frankenkath's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
4.0
riagibbison's review against another edition
5.0
4.5 Stars but I’m feeling generous so I’m rounding up!
I really loved this. I absolutely flew through this and found it so funny, and truthful and heartbreaking!
I’d already read Dolly Alderton’s Ghosts and I really loved that too, so I went into this knowing I would enjoy it but hoping her debut could live up to her second book.
Dolly has certainly lived a life, and though somethings were completely unrelatable to me (her privileged upbringing, the circles she moved, in how much she partied in her 20s and the Londoncentricness of it all) she’s such a good story teller most of the time it didn’t matter.
Her insights into what’s it’s like when your life revolves around hen dos, weddings and baby-showers are so accurate. As someone who shortly turns 29, I really enjoyed her accounts of her own and her friends 30ths as that’s just around the corner.
I also thought her chapters on therapy were incredible - you can tell she’s done some real work on herself and it’s really inspiring to see.
The only thing I wanted more of was perhaps Dolly’s parents and how they shaped her upbringing.
There were also times when the privilege did get a little too much and eye rolling happened. When Dolly is in New York and she hasn’t been paid yet, she seems to thrust herself into needless poverty and further depression - girl did you not have a credit card?! Also living such a carefree constant party life in London is not sustainable for 90% of people without a significant safety net or plunging yourself into severe debt.
Finally I loved that the book ended on how significant her relationships with women had been to a life rather than men, her friendship with Farly reminded me so much of me and my best friend and it was lovely to read.
If Dolly writes another book, I’ll definitely be excited to read it!
I really loved this. I absolutely flew through this and found it so funny, and truthful and heartbreaking!
I’d already read Dolly Alderton’s Ghosts and I really loved that too, so I went into this knowing I would enjoy it but hoping her debut could live up to her second book.
Dolly has certainly lived a life, and though somethings were completely unrelatable to me (her privileged upbringing, the circles she moved, in how much she partied in her 20s and the Londoncentricness of it all) she’s such a good story teller most of the time it didn’t matter.
Her insights into what’s it’s like when your life revolves around hen dos, weddings and baby-showers are so accurate. As someone who shortly turns 29, I really enjoyed her accounts of her own and her friends 30ths as that’s just around the corner.
I also thought her chapters on therapy were incredible - you can tell she’s done some real work on herself and it’s really inspiring to see.
The only thing I wanted more of was perhaps Dolly’s parents and how they shaped her upbringing.
There were also times when the privilege did get a little too much and eye rolling happened. When Dolly is in New York and she hasn’t been paid yet, she seems to thrust herself into needless poverty and further depression - girl did you not have a credit card?! Also living such a carefree constant party life in London is not sustainable for 90% of people without a significant safety net or plunging yourself into severe debt.
Finally I loved that the book ended on how significant her relationships with women had been to a life rather than men, her friendship with Farly reminded me so much of me and my best friend and it was lovely to read.
If Dolly writes another book, I’ll definitely be excited to read it!
vdsmerel's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
4.75
🫶It takes a village to mend a broken heart.
🫶God is in the ocean.
🫶I know what it is to feel like you’ve always got a lighthouse -lighthouses- to guide you back to dry land; to feel the warmth of its beam as it squeezes your hand.
🫶you think youth is wasted on the young
🫶God is in the ocean.
🫶I know what it is to feel like you’ve always got a lighthouse -lighthouses- to guide you back to dry land; to feel the warmth of its beam as it squeezes your hand.
🫶you think youth is wasted on the young
rhonadarling's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
sad
medium-paced
5.0
burymewithmybooks's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
fast-paced
5.0
this book is probably the best thing that has ever happened to me. i cannot tell you how much i learned from it.
i did not only find dolly to be unimaginably relatable in several ways (a thing that was very likely to happen, seeing as though both dolly and i are virgos lol) but also so very inspiring and someone i will inevitably find myself thinking of when being approached at a bar or when seeing a funny street sign. she's the kind of friend i so desperately wish i had. this book made me laugh, it made me cry, to be honest it made me feel all sorts of things.
from nights spent drinking, chain smoking and making bad decisions to finally accepting herself for exactly who she is and shining light on all of her imperfections, dolly stays so painfully honest through it all, explains so profoundly what it is to be human and clarifies that it's impossible living a life without making mistakes.
this book is honestly so full with lectures and talk on love and life and as a 17 year old i found it so incredibly helpful in so many ways. i will seriously never forget this book. dolly's words and beliefs will forever be engraved in my mind and soul. <3
i did not only find dolly to be unimaginably relatable in several ways (a thing that was very likely to happen, seeing as though both dolly and i are virgos lol) but also so very inspiring and someone i will inevitably find myself thinking of when being approached at a bar or when seeing a funny street sign. she's the kind of friend i so desperately wish i had. this book made me laugh, it made me cry, to be honest it made me feel all sorts of things.
from nights spent drinking, chain smoking and making bad decisions to finally accepting herself for exactly who she is and shining light on all of her imperfections, dolly stays so painfully honest through it all, explains so profoundly what it is to be human and clarifies that it's impossible living a life without making mistakes.
this book is honestly so full with lectures and talk on love and life and as a 17 year old i found it so incredibly helpful in so many ways. i will seriously never forget this book. dolly's words and beliefs will forever be engraved in my mind and soul. <3
ivangarcia's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
5.0
Beautifully written and dynamically real.