3.5☆ - Not what I expected after reading the back matter/blurb...

First off, this story is well-written, albeit a little slow in parts. The characters are delightful, Esther in particular (loved Bruno's dad Filip too!), and the friendship between Bruno and Esther (and Dominic) grew to capture my heart.

That being said, I accessed a copy of this novel via NetGalley (and read half in KU once it released) under the guise the story was more about Esther, her past, and her friendship with Bruno. Yes, that's a large part of this story, but the "main event" revolves around Bruno and his sexuality.

In fact, a large chunk in the story is about him wanting to go to conversion therapy, experiencing conversion therapy, and saving others from future conversion therapy. Not the story I expected.

Along with this tale are some serious themes of which I think would be best notated with a trigger warning for sensitive readers. I'm by no means hypersensitive, but some of the conversion therapy scenes in particular almost caused me to stop reading and tell NetGalley I wouldn't review. I only kept soldering on because I wanted to know more about Esther's past (which was drip-fed at best) and hoped Bruno would escape sooner rather than later.

Mixed feelings about this book because I felt "sold" by a different story after reading the blurb. Perhaps other readers will feel less deceived after knowing more details.

I received an ARC of this novel from NetGalley.

An unlikely friendship between 18-year-old Bruno and senior Esther is just what you need in a heartwarming read. Both are outsiders but develop a lovely bond when Bruno agrees to give Esther lessons in how to use the internet. Both learn that keeping secrets is no way to live a life.

I love the layers contained within this book that relate to the title. There is the physical containment of Esther’s house and the fact that she rarely leaves it and Bruno’s feeling of being constrained within society as a traveller who has settled in a small town. There is also, at the heart of this story, the focus on unlocking your past and your true identity, in order to find peace and happiness.

Esther and Bruno are both beautifully built, complex, likeable, original characters and I have loved following both their journeys. It really is quite a journey they take you on too: one of self discovery as well as one that takes you far outside their little town.

There is a deeper, social message to this book about equality and treatment of others. If serves as a strong reminder that there is still a way to go as a country if we are to see true equality between all ages, heritages and sexualities. I have massive respect for Drew for managing to deliver such a strong social message whilst never compromising on the plot and often the beauty and lightness of the story and the friendship at its heart.

There are some unexpected twists and some moments where my heart had almost escaped through my mouth because I was in so much shock about what was unfolding. I found the scenes about Esther’s declining health, as well as her strength, determination and bafflement at technology really touching and it reminded me of my own Nan’s tenacity, as well as things she said, like when she thought Facebook was an actual book that I read for university.

All of this just proves that Drew is able to write believable, sympathetic characters and bring them to life. This book has had me shedding tears and crying with laughter. It is a new favourite of mine from him.

This uplifting, heartwarming story with a wonderful social message and friendship at its core is a perfect addition to your summer reading pile, especially if you are a fan of Mike Gayle, Graeme Simsion or Rachel Marks.

I really enjoyed reading The Locked Away Life, I didn’t think I was going to though. It was very slow to begin with, and I honestly thought I was going to struggle to finish it, but about a third of the way through it suddenly picked up the pace and the characters became more interesting, and from then on, I was fully invested.

Esther and Bruno, are two completely different characters, one an eighty-something-year-old woman and the other a teenage boy who develop an amazing friendship and support one another through changes in both their lives as they learn to accept both the past, present and future.

The chapters mainly alternate between Bruno and Esther, both telling their stories, and we learn how their situations become intertwined and how quickly they become ensconced in each other’s lives. Bruno is just learning who he is and how to deal with the issues life is throwing at him. Esther is realising that she isn’t too old to learn new things and embraces them entirely.

I loved both their stories, but I found Bruno’s being particularly heartbreaking until he realised he didn’t have to change and that he just needed to accept himself for who he was and that everything else would fall into place. I commend Drew Davies for bringing together sexuality, mental health, generational issues and friendship and dealing with them in such a sensitive manner.

I was astounded to learn that conversion therapy is still legal in the UK. For those of you who aren’t aware of it, this is taken from banconversiontherapy.com. ‘Conversion therapy includes medical, psychiatric, psychological, religious, cultural or any other interventions that seek to change, “cure”, or suppress the sexual orientation and/or gender identity of a person’.

If you fancy reading something a little bit different, that isn’t a thriller, rom-com or fantasy story, then check out The Locked Away Life. It’s definitely worth adding to your TBR list.

I am lucky enough to be a part of Books on Tour for this book, so thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for the opportunity to read and review an ARC of The Locked Away Life by Drew Davies

“Everyone has secrets… But are they saving you or destroying you?”


All the while I was reading this book, in the back of my mind I did wonder what sparked the idea for this storyline, so I was pleased that in a short note at the end of the book, author Drew Davies reveals that it is loosely based on the relationship he had with his own grandmother, particularly during lockdown, when with other people, he tried to teach her the finer points of the Internet, so that they could keep in touch. It was with great sadness that I read she had quite recently passed away, as if she had been only half as feisty as her fictional counterpart Esther, she must have been a force of nature to be reckoned with!

…

Esther, an elderly invalid and Bruno, an introvert young adult seemingly have nothing in common, except that they are both in hiding, and their respective secrets are stopping them from truly living. Esther, who has lived in seclusion and isolated for many decades, with only her beloved books and music for company, must come to terms with her past, whilst Bruno, who lives with his parents and siblings, needs to figure out the path his future will take.

Their paths are destined to cross when Esther posts an advert in a local shop for someone to help her embrace life in the world of the Internet and mobile phone technology, and Bruno applies for the position. There are several false starts to their relationship, as Esther is a demanding and rather temperamental employer and Bruno is too afraid of upsetting her fragile health to speak his mind.

As the seeds of trust between them begin to take root, it becomes apparent that Esther, whilst her technology skills might be weak, is far more astute about life and people, than Bruno gives her credit for. She is soon able to see through his rather weak and vulnerable façade, to the root of his problem and being the forthright person she is, she does not shy away from confronting him about the inner turmoil the battle with his sexuality is causing him. Bruno, as it transpires completely needlessly, somehow sees his feelings as being shameful for his family and has decided on a very drastic course of action, which leaves him traumatised, forever in Esther’s debt for rescuing him from himself and affording him the time and space to explore his feelings without judgment or fear, grateful to have the unswerving love and support of such an understanding and inclusive family, and determined to spend his future channelling his skills and energy into bringing about a change in attitudes for those less fortunate than himself.

Likewise, Bruno manages to wheedle from a very reluctant Esther, details of the scandal and secrets surrounding her past affair with a married man of some standing in his community, who when push came to shove, abandoned her to her fate in favour of his wife, although a blinkered Esther is only just coming to realise the true cowardice of the man she has held a torch for all this time. The duplicitous behaviour of someone she once called friend, resulted in Esther’s name being dragged through the mire of the tabloid press, causing her to become a prisoner of her own perceived shame, a figure of ridicule and fear in the local community, and a rather distant mother to her daughter Jane. When a near death experience and a cathartic conversation with her paramour’s wife, releases Esther from her social paralysis, reunites her with a daughter with whom she establishes a long overdue familial relationship, and sets her on a new and invigorating path, for what remains of her life, she and Bruno go their separate ways, although they will always be tied by the invisible threads of a deep friendship and respect for one another.

…

There are many layers to this intriguing, atmospheric, wonderfully textured and immersive storyline, with some unexpectedly intense and highly emotional twists only adding to the deeply insightful, evocative, and utterly unforgettable relationship between Esther and Bruno. A poignant, achingly beautiful and uplifting story, which crosses the generational divide. There were also some lighter, heart-warming moments of spontaneous and candid humour, which lifted the dialogue and gave the characters a compelling voice of their own, with which to tell their story.

It is the unconventional story of an evolving and enduring friendship, and a deep mutual respect. About recognising, confronting, admitting and accepting sexuality, both within oneself and in others. Highlighting the danger of zealous practitioners who revel in the horrors of conversion therapy. Exploring the ignorance and social bias which still surrounds ethnicity and religion (Esther is a Jewess and Bruno a descendant of the Romany community). It is also about setting oneself free from the controlling and consuming shame with which we surround ourselves, often unnecessarily. The search for cultural identity and social justice. And the powerful yet fragile ability nature has, to heal and mend a damaged mind and spirit, whilst helping to discover and unlock those hidden passions we all have.

The quality writing is perceptive, fluent, intuitive, often raw and passionate, profoundly touching and lovingly written from the heart with compelling confidence and total authority.

The physical footprint this story occupies, is quite finely focussed, so whilst the narrative about specific places is very descriptive with good spatial awareness, for any confirmed ‘armchair travellers’ this one might be a little light on location. This is undoubtedly all about the storyline and the cast of characters who occupy its space; the interactions between them as individuals and with the wider community; their personalities and how a little understanding and compassion, often from complete strangers, can change their perspectives on life.

A large, well-defined and multi-faceted cast of characters, definitely own this storyline, growing in stature and developing into the physical space they occupy. They were quite a complex, vulnerable and emotional bunch, a many-sided jigsaw of human emotions, which often made them appear unreliable and rather volatile, prone to making rash and ill-considered decisions, thus making them difficult to connect with or identify with on many levels. However, they were genuine, believable, engaging and authentic to the roles created for them by the author, with the synergy between them obvious for me to see.

What always makes reading such a wonderful experience for me, is that with each and every new book, I am taken on a unique and individual journey, by authors who fire my imagination, stir my emotions and stimulate my senses. This story was definitely one of a kind, having the power to evoke so many feelings, that I’m sure I won’t have felt the same way about it as the last reader, nor the next. Therefore, I can only recommend that you read “The Locked Away Life” for yourself, to see where your journey leads you!

As one of my fellow bloggers so aptly wrote: “Sometimes reading something different is like a breath of fresh air”. Thank you, Shirley, I couldn’t agree more!

Books with interesting characters are always such a hook and Esther and Bruno are brilliantly intriguing. Their relationship is such a lovely one, with both of them learning so much from eachother - I especially loved the texts between them.
It seems funny to talk of this as a coming of age story when one of the characters is an octogenarian but it really felt like both Esther and Bruno learnt so much from each other, which helped both of them move on with their lives. Full of emotions I really felt for Bruno and loved seeing how he grew through the story.

Oh my heart!!!! It’s melted, it’s broken and been pieced back together with this one. This is just completely fantastic from beginning to end.

Esther and Bruno are amazing characters and characters Will stay with you long after reading. It is easy to become invested in this one.

The heart warming friendship is at the heart of this one. The alternative perspectives allow is to really get to know the characters. I have loved them from beginning to end. Although, this is an unlikely friendship- it does just work.

Davies has included so many real themes in this one. Each included with sensitivity and adding an element to this book.

This is a sweet and entertaining read which absolutely should be on the TBR. This is a book worthy of all the stars and definitely needs to be read.

The Locked-Away Life is my first Drew Davies book. This read tugged my heart on so many levels. It follows the story of Esther, a woman in her eighties who has retreated from the world. While finding temporary comfort in her manor, past events still plague her mind. On the other hand, Bruno is an eighteen-year-old trying to find himself and wishes to leave town. Esther seeking internet lessons brings Bruno into her life. What follows is a mesmerising story of confronting fear, taking chances, closure, family relationships and resilience. Esther's words of wisdom are so pure, and Bruno's actions make him a remarkable character. There were many moments when I laughed and got teary-eyed. These two characters grow on you like a warm blanket on cold winter's night. If you're looking for a heartwarming and heartwrenching read that celebrates what it is to be human, do not skip this one. A 5-star read all the way.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for an eARC. This honest review is left voluntarily.

In this book we meet Bruno, a teenager who is struggling with his identity and keeping part of himself locked away, and Esther an Octagenarian who refuses to follow society's ideas about how she should live and she's locked herself away in an old house for decades. When Bruno and Esther strike up an unlikely friendship they help each other open up to the world, once they overcome their own challenges.

Overall I enjoyed this but the section at camp I found very hard to read, and distressing. The book has some great humour though and many lighter moments.

Wow! An absolute pearler of a book.This story will most definitely test all your emotions. We are introduced to Esther, an octogenarian who has shunned life for years but now wants to find answers to the questions that have troubled her for years, and Bruno, a young man trying to find his place in the world. Bruno answers an advert to teach Esther how to use the Internet, and this is where the unlikely but very lovely friendship begins. There are some heartwarming moments and some absolutely heartbreaking moments, all of which are so beautifully and sensitively dealt with. This book has so much depth and warmth, elements that may, (but definitely should) alter your thoughts on how we perceive people. An absolutely captivating and engrossing story that I heartily recommend. By far Drews best book in my opinion.

”Everything of value is already here.”

Pssssssst, do you have a secret? Shhhhhh… Something that nobody knows? Not your best friend, your soulmate, your drinking buddy, your family, neighbour or furbaby? Something that keeps you awake at night, and that maybe you don’t want to admit even to yourself?

Or have you done something in the past that you regret? Even though part of you doesn't. That you still think about and rehash. Mull over repeatedly. That has caused you to hide away from the world and all its finger pointing and whispers.

We all have secrets. And regrets.

”Dear heart…” Oh my heart! It has positively melted away. This is such a beautiful story about friendship, identity and life. And the mess we get ourselves into. How when people meet at the right time they can change each other's lives. Age is no barrier. We can always be surprised by, and learn so much from another. And that it’s never too early - or late - to be true to you.

Bruno is a lad of eighteen, and life has been a bit rocky of late. About to finish school, he’s at a crossroads in his life. “Bruno wanted options.” Of which there aren’t too many in the small town where he lives. The main road has a hair salon (which his Mum owns), a fish and chip shop, a bakery, betting shop and newsagents. Most of the young folk after finishing school find themselves working in the local warehouse, which is not what Bruno wants. He’s worried about his Dad who has been battling cancer, and wants to start contributing to the household. He does all sorts of odd jobs to save money to cement his future by attending a course. To become “normal”... as Bruno suspects he might be gay. Which is his biggest worry of all. “Camp Change '' - a three day course of conversion therapy - is the life changer he is depending on.

“I just want to stop worrying about everything. I want to walk down the street and not feel like everyone is looking at me. I want to disappear.”

Esther is a feisty eighty two year old. Her arthritic body at odds with her lively humour and questioning mind. Living alone in a stately home and beloved garden, Esther worries she will “become obsolete”. She decides it’s time to perhaps rejoin the world, at least electronically. The one which she fled from many years ago, after “the scandal” which destroyed her life, turning her home into a fortress.

“The mad old hen on the hill.”

A chance sighting of an ad for a paid position to tutor someone to use the internet, brings Bruno into Esther’s orbit. And so begins the unlikeliest - and loveliest- of friendships.

Told via alternating chapters, we see the story unfold from both Esther and Bruno’s points of view, as one makes peace with her past, and the other opens his heart and determines his future.

I read this in one sitting on a chilly Sunday. Rugged up against the cold, comfy in the sun, happily turning the pages. There were so many times where I couldn’t help but sniffle (was it my Winter cold, finally arrived?).

This is such an emotive book. It shows how much time we waste worrying about what others may or may not be thinking of us. And who really cares anyway. Of worrying about the past. Worrying about the future. Holding onto regrets.

“Labels are so reductive…”

The characters are charming and display both light and shade. I loved how Esther would text Bruno’s Dad at 3.00am, as neither of them could sleep from pain. I loved the fierce love Bruno’s sisters felt for him. I loved the backstory of Ether’s tense relationship with her daughter Jane. This story shows that it’s not easy being young and not knowing who you are, nor is it easy to be growing older, and feeling that the best was behind you, and that you were freeing others if you no longer existed.

Yet for all the serious topics in the story, there is so much humour here too. I’m sure we’ve all ordered the wrong thing online. A box or two of hand soap, anyone?

Yes, you will need tissues. Lots of them. Yes, there is a happy ending. But what’s wrong with that? They can happen. Too often we focus on the negatives, on what we cannot change, rather than what we can, even if in small ways. It’s never too late to write your own happy ending.

In a world gone mad, it’s so refreshing to get back to basics. To read a story with heart, about real people with real feelings. Loved 💝

PUBLICATION DATE: 04.August.2022

#TheLockedAwayLife #drewdavieswriter #BookOuture #NetGalley

”You also can’t wait until everything aligns on its own. We all need a gentle shove sometimes.”

Many thanks to NetGalley, the publisher BookOuture and most especially the Author, the delightful Drew Davies, for the opportunity to read this advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

My full review can also be found on Goodreads, along with review for Drew Davies' previous three titles (which are all amazing too).
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4788366761?type=review#rating_498072968

The Locked-Away Life by Drew Davies was a great read. I really enjoy the plot and the characters! The story held my attention! A great fun read!

Lovely feel good book to read. It was a joy to read. Lovely characters. Great plot. The book was charming. Very well written. I’d definitely recommend this book

I have mixed opinions on this book. On the one hand, I did really enjoy it, on the other, it felt a bit messy and all over the place - although given the character Esther's mental state, maybe this was a conscious decision and I'm just not clever enough to grasp it :"D

I enjoyed reading about Esther and Bruno. Although the pacing in this book is a little off and does move slowly, I loved reading their relationship grow and how they affected each other, despite the vast age gap. I liked seeing how each person changed the other. I do feel like this was almost two stories in one - that of Bruno and Esther's friendship & the secrets within Esther's life, and then that of Bruno and his own challenges and when he goes away to...sort himself out (trying to keep spoiler free!).

Despite this clunky storytelling, I did enjoy the book and found it a nice quick and easy read to fly through. I think this is a really sweet and heartwarming read and one I'm glad I have had the chance to read myself!

I received a complimentary copy from the publisher and all opinions expressed are entirely my own

The Locked-Away follows two people, Esther and Bruno. with Esther being a reclusive old man who pretty much avoids the world because of her scandal that occurred in a past life. On the other side is Bruno who has a lot going on and definitely needs a break. They meet each other when Bruno responds to Esther's ad and the two starts conversing and what starts as job ends as a friendship. The book is told from multiple POVs and the book is so adorable. I enjoyed how the author tackled the story and it's an affirming book on friendship and relationships.

The Locked Away Life is a big-hearted, wholesome, joy of a book. A beautiful story of unexpected connections, courage and new beginnings. And it features two of the most endearing characters I’ve come across in a long while.

Meet octogenarian Esther, who has hidden away from society for decades, following the scandal of a disastrous love affair. She rattles around in her rickety old house on the hill, pottering about her beloved garden and fending off the attempts of daughter Jane to move her into sheltered accommodation. With her mortality beckoning, Esther has a desperate longing to reconcile matters from her past.

Meet sweet-natured, eighteen year-old Bruno. Fresh out of school and with an uncertain future ahead of him, Bruno isn’t in a good place. His home life is fraught with problems, money is tight, and then there’s the question of his identity. In a way, he too is living a locked-away life. He has a plan, but it’s radical and it needs financing.

When these two come together in a business arrangement involving internet lessons for Esther, it is the start of an unlikely friendship, a serendipitous meeting of souls — one young, one old — that changes the course of both their lives.

One of Davies’ greatest strength as a writer is his understanding of people, of the human psyche. He fashions characters that are so present, so REAL, you cannot help but take them into your heart. I adored the genuine affection that grew between Esther and Bruno. That they were able to share parts of themselves they kept hidden from everyone else. And that, in the end, they were each other’s salvation — what beautiful symbiosis.

Be warned: there’s a strand of this story that’s distasteful, shocking even. But Davies handles it with sensitivity. And he offsets it with a liberal sprinkling of warmth and humor, and — wait for it —an exhilarating, cross-country rescue mission involving a motorbike and sidecar.

An utter joy of a read, possibly Davies’ best yet. I couldn’t have loved it more.

A life affirming and poignant story, it made me smile and moved me to tears.
When I read the blurb I thought about Harold and Maude even if the story is less on the dark humour side.
I liked Bruno and Esther, liked their relationship. I smiled and sniffed.
It's a well plotted story that flows and kept me reading. A bit slow at moment but it always kept my attention alive.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

Dear Heart, this is a heartwarming book! I love the unlikely friendship that forms between octogenarian Esther and teenager Bruno. Bruno is trying to understand who he is, struggling with his sexuality and Esther has been a recluse for years so they are both living a locked away life so to speak. They come in to each others lives at just the right time and together they manage to find themselves.
There are some tough subject matters but sensitively covered by the author. Part of Bruno's plan and his story will make you gasp. Unbelievable that these things could happen!
Alongside serious subjects there are some very funny , laugh out loud moments too.
The characters are well written and alongside the two main protagonists, I also really liked Dominic. He reminds me of Eddie from Stranger Things!

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and would love to read more from Drew Davies.

Thank you to @drewdavieswriter and @netgalley for giving me the chance to read this book.

The Locked Away Life is published on 4th August 2022.

Thank you for NetGalley for providing me with this book for review. Oh my heart, what an absolute gem of a read. A must read book for this summer.

A beautiful friendship develops between two unlikely people, Bruno who's 18 and just finished school, and Esther who's in her 80's and has lived a colourful life. Told in both Bruno's and Esther's voices this heartwarming and thought provoking
book has many important life lessons: I think most importantly acceptance of oneself.

Bruno and Esther have secets they have locked inside themselves, and fear being seen for who and what they are.
Bruno is compassionate, patient and caring and Esther is a reclusive, spirited and hilarious woman with unintentional (or are they intentional?) slightly dirty jokes, she's struggling to keep her independence.
For her age she's very forward thinking and accepting of situations and relationships and learning 'the online'. I want to be her when I grow up

I think each of them fills a void in each other's lives, she never had grandchildren and his grandparents died when he was young.
One of my favourite quotes from the book is "don't be afraid of claiming your full potential"
I really enjoyed this book , and the book and it's incredibly well written characters are going to stay with me for a long time.