Ghosts is one of those books that makes you feel utterly and unapologetically human. It makes you as frustrated with the characters as you are with yourself, it breaks your heart when their's breaks, and it makes you so grateful for the people in your life who drive you mad.

Dolly Alderton has such a beautifully simple way of writing which doesn't feel simple at all. It's easy to read, but makes you feel so much.

I’m going to cut to the chase. I didn’t enjoy reading this book. I took some time to think about it before writing my review but it still stands.

I didn’t like Nina - I found her unbearably smug and completely unrelateable. I could not understand how she chose to handle her relationships with the other characters - the results of which were hopelessly predictable. The only person that surprised me was Angelo the neighbour. Even the annoying characters like Katherine and her mum were more relatable. Speaking of Katherine, could not get over the 180 flips both of them did and the sheer hypocrisy at the results. Don’t even get me start on Max.

I’m giving this a 2 because I managed to finish reading it, even though the writing style needs more work.

*3.25*

"Ghosts" is Dolly Alderton's first novel, and I have to say I was really glad I had the chance to read it. The book follows Nina, a woman at the beginning of her thirties while she tries to balance relationships, friendships and a difficult family situation.

I really liked the concept behind this book, and who the "ghosts" were in this novel and what they represented. How all our life is surrounded by ghosts, them being lovers who suddenly decide to never show up again, memories slowing fading away with age, memories of our childhood that haunt us for how perfect they are in comparison to our current life, the ghosts of friendships that once were and now seem to hold onto nothing more than the past.

I think Alderton really has a way with words and human emotions, and I would like to read other works by her, because I really like novels focused on feelings and what growing up means.
I have to admit that being in my mid-twenties this book really hit too close to home sometimes, and I was glad I had the chance to be in Nina's mind. She was a woman I totally admired, and her strenght and perseverance are something I look up to.

What made me lower the book rating was a thing happening at the end, though, that I felt came up out of nowhere and really didn't sit right in the narrative in my opinion. Also, sometimes I disagreed a bit with some of Nina's choices and I couldn't see how she so easy forgave someone who hurt her so bad, but I think in the end everything turns out right.

Overall, I think this was a good book to read in this time of my life, I laughed and sometimes I wanted to cry for how real some situations felt, so I highly recommend it.

Synopsis
Nina is a successful food writer who is coming to terms with her beloved Dad losing his memory after battling dementia, as well as trying to navigate her way through a new dating app after the break up of her long term relationship a year or so prior.

Thoughts
I think that this is going to be a very unpopular opinion but for me, this was missing something. I didn't hate it by any means as it it was easy to read, the themes were strong + very relatable to any woman in her late twenties right the way up, the characters were likeable + there were many funny moments in the book, but it's the sort of book I would forget about in a year's time. I was a big fan of "Everything I knew about Love" and recommended it to my friends /colleagues all the time, so I was expecting big things from this book but just found it a little underwhelming.
Nothing about it made me say "Oh that was so clever", it was actually really similar to Olive by Emma Gannon which was released a few months ago (August maybe?). I think Alderton is a great writer and I find her sense of humour brilliant- it's witty, honest + very sarcastic, but I think this lacked real depth in the plot.

This book has fully pulled me out of my recent reading slump, if it wasn’t for working over the weekend I’d have probably finished this in one sitting.

My absolute favourite part about this book is the friendship between Nina and Lola, I don’t think I’ve ever read such a close depiction of me and my best friend and it was so nice to read a female friendship that resonated so much with me.

It is also the first time I’ve read such an accurate depiction of having a family member diagnosed with dementia and all that entails. The way Nina and her mum have to essentially relearn how to communicate with her dad again was painful but cathartic to read about for me.

Mostly this book just made me feel so Seen, Nina made a lot of bad choices that I’ve definitely been guilty of making in the past and whilst I was screaming ‘no!’ in my head at certain things it felt almost validating witnessing others (even if they are fictional characters) make the same stupid mistakes I have before.

This was one of my most anticipated books of 2020 and sadly it just did not work for me.

Nina is in her early thirties, a successful food writer who has broken up with her boyfriend of seven years and is entering into the world of online dating and coming to terms with her father's dementia diagnosis. Needless to say, she has a lot on her plate. I did like the way the book balanced all these elements and Nina's coping strategies for these things were believable and showed a lot of strength, which was a nice change from many books which show women falling to pieces after a break up.

My main issue is that Nina is not a likeable character. She is judgemental, critical and self centred and as the book went on I struggled to find any redeeming features.

I also had a lot of problems with the depiction of mothers in this book who are shown as desperate, embarrassing, insecure and unable to cope. This didn't sit well with me as a representation of motherhood.

I am disappointed that I did not enjoy this book as I had high hopes for it and others seem to have really liked it.

Thank you to Netgalley and Penguin UK for the ARC.

Firstly I just want to say, I LOVE Dolly Alderton. I relate so much to her writing and think she is so smart, witty and insightful.

I have been so excited for her debut novel, Ghosts, and the storyline and characters were what I hoped for. A *very* relatable take on dating in your early thirties, the importance (but difficulties) of female friendships and other life stresses including managing a career and keeping financially stable. As I say VERY relatable!

I did enjoy reading the book but as someone in a similar situation, it caused me a bit of anxiety at times! This is absolutely not what Dolly was going for, but her characters are so stressed and worried about finding a partner, it made me panic too! Am I going to find my soul mate? Am I going to get ghosted even though I'm sure my partner would never do that to me? Argh! It's definitely accurate (the point around every man on dating apps saying they're a graphic designer made me actually lol) and she certainly made some really interesting and valid points via her character's narrative... but it doesn't mean I particularly want to read about those worries in my fiction.

I think if you're happily settled down you'll enjoy this, otherwise it may be slightly stress-inducing. The writing is top class though.

I absolutely loved this book! I took to the main character Nina straight away and I throughly enjoyed the story. It’s well written, interesting and had me hooked from the start. I will be looking out for more from this author. I definitely recommend you read this book! Thank you #netgalley

I'm afraid this is far too heavy on the telling. Conversations that could have been funny are simply related to us by the narrator. The humour too did little to elicit my interest.

Nina is in her mid thirties. She looks like she has her life sorted...good job as a food journalist, her own flat and a great relationship with her ex boyfriend. But her friends are off having babies and Nina would like a relationship of her own. She joins a dating app and meets a man who tells her he is going to marry her at the end of their first date....but it’s not all plain sailing from there. Add to the mix a father whose health is deteriorating, a mother who is going through a delayed mid life crisis and a neighbour who might be a member of the mafia and Nina is definitely having a strange year!!
I really enjoyed this book. It’s a nice easy read and some bits really made me giggle.. I recently read Olive by Emma Gannon and it had a similar vibe to that. I would definitely recommend it

Sorry, but this book did nothing for me. I found it very drawn out with too many characters and unfortunately I did not appreciate the plot. I realise other readers will not feel the same.

Thank you, NetGalley for this book. Here is my review;

I can't remember the last time a book affected me. I planned my reading around my day, had to read a bit every night. It was beautiful. I will be buying this for friends and family and I must have a paper copy for myself to highlight my favourite passages or sentences. I am that geeky about it!

Nina is a London girl, early 30's, food writer and looking for love in this modern world. She is still the best of friends with her ex, Joe. Her much-loved father is ill, some of her friends are moving onwards without her, except Lola, she was one of my favourite characters. I adored the friendship between them.

Nina meets Max online and during their first date, he says he wants to mrry her. Their relationship moves quickly, but they are both ok with that. But something changes and Nina has to learn what is going on while handling the stresses of a mad and upsetting neighbour.

This book is simply about life, the happy times, the relationships, the sadness, grief and acceptance. The author narrates all of this with such humour. This book is bright and perceptive and I absolutely loved it.

If you are after a swooping story with a strong happy ending this is not the book for you. It is realistic and at times funny and sad on how life really is. Life is not all peaks, highs and lows it tends to be middle of the road and when hard times appear they are constantly there in the background. I enjoyed this story and liked the authors observations on dating and motherhood in the modern (pre-covid) world.

Thank you to NetGalley and publisher for the opportunity to read this advanced copy in exchange for a honest review.

Liz Jones and I read this book to review for her podcast Liz Jones Diary for MailPlus. Both of us enjoyed this book and Liz felt it was very Bridget Jones without the humour. I particularly liked that it is very well written with engaging descriptions. The characters are very realistic and scenarios easily relatable. Although I agree with Liz that the book isn't laugh out loud funny it does have some great lines which kept me smiling throughout. I cared about the central character and felt for her ups and downs but was content enough when the book ended. A nice easy non-demanding read...

‘Ghosts’ is the first novel from columnist Dolly Alderton.

I laughed, cried and gobbled up this book in one sitting.

‘Ghosts’ tells the tale of Nina Dean a gifted food writer, who is an unsuccessful in love as she is winning in her career. Waking on her 32nd birthday, Nina decides that the time has come to return to the dating scene with the help of a dating app. All around her, Nina is faced with reminders of time passing as her friends get married, have children, move away and yet, her love life remains empty. Ever turning to her family for support is pointless as her mum is facing a mid-life crisis and her dad is slowly vanishing into the world of dementia.
Alderton has created several true to life scenarios which we, as readers, can associate with so easily. Personally, I related to Nina’s character and, I can still see myself in her shoes – understanding her pain and confusion when facing her father’s illness. And her frustration with the world of dating!
There are two strands to the story here: Nina’s attempts to accept and support her parents and then her own attempts to find love. And, in both cases, the ‘ghosts’ of the title can easily be found. There is of course the issue of ghosting as recognised on social media but more importantly, the ghosts of our past and how those same ghosts can influence our current relationships. Our memories, old friendships, pastselves, so many ghosts in our lives that Nina slowly comes to recognise as does the reader and there is a sense of acceptance as we both identify that life is not a “box to chocolates” and does not follow the expected path. There is a refreshing sense of reality to this book.
A huge thank you to Netgalley, Penguin and Fig Tree for providing me with an ARC of this book in return for na honest review.

I'm listening to Wham! as I write this. For reasons that will soon become clear. Ghosts is journalist Dolly Alderton‘s debut novel. Despite its close-to-Halloween release, it’s not actually about spirits and ghouls, but it is a wonderfully sharp, insightful, funny and sensitive look at a woman in her 30s navigating life, while exploring the different types of loss that affects so many people.

Our lead character, Nina George Dean is a food writer. She got her middle name as Wham! were number one with (the excellent) Edge of Heaven the day she was born and her mum loved George Michael. A detail I love. Also, the exchange between Nina and her mum about this is just brilliant.

We meet Nina as she, now secure in her career, decides it’s time to embark on a new relationship. So she signs up to dating app Linx, and all the ups and downs that go with that. We get to know Nina and her friends a little better (including her ex-boyfriend who she is still close to) and explore what it means to be ghosted.

Ghosting and loss appears in several story threads through Ghosts – in romantic relationships, in friendships (especially the married vs single friend conundrum that crops up as friendship groups grow up together) and when a loved one forgets you through no fault of their own. The story of Nina’s father’s dementia is handled with real emotional impact and sensitivity, as was the way Nina comes to terms with it and processes what this means for her and her family unit.

I felt that in Nina, Dolly has captured a really authentic woman in her 30s. From her complex relationship with her mum who often acts more like a friend than a parent to her eternally-single friend Lola and their wonderful dynamic (including the Schadenfreude Shelf) to how things become strained with her childhood friend Katherine (now married and a mother) all the complexities are here.

Throughout, Dolly’s turn of phrase and the way she describes certain things really makes Ghosts a joy to read. Such as this to describe man Nina is dating:

He bought his entire personality from a cobbled side-road of boutiques in Shoreditch.

I loved Dolly’s memoir, Everything I Know About Love and Ghosts is exactly the debut novel I was hoping she would write. I could relate to a lot of the ideas here, which automatically made me feel attached to the story. Even if you don’t personally relate, the nostalgic nods and laugh-out-loud moments balanced with the more serious ghosting theme and made Ghosts such an addictive read. A fantastic contemporary fiction tale with heart and humour. A TBR addition, for sure.

I was intrigued by the title of this book and wondered what it referred to. I think it has two meanings; the ghosts of the past that still hang about in our present life as well as ghosting in the dating sense.
Nina is in her 30s and is a very successful food writer with a loving family and good friends but no partner. She meets Max who sweeps her off her feet and leads her to believe he could be the one - until he disappears and she is ghosted.
Her friends are moving on with their lives and she is still best friends with her ex boyfriend who is now getting married. During all this, her father is developing dementia which puts great pressure on her and her mother.

It's a fun book to read and keeps you interested all the way through.

Ghosts by Dolly Alderton - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4/5 Stars
Dolly Alderton writes such great coming of age stories! After reading Everything I Know About Love I immediately fell in love with Dolly Alderton and her writing! A huge thank you to NetGalley and Penguin for this ARC 😍

We follow a year in Ninas life, as she navigates moving into her new flat; alone, and investigates dating for the first time after a long-term relationship.

I really enjoyed Nina as a character, Her supportiveness of her fathers illness while her mother pretends it doesn’t exist, arguments with frustrating neighbours, and her amicable relationship with her ex and willingness to be open, is a refreshing take on an adult novel!

Some downfalls of the book were the time skipping, it was a bit frustrating as there was no indicator of how far in the future we had skipped or what time of year it was. I think I also would have liked a little more time with Max in the middle. But the main reason this didn’t hit the 5 star mark for me was the ending didn’t ramp up to anything important, I was expecting a deep ending like with Alderton’s first book Everything I Know About Love. Otherwise, I absolutely adored this book, I definitely recommend for fans of Adult contemporary with deep subject matter. https://www.instagram.com/p/CGF3bhFgHpk/

Oh I loved this book right from the word go. I loved the double meaning of the title and I really felt like I could relate to Nina and her struggles in life in general and in particular in the online dating world.

This book highlights the importance of having a support network around you. Whether that group is made up of family, or chose family or even a combination of both having someone you can call when a date goes badly, having someone there to be your plus one at a disastrous hen do or having someone there when you have to be there for your family is so important.

Nina also really makes me very very happy that I am not currently involved in the world on online dating. Her dating life is seriously complex and it takes her and her friends to decipher what the hell they should do next after a move has been made. It made me exhausted just reading about it and also reminded me of how infuriating it is to be ghosted in any way shape or form.

This book also touches on the issues of dementia and Alzheimers in a loved on. I think this writer did and incredible job of building that into Nina's story and this gives us the other side of ghosts, when a loved one's memories and your shared history becomes a ghosts. It comes and goes and you never know when you're going to see their true self from one minute to the next. This is an incredibly painful experience and reading about it through Nina and her life was so easy to relate to and I think Dolly Alderton really does highlight the helplessness one feels in that situation.

Aside from the pain in the book and the drama there is also a whole lot of heart and humour. I loved the shared jokes that Nina has with her friends. A particularly hilarious scene for me was where Nina is at a hen do and references the fact that fizz is only called fizz in a room full of women who secretly hate each other. I need that on a travel champagne flute now! I love the way Dolly Alderton has with words. Her writing is truly inspiring and this novel really does have it all!

Dolly Alderton has created another masterpiece. I absolutely adored this book, the author has a very unique way of making the characters come to life and the reader becomes so invested. Brilliant!