This is the story of Maeve, an flaky and impulsive young woman who decides to take a trip across the USA, stopping off at places with the most bizarre names. Her only redeeming feature appears to be the affection she has for Oliver, her white cockatiel.

When her car breaks down in a small town called Unknown, Maeve is forced to stay for some weeks. She makes friends, and discovers that she can't keep running away from some painful episodes in her past.

It could have been a big cliche, but somehow it worked. The book was well-written, with a light style that made some thought-provoking revelations and flashbacks all the more believable.

I started out by wondering if I'd have any sympathy for Maeve, but as the book progressed I liked her more and more.

Recommended. ( )

I really enjoyed this, some great touches of humour and a little less light than I expected. Reichs has created some interesting characters, the inhabitants of Unknown are a little eccentric, Oliver has a personality all his own and Maeve grows on you and her motivations become more understandable when her secret is revealed. Not your average chic lit - well written, entertaining, and thoughtful. ( )

I found the beginning of this book not very interesting but by the time she got to Unknown (town) I thought it picked up. While one could figure out the ending there were some surprises along the way. ( )

Maeve travels across the country and finds home in a quirky small town called Unknown. A fun read, with an unexpected twist in the middle.

I could tell Leaving Unknown was going to be a fun and quirky book but I wasn't prepared for how spot-on it would be. Maeve is the type of person you just want to be around because she's fun, spunky and different! But what we (or at least I) didn't realize at first was that she was hiding something, something that had a big impact on her life but doesn't share with others. Other reviews talk about what it is she's hiding but I really liked reading it in the book and discovering it for myself, the hints all adding up!

I loved the little quirks about this book. Maeve's cockatiel Oliver, which had some hilarious phrases he shot out at the most horrible times and a set of little sculptures Maeve's mother made for her when she leaves on her journey. And just the way Maeve interacts with the other characters made her so endearing, she was such a caring person that tries her best but sometimes falls a little short, but definitely not for a lack of trying.

The secondary characters were fabulous, especially bookstore owner Noah, doctor Samuel and co-worker and friend Tuesday. The author cultivates this community not unlike one of my other favorites, Stars Hollow from Gilmore Girls.

Every page was a pleasure to read, I laughed (a lot), worried for Maeve and wanted her to find her place in this world. I was very pleased to find out the author's first book, The Best Day of Someone Else's Life following Maeve's sister Vi, it's sure to be just as good! ( )