George is just a regular guy finding his way in the world. The book starts when he is a young boy and follows him through his college years and his early career attempts and relationships. It is humorous and an honest portrayal of a young adult.

Having raised a precious son into a man, I especially appreciated the sentiments of George’s mother in this quote when she is reflecting on all the interests he had as a young boy and how she imagined what his future could potentially hold as compared to his current situation.

“I want you to wake up in the morning and be excited to get out of bed and do whatever it is you are passionate about. Or at least get out of bed and do it even on the days when you are not excited about it. I think you’d find there is a certain dignity in that. Just getting up and doing what is expected of you all the more so when it is not what you want to be doing or what you expected out of life.”

She hoped he would grow up to be engaged in the world, but George was struggling with that when what he’d experienced of the world as an adult just seemed to disappoint him…

George isn’t a bad person. He does nice things for others and even gets lucky and comes into some unexpected money. He’s maintained many of the friendships that he established in college and is close with his sister. He even has an interesting party trick that serves him well over the years.

This book would appeal to readers who enjoyed Groundskeeping by Lee Cole. The audiobook narration was well done and a pleasure to listen to.

The thing about life is we can't see very far ahead of ourselves. We don't know what will happen or who we'll meet or how we'll feel. All we have is potential. All this potential we hoard and cling to like it will be the thing to carry us, ultimately, to happiness, to fulfillment, to stability. The real truth is that life is what you make of it, and if you're not careful, you'll never really live it at all.

George has a Holden Caufield complex. Or, at least the same one as Holden. He's stuck in his head far too much, he has grandiose ideas and passes judgment on everyone around him like he'll win money for it. Except he doesn't. He never has any money because he won't get off his ass to do anything unless he convinces himself it has some sort of higher meaning unless and until he absolutely has to. And when he does have to do something, he will do anything to put it off. When he gets the slightest bit uncomfortable, he will reject whatever thing has done the wrongdoing or come back at it with teeth bared, even when he knows he's wrong. His whole life is an identity crisis, and I'm not even sure he knows it.

This book is almost stream of consciousness, in the third person. We follow George through his mediocre life, glancing moments here and there — sometimes, okay, often, quite mundane moments. He has some formative experiences as a kid, he gets a philosophy degree, he flounders, and he doesn't stop floundering. He lets others take care of him like he doesn’t understand it costs them something to do so. He has a longtime on and off again girlfriend called Jenny who he feels no passion for and is far too patient with him (girl, you deserve so much better). He tries to write a book. He sometimes gets the most random jobs. He often knows he is insufferable.

I know it might sound like I didn't like this book very much, but that's untrue. This is the type of book where you get out what you put into it. If you don't come at it with a certain level of discernment as a reader, you probably won't like it. George isn't all that likable, but things he thinks and experiences, and things he encounters through the people he meets have lessons to teach us, and opportunities for us (as readers) to learn something about how we perceive the world, whether we agree with George or oppose him. There are plenty of takeaways pressed into these pages.

The writing is excellent. I love the level of detail we're privy to, coloring George's experiences. Like Holden Caufield, George is critiquing everyone and everything around him, while playing himself cool. It's a very specific vibe, and Greathead nailed it. The audiobook narrator, Blair Baker, did an excellent job, too.

I was provided an advanced readers copy of this novel to read from netgalley & the publisher in exchange for an honest review. On netgalley this is categorized under both Literary fiction and humor/satire. I kept waiting for something funny to happen (not that George isn't funny), but if this book belongs in that category at all, it is certainly on the satire side. It didn't really come off that way to me.

Choose this book if you are a fan of literary fiction. If you like the structure of Catcher & the Rye and are interested in a modern twist on its main character. I think I'll be carrying George around with me for a while.

Tbh George just sucks. He’s a terrible person who doesn’t really seem to care about anyone but him.

As this is a character study type book unless you’re cool with reading about a truly horrific person this ain’t for you.

It ain’t for me cause I have to tolerate enough of these people in real life.

Pass.

George has a lot going for him, but he never seems to capitalize on any of it, at times seeming to sleepwalk through his life. Author Kate Greathead takes us through George's life from age twelve to forty. To be honest, I know a George. Someone full of potential who can't seem to get out of their own way and with no clear path. I liked George despite being incredibly frustrated by him at times. I wanted to shake his long-suffering girlfriend Jenny and tell her he wouldn't change while simultaneously hoping for their happily ever after. It is to the author's credit that both emotions could exist simultaneously. The story is read by Blair Baker who has done a good job. I enjoyed the narration and how easily the story flowed. Their delivery embodied the emotions of the story adding to the experience.

Thank you MacMillan Audio and NetGalley for the advanced reader copy. This is my honest review.

So I am not sure how I feel about this. I almost wish we were with George for longer to see if he grew more as a person. Maybe until like 50 or 60. He was funny but immature. He did not treat the people in his life the best especially Jenny. I just overall did not like George that much to be honest. He had no redeeming factors for me. He needed to grow up. It was still a decent read though. A 3.5 star.

George is a lost soul with a temper that gets him into trouble. I didn’t find much humor in the snapshots of his life. On the contrary, it was overall a sad and depressing audiobook listen for me. I was more interested in his sister and his long-suffering, on-again-off-again girlfriend who each had goals. Perhaps it’s George’s unabashed aimlessness that didn’t sit well with me, being a Type A over-achiever by nature.
The writing and narration are good. If you want to understand a George, perhaps being inside his head might be helpful. I’d rather hang out with someone else.
My thanks to the author, publisher, producer, and #NetGalley for early access to the audiobook in exchange for an honest review.