Official Review: The Diary Of Harri Foxx by Sue Lloyd

e-tasana-williams · Post by **e-tasana-williams** » 13 Aug 2016, 17:58

[Following is the official OnlineBookClub.org review of "The Diary Of Harri Foxx" by Sue Lloyd.]

4 out of 4 stars

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Agoraphobia, depression and general anxiety have plagued Harri Foxx ever since the "unmentionable event" occurred. The Diary of Harri Foxx is author Sue Lloyd's latest novel. The title character is a 40-something single woman living in Manchester, England, who has not left her home since a traumatic event changed her life forever. Via diary entries written over 28 days in March, Harri draws the reader into her confidence as she slowly unfolds the story of her current life and how it came to be.

Harri never leaves her home, but she does not lack a social life. She keeps her door unlocked, and her neighbors and friends drop in throughout the day. Described as "...an odd bunch, and a mixed bag...", Harri's fellow council housing residents regularly stop by her place to share groceries, gossip and a cup of tea. They are angels who keep her connected to the outside world. Harri finds herself trapped by her mental illness. She asks herself several times over why she cannot be "normal" like everyone else and move on with her life. It is not until the last pages of the novel that the reader learns what Harri's fate will be.

Although Lloyd addresses serious topics in this novel, it is not all intensity. There is lots of comic relief by way of Harri's neighbors and her best friend Bobbi. Their personality quirks and relationship antics help break up the emotional intensity in just the right way. I found myself laughing out loud more than once.

Lloyd writes a compelling novel that moves along at a nice pace. I did not want to put this book down. Harri is such a believable character that the reader never gets the impression she is fictional. It seems like a real woman has made her diary and intimate thoughts available to them. Lloyd has written that she loves people watching and psychology. If she does not have personal experience with anxiety and depression, then she has certainly done her research well.

Readers who have experience with clinical depression will appreciate this book, as they may feel the writing resonates with their own knowledge. Readers looking for an easy, happy-go-lucky read will not find that here. The Diary of Harri Foxx has depth and is thought-provoking.

The book is well-edited with few grammatical errors. I rate this novel 4 out of 4 stars. Thanks to Sue Lloyd for an authentic heart-felt tale.

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The Diary Of Harri Foxx
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bluemel4 · Post by **bluemel4** » 17 Aug 2016, 17:05

Fantastic review! I appreciate that the author used humor to defuse an otherwise intensely emotional tale.

e-tasana-williams · Post by **e-tasana-williams** » 25 Aug 2016, 12:38

Thank you for your response! Yes, the humor definitely made a difference in this touching story.

Post by **Kourtney Bradley** » 25 Aug 2016, 14:47

Great review! & Congrats to the author for receiving such a great review!

e-tasana-williams · Post by **e-tasana-williams** » 29 Aug 2016, 05:35

Thank you for your response!

rssllue · Post by **rssllue** » 29 Aug 2016, 05:44

Very thorough review. It seems like the story really resonated with you. Great job!

Strangerthanfiction · Post by **Strangerthanfiction** » 10 Oct 2016, 09:46

Thank you for the insightful, thoughtful review. I think this book will be hitting very close to home for me and I am ver much looking forward to reading it.

mindyg123 · Post by **mindyg123** » 10 Oct 2016, 10:20

Depression and mental illness need to be brought out into the light more and thanks to this author it is. Breaking up the seriousness with humor is a god idea.

Rebecca675 · Post by **Rebecca675** » 10 Oct 2016, 10:35

I am very eager to read this book, it sounds like an entertaining and yet meaningful read.

Though I do not suffer with the same issues I have those close to me who do and I always enjoy getting a better glimpse into what life is like for them!

Thank you for the thorough review!!

chocomeiske · Post by **chocomeiske** » 10 Oct 2016, 10:37

Thanks for the review. Clinical depression is such an important topic and I think often persons don't understand that someone suffering from depression can't just decide not to be depressed anymore. This sounds interesting and educational.

Post by **Annelore Trujillo** » 10 Oct 2016, 10:39

Great review! This sounds like a really interesting book. I like that it is written in a diary format from her point of view.

TrishaAnn92 · Post by **TrishaAnn92** » 10 Oct 2016, 10:42

What a powerful review for a powerful book! I like that it is diffused with humor to keep it from becoming too weighed down! It's not something I would normally read though. Congrats to the author on a positive review and being BOTD!

AT+rmarathon[16] · Post by **AT+rmarathon[16]** » 10 Oct 2016, 10:44

wonderful review ...seems like a thoroughly engaging read

Post by **bookowlie** » 10 Oct 2016, 10:51

Nice, insightful review! The book sounds interesting, although I'm not sure it's my cup of tea. I like that you mentioned the weighty subject matter is offset a little by some comic relief by the neighbors anda Harri's best friend.