My reviews are personal views; this won’t be academic or judgmental, I’m not going to rubbish another person’s work or vision, I’m just going to talk about how I felt about it, and anything I found interesting or enlightening.
The bottom line
This was a fun, eye-opening book. I loved the delivery and the irreverent charm; it’s an easy read, or in my case, listen as I got it on Audible, read by the wonderful Keira Lucchesi. This is a real fun read, entertaining, cringeworthy at times, with some visuals you’ll never forget. Sophia Gravia‘s personal, inner voice writing style is lovely and completely relatable, and I’m a 59-year-old man writing this. I found myself empathising with Zara (the book’s voice and main character) and at times internally warning her about things she was thinking and about to do.
Other thoughts
This is my first book review. I saw Sophie Gravia on the BBC website and was curious as I’ve always been an ‘aspiring’ writer, and here’s a person who’s gone ahead and done it. You can tell from my summary I loved the book, it’s my first read in a while and a lovely way back in.
It’s a real insight into modern dating for me, and it sounds so intense and competitive. I do feel for young women out there who constantly feel the need to analyse themselves and their lives, adjusting to what they think they should be, but what do I know, though I’m happy to be educated. The scene is alien to me, I was never a club goer and had no idea how to talk to beautiful women in clubs, god forbid if one had approached me. I seek a connection first, slow-burn and then build on that, yes, I’m that boring, definitely not one-night stand material. The swipe dating, meet-up and drinking isn’t something I’ve ever done, I think my anxiety would be too high to be able to relax and be good company.
I was envious of many of the men in the book; they all sounded much fitter, nicer, better educated than me, but we are talking about university, doctors and a lively city scene, none of which I had much experience of growing up.
I expect a lot of this is biographical; all writers draw on that. Some will be direct experience, others will be third-party, stories of friends etc. Sophia is a beautiful woman, and it’s hard to believe she’d suffer the kind of dating anxiety and male bullshit her main character does, but the mind can be your enemy, unwelcome thoughts, insecurities and feelings introduced by bad experiences or ill placed remarks can just sit there, in your head, like an unwanted visiter, ready to make you doubt everything, I know that’s happened to me plenty.
Read after reading the book
I don’t do spoilers, however, some of this might take the edge off so why not read it after you have read the book and see if you agree!
