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The Cactus
The Cactus
The Cactus
Audiobook10 hours

The Cactus

Written by Sarah Haywood

Narrated by Katherine Manners

4/5

()

About this audiobook

In this witty and heartfelt debut, one woman’s unconventional journey to motherhood means learning to embrace the unexpected

Even the prickliest cactus has its flower…

For Susan Green, messy emotions don’t fit into the equation of her perfectly ordered life. She has a flat that is ideal for one, a job that suits her passion for logic and an “interpersonal arrangement” that provides cultural and other, more intimate, benefits. But suddenly confronted with the loss of her mother and the news that she is about to become a mother herself, Susan’s greatest fear is realized. She is losing control.

When she learns that her mother’s will inexplicably favors her indolent brother, Edward, Susan’s already dismantled world is sent flying into a tailspin. As Susan’s due date draws near and her family problems become increasingly difficult to ignore, Susan finds help and self-discovery in the most unlikely of places.

Featuring an endearing cast of characters and tremendous heart, The Cactus is a poignant debut and a delightful reminder that some things can’t be explained by logic alone.

Editor's Note

Book club pick…

Reese Witherspoon selected “The Cactus” as her June 2019 Hello Sunshine book club pick. “This title is a perfect metaphor for Susan who is a single, regimented woman faced with an unexpected pregnancy just as she navigates a difficult family inheritance issue at the same time. I found myself laughing out loud at Susan’s prickly character as she finds herself in a love triangle, navigating family ties and dealing with 9 months of pregnancy at the age of 45,” Witherspoon wrote on the club’s website.

LanguageEnglish
PublisherHarperAudio
Release dateMay 1, 2018
ISBN9781488204562
The Cactus

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Reviews for The Cactus

4/5

518 ratings31 reviews

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  • 5/5
    Susan was one of the most delightful characters I’ve encountered in a long time.
  • 4/5
    Enjoyable audiobook , loved the British accent. Interesting story.
  • 3/5
    This starts out a little slow but hang in there! It’s worth the listen!
  • 4/5
    Interesting story. The relationship between the siblings is interesting. Leaves lots of space to imagine the feelings of the characters.
  • 5/5
    I loved this book it was funny and had an unexpected twist at the end. I’m not sure why there are so many negative reviews. I Guess you will have to read it and see for yourself but I thoroughly enjoyed it.
  • 5/5
    Susan is a character I won't soon forget. A fresh story with twistsi didn't see coming.
  • 3/5
    O audiobook é muito bom. A história em si pode ser cansativa, repetitiva. Mas agora eu entendo o que as pessoas falam sobre achar a Susan estranha no início e depois compreendê-la perfeitamente
  • 3/5
    3.5 wanted to enjoy this more, but it was a bit flat.

  • 5/5
    Made me laugh and cry and dark in love with the characters
  • 5/5
    This book made me smile a lot, laugh at times, even though I had figured out the plot twist early on. It didn’t matter that I knew but only the realization of the characters as they became aware that all was not as it seemed. I love a happy ending and this book delivered.
  • 5/5
    Great book! Recommend. I’m glad it had a happy ending!
  • 1/5
    Well, most reviews said that they didn't like it at first but forced themselves to wait until the end and then they liked it. I didn't do that. I stopped at chapter 11 because I was bored, didn't like any character and didn't think there was any point to the book. Life is too short to spend it "forcing" yourself to finish a book to see if you'll like it. There are plenty of wonderful books out there.
  • 4/5
    Once this got up and going, it was a fun listen into a “another Susan’s” world that I couldn’t relate to at first but enjoyed hearing about. I also had the hard copy and liked switching back and forth as I was able. I still could hear the voice reading along with me. Fun, easy read with a sweet message!
  • 5/5
    Absolutely loved this book. Susan is an incredibly well developed character who I grew to love over the course of the book. I laughed, cried, and couldn’t put this book down. Highly recommend!
  • 4/5
    Refreshingly honest and human. The reader's ability to capture the character's personalities made it hard to stop listening.
  • 4/5
    I like a book that hooks me from the start. While this was not that type of book I enjoyed the humor and story.
  • 5/5
    Easy read with a blissfully wonderful ending. I don’t know if it was an issue with my phone or the recording but it skipped and had gaps of the story. I thought I may miss something important to the story but I don’t think I did. Lovely story and perfectly narrated.
  • 4/5
    I enjoyed most of this book, but toward the end it got a bit stupid. I was disappointed with the ending. It is still a good book, and I don't want to spoil it.
  • 5/5
    I see so much of myself in Susan. Need for rules and order, etc. I hope I'm not as unbearable at time as she is. That being said, this is a lovely book that brought tears to my eyes at the end. Highly recommended, even if you recognize yourself as a cactus!
  • 5/5
    I loved this. Didn’t expect to when people compared it to Eleanor Oliphant which I didn’t like. This book kept my interest and made me laugh numerous times. I was sad to finish it.
  • 4/5
    I enjoyed the characters, and the emergence of Susan. Also the book was cleverly narrated.
  • 4/5
    The main character was exhausting! This was an interesting book.
  • 4/5
    Entertaining book with an ending with a twist I didn’t expect.
  • 3/5
    This is exactly like “Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine” but with a happier ending. You spend most of the book wondering if she has maybe a disorder then boom, love.

    I will say I was invested in the story line and finished it pretty quickly, but if you are looking for a rom com or a feel good story- this isn’t it.

    1 person found this helpful

  • 4/5
    It was funny and unexpected . I nice change yet similar to Sophie kinsella.

    1 person found this helpful

  • 2/5
    Story was predictable and uneventful. Didn’t care much for it.

    1 person found this helpful

  • 3/5
    I read it even though it was on Reese
    “don’t you know who I am? “ witherspoon’s list. I should have known better. Pretty formulaic.

    1 person found this helpful

  • 4/5
    Almost gave up on this story as it seemed to take a long time to develop and the main character was so negative that it bothered me. I read a few reviews and decided to give it a chance. I ended up really enjoying the story and fell in love with the main character. Lots of twists and unexpected turns.

    1 person found this helpful

  • 4/5
    This is an odd book in that Susan, the main character, is so mind numbingly logical and pragmatic it's hard not to be irritated with her, but in the end she's grown on you and you find you liked the story somehow.

    1 person found this helpful

  • 5/5
    I enjoyed this book and its very unique female protagonist. The Cactus is Fast-paced and witty - full of twists and exceeding expectations.

    1 person found this helpful