Reviews

My Legendary Girlfriend by Mike Gayle

mya_kershaw_dann's review against another edition

funny hopeful lighthearted fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

taylorgilronan's review against another edition

funny medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

nmf16's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

Thoroughly enjoyed this! Will is such a tw*t but the way Mike writes him makes him instantly loveable in a roguish, stubborn, ego-centric Adrian Mole kind of way! 

Very funny, and incredibly profound… a literal rollercoaster of emotions. My Legendary Girlfriend.

yasmin15's review against another edition

emotional funny lighthearted slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.5

mehitabels's review against another edition

4.0

"This was exactly the kind of moment which Fate liked to introduce into my life, to let me know there was still plenty of room for things to get worse before they got better."

"perhaps, I mused, I'd become a portal between Earth and Planet Stupid."

"I wondered where my conscience had got to and decided it must have had an accident and drowned in one of the many pools of self-pity dotted around my internal landscape."

"Love should be fatal. You should never recover from it."

aaliyahsbookshelf's review

3.0

It wasn’t my favourite Mike Gayle book but it had moments I enjoyed for sure

vaishsviews's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

After having read Mike Gayle’s newer works, it was interesting to read his first ever book.

Will Kelly is an English teacher who is deeply unhappy with his life. He’s also an ex-boyfriend who is hung up on The One. Desperate to put that all behind him, he’s eager to find Another One but in his run-down flat, his only true lifeline is the telephone. He can be anyone and the power of one phone call to his friends can either lift him up or break him down. A mix of new (Kate) and old friends (Simon and Alice) and his former girlfriend (Aggi) are the key characters in Will’s story.

It’s incredible to think that this entire book takes place over a single weekend because so much happens. There are flashbacks to the past which help flesh out secondary characters but most of it takes place in the present.

It has to be said that towards the end of the book, Will was starting to get in my nerves. He was just moping around and feeling sorry for himself but doing little to change the situation.

This wasn’t my favourite but it was a good read. It’s clear that Mike Gayle has grown as an author and his work has gotten more heart-wrenching and emotional.

midwinteraz's review against another edition

3.0

I've mostly stopped reading chick lit books because I'm about 10 years out of their demographic range and the older I get, the more immature and whiny the protagonists seem. That said, this looked promising, so I gave it a go. While Will is every bit the whiny, melodramatic 20-something you'd expect, he also has enough heart and charm to win you over. Who hasn't spent too long agonizing over a lost love? Or rushed into a new love too quickly? I'm pleased the author took the time to wrap up everyone's storylines, so nothing was left hanging. The twists were fun and mostly unexpected. This was a fun book to spend a rainy weekend reading.

hippiejo's review against another edition

lighthearted relaxing medium-paced

3.0

kricketa's review against another edition

1.0

I found this in the teen room at the library. I'm thinking that it was an accidental purchase, since it's definitely geared to an adult audience, but when you read the blurb on the back it could really go either way. It's just when you get into the story-- ugh. If one of my male friends was behaving the way the main character was, I'd have encouraged him to seek psychiatric help rather than dating/marrying him. Will was not lovable. Will drove me nuts. Ick ick icky.