conventions that women are subject to throughout different phases of life, through some powerful metaphors.

📚 This book is very clever and tells short stories through nameless female characters that we can all relate to. Some short stories resonate more than others which I can attribute to my age and experience. I will definitely return to this book in future as I get older.

📚 A perfect read for anyone who is an advocate for female liberation and empowerment. A powerful reminder that women have to stick together and support one another

Roar is an amazing book of 30 short stories, each beginning with “The Woman Who…”. The stories are sharp, clever and very entertaining. It’s a book about woman; it’s funny and it’s beautifully written. Each story features a woman who discovers herself and the power to change. It’s a charming, thought-provoking and engaging read. I enjoyed every one of the stories.

In particularly I liked “The Woman Who Was Swallowed Up by the Floor and Who Met Lots of Other Women Down There Too”. The title says it all and it’s a story that most people can relate to. It’s written with humour and insight.

I liked that I could pick up and read just one story in a few pages. There’s no need to remember where you left off in a story as each is a stand-alone piece. Great for reading at night.

These stories are gems and I recommend reading Cecelia Ahern’s latest collection.