I... loved this book. I don't know why. Maybe it was because it offered a break from the dreary monotony of quarantine life to give me dreary monotony of not-in-uni life. As someone the age of Lona it made me feel just so seen and realised. Life is messy, life is sad, this book made me not feel in the way that it feels like an empty gape in my chest that so many people know. The ending made me happy it felt almost a bit rushed but at the same time, everything had been building for so long that it was a rush that felt real. I'm obsessed with this book.

This book was tough to get into. It was a good read but it doesn't grab your full attention or leave you wanting more. I

I like the choice of narration; it looks like different diary entries. You don't have the usual chapters but more a theme about Lona's life in the past or the present.

So there is only one point of view, but I would have like a more general point of view for some parts as sometimes Lona's point of view isn't enough and miss depth.

During the whole of the book, we can see that she feels aimless. This common, especially when you are her age, and it's a good thing to read about this in a book. Also, she talks about having anxiety; nevertheless,
she doesn't evolve through the book, and I didn't see real anxiety as some people can suffer daily.

Loner is a refreshingly different and unique when compared to others in the genre, however I do feel as if this is its downfall as well as its selling point. It is poignant and thought provoking in the way it deals with subjects of new adulthood and the tumultuous reality of real life. It is stark in its portrayal of life which I can imagine isn’t to everyone’s tastes however it does represent a slice of life that many people can relate to which I think is definitely important.
The story follows Lona who has dropped out of university, is balancing three jobs and overall does not really know where she is heading. Her relationships are strained and overall, she prefers to spend her time alone instead of working to enjoy things that she feels she is supposed to enjoy. This internal monologue between what makes her happy and what she feels should make her happy is the basis of the novel.
The plot of this book is just as vague and unconventional as the synopsis and at times feels very haphazard. Going into the book I did not really know what was going on and by the end I felt very much the same. But that is the very nature of the book. Life does not follow strict guidelines, does not flow in a logical order, so neither does the story. There is no clear ending or the same strict structure and flow you might find in other novels. But that is the joy of it, and the reason I can see many people who are also going through a similar phase in life might choose to pick this book up.
The author did do a good job at making us aware of Lona’s life, the monotony of her everyday life and the city through her eyes. However, the writing isn’t particularly descriptive, so this is kept to a minimum. Similarly, the writing style is definitely unique and takes a while to get used to. For me personally it was not an issue however it is straight to the point and blunt which is not to everyone’s taste.
Lona as a main character is flawed and often infuriating in the way she treats those around her, yet this feels totally realistic and crafted in a meaningful way which shows the authors intentions for her perfectly. I would even go so far as saying she is an unlikeable main character. But isn’t that true of so many people in real life!
Rating : 3.5 Stars

Pretty good book. It started a bit slow for me but picked up the pace further in. I say you need to give it 2 chapters before you feel comfortable in the story.

Lona was a confusing character to me. Even after reading the entire book, I don't feel like I know her well and am not completely sure if that's the point? I feel like getting another character's point of view would make things clearer for the reader.

For fans of Sally Rooney and Emma Jane Unsworth, Loner by Georgina Young will hit you just right. It is a character driven, slow paced introspection of the main character, Lona, in her socially awkward attempts at adulting. Much of the narrative is layer upon layer of sameness, so one has to be motivated to keep reading, which is why I rated it 3 stars.

Advanced readers' copy provided courtesy of the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Loner is about Lona, an art school dropout with no clear direction. She DJs at a roller rink and hangs out with her best friend Tab, and she seems mostly content with her choices.

This book feels like a stream of consciousness, and I don't mind it. It feels poetic, and it's a short book so I never felt bored. I felt comforted by the themes in this book -that it's okay to not have a plan, that it's alright to be alone, and that we don't have all the answers in our 20s. The ending was a little bittersweet. I really enjoyed this book! I thought it was cute.

Lona is a young girl with a raging self-doubt who is trying to find her place to “belong” in this world. Her photography is a passion yet she doesn’t want anyone to share it with her. Her loved for music is evident and defines her but she can’t quite let herself go. Part of her generation is about discovering new acts but then not wanting anyone else to sense how cool they are... she wants to be their biggest fan. Lona wants to belong but her family is transitioning to individual living arrangements. I liked her desire to connect with her grandfather but her connections are tenuous. It’s hard to belong to this world when you don’t understand where you are going. Our lead protagonist is very self absorbed and yet full of self-doubt. A sign of the times. 2.5 ⭐️⭐️ rounded up to 3. Thanks to Netgalley for the arc. My review is without bias. #netgalley #loner

Lona is in a dark room. I couldn't get interested and some of the dialogue was boring. I didn't feel a connection to Lona.

** Received a free ARC copy of this for an honest review from NetGalley **

Firstly, thank you to the publisher for allowing me to read this ARC. As this is an ARC, many things can change from the version I’ve received, and so I can only base my review on that and not the published book due out in February 2021.

I’ve rated this book three stars, as I enjoyed reading it—but only for the most part. I feel the story primarily being told from Lona’s point of view is good, but due to her inner thoughts we get a clunky idea of her friends and family dynamic.

She seems to have anxiety, (that at least is mentioned) but we see no one in her life bringing it up except fleetingly by George who acknowledges it. It would have been nice for Lona to act upon her own admission of her anxiety as she even realises she often cannot cope with emotions and things.

There was a real interesting development between Tab and Lona that I feel ultimately went nowhere other than Tab leaving university, but her ‘disappearance’ and odd behaviour isn’t mentioned other than that. I understand this is from Lona’s POV, but it would have at least felt like the plot had come full circle, like the ending did.

I did love that Lona started at the skate and ended there. I loved that she herself was constantly, mind the pun, skating around it all the time, never really wanting to give it up as it was, in some ways, the centre of her. Her beginning to paint and turn the books into her own art was beautiful, but I wish this had been more fleshed out, understanding what her future intentions are.

Overall, I enjoyed the writing style of this author. I liked their tone and the voicing for Lona, but there were times I wasn’t sure what the purpose of the story was, not knowing why I’m following Lona and what will be gained from it. I found myself feeling the same at the end, especially with the phone ringing and not knowing whether it would be good news or bad at the other end. I also think whilst I enjoyed the tone and character of Lona, I’m not sure what path she was in to begin with, as it’s hard to tell if she’s lost or just purposefully deviating from a plan she made when she was younger.

If that is the point of the entire thing, it isn’t as clear as it could be.

I’m not a huge fan of teen stories; even when I was a teen I preferred adult fiction. That being said, this one was enjoyable! Worth a read.

Loner was a fun book to read. It follows Lona, someone who is lost and confused by what they want in life. She has no sense of direction. To me, this is very relatable, I too have struggled with not knowing what to do, and have felt lost in myself.

The scene changes were almost like small glimpses into whats going on, rather than chapters, which was very interesting to me. I really liked this aspect of the book, that a book doesn't have to be conventional for it to be good. and this book was good.

It however didn't have a very clear ending, but I felt the ending did fit the tone of the book.

The characterisation of Lona was portrayed greatly.

Thank You to NetGalley and Text Publishing for this ARC!!

Art school drop out Lone is lost. She doesn't know what she wants with her life and she is trying to find purpose and direction.

I was really excited to read this book but once I started reading it, I couldn't connect much with the main character Lona. While this book does not really have a plot, there were some parts of the book which were interesting.

Overall an okay read!!

ARC provided by NetGalley

3.5 Stars Rounded-up

Art school drop out Lone is lost. She doesn't know what she wants with her life and really doesn't see the point. I really felt for and connected to Lone as she dealt with trying to have a social life even when all she wanted to do was stay home and read or binge-watch something, or her struggle with being a feminist yet still wanting men to find her sexy. I felt like I went through the same thing she was going through after I graduated from college as far as losing yourself as an artist or losing your place in the world.

The writing, however, was not my favorite. Present tense third person is so awkward my brain wants to "fix it" as I'm reading. I also found that the writing had no transitions and little flow. Which. at times, felt like you were reading stage directions. I did enjoy all the pop culture references though.

"Even Tony no longer meets her eye. These days he actually buttons his vest over his Veronica Mars t-shirt. Now Duncan is the only visible character. This is perhaps the greatest tragedy of all."

For real, Duncan is the worst.

Overall, I did enjoy the story and felt invested in what happened to Lone. I could see this as a nice little indie-darling movie.

I received this ARC from NetGalley and the publisher. All opinions are my own.

I was really looking forward to reading this book... but I really struggled to get through this one. It was boring. I could not connect with the main character Lona. Throughout the entire book she is feeling sorry for herself. She dropped out of Art School and hops from job to job. The other characters were just an afterthought. I was disappointed in the character development or the lack there of. I also did not care for the constant use of colons. I found myself laughing at some parts of the book. I loved the cover art! So all is not lost.


I think a few of my students might identify with Lona and what she is going through.

I have really conflicting thoughts on this book. I have never related to a main character so much which is why I am so disappointed with the rest of this book. It's so nice to read a book where you can really see yourself in a character and I guess I've never really had that experience. While I was reading this I could see myself in so many ways through Lona. On the other hand she was kind of annoying to read about...(take that how you will).
I think mainly my issue with this was the writing. I did not enjoy it at all. I'm not sure if it was an intention choice by the author or if that's just how she writes. It was extremely choppy with no transitions. The writing felt quite dull to me, and seemed very simple. The characters were mostly boring and flat. There was no real depth to anyone or anyone's life. Lona was the exception that as she was the main character. I can see how she wouldn't be a likable character, but I also related a lot to her thoughts and feelings that I can see where people would think that she was awful.
I know this was just a small snippet into Lona's life and her struggles with jobs and college and friends so I don't want to judge it too harshly. I do think it's an important topic to discuss because I think a lot of young adults feel this way (including myself). So many of us don't know what we want in life and feel like everyone else has it together. It is so nice to see characters in book who do not have it all together, we need more realistic portrayals of young adult in literature.

Loner is a quiet book, full of angst and loneliness and an aching sense of being lost that can only come from a coming-of-age sort of tale. Lona is a university dropout, trying to find purpose and direction and some sense of meaning even though she feels like she has no idea what she's doing. She wants to make art, but she can't seem to figure out how. She (maybe) wants to kiss someone, but is scared of getting to close. She's trying to become independent, trying to find a job that means something and a path that feels like its going somewhere, but she also just wants to stay at home, hidden on the couch, curled into the safety of a book or a tv show. The book follows her disjointed stumble into some semblance of adulthood as she quietly tries to step into the world and feel like she's doing something.
I found myself drawn to so many lines of this book, their honesty cutting deep into what it means to be young and unsure and trying to exist in this world. I found Lona to be a very compelling character, even when she frustrated me, because she always felt very human. I also appreciated that while the book rooted itself into its time with plenty of pop-culture references, it never felt overdone or obnoxious; it worked perfectly for these characters and ended up just making them feel even more real. The book does not have some big plot point it's arching towards - instead it just lets Lona exist and it does a good job of using the broken up story points to really capture who Lona is and what her world looks like. I found it to be a great portrait of a young woman trying to figure out who she is, in all her triumphs and failures.

really struggled through this one. Lona is a twenty-year old university dropout, working dear end jobs and wondering why life is full and hard. The answer is that Lona is incapable of making an effort with anything in hey life, be that her career or get relationships. Lona is teeth-gratingly self-absorbed and get into monologue is just dull. Her wallowing in doubt is mostly self-indulgent. She doesn't care about anyone so her insistence that the others in her life should put in all the effort is infuriating. Nothing happens. There is zero character development. Lona simply can't be bothered do I wouldn't advise you too. Not even on the same planet as Sally Rooney's infuriating but brilliant characters. Also, still doing: this. The constant use of colons is only one thing: extremely annoying

I actually really enjoyed this new young adult read. I found myself connecting with the main character, Lona, on multiple levels. Young did a great job of writing realistically and Loner will be very relatable to anyone who has ever felt lost or confused by what they want in life. Diving into adulthood is difficult when you have no clear direction, and maintaining relationships is hard when you cannot even fully explain to yourself your desire to be social without having to be social. I found the style of Young's writing to work well with Lona's personality, almost like a collection of vignettes rather than chapters. Since this is an Australian book, there were a few terms that confused me, but nothing a quick Google couldn't fix--they did not take away from my understanding of the story. I only knocked down a star because I personally prefer clear endings. The ending did, however, fit the overall feel of the book