View source for A Hundred Pieces of Me by Lucy Dillon

{{infobox1
|title=A Hundred Pieces of Me
|sort=Hundred Pieces of Me, A
|author=Lucy Dillon
|reviewer=Louise Jones
|genre=Women's Fiction
|rating=3.5
|buy=Maybe
|borrow=Yes
|isbn=9781444727074
|pages=512
|publisher=Hodder
|date=February 2014
|summary=One flat: One hundred items. What would YOU keep?
|cover=1444727079
|aznuk=1444727079
|aznus=B00DS9G0NG
}}

'''Shortlisted: Romantic Novel Awards 2015 - Contemporary Romantic Novel'''

New flat, new life. 

Newly-single Gina sits in her shiny new apartment surrounded by towers of cardboard boxes; each containing fragments of the old life that she is desperate to put behind her. Admiring the blank canvas before her, she makes a pact with herself to sell or donate the majority of her possessions and create a special list of one hundred precious, meaningful items that she will keep. As she begins to create her list, each item evokes powerful memories, opening windows in time and enabling Gina to see the need for closure on past relationships and events in order to move forward.

I chose this book because the plot seemed unique and intriguing. As Gina created her list, it was impossible not to start creating a list of my own and I imagine that the same debate will be played out countless times in book groups across the country over the coming months. Another quirky plot feature that I enjoyed was the out-of-sequence series of flashbacks, all written in the present tense, that enabled me to slowly build up a picture of Gina’s life and understand how she arrived at her present situation. The flashbacks slowly drip-fed tantalising morsels of information that kept me turning the pages, hungry to discover more pieces of the puzzle that would eventually lead to a complete picture of events.

Dillon has a very readable writing style and is adept and describing characters and surroundings, transporting the reader into the heart of the scene. I also liked the way that she linked houses and buildings to the personalities of the owners. 

I did, however, have a problem with the plot, something that really disappointed me. Gina got to number thirty on her list and then abruptly stopped! Suddenly she decided that the list was not relevant any more. She does eventually manage to replace her list with something more meaningful, but I felt quite short-changed, as I had been led to believe that the list of one hundred items was the central plot of the book. With this fundamental pillar removed, the book lost some of its sparkle and started to revert to a more regular form of chick-lit. The flashbacks, however, remained a redeeming feature that enabled me to complete all 515 pages of the book.

I did enjoy the story though, despite the feeling of having the rug pulled out from underneath me with the plot. I couldn’t review the book without giving a special mention to my favourite character of all, Buzz the greyhound. The relationship between Gina and Buzz was beautifully written and Dillon’s love for dogs shines through each scene. I imagine that the greyhound rescue charities will have a hard time keeping up with demand once this book hits the shelves!

If you like this book, you may enjoy [[Lost Dogs and Lonely Hearts by Lucy Dillon]].

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