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Without Alice

by D.J. Kirkby (Goodreads Author)

3.73 of 5 stars 3.73 · rating details · 44 ratings · 17 reviews

Have you ever had a secret? One so important that it feels as if it will tear you in two? Stephen's got one. He's also got a great job, beautiful wife and an adorable son. Outwardly his life seems perfect but it means nothing without Alice. Read 'Without Alice' and meet a man who you will love to hate until you learn to love him.

212 pages

Published October 4th 2010 by Punked Books (first published September 28th 2010)

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Jan 22, 2011 Rebecca Bradley rated it 4 of 5 stars

I read Without Alice very recently after talking to Denyse via twitter and Facebook. I'm usually a crime novel kind of girl as you can see from the books on my read list, but I wanted to read work by people I actually "knew", so I started Without Alice.

I found it brilliantly written. The first part of the book really had me hooked as I connected with everything that was happening as Jennie gave birth and worked through all the concerns mothers to premature babies go through. The story then goes...more

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Apr 08, 2012 Kim Nash rated it 5 of 5 stars

I really loved and enjoyed this book.

Without Alice started with different people being pregnant and giving birth. These scenes fall into place further into the book.

Part one of the book started with Jennie giving birth whilst husband Stephen hovered around in the background not being particularly complementary towards Jennie or helping her in any way whatsoever. Whilst Jennie and their baby Marcel were still in the hospital and Stephen was working away from home (allegedly), their house was bu...more I really loved and enjoyed this book.

Without Alice started with different people being pregnant and giving birth. These scenes fall into place further into the book.

Part one of the book started with Jennie giving birth whilst husband Stephen hovered around in the background not being particularly complementary towards Jennie or helping her in any way whatsoever. Whilst Jennie and their baby Marcel were still in the hospital and Stephen was working away from home (allegedly), their house was burgled. The police tried to get hold of Stephen yet nobody could get in touch with him leaving Jennie to leave her baby in hospital going to sort out the mess then returning to the hospital.

Stephen worked away from home a lot leaving Jennie to cope with a fractious baby and learning how to be a new mom to a demanding baby all on her own. Their love life became non-existant and it became clear to her that Stephen didn't love her or want to be with her but was only with her because he loved their baby.

It would appear that Stephen has many many secrets that he has kept from his wife. Stephen also appeared to have lots of secrets from other people too. Part two of the book introduces you to the likeable character of Alice and tells you about her life and explains how she is part of Stephen’s life too. I won't spoil the story of the book by telling you any more of the storyline but I will tell you that a totally shocking event happens at the beginning of part three that left me stunned, shocked, open-mouthed and lost for words. And that is not something that happens very often I can tell you!

I thoroughly enjoyed Without Alice. The scenes that Denise describes when the moms are in hospital with their newborn babies reminded me so much of being in that very same position. It reminded me of how I used to stand in the window at night with the curtains open so that if my mom was looking down upon us from Heaven she could see me and my beautiful baby boy. It brought back all the emotions that motherhood meant to me and what a wonderful fabulous experience it was.

I loved the character of Jennie who tried to be the best mom that she possibly could be to her son Marcel. I learned very quickly to dislike the character of Stephen who constantly put Jennie down at every opportunity and was a generally unpleasant person. I felt lots of empathy and compassion towards Alice who through no fault of her own was put into a situation which was unthinkable. Denise's writing in my opinion was excellent. The way she portrays places and characters make them easy to imagine and the storyline had lots of unexpected twists and turns which made the plot interesting yet believable.

The storyline was based around Stephen and Jennie having a one night stand and the consequences of their behaviour on that evening which was life changing for many people who were involved in their lives.

I thoroughly enjoyed without Alice I would love to read more of Denise Kirkby's work and hope that she won’t keep me waiting too long!
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Mar 18, 2011 Gabrielle Kimm rated it 5 of 5 stars

I loved this insightful look into the intertwining lives of Stephen, Jennie and Alice. Perhaps the central idea at the heart of this compelling novel is the fact that the smallest things can have the most profound impact. In her debut novel, D J Kirkby explores the lives of three people born in the same year, who as adults are unexpectedly drawn together. Kirkby has worked for years in midwifery and she depicts birth and early motherhood with great skill and tender compassion - Jennie's experien...more

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Aug 31, 2010 Kathryn rated it 5 of 5 stars

Within a very few pages, I was hooked, caught up in people’s lives and sucked into their story, as if I were in the same room and living through it with them in real time. D.J. Kirkby’s writing is extraordinary and dazzling. She works on every one of your senses: the world she creates feels so real that the characters are more like people you know whom you’re eavesdropping.

D.J. does something remarkable in this, her debut novel. She makes her main character intensely unlikeable and sustains this...more Within a very few pages, I was hooked, caught up in people’s lives and sucked into their story, as if I were in the same room and living through it with them in real time. D.J. Kirkby’s writing is extraordinary and dazzling. She works on every one of your senses: the world she creates feels so real that the characters are more like people you know whom you’re eavesdropping.

D.J. does something remarkable in this, her debut novel. She makes her main character intensely unlikeable and sustains this for half the book. That’s difficult for a reader to cope with and potentially disastrous in the hands of the wrong author. But D.J. has a light touch and handles it deftly. I knew from the blurb that I wasn’t supposed to like Stephen initially (“meet a man who you will love to hate until…”) but I was surprised at how strongly I raged against him throughout Part One. But I didn’t throw the book at the wall or stop reading because, not only did I still want to know who Alice was and why she mattered so much to him, but I also had to know why he was behaving in this way to people I liked and sympathised with. There seemed no good reason for it.

D.J. drops the reader hints and clues along the way but she doesn’t fully explain Stephen or his behaviour until Part Two. I had my theories as to what was behind it all and an idea as to who Alice was but I couldn’t put the book down until I had the answers. Then I had to keep reading to find out if and how it would all be resolved.

Without Alice looks at the important relationships in our lives and raises questions about duty, loyalty and love within those same relationships. But, perhaps most interesting of all for this reader, the book forces you to look at how quickly and easily you can form an opinion or reach a conclusion about someone, not knowing all there is to know about them, only to have to later reassess it when you have more information available to you.

Without Alice is an incredibly accomplished debut novel. It’s a story with many strands to it but somehow D.J.Kirkby threads them all seamlessly together to create an enthralling and credible whole. It is a harrowing story, beautifully told, and one which shows the redemptive power of love. She is a gifted storyteller, an exciting writer to watch, and I can’t wait to read what she does next.(less)

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Dec 28, 2012 Book-shelf Shelf rated it 4 of 5 stars

I was told this is a marmite book, but i have to disagree, with the time scale and the different characters, I am sure there is some thing for everyone.
Starting with the parents giving birth to the main characters, this book takes you on many journeys with lots of twits, turns and leaving you guessing. Most stories I can predict what is going to happen, but with this book i was shocked, surprised and sitting on the edge of my seat. The writing style is unusual and a refreshing change which pers...more

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Apr 10, 2012 Jess the Romanceaholic rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: stock-photos-are-bad-mmmkay, 2012-read, adultery-or-infidelity, family-issues, child-or-children-play-a-big-part, just-no, indie-author, major-character-death, major-illness-or-injury, physically-imperfect-or-scarred

Just really, REALLY not my cup of tea. As another reviewer said, I just felt too horribly for Jennie to really enjoy it.

MAJOR SPOILER:
(view spoiler)

I disagreed with the blurb: "...meet a man who you will love to hate until you learn to love him." Unfortunately, I never did learn to love him.

(view spoiler)...more

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Oct 29, 2010 Teresa rated it 4 of 5 stars

I have discovered some fabulous new (to me) authors via Twitter so I can testifiy that it’s not all mundane tweeting about what folk have for dinner or outpourings of grief at news of the latest X Factor evictee! Via Caroline Smailes (whose excellent novel Like Bees to Honey I have reviewed here) I found out about D J Kirkby (Denyse) who has already written From Zaftig to Aspie, a memoir of her extremely colourful childhood and eventual diagnosis with Aspergers Syndrome at the age of 40. My son...more I have discovered some fabulous new (to me) authors via Twitter so I can testifiy that it’s not all mundane tweeting about what folk have for dinner or outpourings of grief at news of the latest X Factor evictee! Via Caroline Smailes (whose excellent novel Like Bees to Honey I have reviewed here) I found out about D J Kirkby (Denyse) who has already written From Zaftig to Aspie, a memoir of her extremely colourful childhood and eventual diagnosis with Aspergers Syndrome at the age of 40. My son has Aspergers and although I’ve read a lot of non-fiction written by Aspies, Without Alice was my first encounter with an Aspie produced work of fiction. Folk on the “spectrum” are often considered to be quite rigid in their thinking, less able to deal with emotions so I guess I wanted Denyse to prove them all wrong!

The novel opens with the birth of Jennie and Stephen’s son and it quickly becomes apparent that Stephen has a dark secret which would, if disclosed, signal an end to any relationship with his child. The author takes no pains to hide Stephen’s complete lack of respect for Jennie and we wonder how on earth this couple ever got together in the first place. What follows is a slow reveal of Stephen’s past which explains his current dilemna and the emotional void which cripples his existence. Of course, we are free to make up our own minds about Stephen and play the moral high ground judges if we so wish – the novel certainly makes you think how easily it is to get trapped by circumstances and to feel unable to act for fear of hurting others, indeed Stephen has procrastination down to a fine art!

The scenes involving childbirth and the aftermath are particularly true to life, perhaps not surprising given D J Kirkby’s career as a midwife. She really captures the vulnerability of women during pregnancy and the shock of being responsible for a new life. All her characters are very realistic, flawed and all the more engaging for their lack of perfection.

Considering I’m more often drawn to historical rather than contemporary fiction, I was very impressed by this debut novel – great storytelling, vivid characters and a narrative which really engages the reader and makes you think what would you do…

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Jul 27, 2010 Talli Roland rated it 5 of 5 stars

It says a lot about this book that despite it being over 30 degrees on the Central Line, I couldn't stop turning the pages even as sweat dripped from my brow.

The narrative sweeps you along through the lives of the characters, keeping you guessing and wondering how it all will resolve - or indeed if it *will* - in the end.

With realistic, complex characters and an intriguing storyline, it's a must-read!

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Oct 22, 2012 Midwifetobe rated it 5 of 5 stars

Loved this book. A story of love and tragedy.
Hated Stephen to start off with and couldn't understand who Alice was!
Part two reveals the complicated truth and then I started to understand why Stephen was the way he was.
Heartwarming, sad in parts but with a lovely ending.
A feel good book

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Jul 30, 2012 Xanpet rated it 1 of 5 stars

Oh no no no! You don't construct a plot this way. 80% before the main event, a truly horrible central character that no one in their right mind would sympathise with and a heroine who does nothing to help herself.

The worst 77p I've ever spent. I could have had chocolate!

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Sep 28, 2010 Chris rated it 5 of 5 stars

I won a copy of this book on First Reads..............and after reading it, I give this book 5 Stars! In my opinion, D.J. Kirkby writes an incredible story displaying the good and bad; beautiful and ugly; strengths and weaknesses of humankind. The author draws you into the story on page 1, and keeps you turning the pages, with surprise after surprise throughout the book...........all the way until the End! I definitely recommend adding this to your "to read" list. :-)

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May 28, 2012 Gisele rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: my-ebooks, 2012

The premise was good but unfortunately I just didn't feel that the characters were fully developed
Why did he lead a double life?
Why didn't he care he put her through misery?
Unfortunately I felt like I was wading through treacle

A 4* idea but a 2* result. I on,y finished the book because I hate not to. Sorry to disappoint, everyone seems t have given this 5*....

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Jan 27, 2011 Jo Cannon rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Without Alice is an exceptionally clever book. It takes you by the hand and leads you through a story, allowing you to form your own opinions and make judgements on its characters ... then, like all good books, it pulls the carpet from under you and forces you reassess your whole view of the story. This is a beautifully written, brilliantly crafted novel which will capture you from the moment you start reading. I thoroughly enjoyed it. It's very difficult to write an accurate review without spoi...more

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Nov 15, 2011 Natajia rated it 2 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Dec 01, 2012 Vanessa Garlish rated it 5 of 5 stars

Gripping story line. Excellent read.

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Sep 24, 2012 D.J. added it · (Review from the author) · review of another edition

Have you ever had a secret? One so important that it feels as if it will tear you in two? Stephen’s got one. He's also got a great job, beautiful wife and an adorable son. Outwardly his life seems perfect but it means nothing without Alice.

like · see review

Jun 17, 2013 Jenny Quach marked it as to-read

Shelves: owned

/won as free book from forum giveaway

(holding off)

like · see review

Jun 18, 2013 Loraine 'rainey' rated it 4 of 5 stars

Jun 01, 2013 Kirsty Stanley marked it as to-read

Shelves: own-as-e-book

May 24, 2013 Lori Gemalsky marked it as to-read

May 20, 2013 Hevel Cava marked it as to-read

May 15, 2013 Chris rated it 2 of 5 stars

Apr 25, 2013 Zach marked it as to-read

Jun 15, 2013 June Davidson rated it 3 of 5 stars

Mar 07, 2013 Nova Berry rated it 3 of 5 stars

Feb 23, 2013 Margaret Minton rated it 4 of 5 stars

Feb 07, 2013 Wendy marked it as to-read

Feb 03, 2013 Crystel marked it as to-read

Jan 17, 2013 Cathy Finnerty rated it 3 of 5 stars

Dec 30, 2012 Lillian Angelovic marked it as to-read · review of another edition

Shelves: kindle, fiction

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About D.J. Kirkby

Denyse lives in the South of England in a home otherwise filled with males – husband, boys and pets – she writes to escape the testosterone.

She writes using the name D.J. Kirkby and Dee Kirkby. Denyse is the author of Without Alice, My Dream of You, My Mini Midwife, Special Deliveries and Realand (book 1 of The Portal Series for 7 - 11 year olds).

Denyse can be found chatting to people on Twitter a...more

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