Ghosts

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Ghosts

Dolly Alderton

320 pages | Published by Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group

US Pub Date: August 3, 2021

At a crossroads with her friendship group, coming to terms with the mortality of her parents, and hoping to keep her career momentum going, Nina decides to give dating apps a try. Her first app-date is with Max, who instantly becomes a fixture in her life; Nina thinks things might be looking up in the romance department. But when Max suddenly stops communicating with her, Nina has to reevaluate her perspective on the world.

I'll be honest - a few chapters into this one I really thought It wasn't for me. I wasn't a fan of the tone or Nina's attitude, and if you feel the same while reading I urge you to keep reading. I think my issue was that I agreed with Nina on a lot of things and saw her as bitter - which would mean I probably had some bitterness as well. By the end, I came away thinking of this book as poignant and very funny.

Dolly Alderton wrote about the millennial social circle with scary accuracy. Especially when it came to the spectacle around wedding culture - I really felt her on that. The tiny details are what really sold me on the story - like scoffing at the thought of someone having a dark side because they have a mug with an overused cliche written on it. Those moments were so real and hilarious.

Some of the themes in this reminded me a lot of Olive by Emma Gannon, so if you liked that one I'd recommend picking this one up! This one had a much more sad and cynical vibe than I thought Olive did, but it did leave me feeling hopeful and comforted about growing up and being present and happy with your life while still dreaming of something more.

Thank you to NetGalley and Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group for the chance to read this book in exchange for an honest review!