Sophie is working in a pub, trying to make ends meet. She is struggling with emotional and physical debts, and can’t get her life together. She can’t seem to act like a regular, well-adjusted person, and at times speaks her inner monologue out loud, further emphasising her oddness. Her love life is a sexless relationship, her family hate her, and her fantasies revolve around an unobtainable crush that she followed from the UK to Australia. Possibly more of an obsession than a crush? So when the object of her obsession seemingly coincidentally walks into the pub she is working in one night, Sophie feels like it has happened for a reason. Maybe it is time to dump her boyfriend, Ian, stop her pathological lies, start getting on with her mother and sister, and finally get the man she thinks wants. She can finally be a regular person, without bizarre paranoias, and fit into society just like everyone else.
I love Sara Pascoe and her sense of humour, so I was looking forward to this book. There were some elements of her humour and wit in the character of Sophie at times, but overall Sophie and the other characters were flat, unlikeable and somewhat insipid. The story was disjointed and not particularly engaging. I figure the discombobulated nature of the writing was to reflect the main character’s narration, life and personality. However, for me, the style didn’t work, and the story dragged on too much without a hugely discernable direction. Perhaps my expectations were different, expecting more of Sara’s style, rather than that of the character of Sophie. There were some redeeming moments in the self-awareness towards the end, but overall Sophie was not a particularly likeable person and the story was not a hugely entertaining read.

*I received this book from NetGalley for review, but all opinions are my own.

*Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review*
Well, this was a bit different. It was at times funny and quick read but definitely different from my usual reads.It was a bit chaotic and at times hard to follow which made things a bit difficult to understand. Felt a bit too much and all over the place. Maybe it's just my preference and I am not the right public for this types of books but some things said in the book by the FMC had me in shock and I just couldn't understand or relate to it. Thank you for the opportunity.

I found this to be a really tough slog of a read. I ma a big fan of Pascoe's nonfiction work, but this didn't hit the mark from me.
Normally, I enjoy a protagonist who you love to hate, but Sophie annoyed me to my core and made me want to stop reading the book. The plot is scattered and so is the writing style - trying to follow Sophie's thoughts and actions, but it didn't come together for me.
I felt like there was no character growth throughout the novel and I was left disappointed.

This book is easy reading, a little confusing in places, with a few loose ends. What happened at the court hearing etc?

Heartwarming in a funny sort of way about someone who realizes that others' material t things are not that important to them.

Thank you Netgalley for letting me read this prepublication book.

Whilst I love Sara Pascoe and was really looking forward to this book, it did not live up to my expectations. I was expecting her wit, humour and intelligence to shine through however the story was just ok. The writing was as scatty and airheaded as the main character. I found the story very long winded and very banal although there were some funny moments. All in all a disappointment

This book was amusing but also heartwarming. I liked the main character, i felt like the chaotic writing style matched the mc chaotic life and personality. Was a fun read, really enjoyed it,

I thought this sounded like a fun book to read.

I found this book amusing, but at the same time, heartwarming and moving. I liked the protagonist and the way she communicated with the reader. She amused me, but also had a deeper, more serious side that I could relate to. By the time I had finished reading this, I felt as though I'd been on a journey with the character.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for a free copy to review.

Sadly I didn’t love it - whilst I appreciate why it was written the way it was, I just found it too scatty and as a result, hard to follow. 2 stars.

Absolutely brilliant, loved it. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me an advance copy, I will definitely be recommending.

huh. this reminded me of sally rooney, whose books have always given me a bit of a hard time, so i guess fans of her stories may find this one amusing. i, to put it simply, did not.

i didn’t love this one. the lack of direction and plot as well as unlikeable characters felt pretty tedious and boring. i liked the fact the chaotic writing style matched the main character’s chaotic life and personality but for me, this one did not reach expectations.

Full of vim and full to the brim with Sarah pascoes saratorical sense of humour, whit and ways of looking at life. I enjoyed it.

Initially I found this book meandering and lacking in narrative direction, but then came to the conclusion that it was just representative of the main character’s state of mind and chaotic lifestyle. There were some funny moments that came with a healthy dollop of self awareness - who hasn’t imagined what a future biographer might make of their jottings or whether they’re unknowingly starring in a film of their own life? It was more chuckle worthy than laugh out loud funny, but I think it was worth reading.

“ I avoid looking in the mirror because I’m feeling brilliant and don’t want to ruin it with the truth of my face. ”

I’m a big fan of Sara’s non fiction so was thrilled to discover she had penned a novel. It really couldn’t have been written by anyone else, the humour was so quintessentially hers. It was light hearted, easy reading, with some deeper thought provoking moments amidst the whimsy, and the most awkward sex ever committed to text.

While I was certainly entertained, and would read a sequel to see what happens next with Sophie and her wildly dysfunctional family, I would struggle to give this book more than 3.5*. It’s good fun but ultimately quite forgettable.