Maybe It's About Time

A high flying business man and a down on her luck single parent find that their World’s collide
 
A brilliant opening novel from Neil Boss. I cannot remember another novel where I was so glued to every page. Amusing in the opening half with business meetings that seemed ludicrous and yet are probably true to life. As the story progresses, the focus of the story changes and I was led through a series of different emotions.This is written with a light hand, I found myself constantly smiling and yet was also invested in each of the characters.
 
In years to come, this could be used as a history book. It brilliantly captures the events, fears and thoughts of the days leading up to the virus arriving in the UK and the subsequent impact that it had.
 
A lengthy book, you never felt that events were being rushed and the novel is all the better for this.
 
I loved every page of this and hope that there is a follow up before too long.
 
It is September 29th 2022.
Thanks to NetGalley and Matador for providing me with an Advance Reader's Copy in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.

Writing: 5/5 Characters: 5/5 Plot: 4/5

A book for our times, this book tackles the Covid era through the intimate stories of two very different people who meet by chance and end up having a surprising impact on each other. Marcus Barlow has everything money can buy, but hates almost every instant of his existence. He works for “The Firm” which is a Dilbertian take on management consulting. It all sounds over the top, and the language is heavily laced in satire, but having lived this myself, I know it’s not terribly exaggerated!. Claire Halford has literally nothing money can buy as she hasn’t any money — only two small children and an STI gifted to her by her adulterous (and now long gone) husband.

When Covid enters the picture — first as a scary whisper and later with a terrifying bang, both characters (along with Marcus’ family, Claire’s neighbors, and Gavin — Marcus’ friend and Claire’s social worker) — are tumbled along in its wake.

There is not a single cliche in this book, despite the fact that the plot could easily have descended into any of the multiple opportunities for banality. We watch each person — from the main characters to the many supporting characters — navigate the confusing, overwhelming, and stressful landscape of lockdowns, shortages, and sudden deaths. As we watch, the taxing times give rise to surprising self knowledge and hidden depths of kindness, compassion, and the desire to behave ethically, despite the discomfort inherent in doing so.

As an aside, the book had a great “soundtrack” as Marcus played different tunes to support his moods (I recognized and liked every one). Also, excellent descriptions of food from multiple tables — from the over-the-top meals for Partners at The Firm, to high end bachelor cooking, to children’s meals cobbled together from discount tins, to vegan meals offered to the unenthused. The author also managed to show empathy for many situations without descending into blame or broadcasting heavy handed social agendas and he spiced the entire book with plenty of humorous and dead accurate social commentary. Very good writing — as I said, reminds me of David Lodge who is one of my favorite British authors with the same kind of precise, intuitive writing.

Highly recommended.

It’s January 2020 and the world is about to change. And, the lives of two strangers will also change in ways neither one can even imagine. Marcus Barlow is a wealthy family man who has worked for The Firm for over twenty years. It has provided a comfortable life but he is beginning to realize that he doesn’t enjoy his work or how it makes him feel. Meanwhile, Claire, a single mum with two small children and abandoned by her husband, is living on welfare and facing a dismal future. Then a mysterious virus begins to explode around the world.

Maybe It’s About Time is an up-lifting, humorous, heart-wrenching, and emotional novel that captures the early days of 2020 when people were beginning to deal with lockdowns, empty grocery store shelves, and over-crowded hospitals. The writing is crisp, with satire and humor relating to Marcus’ job and emotions that will touch any reader. It is so well-written that it took me back to those days when even toilet paper was at a premium.

It was easy to become invested in the lives of the various characters: Gavin, Claire’s social worker, Mr Mahoney, Claire and Marcus’ families, the kind grocery store manager, and many more. For anyone who has dealt with Covid-19 on a personal level, this book will be an emotional roller coaster. But it’s a ride I’m glad I took.

Maybe It’s About Time is Neil Boss’s first novel and I certainly hope it’s not his last. He has an extraordinary gift of writing. His novel hits all the right notes and it is one of the best books I have read this year.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing a copy of this book for review.

"The word ‘mysterious’ was playing on his mind. Flu happened everywhere, every year, so why was this mysterious?"

Same Marcus same.

Whenever I read a book that includes the Covid pandemic, it feels so surreal, like an out of body experience. My mind transports me back to the horrifying days but my body stays stuck in the present. Survived a pandemic, huh?

The narration is written in third person with a captivating and easily accessible language.The storytelling was smooth, which is something I look for now that my attention span is suffering. The wording was too cheesy at times but taking the plot, character development and execution into consideration, it was a minor drawback. I wholly fell in love with Marcus, Gavin and Claire, single mom to Kyle and Alexa. Their pain, struggles and anxiety were so damn relatable. Another setback is it dragged here and there. Highly recommend! ❤️

There is something original about this book, and it kept me completely hooked. Set during the run up to, and during the pandemic lockdown it was so much more than a novel of 'unprecedented times'.

There were some marvellous characters in this novel. The main characters, Marcus and Claire were both well drawn and utterly believable. However, the author does an equally good job with the secondary characters. I loved Mr Mahoney and Claire's other neighbours. Equally, Marcus' family were well portrayed.

I laughed at the way Marcus' colleagues were depicted as soulless human beings and it was a joy to see him come to understand his role within this. It was no surprise to discover that Mr. Boss has worked in the corporate sector and I suspect that much of himself is reflected in Marcus.