Due to a sudden, unexpected passing in the family a few years ago and another more recently and my subsequent (mental) health issues stemming from that, I was unable to download this book in time to review it before it was archived as I did not visit this site for several years after the bereavements. This meant I didn't read or venture onto netgalley for years as not only did it remind me of that person as they shared my passion for reading, but I also struggled to maintain interest in anything due to overwhelming depression. I was therefore unable to download this title in time and so I couldn't give a review as it wasn't successfully acquired before it was archived. The second issue that has happened with some of my other books is that I had them downloaded to one particular device and said device is now defunct, so I have no access to those books anymore, sadly.

This means I can't leave an accurate reflection of my feelings towards the book as I am unable to read it now and so I am leaving a message of explanation instead. I am now back to reading and reviewing full time as once considerable time had passed I have found that books have been helping me significantly in terms of my mindset and mental health - this was after having no interest in anything for quite a number of years after the passings. Anything requested and approved will be read and a review written and posted to Amazon (where I am a Hall of Famer & Top Reviewer), Goodreads (where I have several thousand friends and the same amount who follow my reviews) and Waterstones (or Barnes & Noble if the publisher is American based). Thank you for the opportunity and apologies for the inconvenience

This isn’t a particularly easy read but one I really enjoyed. You’re dropped immediately into Grace’s world and it takes a little while to orient yourself but I really loved getting to know her. As a fellow northern Oxbridge English graduate I could empathise with a lot of what Grace goes through and I’m not sure how accessible some aspects of her almost stream of consciousness thoughts might be otherwise. Nonetheless, a very enjoyable read that I would recommend. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

This sounded interesting but I found it very difficult to read - the style doesn't describe or situate anything that happens so it is impossible to build up a mental picture and I felt very disorientated. While I'm sure it will appeal to some, I feel like the blurb doesn't fit properly because I didn't expect it to be so experimental in style and if I was recommending it to someone that would be the first thing I would mention.

I was initially drawn to this book as in many ways Grace’s story mirrors my own, albeit many years later. She is born in the West Riding of Yorkshire, leaves home for university and then moves to London where she mixes with a trendy crowd but feels out of place and lost. She is now set apart and slightly estranged from her mother and sister and we see her yearnings and struggles to find her place, to live and to love as she travels up and down the country. I particularly enjoyed her descriptions of Sheffield, a city I know well, and her feelings of displacement, as her accent has shifted and she feels self-conscious using the Yorkshire phrases of her youth, something I recognise.

But there is more to the novel than my personal nostalgia. The narration is pacy and compelling, mirroring the narrator’s rapid shifts in mood and thought. It is moving to travel with Grace and see her learning to accept herself and love herself and others.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for a review copy.