A multi-dimensional, multi-genre miracle of a life

In the ever-present debate between nature vs nurture, there's no clear winner; in fact, nature and nurture appear to be equally important. In Versions Of A Girl, Gray takes this philosophical duality in hand and looks at both sides of a what-if scenario: what if pubescent Fern stayed with her rocker father in their precarious life? Or what if Fern flew back to her demanding mother in England and the middle class milieu her mother had clawed herself into? Versions gives you both Ferns, or Fern and Flick respectively, and shows you the highlights reel of a life that didn't start in exactly the way that all the adults said it did.

This book has everything: thriller and suspense, a long running mystery that gets cleared up in dribs and drabs; YA/NA adventures on both sides of the pond; middle class snobbery and salt-of-the-earth camaraderie; rocky marriages and same sex longing; high art and academic excellence; joy and tragedy, love and friendship. I can't think anyone who wouldn't enjoy this book. Not populist but just a damn good read.

I devoured this in a couple of days. A really nuanced portrayal of nature versus nurture, motherhood and found family.

The timeline in this novel jumps about a lot and just like in Sliding Doors when one version gets a snazzy haircut, keeping up with the different threads becomes much easier when one adopts an alternative name. Intriguing and well paced.

Whilst I did enjoy this book it was a slightly confusing read. Jumping from two POVs from the same person, whilst known as Fern / Flick. It didn’t live up to the ‘sliding doors’ feel that I was getting from it. It did however cover triggering topics with sensitivity.

Full review to follow on my bookstagram @thewee_bookshelf.

Thanks netgalley for the advanced copy!

At the age of fourteen, Fern has spent the same amount of time with each parent, but it has come to a point where she has to choose which parent she wants to stay with - Her mother in the UK, or her father in California. This is where the story splits and we get to follow each version - Fern who stays in America with her Dad who is loving anough, but struggles to care for Fern properly and Flick (thankful for the name change for making it easier to follow!) who moves to live with her cold, strict mother who only seems to pay Flick any attention when she can gain something from her.

This was not as complex a read as it could have been, the different names for the main character really helped with that! It was so interesting to see the impact that the different upbringing and surroundings had on Fern/Flick and really highlighted how one decision can have a huge effect on your life.

It will be challenging for me to put into words how much I enjoyed this book, but I will do my best.

The premise itself is engaging. Fern had experienced a difficult upbringing already by age 14, but when faced with the choice to either go and live in the UK with her mother or stay in California with her father, the novel splits into two parallel timelines.

At its core, this novel explores the influences our earliest relationships have on us as we grow into adulthood. Both of Fern’s parents are extremely different, though have equally flawed parenting styles. Her father is more kindly, but is an alcoholic and isn’t able to provide stability. Her mother vibes Mrs. Coulter from His Dark Materials, showing off her daughter at prestigious parties and attempting to mould her in her own image, living through Fern and her successes as if they are her own.

The novel also occasionally switches to POVs other than Fern’s, however, this is not frequent and is always done to further the story or provide interesting insights.

The storylines are packed with family secrets, twists and turns. Moments I thought were predictable turned out to be red herrings all along and I found it difficult to put the book down, eager to find out what would happen next.

There are a few trigger warnings as this is a rather heavy story, touching on sensitive issues such as sexual abuse, alcoholism, drug misuse and more. It is clear to see how Fern’s parallel upbringings have influenced her in different ways. There is an exploration of adult survivors of narcissistic abuse and how our attachment styles as adults can be influenced by our childhood experiences.

Despite the intensity of both directions, which definitely prompts to reader to wonder ‘what if’ about their own life, the ending to both directions were satisfying and left me feeling hopeful about my own future.

I received an advance reader copy of this book, which in no way affects my review. This review is voluntary.

Enjoyed it very much! I am a big fan of Catherine Gray's previous non-fiction books and I am so sure that this one is gonna be loved as much as her previous ones. A must-read for the Summer!

This is an emotional yet uplifting novel on a broken family and the impact on parental influences on the child’s development and life choices. I’ve read all of Catherine Gray’s non-fiction books and was very excited about her first fiction book. It’s unlike any fiction books I’ve read and days after devouring the book, I still find myself thinking about it.⁣
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The main character in the book is Fern/Flick, whose mum is a narcissistic social climber and dad is an alcoholic, touring rock musician who is loving, but also flawed in various ways. What makes the book unique is how at the age of 14, her story splits after spending equal time with each of her parents. We follow the story of Fern who stays in the States with her dad, as well as that of Flick who remains in London with her mum.⁣
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On both stories, she found herself struggle as a young woman, which is heartbreaking to read, and on both, the unsolved murder of her uncle is weaved in seamlessly. I was curious to see how her character and stories develop as I was reading pages after pages, and was actually quite triggered in the sense that I couldn’t help but reflect on how we could become such different version of ourselves, depending on our upbringing and surrounding.⁣

Such a warm and smartly written novel that can evoke self-reflection. Will be thinking about it for a while.

Versions of a girl tells a story from two different trajectories of the main character's life, following the sudden death of her uncle Rory.

In the first version of the story she is known as Fern and flees to America with her father, who is the key suspect in her uncle's death. They live a semi nomadic lifestyle as her father moves from town to town, touring with his rock band. In the second scenario she goes by the nickname Flick and live with her slightly narcissistic and pushy mother, who encourages her to pursue a career in ballet.

It's interesting to see that despite the radically different lifestyles of Fern and Flick, her personality is relatively similar, with her love of  art and addictive tendencies.

The format of the book can be a little confusing as it jumps back and forth between the timelines of each story but the different names given to the main character help with this.

A really interesting concept and an enjoyable read, with a twist at the end!

I was so excited to read this as I love a “Sliding Doors” style story, but I found it very confusing and the writing style didn’t connect with me at all.

There didn’t seem to be much of a difference between Fern/Flick and the issues they faced in the two different outcomes were very similar. I didn’t like any of the characters, Fern’s parents were particularly unpleasant and Fern herself didn’t have any substance as a character, so it was hard to care about what happened to any of them.

I am an outlier in this one, so likely a case of wrong audience and I hope other readers will love it!

2 ⭐️ Thanks to Netgalley, Catherine Gray and Headline for an ARC in return for an honest review.

This is a sliding doors kind of story. It shows two versions of Fern's story. and the routes she goes down. It considers what shapes us is it our parents, circumstances, the world around us, unexpected events?
When Fern is young she spends time between both parents mother is a social climber father has alcohol issues. A visitor causes her to face a dilemma of choices and the story splits in two.
Time line stories with two different strands can be confusing but this is handled well.
I found it an unusual book which touches on difficult areas and sad at times.

I was excited to read this book as Catherine Gray has written some great quitlit books already, and I liked the idea of the plot.
It was, for me, similar to a book I’ve read before ’When Polly Won the Lottery’ and the two versions of what might happen to her and it reminded me in a very small way of The Midnight Library.
It’s a story about choices, about addiction, about confusion, about motherhood and fatherhood too. Fern is dumped on her father by her mother and he takes her off to America after an ‘accident’ kills her uncle in Ireland. We then learn from flashbacks in time about the story leading up to all the events. Then in one version Fern stays with her father in the states and in another she returns to England to be with her mother initially for a holiday but that gets extended. Her mother encourages her to be Flick (as her middle name is Felicity and Fern was her father’s choice of name) and she lives a very different life to that of Fern.
Honestly, I found it all quite confusing, both Fern and Flick seem to have the same problems in both lives, kind of in the ‘sliding doors’ theme that what’s for you won’t go past you - as my grandmother used to say.
Sadly it just wasn’t for me. I didn’t really like any of the characters so I didn’t get invested in Fern or Flick, nor her parents.

My thanks go to the author, the publishers and to NetGalley for an advanced e.reader copy of this book.

I was very excited to secure a digital copy of this novel by Catherine Gray as it follows Flick / Fern on her journey in life down to two different paths, based on a decision Flick / Fern makes at the age of 14 whether to return to live with her mum or not. In one half she does and the other she doesn’t.

I always find it fascinating thinking about alternate universes out there where our lives differ based on a choice we make or don’t make, so I thought the basis for this book was right up my street.

I will be honest, in the first half of the book I wasn’t sure about the story as I felt I couldn’t quite get into it. I do wonder whether some of this was due to the fact it was a digital proof version I was reading and as such it wasn’t always obvious to know “which life” I was reading about. However, my opinion completely changed in the second half where the story came together with an unexpected twist too, which I absolutely loved and then I was totally hooked!

It is a book about so much: nature versus nurture, our own parents’ experiences in life affecting their parenting of us, addiction, recovery, love, grief, guilt, secrets… It is a story you will want to savour and think about once you’ve finished it for sure! I am really pleased I read it.

Thank you @netgalley and @headlinebooks for the gifted copy.

"Versions of a Girl" by Catherine Gray is an emotionally gripping novel that delves into the impact of parental influence and life choices.
At fourteen, Fern's life splits into two narratives: one where she stays in California with her loving but flawed alcoholic father, and another where she moves to London with her controlling, social-climbing mother.
The parallel lives of Fern/ Flick are explored with depth, showing how their different environments shape their personalities and decisions.
Gray’s writing captivates with its complex characters and thought-provoking plot. Fern’s father, despite his flaws, stands out with his deep love for his daughter, adding emotional weight to the story.
The suspense and twists kept me engaged,and I found it to be a very interesting read and I can’t remember reading anything similar so far.
Overall, "Versions of a Girl" is an intriguing, heartfelt read that I highly recommended for fans of contemporary fiction with a psychological twist.

Very grateful to the publisher for my copy, opinions are my own.

CW/TW: Please be aware, this book could contain mentions of paedophilia, drug and alcohol abuse, parental neglect and murder.

💬 My Bookish Thoughts

This Sliding Doors-esque novel that delves deep into the concept of dual narratives and how our lives can change based on a single decision. At the age of fourteen, Fern's story splits after she has spent equal time with her damaged parents. We follow Fern, who stays in America with her alcoholic but loving father, and Flick, who is raised by her loveless, dominating, ex-ballet dancer, social-climbing mother in the UK.

Fern/Flick is a complex character, and I was fascinated by how the author played with her personality, lifestyle, and emotions impacted by the split narrative. The third-person storytelling of these parallel lives required my full concentration to keep up with the different timelines, but the distinct names for each narrative—Fern and Flick—helped immensely.

One standout character for me was Fern's father. Despite his many flaws, his deep love for his daughter was clear and added a layer of real interest to the story.

Coming from a broken family there were many aspects I could relate to, at times I feel quite emotional reading about her parents and the impact of their flaws had on their daughter. I have always wondered what my life would have been like if I had chosen to live with my other parent.

The book is full of suspense and twists, keeping me engaged throughout. However, as much as I love the cover, I felt it didn't quite reflect the serious topics covered in the story.

Overall this novel would make a great book club read, sparking discussions about how our choices shape our lives and the enduring impact of our parents' influence.

Thank you to NetGalley, Headline Books and Mountain Leopard Press for gifting me a digital proof copy in return for an honest review.

Fern's mother is a social climber and a former ballet dancer who lives a plush life in a London townhouse.

Fern's father only climbs if there's a bottle at the top, has an IQ of 133 and lives hand-to-mouth in Californian motels.

Aged fourteen, Fern has spent equal time with each of her parents. That is, until an unexpected visitor triggers a life-changing whether she should get on a plane to London to be with her mother, or stay in California with her father. Here, Fern's narrative splices in two.

I am a big fan of Gray's writing having read most of her books so I was intrigued to see what her foray into fiction would be like and it hasn't disappointed.

Fern's split narrative brought up some interesting plot lines and I found it really interested. These are real, flawed characters. Yet Gray portrays them with grace and verve.

An interesting concept and a book that kept me engaged until the end. A novel idea that was well executed. The story starts with young Fern living with her alcoholic Dad in California. When she is 14 she has to choose whether to go and live with her Mum in London or stay with her Dad. This is where the story splits and we get to see what happens with both choices. I wanted Fern / Flick to find some happiness and invested in her. (Although it was easier to invest in Fern than her London based version, who was harder to like, just like her mum!) There are also flashbacks to her earlier life and then further back to the start of her parents relationship. These provide the plot reveals. It would make an interesting book club choice with lots to discuss and analyse.

A good read. I enjoyed this book. Thank you to the writer, publisher, and NetGalley for allowing me to review this book.

Brilliant - a real nod to Sliding Doors, the 90's film. Really well executed, you cannot help but love the main character and feel for her. Alcoholic Dad or cold, loveless Mum, both are going to be pretty awful. She's a great main character though and the novel has a satisfying conclusion. Thank you so much to the publisher for the ARC.

Oh wow what a read, the story splits between two versions of a girl, Fern stays in America with her Dad, who is damaged by life and not being told the truth, then Flick who’s raised by her Mum, and is also damaged. They both make some questionable decisions, and there doesn’t seem to be a good outcome for either of them.
My heart hurt for their Dad and how his life spiralled.
The world seems to level out but then spins off in a different direction. Definitely worth a read.