Beautiful World, Where Are You

Bookseller recommendation

“This is the first Sally Rooney book I've read. Rooney writes characters the way you meet people in life. Through their words and actions, you create a picture of their personalities, and even with glimpses into their private thoughts, which Rooney does here through email correspondence between two women, you still never get a complete picture of who they are. Because like the people you meet in life, they are a mystery to even themselves. I found the characters at once infuriating and endearing. There were moments when I didn't think I was going to like this book because I was so mad at one of them. But I couldn’t tear myself away. I wanted to know why they acted as they did and what was going to happen to them. The person who recommended this book to me said it made them cry. I didn't understand this. Then I reached the last sentence, turned the audio off, sat for a moment, and cried. I don't know why! Which, when I think about it, is something the characters in the book say a lot. And I suppose it's true. We don't know why for many things, but if we are happy, it doesn't really matter, does it? Aoife McMahon does a perfect job.”

— Kristine • Buttonwood Books and Toys

Bookseller recommendation

“Rooney's characters are deeply drawn, complex people. No one is a hero or villian. I most enjoyed the email correspondence between Alice and Elieen, as they contemplate personal relationships, their friendship, and the state of the world.”

— Amy • A Great Good Place for Books

Bookseller recommendation

“'Humanity on the cusp of extinction [&] here I am writing another email about sex & friendship. What else is there to live for?' A mastery of capacious dialogue; this page-turner satisfies with 21st century romance & unanswered questions that will linger in any hopeful, nihilistic heart.”

— Jill • Collected Works Bookstore

Bookseller recommendation

“I think I've found my preferred format of Rooney—the audiobook. Aoife McMahon narrates all three of Rooney's works and is super consistent. She makes every book unique and her voice is super compelling. Rooney's characters always frustrate me but there is something about her writing and her imperfect characters that hooks me every time. Alice and Eileen are two best friends who are each embarking on different relationships and are at different points of their personal and romantic lives. I had a hard time telling them apart at first (the downside of a single narrator on a multi-perspective book) but once I got them straight, I quite enjoyed this novel the touches on their lives on the brink of the pandemic. Like all of Rooney's twenty-something main characters, you want to slap them sometimes... or all the time but that's kind of why I like it? Perhaps these books aren't for everyone but I highly encourage you to try them in different formats and maybe you too will learn to like Rooney's writing as it shines in audiobook format!”

— Kimi • Buttonwood Books and Toys

Bookseller recommendation

“Another incredible story! The characters are vibrant and familiar, and the intimate moments are uniquely painted. It’s as if a close friend is confessing their life to you and you are seeing yourself in it.”

— Katie Kenney • Bank Square Books