This is a story about a group of friends. It’s about social inequality, bullying, making the most of life. It tackles so many serious issues including bullying and homelessness.

The characters in this book are so realistic and feel like true friends of yours.
This book made me laugh and cry in equal measures.

A good read

This was archived before I was able to download it. Unfortunately, I have to give feedback due to Netgalley adding this into my algorithm. I was very much looking forward to this read, so will be picking it up soon.

In a mining town, in the 1990s, Arthur Calderbank, an elderly man, is living in a run-down chapel in the middle of a graveyard. He has lived there ever since his beloved wife Molly died seven years previously and, although he wouldn’t want anyone to know, he takes comfort from being close to her grave and from chatting to her (and to many other churchyard residents). The only major problem in his life, beyond the usual niggles and pains of old age, is the mystery of who has been leaving flowers on his wife’s grave each year, on her birthday. One of the niggles takes the form of a group of teenagers – misfits who only seem to have their outsider status in common – who decide to form a band and also to help Arthur to uncover the identity of the mystery flower-giver. At the same time a group of local men offer to help Arthur save his home, which is destined for demolition to make room for a facility for asylum-seekers. The contrast between the self-interested motives of the men and the more genuine, if naive, ones of the youngsters is stark.

The story is a heart-warming one where the young people rise above the limited expectations of what they could be. Many of the main characters, including Arthur himself, learn to understand themselves and to forgive themselves for the mistakes of the past. It is also a stark look at communities, in the late 90s, which have been crushed by political neglect – at the schools’ careers talks which only offer jobs in factories unless you are one of the few better off children, the lack of state support for the elderly and the power of right-wing activists. While this doesn’t sound like much of a relief from modern politics there is a huge amount of hope in the story. The children are great characters, irrepressible and still just too young to accept failure, and Arthur’s story – his great love for Molly which transcends the discovery of a terrible secret – is truly moving. Curse you David M Barnett: you made me cry again…

Arthur moved into the abandoned chapel to be close to his wife as she is buried in the graveyard. She was his world which fell apart when she passed. Nicola is struggling to keep her life on an even keel as her mother is obsessed with disaster, their lives nosedived after her father died meaning they had to move to the wrong side of town. Kelly’s family are frozen into poverty after her father lost his job. There’s very little around after the pit was shut down. Gemma’s family keeps growing, everyone thinks she’s up to no good just like her father. Gemma decides to fight against everyone’s expectations and ropes other losers in with her. This a grim and gloomy picture of the post-Thatcher years in a struggling town where the pit has been shut down. David M. Barnett paints a vivid picture in shades of grey, highly entertaining and unpredictable. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this story. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This is such a charming story, one that is guaranteed to capture your heart and remind you that we can realise our dreams if we only believe in ourselves.
Centred around a cemetery where Arthur Calderbank lives in a chapel, tending the graves, talking to the occupants and most importantly staying close to his beloved wife Molly who died from cancer, we are brought an unfolding story of love and hope. Family is not necessarily the one we were born into but the one we choose and, with an open heart, that family can be as big and diverse as we want it to be.
Set up North, during the 80s and 90s, a Thatcher Britain and The Miner's Strike as the backdrop, we are invited into the lives of Arthur and the family he ends up choosing, four kids from The Avenues estate, all attending Marigold Brook school, and all destined for nothing. No-one believes in them, no-one expects anything good will come of them and nobody is on their side, apart from Arthur.
The unlikely 'family' meet in the cemetery and chapel and are brought together by music and the real essence of what it is to be a hero. A powerful message, resonating particularly strongly at the time of year I read this book (Christmas time), of peace on earth in the form of love, kindness, forgiveness and hope. Between the kids and Arthur, they make a stand to fight against the racial tension brewing and to fight against the poverty and unemployment that wants to define them. Through them we understand how important it is to be able to stand apart from the crowd when it is necessary, to be courageous enough to fight for what you believe in, and to show love and kindness to your community. At the Old Hall there are asylum seekers desperate to flee the sadness and trauma of their homelands, the Moonflower Mystery flower bringer is desperate to make a connection, and Nicola is hoarding cans of food, water and candles in a 'bunker' in the cemetery believing she can help her mother, who is broken by her husband's suicide.
At turns heart-breaking and uplifting, this book is a wonderful story to inspire us all to remember what really matters in life.

I loved this poignant and heartwarming book. It made me smile, almost moved to tears and i think it's one of those book that can help you to see the silver lining even when it's raining.
I loved the well thought cast of characters, Arthur above all, the great storytelling, the engrossing and entertaining plot.
It's the first book I read by this author and won't surely be the last.
Strongly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

I rarely pre-order books. Look I have no idea of my finances from one day to the next , never mind if I’ll have £3.99 in my current account in six months time.

But I pre-ordered Things Can Only Get Better on Kindle and on Audible.

Purely on the basis that David M Barnett’s last two books, Calling Major Tom and the Growing Pains of Jennifer Ebert are among my all time favourites.

The wait has been agonising.

Was it worth it?

Things Can Only Get Better is his best book to date.

Barnett is the Stephen King of poignant.

His books, and this one in particular have an air of sadness and melancholy. Based in everyday experiences and emotions that the reader can fully understand and have experienced themselves. Barnett’s writing feels real. There is no better for way for me to describe it.

This sadness and melancholy is tempered with real laugh out loud humour and maybe more importantly and certainly more unusual for the books I usually read; Hope.

No other author I have ever read conveys as much beauty in regards to human relationships as Barnett.

He makes you ache for his characters, he makes you fall in love with them and really care about the events they find themselves in.

Set in the 90’s, the nostalgia for the decade I spent as a teenager, after reading this is palpable. I want to buy the clothes I had, I want to listen to the music I listened to and watch the TV watched. If my wife is reading this, I definitely do not want to date the girls I dated. Barnett took me back wholesale to the 90’s with this with his subtle weaving of pop culture references throughout the book allowing you to piece together exactly when it’s set, like a trivia nerds dream jigsaw puzzle.

That said, it’s a book very much rooted in the Britain of today and the lessons that can be learned are 100 percent relevant right now. I wish I could airdrop a copy of this book into every household before the general election.

It has it’s own soundtrack. No really. David M. Barnett compiled on one Spotify just for this novel, but even without it the book has its own track listing that plays in your head while you read it.

Things Can Only Get Better is a love story, its a mystery novel; it contains heartbreaking and completely unexpected war stories. It’s a beautiful, beautiful book about redemption and second chances. It made me laugh, it made me genuinely cry sitting in traffic, but mostly it made me impatient for the authors next book. If you see a title with David M. Barnett on the cover? Buy it you are in for a treat.

http://www.otherworldsthanthese.co.uk/category/books/

After reading a rough few books that I really did not enjoy, this was a breath of fresh air. It was exactly what it said on the tin and exactly what I needed to read. A sweet, touching, moving and heartwarming book I would fully recommend. Loved it!

I adored this so much, it’s uplifting, heartbreaking, touching, addictive reading. It’s a million emotions rolled into one amazing story. I loved how it crossed the generations, how it showed that over 20 years on most the issues in the book are still being faced , it’s set in the 90s so for me nostalgia trip. It’s a fabulous, thoroughly well written heartwarming read. Highly recommended

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion

We are transported back to the 90’s in this fantastic and believable novel. From the cover you would expect a Christmas novel which you do get but not as we know it and that’s what I loved about it.

The book focuses on 3 girls from a Local School whose lives are anything but simple and Arthur who lives in the chapel and visits his wife’s grave daily, but is suspicious when every Christmas flowers are left on her grave and this year he plans to find out who is leaving them.

The book built up the further it went along which I felt provided enough time to learn about the characters but also to fall in love with them. I love the friendships that are built regardless of age and it highlights that you should not be judgmental of someone based on their family or situation.

The book takes you on a roller coaster of emotions from sadness, laughing and anger (mainly at one character). It has friendship, love and loss and what I loved was that it covered current topics such as immigration/racism and deprivation.

My only criticism is that it wasn’t long enough 🙂 If I’m being honest I could have read about Arthur and the girls for even longer but I know all good things must come to an end.

It is definitely a book I would re read and will be recommending to people who want a festive read but not in the traditional sense.

Arthur Calderbank is a widower who lives in an old chapel in the middle of a cemetery. His deceased wife is buried in the graveyard and Arthur is counting down the days until he can join her. He learns that the council want to move part of the graveyard and knock down the chapel so that they can build houses for asylum seekers. Anger grows in the local community. Someone is also leaving flowers on Arthur's wife's grave. They never had children so who could be leaving them? He loathes the local children for using the cemetery as a short cut. But then, one by one, Arthur starts to be friends with them. The kids all have their own problems. No one believes they will ever amount to anything.

This book will make you laugh and cry. It will also make you a little angry. The story is set in 1996. It deals with some complex topics: mental health issues, racism, homelessness, loneliness and fears. I liked Arthur and the four kids that befriended him. This is one of these stories that youn will still be thinking about long after you've finished reading it. I do recommend this book.

I would like to thank NetGalley, Orion Publishing Group and the author David M. Barnett for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I’m a big fan of this author’s books as they are always fantastic, unique reads that are hugely enjoyable.

The things I most liked about this book was how realistic it seemed which made me get very engrossed and involved in the story. Set in the 90’s in an old miner town where jobs and opportunities are limited it features some absolutely wonderful characters that are easy to warm to and a few that I loved to hate. The story alternates between Kelly, a girl who wants more from life that what is expected of her, and a grieving widower Author who is trying to stop getting evicted from him chapel home in the graveyard. I loved getting to know the unlikely band of friends and seeing what made them tick. I especially enjoyed watching them all become friends and protectors to each other as they had always been shunned by others.

The author paints a bleak picture of the town the children live in and it was heartbreaking to see what they had to deal with at times. Most of the children weren’t given any opportunities and had been pretty much written off by society. It definitely made me think about how some groups are treated by others just because of where and how they live. Even though it’s based in the 90s the attitudes some people have about immigrants is still on show today which was sad to see. I liked how the author managed to humanise them and subtly show their side of the story.

I thought this story was very absorbing and surprising gripping as I grew very attached to the characters and wanted to keep reading to find out what happens to them. It’s a very poignant and emotional story which had me shedding a tear alongside the characters and then cheering them on when something good happens to them (I think I actually said ‘yes’ out loud at a particular high point). As a 90s kid I loved all the culture references in the book and the music mentioned has had me listening to stuff I haven’t heard in years. There is actually a playlist for the book too which I thought was a great touch.

This is the author’s third book and I’m very excited to read more from him in the future. If you like absorbing reads about unlikely heros then you’ll love this book!

Huge thanks to Alex from Trapeze publishers for my copy of this book and for inviting me onto the blog tour.

I adored this book. Set in the 90s, when things were rather different, we meet Arthur and an eclectic mix of characters. Arthur likes to keep to himself, but life has a way of intervening, and he finds himself with some unexpected friends.

This book is heartwarming and life affirming, it’s got both lighthearted and sad moments, but it’s a joy to read.

The era that it’s set in brings back so many memories, but it’s realistic and portrays the hard times many people experienced then.

Wonderful characters, a fabulous plot, and a page-turning pace, really fabulous stuff.

"Things Can Only Get Better" is a story about a group of truly unlikely friends who found each other rather accidentally. Arthur is a pensioner whose wife, Molly, died seven years ago but he still didn't let her go and ended up living in the old chapel in the middle of the cemetery, becoming its caretaker and being not too far away from the love of his life. Arthur is very protective of the cemetery and is not happy with the neighbourhood children who dare to use it as a short - cut, or - even worse - a hung - out. In the meantime, someone has been leaving flowers on Molly's grave on her birthday for the past few years and Arthur is determined to find who it is. But with this happening in the night and his deteriorating health, the teenagers promise him to help to catch the mysterious visitor. A unique bond is formed between Arthur and the kids and soon they find themselves in a few different battles - together.

You can't help yourself but immediately fell for the characters. My heart went to Arthur and I was desperate to know what has happened to him to be leading such a solitary life, and then to the kids, seeing them growing up, their determination and their blossoming friendship. The author has breathed fresh air and life into them, and into the book, showing us a much bigger picture, showing that each story has different sides. You'll end up willing the characters to succeed. Each of the four teenagers has their own story that is incredibly captivating and I loved how much focus they brought back into Arthur's life. Their difficulties in fitting with the "cools" at school was so authentic and brutally honest. The way the kids were portrayed was heart - breaking, especially the way they were perceived by their school - mates, neighbours and other members of society They were all outcasts at their school because they didn't fit the "description", they found the courage to be different and have dreams, and hence they were judged by their teachers who didn't believe they have a chance for a better future (and if you hear already at school that the only thing you can do is work as a secretary or at the factory, well, it's not too promising and optimistic, right?), judged by their parent's choices of life and really, it seems that nobody sees/doesn't want to see their potential - except for Arthur.

When I started reading this book, I immediately fell in love with it. There was this "something" that made it feel so outstanding and special, the characters were like living and breathing people, and the story was heart - breaking and also humorous, and the more you read, the more you fell in love with it. However, I must admit, that somewhere around the middle, it lost its impact a little and started to drag on a bit, but it was still a compelling, addictive read.

Mostly the novel is about social inequality and about stereotyping and determination, about grabbing life by its horns and squeezing it like lemon. It also touches upon bullying, homelessness, mental illness, loneliness and other social issues with a great sensitivity, so I wouldn't be afraid to give this book to my teenage child should I have one, as it deals with those issues, and with all the plotlines, in a brilliant, wise - but not too wise, you know what I mean? Not too patronising, not too I know everything better - way.

"Things Can Only Get Better" made me cry, laugh, made me angry but also filled me with hope with its warm glow. Ultimately, even though there is a lot of pain, disappointment and problems under the surface and the characters have to deal with many challenges, there is humour and moments of joy and it has the wonderful feel - good factor to it. It's deeply moving and very close to life, a brilliant read that I highly recommend.

Copy provided by the publisher in return for an honest review.

This is my second book by this author and it is a book you will again fall in love with the more that you read, a story that slowly draws you in as you get to know the characters and compels you to keep reading. It discusses social inequality and how opportunities do not always present themselves easily but with enough fight you can go after what you want to make the life you want for yourself.

I found that the more I got to know Arthur and his companions who he spoke to in the graveyard each morning, the more I wanted to keep reading to find out what had led Arthur to be leading such a solitary life. At least Arthur did lead a quiet life until the kids who you will grow to love as you keep reading indadvertedly find themselves at the door of the chapel and you begin to wonder what can blossom from this budding relationship.

I found this an enlightening read that I would also recommend to my teenage daughter as it highlights bullying and social issues that need highlighting to help behaviours change in the future. Another stunning read by David Barnett that I thoroughly enjoyed with such wonderful characters and amazing attention to detail which makes this whole story unravel in your imagination so clearly.

Barnett's follow up to CALLING MAJOR TOM is nothing if not entertaining, following the line of an elderly protagonist becoming entangled with the antics of four teenagers in Wigan - this is a story about love, love lost and how you never stop growing up. Barnett has a distinct style in writing relationships both between friends and familial; it is quite clear how the old adage of you cannot choose your family has never rung more true.

Barnett is a cinema junkie, and his love of classic British and Hollywood films are worn proudly on his sleeve. From Its A Wonderful Life with the plot taking place over Christmas, to having the film take place in a mining town evoking Brassed Off and the youngsters wanting to be in a band to leave the deadbeat cul-de-sac of life.

A great read that will be devoured by fans of his most recent books and ones who are coming to him afresh.

Left adrift when his beloved wife died, Arthur moved into a disused chapel in the cemetery grounds and took up a job as groundskeeper. He lives a solitary life and enjoys it. Or at least, doesn't hate it. Actually, he doesn't feel much of anything these days. Irritation at the local teens, who are always taking short cuts through the graveyard. Fear and worry, when he learns that the council plans to move part of the graveyard and destroy his chapel to build housing for asylum seekers. As anger grows in the local community, Arthur and the group of disaffected teens who have befriended him must decide what's worth fighting for, and what should be left in the past.


My synopsis only scratches the surface of what this book is about. Each of the four teens has their own story line, with Kelly getting the most attention and Timmy the least. There's a mystery subplot about flowers being left on Arthur's wife's grave, and the kids trying to start a band, and flashbacks to Arthur's war (hero) past, and the expectations society puts on kids from this kind of background...there's a lot going on here, and David does very well at keeping each story line distinct while it's still wrapped up with the others.

It's a good read for this time of year. not just because it's set in December but because it reminds us how little things have changed in the last 23 years. There are still asylum seekers, fleeing from unspeakable horrors and treated disgracefully badly when they arrive here; there are still people willing to blame their problems on anyone else; there's still unemployment and troubles and social stratification. But there are still good people out there too, Arthurs and Peters and Kellys, and as long as we have enough of them we'll do alright.

Pick this one up if you need a cosy read for the holidays. You won't be sorry.

Absolutely wonderful book, I adored this one! I fell in love with the curmudgeonly pensioner Arthur and my heart broke for him as he basically counted down the days till he could join his deceased wife Molly. He lived in the old chapel of the graveyard so he could be near to Molly. However, the appearance in the graveyard of some disparate teenagers who formed a tentative kind of friendship caused him to gain a new focus in life.
I loved the stories of the teenagers and felt the portrayal of their awkwardness and difficulties in fitting in with the cool gang was painfully authentic. The story is set in the 1990s with plenty of references to the popculture of the day. The mother of one of the girls was obsessed with Threads and the threat of nuclear war and I could certainly identify with her! I remember being absolutely traumatised after seeing this programme as a teenager and references like this really help to set the scene of the time period.
The book is at times heartbreakingly sad but also extremely funny, I love this author's sense of humour. I honestly can't praise this book enough it is absolutely brilliant.

Things Can Only Get Better by David M. Barnett is a nostalgic heart-warmer and timely reminder that things used to be worse, especially for young people. It captures the zeitgeist at the moment just before Cool Britannia and Tony Blair surfed a new wave of optimism, and it does so with an impressively epic remit - dealing with a vast range of social issues and spanning 80 years.
As such, it's a sort of Jodi Picoult for a Northern England mining community in the aftermath of pit closures - constantly tugging at heartstrings (there are a lot of 'tears rolling down cheeks', especially towards the novel's end) whilst frequently reminding readers of the harsh realities of poverty, unemployment and the societal smashing of young dreams.
I really enjoyed this novel and think it will be hugely popular - offering a bittersweet antidote to the current political climate (too bitter or too sweet would be unpalatable right now; I think David M. Barnett gets it bang on).
If I have one criticism it's that the book's cover doesn't convey the scope of this novel. It's so much more, so much richer, than a cosy, snowy, churchyard scene.

In the mid 90s on a rundown council estate, four kids, picked on at school and expecting a dismal future, come together unexpectedly and form a band.

Their biggest supporter is Arthur Calderbank, a widower living in the shell of an old chapel in the middle of the cemetery where his beloved wife Molly is buried. With the prospect of his chapel being demolished to create a refugee shelter, Arthur soon finds himself being used as an excuse for right wing protests.

Packed with feisty characters, the story is sad, sweet, recognisable and touching. I did find the ending somewhat contrived, and found it hard to remember which of the teenage girls was which, but an enjoyable read nonetheless.