Freckles is a novel by bestselling author Cecelia Ahern, published in 2021.
It follows a young woman named Allegra, who is often called “Freckles” due to her distinctive markings. During a chance encounter with a stranger, Allegra is told that everyone is the average of the five people they spend the most time with. Intrigued and inspired, Allegra embarks on a journey to discover who those five people are and how they shape her identity.
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Book Blurb
When a stranger utters these words to Allegra Bird, nicknamed Freckles, it turns her highly ordered life upside down. In her current life as a parking warden, she has left her eccentric father and unconventional childhood behind for a bold new life in the city.
But a single encounter leads her to ask the question she’s been avoiding for so long: who are the people who made her the way she is? And who are the five people who can shape and determine her future? Just as she once joined the freckles on her skin to mirror the constellations in the night sky, she must once again look for connections.
Told in Allegra’s vivid, original voice, moving from Dublin to the fierce Atlantic coast, this is an unforgettable story of human connection, of friendship, and growing into your own skin.
Five people. Five stars. Freckle to freckle. Star to star.
Freckles Book Review: My Opinion
While I did enjoy Freckles, I’m sad to say I didn’t love it quite as much as I’d hoped.
I did really like Allegra as main character. She was such a believable 24 year old – uncertain and still trying to figure things out, and that felt so real to me. The story is told in the first person, and her voice is so original and authentic, which made her journey feel more personal.
Although it’s never specifically stated, Allegra’s personality and behaviours seemed to suggest she might be neurodivergent. My husband has autism, and some of her struggles with social cues, her love of routine, and her discomfort when things don’t go as planned felt very familiar.
The pace of the book is quite slow in places, which made it hard for me to stay fully engaged at times. I found myself wanting the plot to move faster, though I understand that the slower pace allows for more introspection and character development. Still, it didn’t always hold my attention.
The ending is satisfying, and the story as a whole is thought-provoking. It made me reflect on who my own five people are and how they’ve influenced my life.
Overall, while I enjoyed Freckles, I didn’t love it. It was just a little too slow, but the message about how people shape who we are was still thought-provoking and left me with plenty to reflect on.