A review by vaishsviews
My Legendary Girlfriend by Mike Gayle

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.