You may briefly be reminded of Donna Tartt’s The Secret History as you settle into this debut novel from actress Nell Hudson. It features a group of close friends and how aspects of real life provoke an almost organic disintegration of that friendship. The story quickly comes into its own against the backdrop of London and the vaguely hedonist lifestyles of the fearless young. I’ll confess I was surprised just how good this book is. I was a bit of a ‘She can act but can she write?“ mind. However I was quickly enveloped in the lives of Joni, Dylan, Jess, Niall, Mila and Henry. Lives and loves. Comedies and tragedies. Written in the first person, from the perspective of Joni a.k.a. Phil, (don’t ask, read the book😉!) the reader is privy to her party lifestyle of love, drugs and alcohol. The strap line on the back of the proof I received says “The party has to end sometime“ and so it does. With a sparkling narrative that encourages the reader along with it we can almost see the cracks appearing even if our merry band can’t. The author shows a perception for the twenty somethings, how they act and react that is not unsympathetic, neither is it critical, it is well observed and often poignant. Something the book does most effectively is highlight those aspects of living that you take for granted, people who you can’t ever imagine not being in your life, especially when you’re young, And how hard it hits when the rude awakenings of life force their indelible stamp upon you.
Many thanks to team bookends for a gifted proof.
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