This is a brilliant debut novel. At the outset you know that something pretty awful has happened. Through Wendy, the narrator, you are gradually taken through the events which resulted in the incident. Wendy is a nineteen year old bus driver. Her mother has recently died and she is struggling to cope with life. Despite her issues, she loves her job and her regular passengers. She has aspirations to be a writer. When teenager Ginger takes a journey on her bus they tentatively begin to form a friendship.

I absolutely loved the characters in this novel. They are beautifully created and so believable. Wendy takes life completely literally and has no filter on her thoughts. Ginger is tough yet vulnerable kid. Their interactions are heart warming and heart breaking.

This book is infused with humour and sadness. It is an unflinching observation of how tough life can be for those who haven't had many positive breaks and struggle to fit in. It also shows the power that love and support can engender.

Ginger and Me is so skilfully written and very touching. I absolutely loved it and Wendy and Ginger will be in my heart for a very long time.

Many thanks to NetGalley and HQ Stories for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book gripped me from the start. It opens with you knowing something bad has happened. It tells the story of Wendy, a 19 year old bus driver. Whilst driving her bus she meets Ginger who is vulnerable but tough on the surface. It builds on the story of Wendy, finally enjoying having and enjoying the companionship of a friend, something she’s never had before, and Ginger clinging on with hope that their friendship can offer some fun, and some light relief from the turbulence and neglect she suffers at home.
As Wendy struggles with Mental Health issues and her mother's death she finds herself in a few challenging situations. Ginger really pushes her towards being more open and trying new things. Both of the young women struggle with adapting and merging with society.
There are many lighter moments to the book, especially within the writers group that Wendy attends once a week, but there is also a darker undercurrent running through the story for both Wendy and Ginger, covering obsession, abuse and neglect. Both humorous and poignant this is a really interesting story that keeps you turning the pages and wondering what’s going to happen next.
I liked the writing style, it had a good flow, good pacing and kept me engaged the whole way through. The story was compelling and the characters were well developed.
It is an unforgettable debut novel to treasure and a fascinating and poignant take on friendship and obsession. Funny, dark and heartbreaking. Not your normal coming of age novel. It will keep you captivated until the last page.

Thank you Netgalley and HQ for the opportunity to read this ARC.

'Ginger and Me' is a cracking debut from Elissa Soave. Wendy has a simplistic, yet often insightful, world view. She has no filter and is a total breath of fresh air! She just wants to be a good friend and look out for people, God love her. Ginger is a poor wee soul too, and their friendship is a thing of beauty to behold. Along with some heavy-hitting themes, there is great humour in the book. Elissa Soave writes beautifully and cements her characters in our hearts and minds, long after we've finished reading. I also loved to see Lanarkshire as the setting. 'Ginger and Me' is a brilliant read and I can't wait to see what Elissa Soave does next!

I absolutely loved Ginger and Me from the very first pages. Wendy is a character you will immediately take to heart. She has her own unique way of looking at the world which makes her rather vulnerable, as she takes things at face value. She is a creature of habit, routines are very important to her and she’s rather socially inept. After her mother’s death, really all she is looking for is someone to be close to and to love her. Not a grand passion necessarily but a more simple kind of love. “…sometimes people forget, love can be… wanting to bake a coffee cake for someone, or asking them if they are warm enough, making them feel clean and safe and looked after.”

Her world is changed by Ginger, a teenager Wendy meets on the bus she is driving and Diane, a writer she follows on Twitter and who in Wendy’s mind anyway she befriends. Wendy really relates to Diane’s writing and often feels she’s speaking directly to her, “We all have a story to tell. Women matter. Working class voices matter. Your story matters.” The problem is that Wendy makes much more of this connection than really exists and her behaviour veers towards stalkerish. Some of what Wendy believes about this ‘friendship’ made me squirm!

I found Ginger a bit harder to warm to initially as it seemed she was taking advantage of Wendy’s naivety, but I soon realised she was just a young girl with a terrible home life. She really needed a friend to watch out for her. For all her faults, she made me want to reach out and give her a hug and as the story progressed I was so desperately sad for her. I wanted to take her away from the awful life she was living. I had a lump in my throat when she told Wendy she didn’t like to read about nice things and a better life as “sometimes it’s worse to dream then wake up and have it snatched away from you”.

Ginger and Me is a book you read with a sense of foreboding as when we first meet Wendy, she’s in Polmont Prison clearly having been involved in some kind of terrible crime that she doesn’t quite seem to understand. She tells her story looking back and throughout the book she refers to things going wrong. As a reader, you can tell that these things involve Ginger and her family but Wendy in her innocence can’t see that.

Ginger and Me is a wonderful debut novel. It’s heart-breaking at times but also warmly funny and so wise. Wendy and Ginger are characters I will remember for a long time. It’s an excellent debut novel with a distinctly Scottish voice and I can’t wait to see what Elissa Soave writes next.

A debut novel.

I really enjoyed this book. It’s thought provoking, and covers some uncomfortable topics although has an innocence about it.

It was quite slow paced but wonderfully written and enjoyable.

I will definitely read more by Elissa Soave

As a debut story by this author, I was incredibly impressed. Elissa Soave has set the standards high with 'Ginger and Me' making me excited to read more in the future. A powerful, edgy, addictive story, that I struggled to put down!

This read is powerfully written, focusing on the new friendship between Wendy and Ginger, and their close bond. The plot flows well, with both heart-rending and comical parts, a true emotional rollercoaster. I found both Wendy and Ginger to be relatable for different reasons, and I am certain that many will be drawn to these characters. I found this to be a nostalgic, coming-of-age read, that will appeal to readers of all ages.

There are some very sensitive topics discussed within this story, that some readers may find upsetting. It is advisable to complete independent research before reading.

I highly recommend this read for anyone looking for a refreshing and modern author, or those who would like to trip down memory lane. There is something for everyone within these pages! Order a copy today!

Thank you to HQ Stories for a digital review copy of debut novel Ginger and Me by Elissa Soave.

Wendy is a young woman, suddenly alone after her mum died. She needs to adapt to living on her own and to make new friends. Life hasn’t been kind to Wendy, school was a cruel place and now she is in a police cell.

We travel back in time to find out what happened to Wendy to lead to her stay in a prison cell. We meet the social worker, who gives advice that Wendy tries to follow, the writing group, and the regular bus passengers on Wendy’s bus.

Wendy starts to follow a local author, Diane on Twitter, meets her at a book signing event and then starts to find reasons to visit her street. She also befriends a young teenager, Ginger, and tries to give Ginger time away from her chaotic home with her uncle. Wendy tries to be a good friend to both, but doesn’t understand how wrong her behaviour is at times.

This is a thought provoking read, covering some uncomfortable topics, including crime, sexual abuse and grief.

Ginger & Me is out today! 🧡

A Scottish female writer’s debut novel? You know me, I had to get involved. Thanks to @hqstories for giving me early access to Ginger & Me via NetGalley.

This novel has some truly beautiful moments. It’s a breaks-your-heart-but-makes-you-laugh-at-the-same-time story.

This is a humorous tale of friendship told by an unreliable narrator. It quickly becomes clear the main character Wendy views the world through a very innocent lens and often misinterprets social cues and sarcastic comments. Ginger and Me is told exclusively from Wendy’s point of view and reads quite conversationally. I felt comfortable in Wendy’s telling of this story even though I knew she was often misunderstanding situations. She kept pulling me back to the book and turning the pages.

My heart broke for both Ginger and Wendy. I felt quite motherly towards them both in the same way I did reading Shuggie Bain. Like Shuggie, this book also takes place in Glasgow and very much taps into its Scottish setting. I loved the themes of writing and reading that Soave weaved throughout. I could see why the messages put out by Diane were resonating so hard with Wendy as Soave’s telling of this story was equally resonating with me.

However, I did find the ending a little rushed. Maybe it was intentionally written to feel chaotic and messy? I don’t know but I found myself reading lines over and over trying to figure out how it all went down and why. I would’ve liked this to have been slowed down a little. I enjoyed the ambiguity around Wendy and her naïveté but I would love to discuss this more. Actually, this would make such a good book club book because there’s so much to chat about!

Mostly I loved the timely exploration of social media and how it can make us feel like we know celebrities. The internet and social media create this false lowering of physical boundaries.
It’s scary but I’m sure a lot of what takes place here is actually happening in real life and often crosses the line from innocent to dangerous and frightening.

One for lovers or Eleanor Oliphant and Meredith, Alone!

"Ginger and me were best friends that summer, she was the first best friend I'd ever had. I wish we could have stayed that way forever."

Ginger and Me opens in Polmont Prison with narrator Wendy sure that she will be set free as soon as the mysterious reason she is there is cleared up. When she’s sent back to prison to await her trial after the initial hearing she is shocked and confused.
We then jump back to a year earlier. Wendy is living a solitary life following the death of her mother. She drives her bus and goes home, her only visitor is her support worker, Saanvi, who comes by weekly and encourages Wendy to step out of her comfort zone. Following her advice, Wendy befriends Ginger, a teenager she meets on her bus, and joins a local writing group. It’s the happiest she’s ever been and it is all about to spiral into tragedy…

"Things hadn't gone exactly as planned but still, the bond between us was getting stronger with every meeting. It had taken me a long time to find my soulmate but now that I had, there was no way I was going to mess it up."

Heartfelt, moving and achingly real, Ginger and Me is an accomplished debut that explores loneliness, grief, friendship, obsession and self-discovery. It claimed my attention quickly, the author holding me in the palm of her hands as she wove her lingering tale. Steadily paced with a suspenseful atmosphere that looms over every page, it is a cornucopia of heartbreak, tragedy and trauma with heart and humour woven in to help bring light to the darkness. And while we know from how it begins that Wendy will end up in prison, we don’t know what led her there, keeping me guessing and adding to the tension which builds to a shocking climax. And that ending! I still have chills.

"She was charismatic and fun, that's what people forget when they focus on what happened later. I mean, if you read a book and your favourite character did something terrible on the first page, they'd never get the chance to become your favourite character, would they? No, you have to get to know them a bit first, learn what they are and what it is you like about them. Later when they do things you can't deal with, well, it's too late because you're committed to liking them regardless."

The story is narrated by Wendy, who talks directly to the reader, creating an intimate connection. She is a likeable and interesting character who is very literal, doesn’t see the world the way others do, and often misses what people mean or is really happening. It gives her an innocence and vulnerability that made me feel protective of her and there were times her lack of self-awareness broke my heart or made me cringe. I wished I could jump into the book and gently explain what was going on to help her avoid embarrassment and heartache. Ginger and Diane are also compelling characters. We only ever see them through Wendy’s eyes yet the author manages to create unique connections between them and the reader too. I felt a particular affection and maternal instinct towards Ginger, who is a troubled and often melancholy teenager who has a terrible homelife and much darker problems that Wendy doesn’t quite grasp. I could see how she was desperate to be rescued but there was no one to save her. Elissa Soave took me on an emotional journey alongside these characters that lingers long after turning that final page.

"I think if you read books, it calms you down. And it makes you realise there's a place for everybody, no matter how weird. It's like, there's a whole world out there and no one can stop you from entering, it's open to anyone who wants to be part of it, even me. "

As a bibliophile, I love a book about books or characters who love books, so the fact that this book had both of those things made me so happy. felt a deeper connection to Wendy because of her love of books and could understand some of her feelings towards Diane as I know that feeling when an author seems to be writing what you’re thinking. All of the references to literature made this an even greater joy to read and made my bookish heart sing.

Funny, dark and poignant, Ginger and Me is a memorable debut you need on your TBR.

I loved this, such a lovely funny, sad, thought provoking debut novel. I didn’t want it to end.
This story has it all, Wendy and Ginger will capture your heart, with their different backgrounds and stories and what they get up to. This is a very enjoyable read. I liked the writing style, it has a good pace and kept me engaged throughout. The characters are all well developed, full of humour and compassion. You’ll laugh, cry and empathise with Wendy, Ginger and the other characters you meet throughout the book.
Highly recommend this one.
Thanks to #NetGallery #HQ and author #ElissaSoave for an arc of #GingerAndMe in exchange for an honest review.

I absolutely loved this book. Sweet and charming. Well written and draws you in. Totally different from my usual genre so am looking forward to more like this

Ginger and Me explores the world through Wendy's original viewpoint in a book of contrasts. She is a lovely mix of innocent and insightful, making her story memorable and poignant. Ginger, her friend, is more streetwise than Wendy through a life that has exposed her to the darker side of humanity. Their adventures add humour to this often heartbreaking tale. Believably complex characters draw you into their lives.

I enjoyed this resonating story's vivid, sensual imagery, vibrant characters and lyrical writing.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher.

I absolutely loved this book! What a brilliant debut novel. I keep seeing so many people asking for recommendations along the Eleanor Oliphant lines, well meet Wendy.
We know from the very beginning that Wendy is in prison but that it’s not her fault and she really shouldn’t be there, it’s all a mistake. Quickly you pick up on the fact that Wendy is the type of person who takes things literally and perhaps her social skills aren’t those of a neuro-typical person. Wendy then takes us back 12 months to when the whole story really began. Struggling to live alone after losing her mum to cancer, 19 year old Wendy has weekly visits from her social worker Saani. She’s struggling with her mental health as well as navigating the complexities of social etiquette and Saani suggests she needs to make some friends, join some clubs. And so the story begins… Wendy joins a writer’s group where there are many funny moments of interaction as she takes things literally; she discovers local author who she starts following on Twitter; and she meets Ginger, a 15 year old with her own struggles, while driving her bus.
I adored Wendy as a character. She is superbly portrayed. You find yourself both quietly laughing at some of her hilarious misunderstandings and feeling the deepest of empathy for her and wanting to protect her. Ginger is also beautifully drawn, from her seemingly strong exterior to the vulnerable young girl who she really is.
This is definitely one of those books I’ll be recommending far and wide this summer. A bittersweet read, that whilst often heartbreaking will have you chuckling at times too. It’s one of those books that you fall into from the very beginning and don’t want to put down.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for a review.

Set in the central belt of Scotland Ginger and Me is a story about friendship between two vulnerable young woman. At the beginning of the book we find Wendy in prison and what follows is the story of what led her to be there. It gives an insight into how young adults can slip through the very system set up to protect them. Although some of the topics are quite bleak, sexual abuse, mental health issues, alcohol dependency, it is also a lot of the time extremely touching and funny. I enjoyed this debut novel by Elissa Soave and will look out for more from her in the future. Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for an advance reading copy.

'Ginger and Me' by Elissa Soave opens with Wendy (19yrs) in prison. All we know is that her incarceration is linked to her friend Ginger and a writer called Diane Weston.

Wendy is a bit different to other people. She doesn't pick up on the cues other people do, and struggles with social interaction. After her mum dies she becomes mentally unwell, and is therefore regularly visited by Saanvi (support worker) who tries to help her to develop a more meaningful life. This is on top of the joy Wendy gets from driving the number 255 bus. To this end, Wendy joins a writing club and separately befriends Ginger, a 15yr old with flame red hair and purple crescents under her eyes who also lacks a mother. Whilst initially, both bring Wendy happiness they are also the catalyst for her life unravelling.

Soave has a very clear voice and confident style, which makes the fact that 'Ginger and Me' is a debut, surprising. The novel is very clearly located in Uddingston, near Glasgow, and local landmarks are mentioned in the same way Soave's fictional author Diane Weston is reputed to have done in her novels. Wendy's faux pas in social interaction are made clear to reader, but the reader is firmly on her side and she isn't the butt of the joke, even if other characters would like her to be. The slight meta-ness of the novel including a writing group and novelist is very clever.

Therefore, on the whole I would really recommend this novel. I have only two criticisms. First, for me the pace was bit slow, but I know this isn't echoed in other people's reviews so it might just be me! Second, I find myself getting a bit irritated by the use of someone with an autistic like presentation by authors, to get the outsider perspective. It seems to be something that is used more and more, and whilst people with neurodiversity are under represented in novels I do feel like this has become a bit of a trope. Nonetheless this is a really interesting and affecting story that I'm sure the large majority will enjoy.

I just could not get in to this so at 20% I am having to DNF.
Will try to pick up another time! But I just found it difficult to get into.

Young and quiet Wendy appears to be naive and has found herself in prison whilst blaming her new friends.
The story unfolds and we find out more about her background which mainly started when Wendy began attending the writing club.
One issue I have with Wendy’s naivety was when her social worker came out to visit and asked her about ‘self-love’. No one uses that word, I believe the word you’re looking for is self-care. Self-love can be very misleading. But you do not talk about that kind of thing with the social worker so it made me wonder how naive can a person be? Or to follow and do things a younger person tells you do?
I found her to be very gullible. Following everything a 15 year old tells you to do. She’s 19 not 14 and brainless. I’ve never imagined a situation where a young girl is a bus driver either it was difficult to picture. Basically to write a novel about someone naive; just writes about everything a normal person would do, as a person that doesn’t understand anything including common sense.
It kind of shows Wendy’s mother didn’t really raise her at all to be a proper person as well

This is a mixture of laugh out loud funny and quiet desperation for the lives of these two young women-Wendy who is 19 but acts younger and Ginger who is 15 and has experienced too much. I did find this quite stressful to read as Wendy really did make some bad choices and fail to read signals that got her into trouble. But it has a spirit and an innocence and a uniqueness that lift the book to make it memorable.

GINGER AND ME

WOW !!
Thanks #NetGalley #ElissaSoave and #HQstories for my e-arc copy of #GingerAndMe in exchange for my honest review I thoroughly enjoyed it.

I loved its Non linear structure; in how we already know that the main character is in prison and we get the backstory and learn the reason why this is as we continue, and are taken on the journey of Wendy’s life and the meeting of Ginger, along with various other interesting characters.

I still can’t believe that this was a debut novel in my opinion Elissa handled the subject of abuse delicately creating just the right amount of emotion yet balancing it fantastically with just humour throughout novel.

My only criticism was that I found parts of the story predictable hence the four out of five stars but I think Elissa will only get better as to writes more and I’m looking forward to them.

When I think about how I’d describe the characters in this book, the first word that comes to mind is ‘vulnerable’.

As we get to know Ginger we realise she’s been dealt some tough cards in life, but so too has the titular “me”, Wendy, recently bereaved of her mother and best friend who it is clear has always helped her navigate the world.

Wendy is a protagonist who lends herself perfectly to audio, and the narrator is utterly convincing in portraying this naive neurodiverse nineteen year old bus driver and budding writer from Glasgow.
Wendy is just finding her feet again after the loss of her mum, and her solid routine of work, counselling and her writers’ group appears to keep her more or less content. But a chance encounter with 15 year old Ginger changes things. Used to being the one looked after, now it’s Wendy’s turn to take Ginger under her wing, and the pair quickly become a team.

The novel opens to slowly unravel a plot in which it is immediately clear something big has just happened, but what exactly that was is unfolded slowly until the very end when all the loose ends are tied up. This made for satisfying listening, and although much of the story and its content is harrowing, Wendy’s positivity shines through every chapter. She manages to always find the joy in a world which tries to kick her while she’s down.

Much of the plot revolves around Wendy’s growing obsession with local author Diane, which the reader can see for what it is, an obsession, leading to stalking, where Wendy herself just sees a blossoming friendship, a connection between two writers. This naïveté is both endearing and heartbreaking. You want to give her a shake and say, wake up, everyone is against you… but wouldn’t it be nice if we could all be more like Wendy and always see the good in the world?

Overall the novel paints an intimate portrait which allows us to better understand misunderstood young people in present day Glasgow.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for letting me read an advance copy of this book in exchange for my review.