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Member Reviews

A completely up to the minute look at modern dating and the way in which today’s swipe culture can dehumanise relationships and leave people open to being treated like a commodity to be used and abandoned. Dolly’s writing is as a acerbic as ever in her fiction debut and I’ll definitely be recommending this book. Thanks NetGalley!

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I actually struggled with this book initially - the protagonist felt overly harsh and judgemental and the characters felt quite generic - but I got more invested as I went on.
There are various storylines around Nina and her friends and family, many of which are quite predictable, but the dementia storyline to me was the most well written. This book has more depth than your typical "chick lit" as well as some very funny, well observed moments.

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Ghosts - Dolly Alderton

I really do love Dolly’s Writing, she is the the only person I’d even consider reading the Times for and I’ve directly quoted entire chunks of Everything I Know About Love. Ghosts however was disappointing, underwhelming and just a bit ‘meh’.

There are some attempts at combining seriousness with levity, but the seriousness never really reaches any true depth. Whilst the characters, the lead character Nina Dean included, felt like pastiches of generic millennials. There were definitely parts that enjoyed, a lot of very realistic and resonant things about modern relationships in your thirties (familial, friendships and romantic) - some evening felt lifted from my own experiences. Unfortunately these moments of enjoyment were typically, clumsily followed by something not as great - I even rolled my eyes at the audacity of a disappointingly predictable turn of the story.

There is a lot going on here, the move between each plot point felt quite clunky and made it so that I would forget about some bits. I think maybe I had too high expectations for this book, because I loved and have reread Dolly’s first book so many times; there are genuinely moments that I would have loved had this been my introduction to Dolly Alderton - her commentary on dating apps and their resulting relationships are so incredibly apt and poignant. Unfortunately the bits in between that didn’t connect or communicate with the rest of the book made it difficult to fully enjoy it as much as I wanted to.

I received an advanced copy of this book from the publisher, via NetGalley.

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I wasn’t quite sure what to expect from this novel but I definitely enjoyed it as I read over half in one sitting so that’s a good sign right?
I loved the background of Nina & her family and friends. I loved how realistic it felt and I would recommend.

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I couldn't get through the first 50 pages of this book. It just wasn't for me. The main character felt pretenious to me, too much to be enjoyable, it was very London centric and gave me a feel of 'London as the centre of the universe'. I felt excluded from the narrative because of this, especially so when a joke was made about the north of England that made it sound backward and behind the times, as a working class woman from East Yorkshire myself this really threw me off. I have never felt so disconnected to a comtemporary protagnost before, usually London centric narrative don't bother me but this time I just couldn't continue.
Maybe the characted grows through the novel and becomes more likeable, maybe the eventual plot makes up for the like of a likable protagnist. Yet there was nothing enticing me to keep on reading.
I can see this being loved by so many, especially as online dating becomes more and more popular. And I cannot deny that Alderton has a clear voice and a unique style, talent for sure. Every book does not appeal to every reader, and unfortunately this one definitely wasn't for me.

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I was not prepared for how much I enjoyed this book.

I first heard of Dolly Alderton when her memoir, Everything I Know About Love, was released. I devoured that book, and found that Alderton had a style and way about her writing that made it feel like you were friends sharing (sometimes shockingly) honest truths about life and the world. I was worried that this style wouldn't translate across (I'm not sure why) but I was so wrong - this book is FANTASTIC.

Nina is in her early thirties. She has a thriving career, great friends, a mortgage...And then she meets Max, and everything seems to be coming together. In reality, things will get worse and she must face the issues that no one ever tells you about: friends moving away, people starting families, parents becoming ill, the crisis of identity the you can face at absolutely any age. All of these issues, and more, are tackled with humour, empathy and honesty throughout the novel. The delicacy with which Alderton describes the illness of Nina's father, and the feelings of those around him, is nothing short of beautiful.

I feel like you would be hard pushed to find a woman who doesn't identify with at least one of the characters in this book. I found myself laughing and cringing at certain parts of the story, especially being single as I fast approach 30. The conversations and fall-outs are so realistic that I couldn't help but think about similar (or identical) scenarios from my own life. The biggest takeaway from this is that there is no one way to do this - our lives, desires, priorities and timescales are all different but relationships can endure, even through difficult times, and there is always beauty, nostalgia and love to be found in the present, as well as the past.

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This novel reflects the simultaneous hardships and joys of life. It does it with humour, zest and from woman's perspective. The rose-tinted glasses shatter when love inevitably isn't perfect or even close for Nina. At the same time, she is trying to maintain a connection with her father as his dementia takes hold. Of course, she has her close friends for some pivotal moments and sometimes she sits in the dark and is sad. Adjusting and accepting what life throws at her - Nina is grateful for what she has and tries to let go of what wasn't hers to start with.

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I was so excited to have been approved to read this on Net Galley as I loved Dolly’s autobiography Everything I know about love! ⠀

This debut novel follows 32 year old Nina who is single and is aware that the majority of her friends are married with kids or in long term relationships and she goes on a dating app to meet someone. ⠀

I buddy read this with @blmbookclub2020 and at the time of reading it I felt it was ahead of its time and I loved the way it approached important topics but it had a huge downside for me- It was made up of only white people so for that reason it really isn’t ahead of its time at all. This novel felt like a modern love story as it focused on online dating and the protagonist, Nina, wasn’t desperate for love but was aware that she felt ready to date. This novel also approaches parenting in the modern day, the pros and cons of dating online and a parent with dementia which I personally though Dolly addressed really well but as someone who hasn’t had a family member with dementia I’m perhaps not in the place to make my own opinion on that. ⠀

This novel is set in London so if I’m honest I expected more diversity and it’s clear Nina is in a really privileged position so although it was a great debut novel I was consistently aware that it focused on white people and their dating life, and as someone who is trying to diversify their reading I think this really stood out to me as a negative point. ⠀

I wouldn’t discourage anyone from reading this though, it was filled with humour, emotions and human family dynamics it’s just important to go into the novel being aware that it’s about someone who is privileged. But of course, Dolly is writing about what she knows as authors are all told to do, it’s just something I was aware of!

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A thoroughly enjoyable read about Nina Dean who has reached her 32nd birthday and is looking for love, but the person she meets is not ready to commit and disappears entirely from her life - hence the title, Ghosts.

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Ever since I read Everything I know about love, I have been a Dolly fan, and this book does not disappoint in any way.
Ghosts is a story that acutely observes love and modern dating, changing friendships and the changing of family dynamics.

I love Dolly's style of writing, and her insight into relationships, friendships and life in general.
She artfully balances light, funny aspects of dating and adult life with the more poignant, emotional moments of seeing Nina's father struggle with dementia with poise and elegance which in parts reduced me to tears.

Nina is a loveable character, and one I rooted for from the very beginning. She is kind, emotional and just wants to love and be loved - making her relatable to every woman. She feels the pressures of modern dating, and struggles with the dynamic of her friendships shifting as many of her friends get married and have kids, and the relationship between her parents shifting too.

As a woman in my mid twenties, I found myself often laughing outloud at Nina's acerbic (spot on) comments on marriage, dating, hen parties and friendships which are past their sell by date. The descriptions and analysis of why men ghost was a beautiful mic drop moment and one that is needed for every woman who has ever been ghosted.

I found this book so difficult to put down and it so much more than just the telling of a girl being ghosted by a stupid boy. I know this will be a book I will return to, again and again if only just for advice and to feel less alone! I couldn't recommend this book enough and I am excited to see more of Dolly's novels in future!

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I do love a book with a meaningful title and this one - Ghosts - has multiple meanings, from characters who are ghosts of their former selves to characters who 'ghost' others. Nina is a likeable heroine and one of the things that helps you to empathise with her is the combination of naivety and hope that everything will turn out OK in the end. You feel that she deserves better and keep rooting for her as you read on. I thoroughly enjoyed this sensitive, thoughtful portrayal of how life can be for young women today. I'd definitely read more by this author.

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Dolly Alderton's first novel is brilliant! It perfectly encapsulates what it is to be an intelligent and single woman in your 30s, with a brilliant mix of humour, joy and heartache. As a woman in ky mid 30s trying to get through suddenly finding myself single again abd all to aware of aging parents and clocks ticking, this book really spoke to me. It allowed me to look at my pain at the events surrounding my life by looking at someone else, someone who I felt more compassion towards than I do myself sometimes. So well written, I passionately believe in Nina and want her strength to continue. Thank you Dolly, this book is beautiful, painful, raw, funny and wonderful.

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Ghosts, Dolly Alderton. 4/5.

Nina Dean has arrived at her early thirties as a successful food writer with loving friends and family and her own home in London. When she tries online dating and meets Max who tells her one date one he is going to marry her she is thrilled. Her thirties had so far been missold, everyone else has been getting married and moving to the suburbs, her Mum is having a midlife makeover and her Dad is vanishing slowly before her eyes, fighting dementia.

There is SO much to unpack in 336 pages. I’ve read Dolly’s work before of course, her debut non fiction “Everything I Know About Love” was a well written, funny ode to friendships. I was please to receive an ARC of Ghosts from #NetGalley, #PenguinGeneralUK and #FigTree.

Firstly, Dolly’s writing is yet again, smart, funny, like sharing a bottle of wine with an old friend. Her descriptions and observations of relationships are stunning. The words of a woman who has lived heartbreak and so, she resonates when she writes. Her other life observations made me properly laugh, Dolly has a real knack for turning general daily grievances into properly funny commentary.

The story here was unexpected, i went in expecting some dating hijinks but it went far deeper, their is real exploration here of what relationships have become, how quickly we throw others away, how easily we “ghost”. I found myself almost violently agreeing here with Dolly that humans cannot be deleted. We deserve more than what we have become in a world that seems to find it so easy to swipe people away.

The other threads of the storyline, friendship, were expected. If you read Dolly’s first book or follow her online you will know that her friendships are important and you can see that here, friendship again is prominently the real relationship of importance. Lola was for me, the absolute MVP of the whole book, I probably should have related to Katherine but Lola was incredible. So glorious. I wanted to pull her out of the pages and have her as a friend.

The dementia storyline however was the one that i thought was handled incredibly, unexpected, bittersweet, well researched and poignant. It pushed the novel up a rating for me. The descriptions were so beautifully written, they made me cry.

My only issue with the entire novel was Dolly’s representation of motherhood. Whilst I understand that the one specific example was necessary for a particular thread of the story, i felt in general that there was a huge amount of negativity towards Mothers in general. The idea that once a woman gives birth she immediately becomes just a mother who is unable to retain a friendship with childless women and talk about things that don’t involve children is quite isolating for mothers who need a break.

Overall this novel is, as expected, a smart, witty, brilliantly observational look at love, life and relationships. At times it was bittersweet, i shed a few tears but, much like sharing a bottle of wine with a best friend, it left me feeling happy and content.

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Ghosts

We all know a Nina, but this book enables you to get inside of Nina, her thoughts, worries and fears and I just love the way her down to earth and honest character learns to navigate through everything life throws at her. At the end I was was like, phew! A great read

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I really enjoyed this book, and will be recommending it to many others. The title, 'Ghosts', refers to the many different strands running throughout the book. Firstly, yes, the idea of being ghosted by a romantic partner. Secondly, and more broadly and meaningfully, the idea of the ghosts of our past - our friendships, and how much we rely on shared experiences in our past to bring meaning to our present. This idea is also present in the moving storyline concerning the protagonist, Nina's, father and his dementia.

There are many things in this book that fans of 'Everything I Know About Love' will enjoy. Dolly Alderton does sitcom-style pieces so well: there is a brilliant scene at a hen party, and a wickedly accurate meditation on the different types of and messages from men on dating apps. Expect to laugh out loud. It is also very moving in parts, and, again, strikingly accurate in its portrayal of friendship and the experience of being a woman in London. I also particularly enjoyed the way Alderton explored the theme of nostalgia, and how our childhood shapes who we are. I was really excited about reading this book, and raced through it. Thank you!

I will post my review on Amazon around publication date, and link to that here.

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An enjoyable easy read. Ghosts was not as deep and meaningful as I expected but was instead very much a chick flick. It was however a good chick flick and made for perfect summer reading. The plot centres around the protagonists love life with a backdrop of friendship dramas and a fathers declining help. Whilst enjoyable it was really nothing new or special, and I expected slightly more from dolly's debut fiction.

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Nina, in her thirties and facing a life crisis. Her Dad is unwell and just getting old, her Mum is trying to remain youthful, her uni friends are all smug marrieds and moving out of London.
I really enjoyed this book and it resonates with ladies right now. Nina is successful and smart however she has doubts as to where her future lies. Great characters, a really good amusing read.

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I have been a long-term reader of Alderton’s columns in the Sunday Times and her memoir, “Everything I Know About Love,” so I was really looking forward to reading this, her first novel- and I was not disappointed. Sharply humorous, incisively contemporary yet deeply touching, it focuses on Nina, who at the start of her thirties has been successful in important ways- in her career as an increasingly popular food writer, in owning her own London flat- but whose personal life is becoming increasingly challenging. As one of a decreasing number of singles in her friendship circle, she feels detached from her married friends and those with children, but the perils of the modern dating scene make finding lasting love seem a hopeless dream, while the biological ticking clock puts constant pressure on women. To add to her worries, Nina’s beloved father is showing increasing signs of dementia. Despite being an older “smug married” myself ( and never more relieved to be so than when reading this!) I really enjoyed the book, especially Alderton’s satirical portrayal of Nina’s contemporaries and the shocking insight into some current relationship behaviours, especially arising from dating app culture. She is brutal at times but also compassionate, revealing how women in every generation make choices and compromises to find happiness in individual ways, that marriage and motherhood isn’t always “a happy ending,” and that things are often not as they seem. Nina moves forward bruised but hopeful, and readers will have their fingers crossed for her.

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A very observational writer. Reflects life as it is today. Witty, sad and make you think about different relationship scenarios. Friends who stick by on another. Fractures within family relationships. Ultimately betrayal within romantic relationships. Enjoyable and a heartwarming outcome.

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Dolly Alderton has a huge following and this debut novel is written in her usual confessional, chatty, wise style. Very engaging.

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