It's always a little difficult to read a book where the main character makes decision after terrible decision—it makes the reader feel complicit, almost, in whatever the narrator is getting up to. In this particular story, I had a hard time not noticing the writing on the wall (essentially the central plot twist of the book) long before the eventual reveal, which made much of the reading experience into just waiting for the other shoe to drop. That being said, I feel like I've read a lot in this genre lately, and the writing of The Adult really stood out.

I think fans of My Dark Vanessa or Call Me By Your Name—with emphasis on the shared middle ground of youthful obsession—would enjoy this book.

Thank you to Algonquin for the opportunity to read and review! <3

I stopped at 30%, I read along with the audio. Didn’t like the narrator (nasally?) and I think because I read We Do What We Do in the Dark, this was too similar (older female professor, young female student) and not as well done.

Thank you to NetGalley and Algonquin for the eARC!

Bronwyn Fischer’s debut novel, "The Adult," plunges readers into the tumultuous world of Natalie, a freshman navigating the uncertainties of college life. From the outset, Fischer’s prose captivates with its lyrical quality, painting vivid images of Natalie’s internal struggles and the new, intimidating environment she finds herself in. However, despite its beautiful prose, the novel's stream-of-consciousness style and certain plot elements may not appeal to all readers.

Natalie’s journey begins with a sense of dislocation and aimlessness, encapsulated in her late arrival to her first lecture and her subsequent wandering around campus. Her encounter with Nora in the park, while attempting to compose a nature poem, serves as a catalyst for the story. Nora, with her enigmatic presence, draws Natalie into a complex web of emotions and dependency. This relationship becomes the central focus of the novel, highlighting the intricate and often troubling dynamics of power and consent.

The secondary characters, Clara and Sam, add depth to Natalie’s college experience. Clara, her dorm neighbor, offers a semblance of normalcy and friendship, while Sam’s misogynistic advances add tension and highlight the broader societal issues Natalie faces. These interactions emphasize Natalie’s desperation to find her place and impress those around her, a theme that resonates with many young adults.

One of the novel’s strengths lies in its exploration of queer relationships and the nuances of consent. Fischer delves into the gray areas of these themes with sensitivity and insight, making "The Adult" a thought-provoking read for those interested in the complexities of human connections and personal growth. However, the novel is not without its flaws. The stream-of-consciousness narrative, while beautifully written, can feel slow and meandering, potentially alienating readers who prefer a more structured plot. Additionally, the anticipated plot twist around the 80% mark may seem predictable to some, diminishing its impact. The abrupt time jump from the penultimate chapter to the final one leaves certain plot points unresolved, which might frustrate readers looking for a more satisfying conclusion.

Despite these critiques, Fischer’s prose shines through, particularly in moments of introspection and descriptive passages. Her ability to convey Natalie’s inner world and the ambiance of her surroundings is noteworthy. This poetic style, reminiscent of C Pam Zhang’s evocative yet sparse writing in "How Much of These Hills Is Gold," adds a layer of beauty to the narrative.

Overall, "The Adult" is a commendable debut that, despite its pacing and structural issues, succeeds in portraying the raw, often painful transition from adolescence to adulthood. It is particularly well-suited for readers who appreciate introspective, character-driven narratives and those invested in the exploration of queer identities and relationships.

📖 Recommended For: Readers who enjoy character-driven stories, Fans of lyrical and evocative prose, Admirers of Stream-of-Consciousness Narratives, Those Interested in Complex Queer Relationships and Power Dynamics.

🔑 Key Themes: Power Dynamics and Consent, Queer Relationships, Self-Discovery and Identity, College Life and Transition to Adulthood, Inner Turmoil and Emotional Growth.

Content / Trigger Warnings: Alcohol (moderate), Sexual Harassment (minor), Sexual content (minor).

When I look back at my adolescent years (or even my 20s, for that matter), there are relationships that distinctly stand out – relationships that felt so intense, so vividly powerful, that maybe even left me changed forever. The Adult explores such a relationship, making it a gripping yet relatable read.

When Natalie moves to Toronto for college, she grapples with the usual difficulties an introverted young girl would face – the struggle to make friends or grasp concepts of subjects like Nature Poetry, and, of course, the need to find your own identity and voice. Things take a complicated turn when she meets Nora, an older woman, and they begin a tumultuous relationship.

Portrayed through Natalie’s voice, The Adult takes you through the whirlwind of their relationship, while also letting you in to her mind, always churning (read overthinking) with thoughts and doubts. What makes this book stand out, for me, would be the writing. It’s written so beautifully! The prose holds you, pulls you in, consumes you. Just as the relationship consumes Natalie.

This was also the perfect book to start off Pride Month! It touches on queer relationships in the heteronormative structure, with clever observations. For instance, Natalie constantly seeks the help of listicles like 32 Signs He Loves You Without Saying It; this made me think of the stark imbalance of a queer person existing in a system that’s built for hetero relationships.

Also, I love that The Adult has a subtle thriller-like feel to it, because you always know there’s more to Nora, she’s hiding something.

I have a feeling this one’s going to be among my top reads of 2024!

4.75/5

Thank you @algonquinbooks for the copy of The Adult by Bronwyn Fisher. This book is out now. This was a great debut book. It is an LGBTQ coming of age set on campus. Fisher sets such a good tone of tension all around between the characters. It made me feel uncomfortable for Natalie as well as remembering that awkward phase of being on the brink of adulthood at 18. This. Ok was well written and I look forward to reading more of her work.

Nora is a freshman in college where she meets Nora, an older woman. We don’t know how much older, but established with a house and career. Nora has a secret that Natalie is trying to navigate while also discovering who she is as a person.

"The Adult" by Bronwyn Fischer is a lesbian coming-of-age story set in Toronto. Natalie is a first-year college student who ends up in a secret relationship with a much older woman off campus. While Bronwyn Fischer's writing beautifully captures the longing and intensity of a private relationship with imbalanced power dynamics, I struggled with the book because I felt somewhat repelled by Natalie's lack of self awareness and of her lies to her family and a college friend. Perhaps her lack of form is part of the point and also why I found the book to be haunting. While there is a slow start, the book builds tension and becomes almost all-consuming over time. Although a lot of the book takes place off-campus, I particularly appreciated the plot points around her poetry class and her (almost comically) being a bad poet. Recommended for readers who are open to a genuine exploration of a mainly lost main character and a realistic exploration of a lesbian age-gap relationship. #TheAdult #BronwynFischer

A slow-paced, melancholy, meandering coming-of-age story about a college student who falls in love with an older woman. I fell in love with Nora right along with Natalie, and I related to Natalie's halting exploration of poetry and creativity. Natalie is trying to figure out who she is and doesn't have much personality or voice, but she begins to develop it through the novel. She can be a frustrating character because of this, but realistic nonetheless. I saw the "twist" coming but that didn't affect my enjoyment of the book. It took a bit to get into, but I loved Fischer's writing and will be checking out her future work. I would gladly add this one to my shelf.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book was devastating, and I loved it. It brought me right back to being an awkward college student trying to navigate life and feelings, while also learning the hard way that there are people who can sense that vulnerability and take advantage of it.

The heart and soul of this story is Natalie, a freshman at the University of Toronto. She's that nervous and slightly awkward teen who is trying to fit in but doesn't really know what that means or what she even wants. She hasn't even decided her college major. One of the classes she takes is a poetry seminar that focuses on nature poetry. While searching for inspiration in a local park, Natalie meets Nora. At first, they just keep bumping into each other, but soon they find themselves intertwined in each other's lives even though Nora is much older.

This story is so well done, and the prose is beautiful. Even though you know the romance is doomed from the start, you can't help but read how Natalie is discovering herself. Early on, Nora establishes a strong physical connection to Natalie and as a reader, you can see how unhealthy it is, but you can't stop Natalie from getting pulled in. Her whole life revolves around this one person, and she doesn't even tell her friends about the relationship. Ugh, I don't want to spoil anything, but I honestly could talk about this forever.

There were a few reasons this wasn't a 5-star review for me. One was kind of silly, but I wish the names Natalie and Nora were more different. I had a hard time differentiating the characters at times, which could be a me thing because I have ADHD. The other was the classes that Natalie was taking; she was meant to be a freshman, but her classes seemed very obscure to me. She never mentions like an intro class or a class all freshmen have to take. It seemed really odd and arbitrary.

This book was a wonderful and devastating queer coming-of-age. I honestly might add this to my reread list because I liked it so much.

Thanks to Algonquin Books for the ARC, all opinions are my own.

I was gifted a free advanced reader copy of this book and this was essentially a sapphic prelude to Would’ve Could’ve Should’ve (Taylor’s Version).

Natalie was such a well balanced character that fully captured the vulnerability, insecurity, and desperation of a 18 year old trying to find herself. Natalie was flawed in a way that further heighten the age difference between her and the mysterious beautiful older women who takes interest in her.

Totally recommend this one but just be warned that this book had me ready to fight. I settled for scream singing instead.

Purely by coincidence I started this at the same time as Mrs. S by K.Patrick, and they have pretty much the exact same plot. Both were well written, but this is the better of the two for a number of reasons.

I loved the tone and cadence of the writing in The Adult, and the setting was really well rendered. This actually felt like a campus novel, rare for a book with a very relationship-driven plot even when it is set at a school. I really appreciated that both environmentally and in terms of the characters’ experiences, this feels at least partially academic in nature.

I’m never interested in the central relationship in books like this (neither good or bad, just a preference issue), so my feelings on this type of novel are always almost completely dependent on the writing and the atmosphere. Unusually, I also actually liked the protagonist in this one (even if I didn’t care about her power gap romance), and Fischer wrote her in a way that inspires sympathy and relatability rather than pity.

In all, a lovely piece of writing that is both thoughtful and thought-provoking.

Lead character is incredibly immature and bland (which may be by design), love interest is uncomfortably predatory (definitely by design), story is average.

THE ADULT is a sweet, contemporary coming of age story about Natalie, a young woman who starts college in Toronto, and quickly begins a relationship with an older woman she meets at a park who is not affiliated with her school. This balancing act between starting a new, more independent life (making friends, doing well in classes) and her sexual awakening with Nora. However, this short novel has a fantastic twist towards the end that suggests Nora and Natalie have more in common than originally thought.

The book is a fantastic debut. It's filled with beautiful writing, rich characters, and a warm and welcoming plot of the first year college with all it's ups and downs. I also loved the Canadian setting, and the fact that Natalie comes from a remote, Northern part of the country, later acclimating to Toronto as a big city. It's a complicated book, with complicated themes, but it is also extremely readable and I loved it.

the adult is a queer coming of age novel focusing on a girl in her first year of university who falls for an older woman, resulting in an affair. this was one of my most anticipated books of the year, but i found the internal monologue of our main character to be quite grating, reading as someone much older than said character. if I had read this book when I was also around the same age as the protagonist, I probably would’ve found her to be much more relatable/impactful. this is not the fault of the book or the author- it is more of a right book wrong time situation for myself

"The Adult" by Bronwyn Fischer delves into the all-consuming, enigmatic world of an older woman and a college freshman's love affair. It's a story that skillfully captures the anxieties of young adulthood and the quest for identity.

Natalie, an eighteen-year-old freshman, is adrift in a sea of self-discovery as she navigates her way through university life in Toronto. The characters she meets all seem to have life figured out while she's left grappling with advice listicles and YouTube videos, searching for that elusive sense of self. The story kicks into gear when she encounters Nora, an enigmatic older woman who draws her into a world of secrets and obsessions.

The book's exploration of Natalie's journey is a slow burn, one that's as subtle as it is introspective. The writing style is atmospheric, electric, and does an exceptional job of capturing the emotional intensity of young adulthood. But, here's where my experience with the book takes a different turn.

While the plot seemed juicy and I very much wanted to love this book, I found myself struggling to maintain my interest. There's a certain dryness in the narrative that made it difficult for me to fully engage with the characters and their emotional turmoil. It's not that the story lacks depth; rather, it seems to veer into a kind of emotional detachment that may work for some readers but didn't quite resonate with me.

Natalie's journey into the complexities of desire and identity is undoubtedly thought-provoking, and Bronwyn Fischer's writing shows great promise. However, I wished for a stronger connection to the characters and a more engaging plot that would keep me engaged.

In the end, "The Adult" is a contemplative exploration of young adulthood, desire, and the struggle to free oneself from societal expectations. While it didn't quite hit the mark for me personally, I believe there will be readers who appreciate the subtlety and depth of Fischer's storytelling and it was still, for the most part, worth my while.

This is a solid coming of age lesbian story. I was impressed that this is a debut novel. It was well written, and I enjoyed following Natalie and her story.

there has been an abundance of 'sad girl' coming of age novels about women in their twenties navigating life. many times, they follow the same formula and does not add anything to the general discourse. fischer's book was different. she has a unique ability to spin the mundane into something so tender and beautiful. i feel like the cusp of your twenties (last year of being a teenager) is something so fragile in how long it lasts and how it feels. the adult manages to encapsulate this elusive feeling exactly. the writing was crisp but the characters were handled with empathy and depth.

just such a great coming of age story all around.

THE ADULT by Bronwyn Fischer is a frustrating read--and I mean that as a compliment. Natalie, a first-year college student, who seems to drift wherever the wind takes her. She does not express what she wants or thinks to other people, which is a key part of what lands her in the highly inappropriate relationship with the older Nora. It makes sense that Natalie would be drawn to Nora, who offers attention and an escape from the difficulties of making new friends and pushing through the challenges of being a first-year college student. Once Natalie does start to express herself and to state what she wants and/or needs, she's so deep into the relationship with Nora that her college friendships and experiences are thrown into jeopardy.

I did want to yell at Natalie to get her to stand up for herself, to get her to turn away from Nora. What made the pages fly for me was the writing; it's beautiful and rich with imagery. I actually read this book months ago and thought I'd already reviewed THE ADULT, but had missed it in my list. However, the story stuck with me all this time. I couldn't shake the characters or events.

There’s a distinct pleasure in discovering a gem of a novel by a debut author and The Adult, the first book from Toronto resident Bronwyn Fischer, sparkles with sharp observations of human nature from the first page to the last.

It has been said that every story is built around one of seven plot types and this coming-of-age tale about a student and an older woman, certainly has elements of other books. However, do not be fooled – this is not a carbon copy of predecessors such as André Aciman’s bestselling queer love story Call Me By your Name. Fischer’s storytelling ability is strong, and this brings a fresh take to the familiar story of age gap romance.

The Adult centers around Natalie, a sheltered university student from a rural forested area, as she adapts to a new pace of life in an unfamiliar city. Navigating her new-found independence shows her naivety, especially when compared to her peers, self-assured roommate Clara and knowledgeable course-mate Rachel. Although ‘wet behind the ears,’ Natalie is a likeable character that readers will relate to, perhaps seeing echoes of their younger selves in her.

When exploring her new neighborhood, Natalie crosses paths with Nora, an enigmatic woman who strikes up conversations with Natalie in the park and the supermarket. Flattered by the attention, Natalie finds herself thinking about Nora in a romantic light and the pair soon embark on a love affair which highlights how much the student still must learn about life and love.

As the pair spend more and more time together in Nora’s perfect grown-up apartment, their differences become ever more apparent. Although Nora’s age is never mentioned, her life experiences suggest she is significantly older than Natalie. This age gap brings with it an uncomfortable dynamic that causes the reader to question the older woman’s motives, something which is highlighted as the story builds. Underlying secrecy and half-truths on both sides expose the vulnerability that accompanies lust and longing; bringing with it a palpable tension that will leave readers with a thrilling sense of voyeurism. The pace continues to build as the novel reaches its climax, willing the reader to devour each page more quickly than the last as they race towards the conclusion.

Ultimately, it’s Fischer’s ability to capture the fine line between the powerful, all-consuming desire of first love and being controlled which sets this book apart from others exploring the age-old theme. The novel dissects the depth of emotion that comes with lust and jealousy with an unflinching honesty, touching a raw nerve with anyone who has ever been infatuated.

Melancholic and nostalgic in equal measure, this evocative novel will appeal to fans of lyrical writers such as Sylvia Brownrigg, Sarah Waters, Antonia White, and Kazuo Ishiguro.

The Adult is an exquisite example of lesbian fiction from a fresh new voice in the literary sphere. A painfully poignant and captivating read which fully deserves the buzz surrounding it.

Believe the hype. This is magnificent.

I am disappointed to say that I did not enjoy this.

The premise is promising but the writing is flat, and incomplete.

There are many narrative choices that are just lazy. The dialogue is quite empty and really the book as a whole just created no feeling.

The Adult follows the story of an affair between a young college student and an older woman. I think this book would be great for fans of Vladimir by Julia May Jones or Conversations with Friends by Sally Rooney, because of its close focus on relationship dynamics. But it is also definitely original in its voice.

The narration of this book reminded me of being in freshman year of college in such a visceral way. It nails so accurately the mindset and dialogue of someone in this stage of life, and explores this mindset in interesting yet realistic dilemmas. The way the character walks the bridge between naivety and adulthood is captured unlike any book I've ever read. Definitely an aptly named book.

The strong voice helps bring you into the close world of the relationship in this story and overall made it a gripping read.

**thank you to netgalley and algonquin books for an arc in exchange for an honest review**