Ghosts

This is not a traditional romantic comedy. Absolutely nothing to laugh about the author's take on dating and marriage.

A beautiful coming-of-age book fit for women going into their thirties. Indeed as relatable and poignant as the critics rave. Nina's journey feels like an arm around your shoulder, telling you that life is messy but that's what makes for a good story.

Great for people who still aren't married and are constantly peer pressured into learning about child rearing!!

please read this.

I enjoyed this entertaining dramedy about an early-thirties woman in London trying online dating and failing. Featuring the messy and hilarious girl-friend, the ex-boyfriend-turned-best-friend, the seemingly perfect boyfriend who disappears, the father who's slowly disappearing too, and her nemesis neighbor. But then there was somehow too much ranting at the end of it, that made it feel like the author had built this novel around a dating grudge of hers.

Wham! -The Edge of Heaven

“Maybe friendship is being the guardian of another person's hope. Leave it with me and I'll look after it for a while if it feels too heavy for now.”

I went into Ghosts without knowing much about the book at all, besides the fact that a lot of people have said they loved and enjoyed it.

I believe that this is a perfect exploration of what dating often looks like in today's society. I also think this was a great portrayal of how it's not fun growing older, especially having to witness your loved ones growing older too and all the complications and responsibilities that come with it.

There were so many heartbreaking and heartfelt moments and I loved that it served as a reminder that we don't always need a significant other to experience a type of love that is profound. It's often around us in our friends, families and/or simply ourselves.

I can't wait to check out more works by this author.

this book felt like a warm hug for someone who is also Going Thru It

4,5☆

So, so good. I don't know if I should be worried with the fact that, in a way, I already relate to these 30yo characters as a 24yo guy. Heartwarming, sometimes sad, but uplifting. I think the sex scene between Nina and Angelo was totally uncalled for and she badly excuses it by saying she needed to have sex with someone who wouldn't run away, making it seem important for her. I disagree, I think she would have realised everything anyway without it. This almost made me drop my rating to 4 stars, but the last pages save that half point.

I don't think I have ever read a book that felt as much “me” as this. While reading it, I was constantly thinking: if I were to write a book, this is what it would look like. (In my dreams ha!) Granted, not much happens in the plot line, but there is no need because the inner monologue was ingenious! I think this book is written by one of the most observant smartest writers I have ever read. Dolly Alderton manages to make incredibly witty and smart comments on the pressures and issues women start to face after their mid-twenties - from friendships, to relationships to general structural problems in society. I took a long time reading this book because I wanted to savor every bit. While this book surly isn't for everyone (I am the perfect audience for it) I loved it and will definitely come back to it in the future. Just listening to the inner thoughts of the protagonist makes it so engaging that I didn't want it to end and it left me wanting more.

Unsure whether the experience of dating straight men is ubiquitous or if Dolly Alderton and I actually just dated the same man, (possible given relative ages of all parties and the fact that both myself and the lead character lived in Pinner). I fear that as I progress in her autobiography I'll find my own ex in the pages. But anyway, I sort of hated this as it allowed me to feed my cynicism towards dating even further but it was overwhelmingly relatable to me, a 27 yo single white female freelancer in West London. Make of that what you will.

I have, unfortunately, experienced relationships like the one she has in this book. I could relate.

I clearly related with the story of ghosts, wouldn't almost of my life be about love disappointments, specially when it comes to receive ghosting. Something pretty similar happened to me as it did to Nina, several times in a row. Because of that, I'll keep this book on my memory as one that talks about half of my life story.

Nevertheless, I feel that something is missing here. Maybe some more deepness, more development, I don't know. Maybe I'm becoming more demanding about my readings. I still have to figure it out.

I was expecting something more dramatic, attached with moments of clarity. Nina seems a forced character that knows it all, probably a bit pride ... which is okay, if it had some explanation around it. What happened to her? Why is she like this? What's her real deal?

Oh well. Regardless, I still want to read other books from Dolly. I find her way of thinking pretty interesting and I'd like to see it in other contexts!

you know when you crave writing but have no particular synopsis or plot so you just sit down and write and write and not care what you're writing about because it feels so good to just put something out there? this was how i felt throughout the 21% of the book. not only was it so fucking bland, but terrible. such weak writing style, so unnecessary bullshit. the main MC is so fucking judgmental, she has opinions from what pregnant women should or shouldnt have/do/say, to what her best friend (who btw literally has named her the godmother of her first born) does with her life. her friend wants to move to suburbs because it would be easier to raise children there, the main MC doesnt like it. one of her friends had an open relationship but later closed it due to no longer agreeing about sharing, doesnt sit well with the main MC. the love interest is late to their date, suddenlt he's trying to be quirky. not only that but the character was also racist. having an italian neighbor and representing him as rude and terrible to her (she asks him where is he from italy and he says fake name or smth)

this book had too many wh!te problems. i wish there was a warning beforehand that if you're poc then this is not for you. like people have far more serious issues than your guy responding to every single text of yours which by the way is NOT antique and we well most of us wish that was the case in real life

also this was supposed to be a buddy read. gah

4/5 stars

This book was just a snapshot of the main character's life, and honestly it wasn't anything super unique, but it felt so real and raw and thorough that I absolutely adored it.

I would make a strong case for the argument that every adult on this earth is sitting on a bench waiting for their parents to pick them up, whether they know it or not. I think we wait until the day we die.