Format: Paperback
Published: December 31st, 2020
Age: Adult
Genre: Contemporary
Goodreads
Rating: 5/5 Stars
I loved, loved, LOVED this book!
After her business fails and relationship ends, Nell moves back to the UK from California, rents a room from a stranger due to high price of rent, struggles to reconnect with her now-married-with-kids friends, lands a job writing obituaries and wonders if there’s anyone else starting over in their 40s who feels like a complete and utter failure. Through her work, she meets Cricket, a widow coping with life on her own. The pair bond, encourage each other, and Nell settles back into life in London.
If you’re considering picking this up because of Not Dead Yet, scrap any preconceptions from the show. There are no ghosts here, Nell is British (not American), and there are significant changes made for the show, but the book itself is definitely worth while if you’re looking for something that fits very nicely into Chick Lit. There’s plenty of comedy here, but there’s also some truly heartfelt, emotional moments, and some great underlying themes in Nell’s story.
Potter really does a great job of capturing that kind of “what am I even doing” feeling, and for all ages of “f**k up”, not just forty-something. Nell wants the career, and the house, and the partner, and the kids, but ultimately her life hasn’t panned out that way, and through the book she comes to terms with that. Her friendship with Cricket is beautiful, even while other factors come between Nell and her older friends. To most their kids, she is “Aunty Nell”, and it’s a role she really embraces. It’s cute when she offers to participate in a sports day as her friend has injured her ankle, it’s sweet when she bonds with her landlord’s dog and there are moments where you really wish you could step through the pages and give her a huge, tight hug.
I loved Cricket, too. She’s a strong woman dealing with the grief over losing the love of her life, and she handles it in the best way possible. As she ventures out into the world, she encourages Nell to do the same, and as they get closer through the book, we start to see how deeply Cricket’s grief runs, and the way she copes. She’s not the typical portrayal of a woman in her 80s; she’s vibrant, full of life, and keen to tackle the new ideas Nell presents her with.
Nell was relatable, entertaining, and I was really happy with the way Potter showed that feelings of being an any-age f**k up impact so many women, no matter what they post on social media. It’s got echoes of Bridget Jones’ Diary, while feeling very fitting for the 21st Century. So, here’s to Nell, and all others feeling like a f**k up for whatever reason, and a strong recommendation from me if you want something that can make you laugh and tear up in equal measure.
Reading Challenge
Barbie Reading Challenge
Prompt: Pink – Pink just looks so good on us – A book with a pink cover
Progress: 6/17 Completed
Unwrapping Words 