Review – All About Us by Tom Ellen

Posted November 2, 2020 by Carole in 2020 New Release Challenge, Book Reviews / 8 Comments

All About Us by Tom Ellen
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
Publication Date: October 16, 2020
Date Read: October 27, 2020
Length:  400 pages
Source: Publisher
★★★★☆

If you could turn back the clock, would you choose a different life?

Ben’s
always loved the month of December, but this year, with his
relationship with Daphne on the rocks, it’s missing its usual magic. And
then his old friend Alice gets back in touch. Ben’s always thought of
Alice as the one that got away, and he can’t help but wonder: what if
he’d done things differently all those years ago?

He never
imagines he might get to find out… but when a stranger sells Ben a
mysterious watch one freezing winter’s night, he’s astonished to wake up
the next morning on 5th December 2005: the day he first kissed Daphne,
leaving Alice behind.

Now Ben must make the biggest decision of
his life, all over again. But this time around, will he finally find the
courage to follow his heart?

All About Us is a
captivating novel of heartbreak and loss, friendship and hope – and how
the choices we make throughout our lives will shape our destiny.

My Review
This really was a delightful story!  I decided to read this book simply because I liked the sound of it.  Who hasn’t wondered if the choices that they have made in life were the right ones and where different choices would have led.  I was ready to go on this journey with Ben and it turned out to be even better than I could have hoped.  I really liked this original and romantic retelling of A Christmas Carol.
Ben and Daphne have been married for a while and at the start of the book, we see that their marriage has hit a very rough spot.  Ben goes out for a drink with his best friend and meets a strange man that gives him a watch stuck at 11:59.  This begins an eye-opening journey through Ben’s past, present, and future that will help Ben see what is really important.
I loved Ben and really enjoyed seeing some of the important events in his life.  It was great seeing how his different relationships grew and changed over time and the impact they all had on his life.  It was great seeing those early days with Daphne and I like seeing Ben remember how things used to be between them.  The moments with Ben’s Mom were very touching and some of the most powerful in the book for me.   The glimpse of the future that Ben thought that he might have wanted to be made everything completely clear.  
I would recommend this book to others.  I thought that this was a wonderful story filled with great characters and the perfect amount of romance.  I wouldn’t hesitate to read more of Tom Ellen’s work in the future.
I received an advanced review copy of this book from HarperCollins Publishers – HQ.
About the Author

Tom Ellen is the co-author of two critically acclaimed Young Adult novels: Freshman and A Totally Awkward Love Story.
His books have been widely translated and are published in 15
countries. He is a regular contributor to Viz magazine, and as a
journalist he has written for Cosmopolitan, Empire, Evening Standard Magazine, Glamour, NME, ShortList, Time Out, Vice and many more. All About Us is his debut adult novel. He lives in Paris.

8 responses to “Review – All About Us by Tom Ellen

  1. hmmm….if i could turn back time…things would remain the same. i wouldn't have gotten to where i am if things had been different and i am happy with my life…most of the time. 🙂
    sherry @ fundinmental

  2. Ben's mom ? Those were some of the most beautiful moments. I especially loved the look into the past and how Ben started to see the events in a different way. Loved this one so much