Thought provoking and intense. It was well written with good characters that were relatable and I found myself really relating to, and liking Cat, I just wanted her to be happy and I also really found myself liking Daniel and wanting that to work. A really enjoyable read.

This story follows Cat, her family and friends as they find their footing in life and the struggles they go through. When Cat finally decides what to do with her life, instead of finding what she was looking for, her life is about to be turned upside down.

I love Cat’s blunt character and how she remains true to herself all the time. She was not afraid to stand up for herself and her loved ones which made her character very endearing and relatable. All the other characters complement Cat’s well and I find myself rooting for all of them to do well in life.
As much as I love this story, I felt that the ending was a little flat and I had a higher expectation to how the story should end. Overall, this was still an easy and enjoyable read.

Thanks you Netgalley and Little Brown Book Group UK for the arc.

This book was dreary and then song. I felt constantly frustrated with the main character hey seem to never be able to find her way but became increasingly unlikable and I struggle to find empathy because I struggle just became overly dramatic. Not to say that people do not have to deal with such horrendous things in life but that they just seemed to be piled on in an unrealistic manner. Sad, yes. Thought-provoking, yes.

Overly dramatic 100%.

I’m not going to lie, I was absolutely sold on this book based on the cover. It is stunning in its simplicity and bold use of colour. Did I love the book as much as the cover? No, I didn’t. It was too miserable and humourless to really enjoy it.

Pitched as an emotional novel about a woman trying to escape her past and get the education she always wanted, it veered too much into Eastenders territory for me at times.

Cat is on the brink of turning 40 and is in a loveless relationship with controlling boyfriend James when an opportunity presents itself for her to study as a mature student at university.

Having spent her formative years as her alcoholic mother’s carer, Cat grabs the chance with both hands. However, a reunion with an ex-boyfriend who is now her lecturer threatens to destabilise the new future Cat wants to build for herself.

With a cast of characters straight out of Eastenders (right down to the gritty pub where many of scenes take place), this book was an easy read but not a light read.

While I can see it reflects the real struggle someone from a disadvantaged background faces, there was no levity or humour in the book whatsoever; it was relentlessly grim. There’s a lot of smoking in it too. Ashtrays, fag butts, cigarettes 🚬.

Because I read to the end and because I wanted the best for Cat and for her friend Laura, 2.4-3/5 ⭐️. I can’t say I’d recommend this one readily though. CW for coercive control, domestic abuse, rape, alcoholism. It lacked the subtlety, poignancy and emotional resonance of other books on similar topics.

*Ungrateful was published on 2 June 2022 by @littlebrownbooks @dialoguebooks. Many thanks to the publishers for a digital ARC of the book via @netgalley. As always, this is an honest review.*

Such a lovely story and read, I couldn't put this down, thank you for letting me review this ARC, I definitely recommend

Thought provoking and intense. It was well written with good characters that were relatable and I found myself really relating to, and liking Cat, I just wanted her to be happy and I also really found myself liking Daniel and wanting that to work. A really enjoyable read.

From her spot behind the dingy bar, serving the even dingier clientelle Cat dreams of everything that might have been. A product of a violent and impoverished childhood her dreams of heading to university were dashed when she had to care for her injured mother. Almost twenty years later Cat has begun to take steps towards achieving her long held dream of a university degree but a variety of obstacles stand in her way, an alcoholic mother, a boyfriend who thinks of her as little more than his bit of rough and the one who got away who just happens to be a lecturer on her degree course. Violent, graphically searing and poignantly uplifting. You'll be rooting for Cat:s dreams to come true.