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A review by jomoone
Square One by Nell Frizzell
4.0
Funny, emotional and poignant is Square One by Nell Frizzell.
After her long-term relationship ends, Hanna finds herself forced to move back in with her Dad, Ian in Oxford (from London). She sleeps in his spare room, in his bachelor flat, navigating where she is, who she is and what she wants. It's deeply relatable, especially as someone who is approaching their 30s.
Hanna, in herself, grows as the book goes on. Her outlook, her attitude and how she feels about things changed and I found myself learning a lot along the way too. It's hard not to root for Hanna, and while at times I worried I was disconnecting with her, Nell did manage to scoop me back up. It's a very character-driven story, which I love, and this was no different. The ending is also so satisfying, showing how Hanna still has things to do but is in a much better place than she was at the beginning.
Julie was a standout character for me, mainly because I saw some similarities to my own Mum, my friends' Mum's and TV ones, that it made me chuckle whenever she said anything.
The book does a really good job at exploring all kinds of relationships, not just love-interest relationships, and I especially loved her and her Dad as I don't feel this is often explored.
It's a short, but enjoyable read, and one I'd recommend to anyone who feels they should have it all together but doesn't.
Thanks to Netgalley and Random House for the ARC, "Rock Tunnel, forever"
After her long-term relationship ends, Hanna finds herself forced to move back in with her Dad, Ian in Oxford (from London). She sleeps in his spare room, in his bachelor flat, navigating where she is, who she is and what she wants. It's deeply relatable, especially as someone who is approaching their 30s.
Hanna, in herself, grows as the book goes on. Her outlook, her attitude and how she feels about things changed and I found myself learning a lot along the way too. It's hard not to root for Hanna, and while at times I worried I was disconnecting with her, Nell did manage to scoop me back up. It's a very character-driven story, which I love, and this was no different. The ending is also so satisfying, showing how Hanna still has things to do but is in a much better place than she was at the beginning.
Julie was a standout character for me, mainly because I saw some similarities to my own Mum, my friends' Mum's and TV ones, that it made me chuckle whenever she said anything.
The book does a really good job at exploring all kinds of relationships, not just love-interest relationships, and I especially loved her and her Dad as I don't feel this is often explored.
It's a short, but enjoyable read, and one I'd recommend to anyone who feels they should have it all together but doesn't.
Thanks to Netgalley and Random House for the ARC, "Rock Tunnel, forever"