What a rollercoaster ride of a novel! This is an absolutely marvellous read that transports us through the highs and lows of a somewhat ordinary yet at the same time somewhat dysfunctional, fractured family. Eminently relatable (not personally, you understand, but as an observation of society as a whole).

The characters are quirky and often lost, hopeless, directionless, yet brave, enthusiastic, passionate, and charismatic. At times I couldn’t help but draw comparisons to <i>Fleabag</i> if she’d got married and had kids.

The peaks were hilarious and should come with a government health warning not to read this book in public nor attempt to eat or drink while doing so. Seriously laugh-out-loud funny. At times I had tears rolling down my cheeks.

The troughs were dark and brought a sharp worldly focus to the story, frequently bringing us back down to earth with a dash of harsh realism. At times I had tears rolling down my cheeks.

This young author is exceptionally talented. She expertly delivers beautiful prose that combines dry, acerbic wit with an acute observational study of human nature, complete with all its foibles and eccentricities.
I would recommend this without hesitation to my fellow book club members but would probably stop short of adding it to the set reading list of my Upper 6th since some of the issues may be a tad too close to home.

My thanks to NetGalley and Quercus Books for granting this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I can see why this is being marketed as '2022's Sorrow and Bliss.' I fell in love from the start with awkward Alice and her eccentric family, as she navigates her aunt's disastrous funeral, which somehow she has ended up planning! The lightness of touch and comedy were delicious, but I enjoyed some of the silly asides and little details more than the big comic set pieces (a drunken actor at the funeral, a party with an escaped ferret, etc, though they were great fun too).

The plot mainly revolves around Hanna, Alice's twin, and her mother's experience of growing up with Katy, her schizophrenic sister. Unlike Sorrow and Bliss, this book mentions the illness by name, but is similarly unclear on whether Hanna has inherited it or whether she had a one-off breakdown due to overwork at Cambridge. Hanna thinks the latter, and so is unafraid of relapsing, whereas their mother can't shake the idea that Hanna's future will be as terrible as Katy's.

I particularly loved Hanna's university friends Lavinia and Santiago, who were exactly like two of mine, and who look after Hanna when she resumes her studies. I was also happy that Alice realised something about herself that I was desperate for her to know! A really lovely book, and one I won't hesitate to buy when it comes out.

I blitzed through this book over the weekend as I just could not get enough. Light and witty I enjoyed every second. Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

An amazingly brave move starting with a funeral scene, but it weirdly works and you get to know the characters so well.
There is a real mix of characters here- all relatable in their quirky ways, and as you see them at different stages of their life, it becomes more interesting along the way.
Beautiful prose, lovely storytelling.