The Book of George follows George from around 12 years to 40. Just when you think he is pathetic and completely unlikeable, he acknowledges his downfalls and admits his flaws. The problem is he never makes any attempts to change or accept responsibility. He is very intelligent and good looking. His mother is encouraging. His sister much less tolerant of his rude, unbecoming behavior, but it is his girlfriend Jenny we feel the most for. She deeply loves George and they have a needy codependent relationship. She is easy prey for him and she always there to fix every situation for him. He isn’t likable but he isn’t unlikeable. You find yourself rooting for him at the end but realize the way the story ends is best for Jenny. I do know people like this. Hard to love and hard not to like. Why can’t they just get their act together? The author Kate Greathead nailed this one. I was given an ARC copy of this book from Netgalley. Many thanks to all, the author, publisher and Netgalley.

I really enjoyed this book. The characters-all of them-were well written and I was able to connect with them. Thank you Net Galley and the publisher for allowing me to read this ARC.

For every girl who has been emotionally terrorized by a selfish, clueless man who has all the potential in the world but can't be bothered to do anything with it. It won't make you feel better but it will make you feel *seen*

3.5/5 - thank you NetGalley and Henry Holt for the ARC

I really wanted to love this book but I think I was just the wrong audience. It's well written and observed, with some excellent humor embedded throughout, I just never really connected with George in a meaningful way. It is a bit plotless in a way that I normally don't mind, but something so character driven needed to endear me to the MC more. The last chapter pulls a Dolly Alderton and tries to flip the story to a new narrative but it ultimately felt too late and unearned. I do think this will really work for a lot of people though so I am excited to hear from those who may have loved a bit more!

I had mixed feelings about this book. When George was described as "Eeyore" it all came together for me. George is Eeyore. Everyone has met or dated a guy like George, reading a book from the POV of a guy like George is not entirely enjoyable. It was engaging at times, the foggy bathroom door story was hilarious but it felt like reading a book about an emotional vampire and George drained me.

So many of the reviews mention that George is insufferable at worst and problematic at best. I just didn't get that from him. Not sure what is wrong with me, but I found him just to simply be a human trying to make his way through life without hurting anyone, even if he didn't always succeed. I didn't find him unlikeable, but rather found him quite relateable. This is definitely a character driven story. There is no great plot to pull you along, but rather I found myself just wondering how George was going to grow into his own, which I think he did. I definitely enjoyed spending time with George!!

George is an egoistical and intellectual individual who struggles with depression, which can make him an insufferable character and hinder his journey throughout adulthood. The writing is wonderful and showcases great character development. I really enjoyed this read.
Thank you @netgalley and @henryholt for the eArc.

I absolutely loved The Book of George. Boys like George who meander through life have always fascinated me (perhaps against my best interest). People like George always make you wonder if they’ll ever live up to their potential. You may sit around waiting for a George to change. You may turn the pages hoping that next page is when he will change. But will he? Can he?

This book gave me something I love about ARCs and reviews. I thought the cover was unique, and it caught my eye, but I probably would have assumed it wasn't for me. Instead, I just let myself get to know George (who is truly unlikable at times.) As I went on, I felt like I knew the characters, and I grew to like him more. Give this book a try. It's unique and well done.
Thank you to Henry Holt and Company and NetGalley for a digital ARC of this title in exchange for my honest review. All my opinions are my own.

Okay, I grant that it is funny but not enough to overcome the annoyance of someone who is incapable of growing up. George is the younger son of Ellen and Denis and younger brother of Clarissa. The novel is well-written by I fail to understand why anyone would want to read about a person with no redeeming features, who refuses to take advantage of the gifts he has been given and floats through life expecting those around him to do the unpleasant tasks (like cooking, cleaning, committing to earning a living and taking care of himself.

He has Jenny, a loving and giving girlfriend whom he does nothing to repay as she houses him and supports him. Later, it is his mother and sister who take over the task. This may be a very personal reaction, but I could not abide the irritation with the main character until finishing the book became painful. I persisted. bit was not rewarded with any redeeming features. I read for pleasure and The Book of George did not provide any for me.

Thanks to Henry Holt and Nat Galley for an ARC copy.

First of all ..a hearty thank you to Henry Holt and Company for the ARC of this book. Secondly..I know that we are supposed to hate this man child and probably we have all known one as irresponsible as a George, but I must say I Love This Character and I love the unique writing of his story. This book was exactly what I needed at this point in my life. Give yourselves a break from the horror and dystopian books of recent popularity and get to know George.

George! Kate Greathead has written a great Millennial novel exploring the species of the aimless, frustrating, Millennial white male who emotional terrorizes the women in his life (without realizing, of COURSE). But don't let that sway you - it's a really fun book, filled with vignettes from different periods of George's life. Greathead's success in building such a well-rounded character in George makes him relatable and jump off the page.

We all know or have dated a George. He struggles with maintaining relationships, good mental health, and barely has a job. Weird stuff happens to him, like he gets cast in a Super Bowl commercial, but even that he squanders in strange and unexpected ways. He's unlikeable, but sad. The book reminds me of GOOD MATERIAL by Dolly Alderton. We follow a man through the eyes of a female author but in the end, we see him most when we see him through the eyes of the women around him. A really impressive second novel!

Thank you, NetGalley and Henry & Holt Company for this ARC.

I really tried to get into this book, but I couldn't. It sounded so interesting too. This one was a DNF for me. I just couldn't handle George which made it difficult to read. I may take another shot at it in the future.

I don’t even know how to rate this book. George is terrible. Is this really someone’s story? What a waste. It was honestly so sad, in a really cringe worthy way. I kept reading on thinking there would be a point in the story where things would take a turn, but they never did. Could’ve guessed Jenny was a double masker from page one though.

3.5 ⭐️ Oh George! Everyone either knows a George or has dated one which makes this book so relatable. He is insufferable, childish, dodges responsibility, yet somehow you can’t help but feel badly for him despite disliking the character. In some ways this felt like Good Material by Dolly Alderton without romance being the main storyline- just the giant baby of a man.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

i know he’s supposed to suck but i am obssesed with george i adore him
he’s insaneeee and insufferable but also? the author wrote this so beautifully you can tell a george inspired this LIVE
thank you netgalley and co for this beautiful novel! 4.5 stars!

This book is Jude the obscure for Gen-Xers. A highly readable tale of the pitfalls of white male mediocrity.

I found this book engaging from the moment I started. I like the flow of the story, the characters were fun and engaging to read about. I like the writing style. All in all quite enjoyable. Definitely recommend.

*SPOILERS*

George, the MC, comes across as a big baby throughout the novel. It's evident his life took a significant turn after his father's passing, yet this pivotal moment is skimmed over throughout the book. I would have liked to understand more about how his dad's passing affected him. The twist of *SPOILER* his actual biological father being a good family friend adds some complexity to George's character but doesn't compensate for his persistent unhappiness and lack of personal growth.

One of the most striking moments of the book is when Connie bluntly calls George out on his behavior. Her words resonate deeply, reflecting my own frustrations with George as an entitled brat who believes he's better than everyone else. His fear of failure and reluctance to push himself only reinforce this negative impression.

George's relationship with Jenny throughout the book is another source of confusion. Although we're TOLD he loves her, his behavior says otherwise. This dynamic makes it hard for me to understand why Jenny continues to stay with him and put up with his behavior. The abrupt shift to Jenny's POV in the final chapter feels jarring and out of place, leaving me dissatisfied and puzzled about the story's direction.

Overall, The Book of George is about a self-absorbed man from his teenage years to his late 30s, who refuses to take control of his life. Despite moments of humor and poignancy, the novel ultimately falls flat.

The Book of George was an interesting book following the early to mid-life of a depressed man aptly named George. I enjoyed the flaws of the main character but thought it could have been stronger in terms of the final plot and what it was trying to say about life. Felt like it was trying a bit too hard to do not that much.

That being said, I really enjoyed the writing style and absolutely devoured the book when George was a child through his college years. I think it’s worth reading and I would give the author another chance in the future.

Overall I’d give it around 3.5/5 but closer to 4 than 3.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC of this book!