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Out of Context
Lina is trying to keep to the straight and narrow of the law, but when she lays eyes on Nick, she can’t help falling head over heels and stumbling over the line to the slightly criminally insane.
Arabella is sick of her boring old life, her job and her boyfriend. All she really wants is something that she can never have. And when she finally sets out to seek adventure, she gets rattled.
Sophie has it all: good looks, money, a fabulous career, and men. Too many men, in fact. Some have got to go. But not everyone is going to accept rejection lying down. But Sophie’s got a few surprises up her sleeve.
Roxy owns a successful business which is in no way facing devastating lawsuits, until the day she is expecting life-altering events that can go either way. Is total meltdown going to end her, or will events out of her control save her?
Four women - four stories - one day.
Arabella is sick of her boring old life, her job and her boyfriend. All she really wants is something that she can never have. And when she finally sets out to seek adventure, she gets rattled.
Sophie has it all: good looks, money, a fabulous career, and men. Too many men, in fact. Some have got to go. But not everyone is going to accept rejection lying down. But Sophie’s got a few surprises up her sleeve.
Roxy owns a successful business which is in no way facing devastating lawsuits, until the day she is expecting life-altering events that can go either way. Is total meltdown going to end her, or will events out of her control save her?
Four women - four stories - one day.
62 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 2, 2012
1 person is currently reading
24 people want to read
About the author
Neel Kay
6 books31 followersDanish (not the pastry) author writing in English.
Mother of two, wife (of one), reader of many. Luurve coffee, sea views, rock music and scarves.
Mother of two, wife (of one), reader of many. Luurve coffee, sea views, rock music and scarves.
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
November 7, 2012
Neel Kay's 'Out of Context' is a novella comprising four contemporary stories that occur over the course of a day.
It's a difficult book to rate because my experience of reading chick lit is limited and I'm aware that the things I'd like to see more of (characterisation, description, settings) aren't as relevant to that genre. (If we had half stars it would be 3.5!) It's a very easy read; I finished it in one sitting and, though it touches on some serious themes, it is pretty light. (Imagine a lightweight version of The Hours). Infertility, sexual assault, infidelity....many of the demons of contemporary society are alluded to and resolved in a feel-good way.
On the other hand, though the language is functional (in many ways, the novella would have worked just as well as a screenplay or tv series); it flows very well and the dialogue rings true. And assuming that plot is key, the story works and I was engaged enough to try to second guess the relationships between the characters. The pace and structure are good, and the individual stories are interlinked by some unexpected twists which - mostly - convince if you suspend disbelief a little. (At its best, it had a touch of Armistead Maupin's 'Tales of the City' or the film This Year's Love).
I'd have liked each section to have been a bit longer just to establish the women's characters and voices more (I didn't come away able to visualise any of them apart from the one with 'big tits'!). The last story was the weakest in terms of characterisation as the character was much too subordinate to the plot.
The title is clever once you've started reading the book but I'm not sure it would attract a casual reader which would be a shame because there's also lots of humour here - the first story, Lina's, was my favourite - with some likeable protagonists and some touching flaws. It's a generous kind humour; you get the feeling Kay forgives her female characters for their paranoias, their bad behaviour, their well-intentioned acts. If you like chick lit, you will probably love this book and should put Neel Kay on your 'one to watch' list.
It's a difficult book to rate because my experience of reading chick lit is limited and I'm aware that the things I'd like to see more of (characterisation, description, settings) aren't as relevant to that genre. (If we had half stars it would be 3.5!) It's a very easy read; I finished it in one sitting and, though it touches on some serious themes, it is pretty light. (Imagine a lightweight version of The Hours). Infertility, sexual assault, infidelity....many of the demons of contemporary society are alluded to and resolved in a feel-good way.
On the other hand, though the language is functional (in many ways, the novella would have worked just as well as a screenplay or tv series); it flows very well and the dialogue rings true. And assuming that plot is key, the story works and I was engaged enough to try to second guess the relationships between the characters. The pace and structure are good, and the individual stories are interlinked by some unexpected twists which - mostly - convince if you suspend disbelief a little. (At its best, it had a touch of Armistead Maupin's 'Tales of the City' or the film This Year's Love).
I'd have liked each section to have been a bit longer just to establish the women's characters and voices more (I didn't come away able to visualise any of them apart from the one with 'big tits'!). The last story was the weakest in terms of characterisation as the character was much too subordinate to the plot.
The title is clever once you've started reading the book but I'm not sure it would attract a casual reader which would be a shame because there's also lots of humour here - the first story, Lina's, was my favourite - with some likeable protagonists and some touching flaws. It's a generous kind humour; you get the feeling Kay forgives her female characters for their paranoias, their bad behaviour, their well-intentioned acts. If you like chick lit, you will probably love this book and should put Neel Kay on your 'one to watch' list.
December 9, 2012
The title of Kay's novella would not make me reach for it, and does no more than describe the fact that these stories -- taken individually -- wouldn't give you the whole picture. I urge you to pick up this delightful book anyway! The characters have their own tales to play out before your eyes, and they are each linked in some twisted way that leads you to the end, quickly. The stories are good examples of light, humorous chick-lit.
In the first story we meet Lina who is stalking Nick. She works for Roxy as a receptionist, but lives a rich fantasy life involving Nick, which leads her into some pretty risky business. Next comes Arabella, described as dependable and conscientious (the opposite of Lina) and she is dreaming of adventure also. Daydreaming as usual when she decided to break out of her rut and become adventurous. First by choosing a different flavor of ice cream, then by turning left instead of right on the way home. The next thing you know, she has bought a completely frivolous dress, which leads to ... I won't spoil the tale. The dress is a great catalyst.
The third story belongs to Sophie who we heard about in an earlier story as the woman who broke up one of the other couples. Now she's breaking up with that guy, and has broken up with another one of the men we've been introduced to. This novella is as interwoven as a handmade scarf! We learn she has a secret she is about to reveal to yet another man. Who can it be? For the fourth and last piece of this puzzle, we come back to Roxy, Lina's boss. When she opens her tattoo shop, she's had a sleepless night, is nauseous because of the confrontation she has planned for the day. She makes a bad decision involving one of her customers that brings us back around to tale number one, and by the time we get to the end of the book, all the loose ends are tied up.
I found this novella to be well-written, entertaining, and tightly plotted. It could use a bit more sensory detail, a little more description of the characters to help us picture them, although I didn't think they all looked the same because their traits are different enough to sort them out. A good read, indeed!
In the first story we meet Lina who is stalking Nick. She works for Roxy as a receptionist, but lives a rich fantasy life involving Nick, which leads her into some pretty risky business. Next comes Arabella, described as dependable and conscientious (the opposite of Lina) and she is dreaming of adventure also. Daydreaming as usual when she decided to break out of her rut and become adventurous. First by choosing a different flavor of ice cream, then by turning left instead of right on the way home. The next thing you know, she has bought a completely frivolous dress, which leads to ... I won't spoil the tale. The dress is a great catalyst.
The third story belongs to Sophie who we heard about in an earlier story as the woman who broke up one of the other couples. Now she's breaking up with that guy, and has broken up with another one of the men we've been introduced to. This novella is as interwoven as a handmade scarf! We learn she has a secret she is about to reveal to yet another man. Who can it be? For the fourth and last piece of this puzzle, we come back to Roxy, Lina's boss. When she opens her tattoo shop, she's had a sleepless night, is nauseous because of the confrontation she has planned for the day. She makes a bad decision involving one of her customers that brings us back around to tale number one, and by the time we get to the end of the book, all the loose ends are tied up.
I found this novella to be well-written, entertaining, and tightly plotted. It could use a bit more sensory detail, a little more description of the characters to help us picture them, although I didn't think they all looked the same because their traits are different enough to sort them out. A good read, indeed!
November 11, 2012
When I started reading this novella, my first impressions were not positive. I didn’t think I was going to enjoy it at all, but I did. The first story of the four starts off with a description of Lina in an alleyway that seemed farcical rather than funny. To be honest, I’d have stopped reading after the first few pages if I hadn’t agreed to review it, which would have been a great shame. Neel Kay writes well: the pace and structure are good, and I had the very strong impression that she likes her characters, for all their flaws. Arabella’s was my favourite story: haven’t most of us just longed to break free like that at some time? And the way the four stories twisted and turned into a cohesive whole was enjoyable.
It is humorous, in a light-hearted silly way, and lovers of the genre will probably appreciate it even more than I did. I would really like to read a full length novel by this author. I think her gentle, empathetic touch could make a development of her characters very interesting. There wasn’t time to do that in this novella, but I have high hopes for the future. There was just one irritation, apart from the poor start, that I felt needs addressing, and that’s the rash of extra commas.
It is humorous, in a light-hearted silly way, and lovers of the genre will probably appreciate it even more than I did. I would really like to read a full length novel by this author. I think her gentle, empathetic touch could make a development of her characters very interesting. There wasn’t time to do that in this novella, but I have high hopes for the future. There was just one irritation, apart from the poor start, that I felt needs addressing, and that’s the rash of extra commas.
December 8, 2012
I received a free copy of this book in return for an honest review. When I first got it, I thought I'd have a quick skim through to see what it was like. Well, a few hours later I'd finished the entire book. It's real page turner (or the electronic equivalent).
The story is told from the points of view of four characters who interact with each other over the course of a very unusual day and really keeps you wondering what is going on between them until the very end.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book - well written with some great characters and an ending I'd have never guessed.
The story is told from the points of view of four characters who interact with each other over the course of a very unusual day and really keeps you wondering what is going on between them until the very end.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book - well written with some great characters and an ending I'd have never guessed.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews