This is Cecilia Knapp’s debut novel. Having read it, without having heard of her, I wasn’t surprised to then find out that she was the Young People’s Laureate for London for 2020/21. Her talent shines through on every single page of this wonderful novel.

The four friends at the heart of this book are just ordinary, the ‘type’ of people I remember from my own similar childhood/young adulthood, although that was a while ago! The novel takes us through the few weeks after the death of Matthew’s grandfather, and details how the four deal with the unexpected repercussions of that death. Those repercussions aren’t particularly dramatic, although they certainly cause drama in the friends’ lives. But it is this ‘ordinariness’ that shows so well how everyday people can actually be extraordinary. 

In Leah, we have a young woman who is worth so much more than she thinks. She was the stand out character for me, but that’s probably because I identified with her so much, even though she could be my daughter. Because, of course, the insecurities of young women now are not so different to those of my generation. I wanted to tell her to stop, to see how wonderful she is, to do something just for herself. That the novel causes such emotion in the reader is, of course, testament to the power of the writing.

I also loved the setting, and the author really brings it to life. I have a soft spot for Brighton, particularly Swifts’ nightclub that had a Friday night called Sister Ray’s – it’s where my husband proposed to me on a night out thirty-three years ago!

The writing is beautiful, unsurprisingly it’s almost poetic, and even the most depressing and heartbreaking scenes are described in such wonderful language that they’re a pleasure to read.

I have since read some of Knapp’s poetry and it’s stunning. She’s definitely a writer to look out for in the future.

This is a story of sacrifice and violence. It was heartbreaking to read. It is a well written debut with well rounded characters. At times it was an uncomfortable read

(Sorry, I read this so long ago I don't remember much about it other than that I thought it was interesting, so gave it four stars on GoodReads)

Very enjoyable book about people and their relationships with each other and themselves.

A relatable coming of age story.

Very engaging, thought provoking and heartfelt. I would definitely recommend this to anyone interested in social issues.

Little Boxes is the story of four young people growing up the flats of Brighton. Leah, Jay, Nathan and Matthew have been friends forever, supporting each other in times of trouble and helping each other when required. Leah and Jay have been in a relationship since school but lately he is distant, suggesting an open relationship, that Leah pretends she is on board with but secretly is appalled by. Meanwhile, Nathan is struggling with his growing feelings for Leah and Matthew is struggling to come to terms with the fact that he is gay.

Then Matthews Grandad, Ron, dies and this changes all of their lives in ways they could never imagine.

I wanted to like this book but the harsh fact is, I just didn't. I didn't care for the writing style, it was too slow and everything was described in excruciating detail, I was desperate to skip last parts just to get to the end. The first nearly 35% of the book is all the same day just different parts of it experienced by each of the different characters. I didn't care for the characters, they didn't strike me as interesting and I only had a bare surface interest in what happened to them. Leah was such a doormat I wanted to shout at her to 'grow up!'

All in all, to me it felt like a book that was trying to hard - and, honestly, I'm glad I've finished reading it so I don't have to face it again.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is a very engaging first novel, mainly about some young people in Brighton at a pivotal time in their lives, backdropped by a tragedy which provokes self-questionings.

Leah is such a well-realised character and her three friends and brother, though initially typecast, develop into credible individuals. There is also a vivid sense of place.

The only flaw of significance is that Ron’s “secret”, while a satisfying surprise, is allowed to take on too large a role towards the end of the book.

Will I read Cecilia Knapp’s next novel? Absolutely.

This is the story of a council estate, (the flats are the "little boxes") and the lives of four young people who live there - Matthew, Nathan, Leah and Jay.

We get to understand the issues that these four people are currently facing, and how they all have traumas to overcome. Told over the period of one summer, the death of an elderly relative is the catalyst that kicks the story off, and this leads to a variety of reactions and impacts.

Although I enjoyed this, it wasn't that fast paced, and it didn't grip me massively.

A heart-wrenching and beautifully written story of grief, loss, family and friendship. Difficult to read in parts, pure emotion. Highly recommend!

I had some struggles with this book about how the death of one man acts as a catalyst for changes in the lives of four others. My first problem is that the first 10 chapters or so (almost 30% of the book) are titled Sunday it really annoyed me that far from moving the narrative on we constantly rehash that Sunday through the eyes of one of those four people. I was far from captivated by the character depictions or their interactions and seriously considered giving up on the book.

It does improve over the latter parts of the book and there are some really well portrayed life choices being made but for me it does not really make up for the early turgidity. The author is new to me but this book does not tempt me to reading other works by her

This was a great read, moving and very well crafted. Thank you for letting me read an advance copy of this book.

I’m sorry but this one did not appeal. Maybe it’s a generational thing but it wasn’t for me. #LittleBoxes#Netgalley

This was a book that was good, but also wasn’t compelled by. Maybe if I read it at another time I might of enjoyed it more. But sadly it wasn’t really my cup of tea

Matthew, Jay, Nathan and Leah have drown you together in the same block of flats in Brighton, now young adults there lives are intertwined with love, kindness, but also spite and meanness, when Mathews grandfather passed away they are thrown into difficult situations with emotions running high.

I enjoyed little boxes and reading about the lives of the four friends, the book mainly focuses on Matthew and Leah towards the end and how they change their lives for the better becoming unafraid and living their lives.

There was so much I loved about this book. It focuses on the lives of families living in flats on an estate in Brighton, The image and title of the flats as little boxes was really striking for me, and I love the emphasis on these working class characters and lives.

The central characters are at a pivotal age in their lives, and you see what has brought them together up until this point. Their lives continue to intertwine, through friendship, past relationships, difficult relationships with their familes and in particular through Ron, the Grandfather of one of the central characters.

I'm not sure why but it took me quite a bit of time to understand the premise and these central themes. It took me ages to separate the 4 friends lives and understand who was who and how they were connected. One final thing I missed was a sense of resolution for one of the characters; Nathan. In fact, although he is one of the four central friends, in general I would have loved more insight into him and where his life is going at this pivotal moment in the friends' lives.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC.

This was a really interesting read, definitely nice to read something from the perspective of working class people in the UK that isn't completely centred around their struggles to survive. It did take a little while to get going but once it did I was gripped by the individual stories of the friends. The plot involving Matthew and his grandfather was a little predictable but very sensitively dealt with, but I particularly enjoyed Leah's subplot, especially the ending.

Unfortunately this was just not the book for me. I felt that it was slow and struggled to connect with the characters. I tried listening to the audiobook aswel as reading this advanced copy but I just could not connect. I expect something different from a coming of age story so maybe it's just myself.

Friends Leah, Matthew, Jay and Nathan have grown up together in Brighton, all living in neighbouring flats – the ‘little boxes’ of the title. Jay and Leah are an on-again, off-again couple that would probably be happier apart, but don’t know how to break the habit of a lifetime: Matthew’s life is on pause, living with his elderly granddad, convinced it would be impossible to come out as gay; while Nathan is working in a local pub, living at home with his incredibly supportive parents. The book tracks the quartet over the weeks that lead up to and follow the unexpected death of Matthew’s grandfather: they fight, they flirt, they fall in and out of danger, they parent each other and reveal their own weaknesses: they lose touch with reality and make tiny choices with huge repercussions. The relationships shift almost hourly, flaring into passionate fights or fumbles, leaning on each other, seeking the solace that can only be provided by an almost-sibling, someone who has grown up in the same set of claustrophobic circumstances. It perfectly captures that hot, dry, desperate, drifting sensation of youthful summer in a British seaside town, where your next steps are not clear, and you might just as easily float out to sea and be lost forever as find your path. Lurking beneath the surface of the book is the slow realisation that the tale is a coming-of-age, and all-too-soon (and whether they like it or not) the four will be out of their nests, having to make decisions for themselves. There’s a spellbinding passage towards the very end of Little Boxes where Leah fully imagines what her future might be, in totally captivating detail – which serves as a good lesson to all of us to start thinking of the versions of us that are yet to come, how they might like to spend their days, and what we need to do now to get us there. An unforgettable first novel from poet and playwright Cecilia Knapp, whose lyrical voice and skill with words is evident in every sentence: not to be missed.

Very enjoyable book about people and their relationships with each other and themselves.

A relatable coming of age story.

This book was captivating, I was in awe of Knapp's perception in capturing all the little idiosyncrasies that bring a character to life. Mathew's grandfather had played a central role in all their lives, dispensing quiet words of wisdom and a safe haven for them to talk. So they each had to find a way to come to terms with his death and learning to accept responsibility for making their own choices. There was a touch of modern day Brighton Rock weaving through the story as the narrative moves seamlessly between the characters. Beautifully written.