What readers think of A Million Things, plus links to write your own review.

A Million Things is an emotional and thoughtfully poised novel from the POV of a 10 year old girl. I wasn't expecting the author's ability to really describe and give experiences from a child's eye and mind but the perspective and storyline captures your attention almost immediately and then proceeds to tug at your heart all the way to the end.

I don't typically like the fiction trope of a child and elderly person becoming friends - it is often handled in a manner that makes for saccharine reading. However, Emily Spurr has disabused me of that notion with two perfectly spirited but cantankerous characters, Rae and Lettie.

Rae is a ten year old and the narrator of this novel. While she doesn't always sound/act exactly like a ten year old, she is generally "believable" as a child who is being forced to grow up too quickly. It took me a beat to realize that when she is talking in second person, she is talking to her dead parent. For much of the book, I thought this deceased character was her father; without the 3rd person gender signifiers like he/her, I just assumed for no reason it was her father until something clued me in (much further in the book) that it was her mom (the book synopsis does refer to her mom but I try not to reread those when I start a book because I don't like even small spoilers). I wish this element of the novel had been expressed more clearly.

The book is atmospheric, which helps in the early chapters when Rae has almost no interactions outside of those with her dog, Splints. The pacing is still a bit slow at first, but I was captivated once Lettie and Rae begin communicating in earnest. They have a unique relationship, and each is independent and hiding the dark parts of themselves. While both receive help and help each other in some ways, this isn't a simple story of friends saving each other. Overall, this is a fantastic debut novel and I look forward to more books by Spurr.

"A Million Things" by Emily Spurt is a delightful look at an unlikely friendship between a young girl, Rae or "Kid" and her elderly neighbor, Lettie or "Old Goat". Rae finds herself suddenly alone in life (except for her dog Splinter) and is facing multiple daily obstacles and challenges. Lettie is equally lonely and is a massive hoarder with no help in sight. Together they work to find a way forward.
I found the writing to be beautifully evocative, especially as Rae describes the sights, smells, and feel of her everyday life. The conclusion of the story felt a little too abrupt for my liking. I would have liked an additional chapter that showed Rae as she makes the transition to the next part of her life.

I enjoyed reading this book although it was a tragic story. The author chose an interesting way to convey what it is like to live with a mentally ill parent. The story is told in first person through the eyes of the ten-year old daughter of a mother who has recently killed herself. That happens early in the book so it is not a spoiler. The daughter is left alone with her dog to fend for herself. She is an amazing young girl and I don't think there are many kids who would cope as well as she did. I wondered whether she was realistic but she was such a great character I just chose to believe in her and enjoy her resiliency. You get to know the neighbors around her as she struggles to cope with taking care of herself in her mother's absence. Her elderly next- door neighbor is a hoarder so that is another kind of mental illness explored in the book. My review makes it sound like the book is depressing but it is actually uplifting if you can suspend your belief in the likelihood of this young protagonist being so amazing.

A Million Things is an account of a ten year old girl being left on her own by a dysfunctional mother. Through her narration we experience what is going on in her head. It is the sad story of survival tactics and independence that is eventually tempered by friendship with a problematic neighbor and young boy in the neighborhood.

It got a little bogged down and wordy in the beginning but then was hard to put down until I learned the outcome. It is not an uplifting book but would be recommended for people interested in psychological adventures.It would make a good book club selection - lots to discuss.

Even though the setting is Australia, this story could happen anywhere. The two main characters, a young girl and an old woman, are well-done and although adversaries at first, become necessary for each other's survival. Both are going through trying times, and somehow stumble into a mutually beneficial arrangement. The plot is slow but there is always some suspense to keep one reading. Not a great read, but a satisfying one.

Following a gruesome event, youngster Rae must find a way to cope while maintaining an appearance of normalcy. Her elderly neighbor, Lettie, provides a begrudged friendship and the lonely twosome bond. While I liked both spunky Rae and irascible Lettie, I found other characters to be flat and merely foils to move the narrative along. The incident with the dog, Splinter, was implausible though it should have been heart-wrenching. While the ending appears hopeful, I instead felt that it portended more loneliness and isolation for Rae, as her grandmother tries to repair the damage she did to her own child.