This book was absolutely precious, but I think just not my cup of tea. I loved all of the characters though!

I really, sincerely loved this book. George is a mess, no doubt about it, but he has redeemable qualities. He is self-aware and “trying” to fix himself, but for a variety of reasons, he can’t seem to pull himself together. He has promise and he has talent, he just fails to use it in a way that is productive. I think that, in some ways, we all have a little bit of George in us; maybe that’s what made me sympathetic towards him. Or perhaps we don’t all have a little bit of George in us and I am just The Problem… Who’s to say!

The description of the book says that we all know a George. That’s true. I’ve known several, to varying degrees. I’ve dated a George, I’ve been friends with a George, I’ve been a George. I saw a lot of myself and a lot of my friends in this book. I appreciated the fact that, while characters did try to steer him in the right direction, the book never really tried to “fix” him. He had moments of massive failure and moments of sweet redemption, just like he would in real life. I wonder if my tolerance for George speaks to the type of person I am. Maybe I’m too much like Jenny (George’s on-again-off-again girlfriend). Maybe we’re all a mix of both.

Thank you so much to Kate Greathead for writing this wonderful book, and thank you to Henry Holt and Co. as well as NetGalley for providing me the opportunity to read it early.

I liked how complex the characters were- you love to hate them and hate to love them. However, I just did not enjoy the plot. I felt as though it was too long for the point the author was trying to make.

The eponymous character, George, is a caricature of millennial males: an often-insufferable young man who cannot get out of his own way, squandering his potential with his inability to commit to anything or anyone. He is not a particularly lovable character—his narcissism, cynicism, brooding anger, and sullenness make up some of his annoying flaws—but I could not help pulling for him a little. Not only does he disappoint his mother and his long-suffering girlfriend, Jenny, but he is, perhaps, even more disappointed in himself, yet he cannot seem to stop himself from saying and doing the things that alienate people. Told with sharp, often dry, humor, this perceptive and tender character study is often hilarious and overarchingly sad at the same time as we follow George through the first two decades of his adulthood. Engaging story and solid writing.

Thank you to NetGalley, Henry Hold & Co., and Ms. Greathead for making this advance reader copy available for review. The expected publication date is October 8, 2024.

I'm having a hard time rating this one. I liked the writing style and structure, and enjoyed following along through different periods of George's life. I do think this was well told, realistic, and authentic, but I did not like George at all. He had no redeeming factors for me. I found him selfish and inconsiderate and he had no character growth. I would have much rather read about Jenny the entire time, who was complex and interesting. A lot of reviewers claim that you either know a George or have dated a George, but I am neither because I cannot stand this type of incompetent personality. It was still a good read, but I would have rather followed a different character.

I think this was too on the nose as lit fic goes. George just wasn't an overall compelling character to anchor the entire book around.

3.5 stars rounded up to 4.

The Book of George by Kate Greathead is the story of the life of a boy named George. The writing style of author is very accessible and made this book a pleasant read. The character development in the book is also very good and parts of the book are quite funny.

This book is a character study. While I enjoyed getting to know George and his friends, I felt that the book lacked a plot and conflict. At times, I struggled to continue reading the book but ultimately finished it.

Thank you to NetGalley and Henry Holt & Company for an advanced reader copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The publisher's blurb for The Book of George makes George sound fairly unlikeable. Maybe that would be the case in real life, but I enjoyed the person that Kate Greathead writes about in this story that covers his life from about age 12 to almost 40. George isn't a completely pathetic character, he just has very little motivation, or maybe it's not placed in the right areas. We meet his father, mother, sister, and long-term girlfriend Jenny, and begin to understand better why he might be the way that he is. Jenny provides much of the motivation that George lacks, and later on, George's mother and sister are his rescuers. The book does have some humor, but often it's presented in a humor-tinged poignant way. I'd like to hold out hope that George was eventually learning to take the reigns and not just give up, as shown by his making multiple attempts to get a dead squirrel out of a car engine.

Thank you to Henry Holt and Co. and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book. It will be published on October 8, 2024.

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!