Marshmallows for Breakfast is the second book I have read by Dorothy Koomson. Earlier this year I read her novel 'My Best Friend's Girl' which I absolutely adored so I was very keen to read this one and it did not disappoint! It is the sort of book which should appeal to you if you like reading ... Read review
When Kendra Tamale boards a plane from Australia to England she's leaving behind a painful ... more
affair with a married man and the hideous memory of how things ended. She arrives in her home town of London rents a room from Kyle a divorced father of two a...
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Marshmallows for Breakfast is the second book I have read by Dorothy Koomson. Earlier this year I read her novel 'My Best Friend's Girl' which I absolutely adored so I was very keen to read this one and it did not disappoint! It is the sort of book which should appeal to you if you like reading about people and relationships but it is definitely not 'chick lit'!
The main character in the book is Kendra. Things have happened in her ... ...pronounces that her's tastes of marshmallows - hence the title! The breakfast theme runs throughout the book, with every few chapters sectioned off under something else that you might have for breakfast. I have to admit that I wasn't sure of the significance of all these!
Overall though this is an excellent book which I enjoyed from the first page. It was an emotional read and a book that made you think, but overall it is a very uplifting ... more
Marshmallows for Breakfast is the second book I have read by Dorothy Koomson. Earlier this year I read her novel 'My Best Friend's Girl' which I absolutely adored so I was very keen to read this one and it did not disappoint! It is the sort of book which should appeal to you if you like reading about people and relationships but it is definitely not 'chick lit'!
The main character in the book is Kendra. Things have happened in her past which still have a serious impact on her life and she seems to spend a lot of her life running away rather than confronting her problems. At the start of the book, she is newly arrived in Britain from Australia ready to start a new uncomplicated life. She rents a small flat from Kyle, a recently separated man with two small children. Her determination to keep herself to herself though is soon tested when she finds herself with two small visitors - Summer and Jaxon - the two children in question. They have already decided that she is going to be a part of their lives and she soon discovers that, try as she may, she cannot turn her back on two needy children.
As the story progresses, Kendra becomes more and more involved with the family and becomes integral to helping them with their problems. As this involvement grows, so does her love for them all, and it's not long before she realises that she needs them as much as they need her! As she falls in love with the family, she finds the strength to face up to her past and ultimately move on with her life.
I thought this was an excellent book. It was very readable and also very emotional. Some parts will make you laugh, such as some of the antics that the two children get up to, and other parts will bring tears to your eyes. The book is written in such a way that at times you will be likely to be feeling these two extremes of emotion at the same time!
There are a lot of flashbacks in the story. I liked this because it meant that Kendra's story was gradually unfolding before me and this kept me intrigued. I tend not to like it when I know too much right at the beginning - I like to be kept guessing and trying to work out for myself what might have happened.
The novel is not just about Kendra though. There are a number of different storylines that are interweaved beautifully throughout the book. Kyle's separation from his wife and his struggle to come to terms with this is a strong storyline as is his developing relationship with his children. Also, Kendra's work at a recruitment agency tells another story and develops her friendship with her boss Gabrielle, who is desperately trying to help her. I loved the way all these stories worked so well together.
I found all the characters tremendously likeable and as a consequence I found myself really caring about what happened to them. The story is mainly written in the first person from Kendra's viewpoint and this gives a very good insight to her thoughts and feelings. Kyle is a very interesting character too. He presents a very vulnerable figure, sometimes very sad, and floundering as to how best look after and protect his small family. Best of all for me had to be the two small children who are developed so well that you can just picture them. Summer is confident and outspoken whereas her brother is shy and nervous. Both are very needy and crying out for some stability in their lives. If they were ever to make a film of this book, they would need to find two incredibly cute kids, and you could guarantee there would not be a dry eye in the house!
The book explores a lot of issues but in a sensitive way. these include love, separation, divorce, assault, betrayal and alcoholism. These are all central themes to the story, and although I would not describe the novel as 'heavy', does not always make for light reading.
The title of the book is quite intriguing. Very early on, after their first unplanned meeting, Kyle invites Kendra for breakfast. She reluctantly accepts, not wanting to get involved, and turns up to what can only be described as chaos! She somehow manages to turn the situation around by telling the children that Saturday breakfasts are special - they have to have matching bowls and put a bag of wishes in with their cereal. The children go along with her and Summer pronounces that her's tastes of marshmallows - hence the title! The breakfast theme runs throughout the book, with every few chapters sectioned off under something else that you might have for breakfast. I have to admit that I wasn't sure of the significance of all these!
Overall though this is an excellent book which I enjoyed from the first page. It was an emotional read and a book that made you think, but overall it is a very uplifting book and really celebrates the love and joy that young children can bring into your lives - even if they are not your own!
The book is published by Sphere, nd my paperback version with 440 pages, has a RRP of £6.99.
kingfisher111 23.03.2008 (23.03.2008)
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Review of Marshmallows for Breakfast - Dorothy Koomson
Advantages: Full of suspense and emotion Disadvantages: Ive finished it!
Marshmallows for breakfast is the 3rd book I have read by Dorothy Koomson and it is her follow up novel to the successful My Best Friends Girl which I thoroughly enjoyed.
The main character in the story is Kendra Tamale and she has just returned to the UK from Australia. We find out from flashbacks and snippets of information that are fed to us throughout the book that something has happened to her out there and she left the country in a rush. Further ... ...in the UK and was her reason for moving to Australia in the first place. These secrets' become apparant at the end of the book.
Although these secrets and flashbacks are an integral part of the book and build up the suspense throughout the read, it runs alongside Kendras current life. When Kendra arrives back in the UK she rents a house from Kyle, a recently seperated dad of two. His children, Summer and Jaxon, soon latch on to Kendra and a friendship ...
kirkytracy 09.05.2008
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Marshmallows for Breakfast - Dorothy Koomson
Advantages: Deals with serious themes and issues Disadvantages: Couldn't engage with the characters, a chore to finish
I read one of Dorothy Koomson's earlier novels, "My Best Friend's Girl", a while ago and was literally sobbing my way throughout the very first chapter! As it happened, I didn't feel that the rest of the novel lived up to the opening (or to the hype) but I did come away with the feeling that I'd like to read some more of the author's work in future. I picked 'Marshmallows for Breakfast' from a charity shop a few months ago and started reading it ... ...on my bedside cabinet, unfinished, despite repeated attempts to get into the story. From an avid (and very quick) book reader like myself, that is not a good sign! Fortunately, I have managed to force myself to finish it as I really hate to leave a book unfinished. The story centres around Kendra Temale who has recently returned to England from Australia (for reasons that are only hesitantly revealed much later in the book.) She rents a flat from ...
jo-1976 27.10.2009
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Marshmallows for Breakfast - Dorothy Koomson
Advantages: Gentle, great story, heart-warming, lovely story Disadvantages: None
Dorothy Koomson first came to my attention last year when her novel "My Best Friend's Girl" was one of Richard and Judy's Summer Reads 2006. I adored that story and when I saw in Waterstones that she had another book coming out, I went straight in and bought it, and I am glad I did. It was one of the most moving stories I have read for a long time, wonderfull, sensitively written, and a joy to read.
The author Dorothy Koomson has been writing since ... ...She grew up in London and went to University at Leeds. She finally got her big break writing for magazines. Her first novel The Cupid Effect was her first published book, but it was her third book My Best Friends Girl was a runaway success after Richard and Judy. Dorothy, like Kendra in the novel, also lived in Sydney, Australia until recently when she came back to the UK.
Now to the novel. The book follows one main character, a black female called ...
mummy2harry 19.06.2007
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Marshmallows for Breakfast - Dorothy Koomson
Advantages: easy to read, good characters Disadvantages: not as good as her other books, predictable
I got this book out of the library after having enjoyed two of Dorothy Koomson's previous books, I was looking forward to getting my teeth into a good book and losing myself in an interesting plot and story but sadly this never happened with this book and I found myself disappointed.
**Dorothy Koomson.**
I've read many of her books including My Best Friend's Girl which was a huge hit after Richard and Judy promoted it. This book left a bit of an ... ...it I think about it so that's always a sure sign of a well written book as far as I am concerned. I also enjoyed her book The Cupid Effect and I have Chocolate Run waiting for me on my bookshelf to read next. Her writing style tends to always describe the characters very well so you really get to understand where they're coming from which is what I like. She tends to write about families and ethnic minorities. I have just opened the book to try to ...
lorriellah 24.09.2009
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Marshmallows for Breakfast - Dorothy Koomson
Advantages: I got the book from the Library Disadvantages: Weak storyline and dull characters
After reading another of Dorothy Koomson's novels "My Best Friend's Girl" - a book which I very much enjoyed after it MADE me want to read more, even after crying when reading it! - I decided to try Koomson's new offering.....''Marshmallows for Breakfast''. '''What’s the Story?''' The premise featured on the back of the book offers me hints of an undisclosed secret/scandal that ruins somebody’s life in a very dramatic way - it hints of some kind ... ...wanted to read. '''Characters''' The story centres on Kendra Tamale, a lady who has recently returned to England from Australia, the reason why is not given until the very end, I suppose this is too make you carry on reading the book! (Not much else does!) Enter Kyle Gadsborough, a single Dad who struggling to cope with two six year old twins who are missing their mother. Kendra rents a flat off Kyle, which is conveniently situated as an annexe in ...
lds1985 15.12.2009
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Marshmallows for Breakfast - Dorothy Koomson
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