Enjoyable portrait of mid-20s malaise and turning to an affair to seek meaning. Felt a little bit uninspired/stodgy, I didn't feel super connected to the narrator or driven by the story.

To characterize this just as a book about an affair is to minimize the spectacular accuracy with which Madeleine Gray has captured the anxiety-ridden aimlessness of navigating your mid-twenties. It is an experience of clinging to a life wracked constantly by change: both the small calamities of friends moving and parents aging but also the broader context of trying to envision a future in world riddled with pandemics and climate catastrophes. With this context well-established, it comes as less of a surprise when our protagonist Hera finds herself drawn to the intoxicating promise of love and stability with an older, married man, even as the reader can sense the inevitable outcome creeping in from the very first pages. There is a certain seductive irony in this: I knew what was going to happen between Hera and Arthur from their very first meeting, yet I couldn't stop reading, watching Hera's bitter self-awareness collide with her fragile hopes for a different life.

As much as Hera's choices were frustrating, her voice was eerily retable. I especially enjoyed Gray's exploration of Hera's bisexuality and how this identity impacted her relationships and self-image. As a bisexual woman myself, I felt keenly many of Hera's struggles, and highlighted a staggering amount of lines that captured emotions and experiences I shared but had never been properly able to put into words. Hera's character gave words to the loneliness that this identity can prove in me, and the pressure to change yourself depending on who you are dating.

Overall, I was impressed with the fresh perspective that Gray inject into what I generally consider a tired trope. I could sincerely feel Hera's pain and understand that knots she twists herself into in pursuit of future happiness, even as I frequently disagreed with her self-destructive choices. Maybe a controversial take, but think Madeleine Grey far outstrips Sally Rooney in capturing the melancholy of young adult existence, and I sincerely hope this debut rockets her into the recognition she deserves.

I was not a big fan of this one, unfortunately. The ending felt a little flat and unresolved to me, and I didn’t love the direction that it went in as the novel progressed. I do think others may enjoy it but it was not for me.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for allowing me to read Green Dot. All opinions are my own thoughts. Green Dot follows a 20-something year of Hera and her life moving through life in Australia. She gets a job working as a Social media Moderator and that's when she meets Author. From meeting him, she finds that falling in love is not simple. Author tells her an important detail and she slowly but surely starts to spiral. Now if you have seen Tyler Perry's A Family That Preys, you know that the Husband in an affair never leaves his wife and I swear I was screaming this throughout the book. It hurt seeing Hera going through what she went through with Author and I just cried for her at the end. I loved the pop culture references and Hera was a character that you could easily relate to. Her humor is dark but she's also a great friend and is loyal. The ending needed to happen to her and you wonder how she will move forward after everything is done. This book will for sure be a rollercoaster so buckle up for the ride.

Thank you very much for the opportunity to read this book early! I really enjoyed it. I thought the writing was very well done, and the story kept me interested. I believe my students/patrons would also love this book and will be acquiring it for the library!

Green Dot takes you inside the mind of a 24-year-old woman having an affair with a married 40-year-old man. I found this the best depiction of the mindset behind an affair I've ever read. (It's interesting to vicariously see what an affair is like without actually, you know, having to have an affair.)

Hera is funny and self-aware, but you can see that self-awareness getting compromised the longer she gives her life to a man who can only give a little bit in return. Very good novel.

Fans of Fleabag should enjoy the voice of this novel.

Netgalley provided me a free e-galley of this book in return for an honest review.

An absolute whirlwind. I couldn't put it down. What begins as a workplace affair becomes passion, lust, and, ultimately, love that Hera has never quite experienced before. We follow this twenty-something bisexual Aussie through her intricately thorny predicament, and I was HERE FOR IT.

It's been a while since the age of 24 for me, but I was immediately transported back to that tortuous space and time. Arthur, the married Lothario, was reminiscent of so many men I have encountered in my 33 years, and it was hard at times to swallow his simultaneous charm, victimhood, and twisted conscientiousness. Gray's writing style really nailed it for me, and I'm totally looking forward her next piece.

5 stars!

This book was truly gut wrenching. It's always hard to watch somebody destroy themselves through addiction whether it is alcohol, drugs or relationships. And that's what this story really is about as the main character attempts to revive her numbed out feelings by chasing somebody who is not available. The rush of endorphins created by putting everything into somebody who can give back so little is such a common story but so unbelievably well told in this debut novel . The author tells the story through the main character Hera. Although Hera hides many of her vulnerabilities from her secret lover Arthur, as a narrator she exposes all of them to the reader allowing a glimpse of the raw truth of what it must feel like to be the other woman. Well done.

E-ARC review via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

“Green Dot” is a phenomenal debut novel by Madeleine Gray. Focusing on a millennial finding her place in the world, the novel reads like a warning but also feels very relatable. Excellent and hilarious prose is sandwiched between morality and finding one’s place in the world.

This is a novel that I couldn’t stop highlighting, and it also reminded me that everyone is going through at least one thing that someone else can relate to. The author beautifully portrays what it is like to be floundering in a world that moves ever faster around you and always expects something more. The main character, Hera, acknowledges the reader and welcomes the reader into the story. The author also does an excellent job of capturing what it feels like to be constantly checking your phone and putting your life on hold just in case the person you want decides they can fit you into their schedule.

I would recommend this book to lovers of literary fiction and poetry, those who prefer to think in shades of gray, and readers who do not shy away from immoral explorations. However, this book is not for the faint of heart, nor for those who immediately hold disgust with infidelity and the characters’ choices. I found the novel to be ever so melodramatic in the most wonderful way.

wow. that was a phenomenal reading experience. i felt everything with the main character; i was laughing, i was falling in love, i was crying, i was angry, i was hopeful, i was crying, i was frustrated, i was desperate, i was delusional, i was longing, i was crying again. it was insane. and i think it is a testament to the author's writing skill to make a character so real and yet so endearing. i rooted for her. i saw myself in her. and wow what a crazy thing to admit here.

aside from the double ending punctuations, i don't think anything else bothered me. i usually don't like the presence of social media in books i'm reading but this one here is an exception. i also, on principle, don't think that three exclamation points should stand on their own as one line after a paragraph but here, it was appropriate and perfectly placed that i was just shocked of my own acceptance of it. plus, the karaoke scene that i usually love in fan fiction but don't commonly see done well in novels was so tense and so well set up and organized that i just have to applaud Madeleine Gray for this. add to this the sad yet humorous girl inner monologues, the music and movie references, and other pop culture or social media references, it was all arranged brilliantly. i don't know why it worked for me, just that it wasn't as corny or cringey as it is usually done in other novels.

i will say though, this book made me reflect on myself. a lot. i won't share them here but i must say that the author did such a great job with the progression of the plot, the presentation of the ideas, the rationalizing of immoral actions, the expression of desperation, of hope, of yearning. the way all that was done seamlessly that i never felt a dull moment. it was sad, yes, but it was also humorous. i was fully engaged and intrigued, so i really enjoyed myself here. and i bet the author was chuckling to herself naming her main character Hera!

anyway, pick this up if you like Madelaine Lucas' Thirst for Salt, Fleabag, Sally Rooney books, and Diana Reid books. this definitely made it to one of my top books this year!

Listen this book will inevitably get compared to Sally Rooney and while that's a fair comparison, this one is much funnier! I was snorting and cackling my way through this book. I haven't read something I've wanted to hand off to my (overeducated sad sarcastic) friends so immediately. Good work.

The protagonist is the biggest draw. I knew I would like this book in the first few pages - extreme apathy from someone overeducated but underqualified? Yes, please! Hera is perfectly designed for the jaded grad school kids. I also loved the constant references to pop culture that surely millennials will understand but might be vaguely alienating to other readers.

We follow left-leaning, bisexual Hera, who makes my heart hurt with how badly she treats herself. She's a painfully relatable character, infatuated with her own idea of love that she's projected onto a cheating asshole who doesn't mind wasting her youth with empty promises. She stays with this married man for an unreasonable amount of time, waiting for him to leave his wife.

Once in a while Hera does something vaguely uncharacteristic, but overall the characters are well written and engaging. The dialogue is sharp and witty. I laughed openly on more than one occasion. I'm excited to see what else Madeleine Gray has to offer.

Thank you to @netgalley and @henryholtbooks for an early digital copy!

I got this as an ARC from Netgalley and the publisher.

I did not want this book to kill me, because it is about a lovable early-20-something who is extremely smart but extremely stupid in that early-20s way - but it did! It killed me! The dialogue is smart, funny, and human, and gave all the characters a three-dimensionality that I am always hoping for but was not expecting. The story is what it promises: a listless recent college graduate who is trying to find her footing takes odd jobs and falls in (reciprocated) love with a married man. Every world-weary fiber in my being was screaming at her not to do it, but their relationship is written so charmingly that you are tricked into, even for a brief moment, rooting for them.

I really enjoyed this. The story follows Hera, a 24-year-old with her first-ever office job as a comment moderator. She quickly becomes involved with an older, married coworker and embarks on an intense affair.

I don’t usually reach for books about infidelity, but this is a gripping story. Hera is a very interesting protagonist—it is unclear at some parts as to whether you should be deeply annoyed by her or rooting for her. She’s very Fleabag-esque. Even when you’re watching her spiral and make horrible mistakes, she’s still relatable. Madeleine Grey is a sharp writer, and I could see fans of Sally Rooney liking this book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Henry Holt & Company for sending me an advanced digital copy in exchange for my honest review.

Though Green Dot seems quite well written, the main character and the subject of the story itself are quite off-putting. Hera is a young, college educated (sometimes gay) woman who takes a mundane job that she really doesn't like. She meets Arthur at work, and the affair begins. I was able to get about 50% through this book, but ultimately decided to not finish because I found Hera's sarcasm irritating, and the details of the affair were actually depressing to me. I didn't really want to experience what I knew would be a bad ending for both Hera and Arthur.

But I did like the "readability" of the text, and having those short chapters is always a plus.

Thanks to NetGalley for allowing me to read and review Green Dot.

Green Dot packs a punch with its well-crafted plot and skillful use of sarcasm. The story unfolds with twists and turns that kept me guessing until the final pages. Gray's clever writing had me both amused and intrigued as I tried to piece together the puzzle she so cunningly presented.

In short, Green Dot is an enthralling read that appeals to both the thrill-seeker and the humor enthusiast. Madeleine Gray has created a work of art that seamlessly blends hilarity, honesty, and sarcasm, leaving readers thoroughly entertained and satisfied. If you're looking for a refreshingly unique and engaging thriller, this book should be at the top of your must-read list, I could not put it down.

4.5

Interesting story. Felt like it took a bit to really get into the story but came to a quick ending. I didn’t fall in love with any of the characters. Usually I like the characters so much that I want more and I didn’t really feel that from the characters. I did like the concept of the book, just could have better developed characters.

Ms. Gray presents solid writing with a continuously gripping plot line. I found myself drawn into the character conflicts and embracing their personalities. The writing keeps the reader in the moment and makes it difficult for the reader to leave. The plot is not extremely complicated and some might wish for more, however, for me, I truly enjoyed the realistic turmoils and ongoing turns of events. In the end, I will remember this novel more than most, and well, that should be the most telling review of all.

I must be honest, I go into any book that's billed as "like Sally Rooney" with some skepticism. I am not a huge fan of navel gazing auto fiction, and a lot of "Sally Rooney-esque" novels fall within that description.

Green Dot is a standout for me. Madeleine Gray has accomplished a feat here, writing an entire novel from the POV of a woman knowingly engaged in an extramarital affair with a married man, and made her wholly sympathetic while also entirely real. Hera's own self-awareness is what set this novel apart for me: she admits to her wrongdoings and her misdeeds, sometimes as they're happening, and is incredibly clear eyed about how, when, and where it all went wrong.

The only reason I'm giving this four stars instead of five is that I found Arthur to be uniquely despicable. And yet - so like so many other men in this situation! I think partly because of how well-drawn Hera was, I never felt any connection whatsoever to Arthur. He was a neutral villain: I couldn't muster up any true hatred for him because he was just so utterly predictable. A jar of mayonnaise, lying in wait to break a young woman's heart.

All in all, there's some great character work here - Hera's relationship with her dad is one I've not read before, and I found it refreshing. Her friendships may not have passed the Bechdel Test, but I loved that they were supportive, resignedly so, at least of the feelings of their dear friend. So often authors have their characters approach affairs as if it's black and white and really, it's not. Everything is so complicated, and I appreciated that it was written authentically here.

Four stars. Thanks to NetGalley and Henry Holt Books for the ARC.

Green Dot follows an approximately two year period in Hera's life when she, at 24, decides it is time to buckle down and get a desk job. As she becomes acclimated to her boring job at a news outlet, she also quickly becomes interested in an older coworker, Arthur. It is only after their first night together that Hera learns Arthur is married. Falling in love hard and fast, Hera embarks upon her affair with Arthur.

Hera narrates the book by breaking the fourth wall and telling her story directly to her readers. Thus, we're privy to her moral dilemmas about participating in an affair, as well as all her other opinions and wayward thoughts. At times, Hera's narration can be a bit pretentious, but this is exactly how a real person such as Hera would think and speak--if a reader is annoyed at Hera, it is only because Gray has captured her character so well. My heart broke for Hera, which is due solely to the story-crafting exhibited by Gray. I truly hope she publishes again.