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True Love
KEELY feels alone in the world — grief consumes her, she wants to escape it, to take both her father's and her own pain away. She knows that solace lies in the act of loving and being loved but, struggling in ever-deepening waters, she doesn't know how to find it.FINN has been devastated too. As a young boy, growing up with his grandparents, he feels his fate has already been sealed by the neglect of those meant to care for him most. With no real friends to turn to, he cannot find the vocabulary to deal with the loneliness and heartache that haunt him. As we watch them each grow, connection seems to be the answer – to be seen and heard and received as who they are. Maybe it's this that could release them from their private pains. Is it that simple?
310 pages, Kindle Edition
Published July 4, 2024
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January 8, 2025
3.5★
“They just walk, up into the dunes where they can see the sea stretch out, and both of them pause to look at it, just as every seacoaler does before heading down to work. Calm, says her da.”
PART ONE: SEACOALER
Not only have I never heard of a seacoaler, it never occurred to me that there would be so much spilled coal and chips washing up on a northern English beach that people could make a meagre living out of shovelling it into bags and selling it.
The first third of this book is about Keely and her father, a seacoaler, and the tragic circumstances in which they live in a small community of workers in caravans above the beach. The people are all struggling but do what they can to help. This is told from her viewpoint.
“Befallen. She’d heard Miss Collins use that word, and in that moment she’d known that she would always remember it. A tragedy had befallen them. It made the whole thing sound unreal, as if it had happened years and years before, in a time when she wasn’t alive, in a time that had had nothing to do with her.”
Perhaps other people don't comprehend how badly she has been affected, but Keely knows. She tries her best to keep her da from sinking into despair while trying to keep her own spirits up.
She tells Miss Collins, the teacher, that she won’t go back to school. Instead, she will work with her father and the others with the coal. One day, she sees Miss Collins leave a bag of books for her, and Keely discovers what reading can do for the soul.
“For the first time . . . she abandoned the contents of her own mind and entered someone else’s. Page after page went by, and she was surprised by how much she could understand, by how much these different lives she was reading about – lives lived long ago, in circumstances utterly divorced from her own – could so precisely skewer her own feelings, were capable of offering truths that thrust greenly up through the scorched landscape of her own mind, and were hers to keep and wield as she pleased.”
MIss Collins continues to leave books, and Keely grows up, reaching adulthood before we move on.
“PART TWO: SPURDOG”
The second third of the book is given over to Finn, a lonely young lad, whose story is told from his viewpoint.
“He’s never lived anywhere else. He has no memory of either of his parents and knows almost nothing about them. He’s been told that they’re still alive, but that’s about the measure of it. Both went their separate ways when he was too small to remember them, but neither, apparently, had deemed him worthy of bringing with them.
He lives with his mam’s parents, his nan and grandad. They’ve made it clear that they don’t like to talk about their daughter.”
He speaks as little as possible, becoming almost mute, and avoids school bullies as best he can. He finds solace at the river, collecting bits and pieces that he keeps in a box under his bed – things he can handle that soothe him when he’s anxious.
Sometimes, when he thinks about his mother having lived in the same house, it makes him glad, but sometimes it disturbs him.
“He wonders why feelings must always be like this: never one, definite entity, but forever branching and splintering into rivalrous factions, all of them forced to bunk with one another in the cluttered dark of his mind.”
Finn also reaches adulthood as part of a band (unlikely as that sounds), before we move on to their shared third of the novel.
”PART THREE: SNOW”
The last third of the book (the part that I imagine people compare to Sally Rooney novels) is about their destined meeting, and whether or how they can rely on each other for support and comfort and a future together, or whether they will burn out and implode.
“Both, in their own way, consider themselves to have undergone a radical change. Adulthood – previously a distant and unwelcome prospect – has arrived to claim them; but rather than feel the grief they’ve so often heard accompanies the abandoning of youth, they feel euphoric, liberated, gifted a sense of command over their own lives that it seems suddenly absurd they were ever without. It’s an addictive rush, this new-found control, and both of them feel high on it,…”
I’ve quoted a lot so you can see a good chunk of the writing. I particularly liked Crewe’s first book, My Name Is Yip, which was unusual in so many ways. With this book, in spite of the writing, I became one of those terrible readers who keeps criticising the pace and the progression of the story/stories. If I'm loving a book, those things don't even cross my mind.
I admire Crewe’s facility with words, his expressions and phrases and his insight into these people. He knows what makes them tick and how they hurt. I understood them, but I didn't particularly care what happened to them.
If you are a fan of Sally Rooney, you may well love this one, I think.
NQW: No quotes warning, a courtesy for those who won’t read without that punctuation.
Thanks to #NetGalley and Penguin/Transworld for a copy of #TrueLove for review.
P.S. My review of the author's very different book My Name is Yip
“They just walk, up into the dunes where they can see the sea stretch out, and both of them pause to look at it, just as every seacoaler does before heading down to work. Calm, says her da.”
PART ONE: SEACOALER
Not only have I never heard of a seacoaler, it never occurred to me that there would be so much spilled coal and chips washing up on a northern English beach that people could make a meagre living out of shovelling it into bags and selling it.
The first third of this book is about Keely and her father, a seacoaler, and the tragic circumstances in which they live in a small community of workers in caravans above the beach. The people are all struggling but do what they can to help. This is told from her viewpoint.
“Befallen. She’d heard Miss Collins use that word, and in that moment she’d known that she would always remember it. A tragedy had befallen them. It made the whole thing sound unreal, as if it had happened years and years before, in a time when she wasn’t alive, in a time that had had nothing to do with her.”
Perhaps other people don't comprehend how badly she has been affected, but Keely knows. She tries her best to keep her da from sinking into despair while trying to keep her own spirits up.
She tells Miss Collins, the teacher, that she won’t go back to school. Instead, she will work with her father and the others with the coal. One day, she sees Miss Collins leave a bag of books for her, and Keely discovers what reading can do for the soul.
“For the first time . . . she abandoned the contents of her own mind and entered someone else’s. Page after page went by, and she was surprised by how much she could understand, by how much these different lives she was reading about – lives lived long ago, in circumstances utterly divorced from her own – could so precisely skewer her own feelings, were capable of offering truths that thrust greenly up through the scorched landscape of her own mind, and were hers to keep and wield as she pleased.”
MIss Collins continues to leave books, and Keely grows up, reaching adulthood before we move on.
“PART TWO: SPURDOG”
The second third of the book is given over to Finn, a lonely young lad, whose story is told from his viewpoint.
“He’s never lived anywhere else. He has no memory of either of his parents and knows almost nothing about them. He’s been told that they’re still alive, but that’s about the measure of it. Both went their separate ways when he was too small to remember them, but neither, apparently, had deemed him worthy of bringing with them.
He lives with his mam’s parents, his nan and grandad. They’ve made it clear that they don’t like to talk about their daughter.”
He speaks as little as possible, becoming almost mute, and avoids school bullies as best he can. He finds solace at the river, collecting bits and pieces that he keeps in a box under his bed – things he can handle that soothe him when he’s anxious.
Sometimes, when he thinks about his mother having lived in the same house, it makes him glad, but sometimes it disturbs him.
“He wonders why feelings must always be like this: never one, definite entity, but forever branching and splintering into rivalrous factions, all of them forced to bunk with one another in the cluttered dark of his mind.”
Finn also reaches adulthood as part of a band (unlikely as that sounds), before we move on to their shared third of the novel.
”PART THREE: SNOW”
The last third of the book (the part that I imagine people compare to Sally Rooney novels) is about their destined meeting, and whether or how they can rely on each other for support and comfort and a future together, or whether they will burn out and implode.
“Both, in their own way, consider themselves to have undergone a radical change. Adulthood – previously a distant and unwelcome prospect – has arrived to claim them; but rather than feel the grief they’ve so often heard accompanies the abandoning of youth, they feel euphoric, liberated, gifted a sense of command over their own lives that it seems suddenly absurd they were ever without. It’s an addictive rush, this new-found control, and both of them feel high on it,…”
I’ve quoted a lot so you can see a good chunk of the writing. I particularly liked Crewe’s first book, My Name Is Yip, which was unusual in so many ways. With this book, in spite of the writing, I became one of those terrible readers who keeps criticising the pace and the progression of the story/stories. If I'm loving a book, those things don't even cross my mind.
I admire Crewe’s facility with words, his expressions and phrases and his insight into these people. He knows what makes them tick and how they hurt. I understood them, but I didn't particularly care what happened to them.
If you are a fan of Sally Rooney, you may well love this one, I think.
NQW: No quotes warning, a courtesy for those who won’t read without that punctuation.
Thanks to #NetGalley and Penguin/Transworld for a copy of #TrueLove for review.
P.S. My review of the author's very different book My Name is Yip
March 26, 2024
4-5 stars
We first meet Keeley, also known as Keg, when she’s twelve, she’s blonde and skinny, her ma is dead, there’s just her and da and her much younger brother, Welty (William) who is small and somewhat feral. They live in a camp by the sea in Ireland, where her da is a sea coaler and they’re joined by many who used to work in the mines. Coal is all they know, the women are the backbone of the group.
We first meet Finn at a similar age to Kelley, he grows up with his maternal grandparents, his ma never spoken of. He’s shy, extremely quiet, has few friends but plenty of issues, he’s lonely but it’s hard for him to articulate it. They grow, with no knowledge of each other, two lost souls in pain, full of heartache and desperately seeking solace. Will they find it in each other?
This character driven novel is sad and profoundly moving in places and is beautifully written. There’s no dialogue as such but there are internal monologues through which you grow in understanding of this complex pair. They do make things hard for themselves, they’re outsiders in so many ways and their experiences have made closeness hard. Keeley has suffered blow after blow which affects her adversely and deeply. Both have encountered loss and therefore the tone is a melancholy one. You pray for the leaden skies to lift and hope for the warmth of sunshine which they both richly deserve. The storyline follows them through their highs and lows and I find myself becoming increasingly deeply immersed in their lives. It builds well, the ending is good and you dare to be optimistic.
Overall, a stunning, emotional and touching read and though it’s not the most joyful of reads, it’s a very rewarding reading experience. It’s obvious that Paddy Crewe is an extremely talented writer who has mastered the art of the understated.
With thanks to NetGalley and especially to Random House UK, Transworld for the much appreciated arc in return for an honest review.
We first meet Keeley, also known as Keg, when she’s twelve, she’s blonde and skinny, her ma is dead, there’s just her and da and her much younger brother, Welty (William) who is small and somewhat feral. They live in a camp by the sea in Ireland, where her da is a sea coaler and they’re joined by many who used to work in the mines. Coal is all they know, the women are the backbone of the group.
We first meet Finn at a similar age to Kelley, he grows up with his maternal grandparents, his ma never spoken of. He’s shy, extremely quiet, has few friends but plenty of issues, he’s lonely but it’s hard for him to articulate it. They grow, with no knowledge of each other, two lost souls in pain, full of heartache and desperately seeking solace. Will they find it in each other?
This character driven novel is sad and profoundly moving in places and is beautifully written. There’s no dialogue as such but there are internal monologues through which you grow in understanding of this complex pair. They do make things hard for themselves, they’re outsiders in so many ways and their experiences have made closeness hard. Keeley has suffered blow after blow which affects her adversely and deeply. Both have encountered loss and therefore the tone is a melancholy one. You pray for the leaden skies to lift and hope for the warmth of sunshine which they both richly deserve. The storyline follows them through their highs and lows and I find myself becoming increasingly deeply immersed in their lives. It builds well, the ending is good and you dare to be optimistic.
Overall, a stunning, emotional and touching read and though it’s not the most joyful of reads, it’s a very rewarding reading experience. It’s obvious that Paddy Crewe is an extremely talented writer who has mastered the art of the understated.
With thanks to NetGalley and especially to Random House UK, Transworld for the much appreciated arc in return for an honest review.
June 26, 2024
I read a book a little while ago that had the same type of storyline as this - boy and girl both let down by parents and generally battered by life meet and fall for each other. This book, however, is everything that one was not.
The writing is beautiful. The descriptions of both Keely and Finn's lives are heartbreaking but uplifting. Two people who have no earthly reason to trust their feelings with another human being fall deeply in love.
This book is not without heartache and when it comes it is visceral. I felt every moment with them. Paddy Crewe has managed to take something so delicate and turn it into something powerful.
I loved this book. I loved reading it. I didn't want to rush a moment of it and advise taking your time reading it. It is worth savouring.
Highly recommended.
Thankyou very much to Netgalley and Random House for the advance review copy. Most appreciated.
The writing is beautiful. The descriptions of both Keely and Finn's lives are heartbreaking but uplifting. Two people who have no earthly reason to trust their feelings with another human being fall deeply in love.
This book is not without heartache and when it comes it is visceral. I felt every moment with them. Paddy Crewe has managed to take something so delicate and turn it into something powerful.
I loved this book. I loved reading it. I didn't want to rush a moment of it and advise taking your time reading it. It is worth savouring.
Highly recommended.
Thankyou very much to Netgalley and Random House for the advance review copy. Most appreciated.
August 3, 2024
3.5 ⭐
In the minority with my rating for Paddy Crewe's True Love, a coming of age story about the power of love.
Slow paced.
Character driven novel which centres around Keely and Finn.
Didn't totally dislike this, however I wasn't racing to pick it back up.
Reminiscent of Sally Rooney's work which admittedly I'm not a fan of.
Has great ratings on goodreads so I would urge you to give this a go 💕
In the minority with my rating for Paddy Crewe's True Love, a coming of age story about the power of love.
Slow paced.
Character driven novel which centres around Keely and Finn.
Didn't totally dislike this, however I wasn't racing to pick it back up.
Reminiscent of Sally Rooney's work which admittedly I'm not a fan of.
Has great ratings on goodreads so I would urge you to give this a go 💕
July 6, 2024
beautifully haunting and emotional
Read
August 8, 2024My chest hurts
August 29, 2024
Tender, heartbreaking, sincere — a really great literary love story for fans of Douglas Stuart’s “Shuggie Bain” and Louise Kennedy’s “Tresspasses”, following two very flawed, very lonely, very sensitive young people in working class northern England, and the intense connection they form as young adults.
I completely fell in love with Keely and Finn. They each have their own section (“Sea Coaler” and “Spurdog”) following their difficult childhoods, each of which could almost be read as separate (excellent) novellas. They finally come together in the third section (“Snow”), which follows their relationship over a number of years, through their meeting and whirlwind romance, to pregnancy and childbirth, infidelity, separation, and perhaps by the end, an opportunity to come back together.
I have to admit that I thought the two first sections were a lot stronger than the final third. Crewe really takes his time building the interior of his characters and their social circumstances, both of which are heatbreaking. In the first chapter, Keely (only a child herself) loses her younger brother, Welty, when he drowns in the sea close to the trailer camp they live in with their father. Following this loss, and the loss of their mother a few years previously, Keely’s da retreats into himself, away from Keely, and she must increasingly fend for herself; until, ultimately, he abandons her completely. To deal with her grief and abandonment, Keely starts drinking, and soon comes to rely on this oblivion. This section was the hardest to read, but also my favourite; Keely is so sympathetically rendered, the descriptions of her native sea coal mining community are both beautiful and nostalgic, and I kept hoping to see her succeed when all her circumstances were pointing towards failure. (This part reminded me a lot of Agnes’ journey through alcoholism in “Shuggie Bain”.)
The second section, “Spurdog”, which follows the young Finn, is named after a childhood nickname he received after a fateful fishing trip with his bullying classmates (a Spurdog is a small shark with wide-set eyes, for those who don’t know — I didn’t!). Finn’s loneliness, isolation, fear of speaking to others, and sense of his own strangeness is absolutely heartbreaking to read, and I don’t think I’ve ever encountered a male character with so much sensitivity and self-reflection, illuminating the way he perceives his reality, and why he is so crippling shy. As he grows older, he manages to break free of his isolation by joining a band with the charismatic and domineering Evan, who insists they name themselves after his childhood nickname; one of the many cases in which Evan bullies him into doing things his way.
The final section, “Snow”, when they come together, initially offers some much-needed relief: their connection is palpable, redemptive, pure, and such a positive force in their lives. But they’re also young, and naive, and struggling under the weight of their circumstances, and eventually their hardships creep back in. A lot happens in this section, as it takes place over a number of years, covering their initial coupling, Keely falling pregnant, Finn being unfaithful to her, the birth of their daughter, their separation, and Finn’s journey back to them. As a result, it doesn’t have the same intense focus and inferiority that I enjoyed so much in the first two sections, and parts of the (really quite meaty) plot were skimmed over.
I did, however, really enjoy the ending, where I felt that Crewe returned to his forensic focus and really breathless pacing. No spoilers here, but if you feel like me that the book is dragging, definitely persevere to the end — it’s worth it.
Overall, a really beautiful book with some flaws, but ones I was more than willing to overlook due to the strength and beauty of the writing.
I completely fell in love with Keely and Finn. They each have their own section (“Sea Coaler” and “Spurdog”) following their difficult childhoods, each of which could almost be read as separate (excellent) novellas. They finally come together in the third section (“Snow”), which follows their relationship over a number of years, through their meeting and whirlwind romance, to pregnancy and childbirth, infidelity, separation, and perhaps by the end, an opportunity to come back together.
I have to admit that I thought the two first sections were a lot stronger than the final third. Crewe really takes his time building the interior of his characters and their social circumstances, both of which are heatbreaking. In the first chapter, Keely (only a child herself) loses her younger brother, Welty, when he drowns in the sea close to the trailer camp they live in with their father. Following this loss, and the loss of their mother a few years previously, Keely’s da retreats into himself, away from Keely, and she must increasingly fend for herself; until, ultimately, he abandons her completely. To deal with her grief and abandonment, Keely starts drinking, and soon comes to rely on this oblivion. This section was the hardest to read, but also my favourite; Keely is so sympathetically rendered, the descriptions of her native sea coal mining community are both beautiful and nostalgic, and I kept hoping to see her succeed when all her circumstances were pointing towards failure. (This part reminded me a lot of Agnes’ journey through alcoholism in “Shuggie Bain”.)
The second section, “Spurdog”, which follows the young Finn, is named after a childhood nickname he received after a fateful fishing trip with his bullying classmates (a Spurdog is a small shark with wide-set eyes, for those who don’t know — I didn’t!). Finn’s loneliness, isolation, fear of speaking to others, and sense of his own strangeness is absolutely heartbreaking to read, and I don’t think I’ve ever encountered a male character with so much sensitivity and self-reflection, illuminating the way he perceives his reality, and why he is so crippling shy. As he grows older, he manages to break free of his isolation by joining a band with the charismatic and domineering Evan, who insists they name themselves after his childhood nickname; one of the many cases in which Evan bullies him into doing things his way.
The final section, “Snow”, when they come together, initially offers some much-needed relief: their connection is palpable, redemptive, pure, and such a positive force in their lives. But they’re also young, and naive, and struggling under the weight of their circumstances, and eventually their hardships creep back in. A lot happens in this section, as it takes place over a number of years, covering their initial coupling, Keely falling pregnant, Finn being unfaithful to her, the birth of their daughter, their separation, and Finn’s journey back to them. As a result, it doesn’t have the same intense focus and inferiority that I enjoyed so much in the first two sections, and parts of the (really quite meaty) plot were skimmed over.
I did, however, really enjoy the ending, where I felt that Crewe returned to his forensic focus and really breathless pacing. No spoilers here, but if you feel like me that the book is dragging, definitely persevere to the end — it’s worth it.
Overall, a really beautiful book with some flaws, but ones I was more than willing to overlook due to the strength and beauty of the writing.
October 2, 2024
What does it mean to love and be loved? This experience of connection and vulnerability is complex indeed; of course, there are many types of love. In this searingly raw read, Paddy Crewe explores love with compelling and affectingly profound empathy.
Somewhere in the North East of England, near the sea, our main protagonists, Keely and Finn, are living troubled lives.
When we first meet her, Keely is twelve, living with her caring but grief-stricken father and her little brother, William. It’s a hard life, eking out a meagre living picking sea coal, and the caravan where they live is functional but only just. After tragedy strikes, she desperately searches for a means of escape, for some small comfort in the harsh world, one that doesn’t seem to care very much about her.
Finn is an introspective child brought up by his grandparents. He is always on the outside looking in, barely speaking, unable to find the words to articulate how he feels about the world. He’s an easy target for bullies and made fun of by those who see him as a misfit.
When Keely and Finn meet, their connection is instant and young love blooms. They only want to find a safe haven, a place where they can be their true selves, but is this enough to save them?
I read True Love way back in June, and these wonderfully constructed, vibrant, complex characters still live rent-free in my head, which is a sure sign of a great book.
Get the tissues ready, as this heart-on-sleeve storytelling is bound to have you sobbing. 4.5⭐
Many thanks to the publishers and Netgalley for the advance copy. As always, this is an honest review.
Somewhere in the North East of England, near the sea, our main protagonists, Keely and Finn, are living troubled lives.
When we first meet her, Keely is twelve, living with her caring but grief-stricken father and her little brother, William. It’s a hard life, eking out a meagre living picking sea coal, and the caravan where they live is functional but only just. After tragedy strikes, she desperately searches for a means of escape, for some small comfort in the harsh world, one that doesn’t seem to care very much about her.
Finn is an introspective child brought up by his grandparents. He is always on the outside looking in, barely speaking, unable to find the words to articulate how he feels about the world. He’s an easy target for bullies and made fun of by those who see him as a misfit.
When Keely and Finn meet, their connection is instant and young love blooms. They only want to find a safe haven, a place where they can be their true selves, but is this enough to save them?
I read True Love way back in June, and these wonderfully constructed, vibrant, complex characters still live rent-free in my head, which is a sure sign of a great book.
Get the tissues ready, as this heart-on-sleeve storytelling is bound to have you sobbing. 4.5⭐
Many thanks to the publishers and Netgalley for the advance copy. As always, this is an honest review.
February 10, 2025
This is nothing like My Name is Yip but don't let that put you off , if you enjoyed that first .
I'm a sucker for deep dives into the internal life , whether first or third person , and especially in those quiet people , introverts , who find it hard to articulate thoughts and emotions .
We're in NE England in the eighties ,a hard enough time but before the local culture has been eviscerated by unemployment and drugs . But there's cheap housing , a sense of community and no difficulty finding regular big low paid work , all seem like luxuries now .
Keely lives in a camp of sea coalers on the coast , her widower father wrenching a living from the coal tipped into the sea in the slag fetched up from the pits nearby . Finn lives in a larger town with his gran and grandad who remain tight-lipped about his mother , long gone .
We spend most of the novel with the two before they meet, learning how they navigate through teenage , both wrestling with loss , fear and isolation . The portraits are close and sympathetic and we understand how two thoughtful, sensitive people can leave school early simply because they are unnoticed in a noisy crowd.
They meet by chance and become soulmates but the buried and unexplored pain they both hold in common surfaces to sabotage their relationship in explosive ways.
There's a lot about what lies beneath here , in the sea , in the soil , in the reticence of those that love each other . There is a portrait of manliness , of saying nothing , of remaining strong , that weaves its way through both Finn and Keeley's lives leaving them both bewildered and vulnerable. What lies beneath is mysterious, dangerous and transformative , if only we are able to recognize those ordinary moments that conceal greater truths .
I'm a sucker for deep dives into the internal life , whether first or third person , and especially in those quiet people , introverts , who find it hard to articulate thoughts and emotions .
We're in NE England in the eighties ,a hard enough time but before the local culture has been eviscerated by unemployment and drugs . But there's cheap housing , a sense of community and no difficulty finding regular big low paid work , all seem like luxuries now .
Keely lives in a camp of sea coalers on the coast , her widower father wrenching a living from the coal tipped into the sea in the slag fetched up from the pits nearby . Finn lives in a larger town with his gran and grandad who remain tight-lipped about his mother , long gone .
We spend most of the novel with the two before they meet, learning how they navigate through teenage , both wrestling with loss , fear and isolation . The portraits are close and sympathetic and we understand how two thoughtful, sensitive people can leave school early simply because they are unnoticed in a noisy crowd.
They meet by chance and become soulmates but the buried and unexplored pain they both hold in common surfaces to sabotage their relationship in explosive ways.
There's a lot about what lies beneath here , in the sea , in the soil , in the reticence of those that love each other . There is a portrait of manliness , of saying nothing , of remaining strong , that weaves its way through both Finn and Keeley's lives leaving them both bewildered and vulnerable. What lies beneath is mysterious, dangerous and transformative , if only we are able to recognize those ordinary moments that conceal greater truths .
September 22, 2024
Well, this little beauty has left me feeling quite untethered; by its sparkling prose, by its unforgettable characters, and by a structure as clever as it is unique. As for that ending! It takes my breath away every time I think of it.
As the title suggests, True Love is indeed a love story, but to describe it as such is as reductive as calling Pride and Prejudice a Regency romance. Yes, it’s about romantic love, but it’s also about sibling love and love between a parent and child. Paddy Crewe explores all of these versions with a raw, searing empathy that’s both compelling and profoundly affecting.
Our two protagonists, Keeley and Finn, are superbly crafted, bringing to mind many a tragic literary hero and heroine. We get to know them separately; the first quarter of the book devoted to Keeley, and the second to Finn. By the time their paths cross, we know them intimately and ache for the tough hand life has dealt them. As two lost souls, with deeply troubled pasts, it comes as no surprise that they are drawn to one another. More than soulmates, they are each other’s salvation.
But, in the words of Shakespeare: “The course of true love never did run smooth.” And this is an aphorism that Crewe scrutinizes with devastating precision.
At its heart, True Love is a study on loss, grief and abandonment, about being “different,” and on the power of love to soothe and mend even the deepest, bloodiest of wounds. It’s the story of experiences that bring people together and keep them together, proving that the truest love is that which survives, even when tested to its limits.
I cannot express just how much I loved the structure of this narrative. It has a unique kind of rhythm, a gently modulated seesawing that builds to an unexpectedly wild crescendo, where words, voices crash together in a spine-tingling union that made my heart race.
This is only Paddy Crewe’s second novel, but what an extraordinary talent! I’m beyond excited to see what he delivers next.
As the title suggests, True Love is indeed a love story, but to describe it as such is as reductive as calling Pride and Prejudice a Regency romance. Yes, it’s about romantic love, but it’s also about sibling love and love between a parent and child. Paddy Crewe explores all of these versions with a raw, searing empathy that’s both compelling and profoundly affecting.
Our two protagonists, Keeley and Finn, are superbly crafted, bringing to mind many a tragic literary hero and heroine. We get to know them separately; the first quarter of the book devoted to Keeley, and the second to Finn. By the time their paths cross, we know them intimately and ache for the tough hand life has dealt them. As two lost souls, with deeply troubled pasts, it comes as no surprise that they are drawn to one another. More than soulmates, they are each other’s salvation.
But, in the words of Shakespeare: “The course of true love never did run smooth.” And this is an aphorism that Crewe scrutinizes with devastating precision.
At its heart, True Love is a study on loss, grief and abandonment, about being “different,” and on the power of love to soothe and mend even the deepest, bloodiest of wounds. It’s the story of experiences that bring people together and keep them together, proving that the truest love is that which survives, even when tested to its limits.
I cannot express just how much I loved the structure of this narrative. It has a unique kind of rhythm, a gently modulated seesawing that builds to an unexpectedly wild crescendo, where words, voices crash together in a spine-tingling union that made my heart race.
This is only Paddy Crewe’s second novel, but what an extraordinary talent! I’m beyond excited to see what he delivers next.
February 24, 2024
Paddy Crewe's second novel, after the very well received My Name is Yip (which was shortlisted for the Betty Trask Prize), is a novel which is tonally and totally different to his debut that I had to check it was the same writer.
Keeley and Finn are two lost souls who come together, their broken and bust-up lives providing the backdrop to a very low-key melancholic love story. This was beautifully written, a tale of small towns and small lives excavated with nuance and heart. It reminded me very much of Donal Ryan at times.
I read this in one sitting, drawn into these lives, and was left hopeful but bereft by its end. With two very different novels under his belt, I am very keen to see where Paddy Crewe goes next, for his is a very fine novelist and this a very fine work.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for the ARC.
Keeley and Finn are two lost souls who come together, their broken and bust-up lives providing the backdrop to a very low-key melancholic love story. This was beautifully written, a tale of small towns and small lives excavated with nuance and heart. It reminded me very much of Donal Ryan at times.
I read this in one sitting, drawn into these lives, and was left hopeful but bereft by its end. With two very different novels under his belt, I am very keen to see where Paddy Crewe goes next, for his is a very fine novelist and this a very fine work.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for the ARC.
August 22, 2025
I loved My Name is Yip, Crewe's first novel. This is a very different novel. Whereas the former was a rip roaring historical adventure with Dickension characters, True Love tells the story of a boy and girl growing up in the North East during the 1980's.
I particularly enjoyed the earlier sections of the novel which recounted Keely's and Finn's childhood and adolescent years. The novel was building towards their meeting and love affair which, when it arrived, disappointed slightly as I found one of the plot turns didn't ring that true to me. That said, I recommend the novel and am looking forward to reading more by Paddy Crewe.
I particularly enjoyed the earlier sections of the novel which recounted Keely's and Finn's childhood and adolescent years. The novel was building towards their meeting and love affair which, when it arrived, disappointed slightly as I found one of the plot turns didn't ring that true to me. That said, I recommend the novel and am looking forward to reading more by Paddy Crewe.
July 29, 2024
WOW! What an astonishing read with a tremendous ending
August 24, 2025
so disappointing!! wondered if two stars felt harsh considering how much promise this book had but honestly almost the entire second half of it was a let down. on a sentence level crewe often writes beautifully and i was so hooked on his scene setting and both keely and finn as children, and then it jumped forward and something very strange happened. it felt like reading a really long summary of a book, where major life events—most importantly them getting together—didn’t occur in actual scenes but in long montages of several days where we’re being told what happened and how to feel about it rather than being shown. the ratio of show to tell in the second half of the book was prettying astounding, there was genuinely only a handful of actual scenes and the rest was just a (slightly irritating) narrator telling us about this epic love story and saga we were being fast forwarded through. it felt almost lazy? and as a result finn and keelys relationship was one of the least convincing ive ever read. things are thrown in and not addressed, we barely see them get to know each other. i completely lost interest once they apparently got together. it’s like crewe was writing each section with no memory of anything previously established, including characterizations—finn is pretty much wiped of all previous traits once it skips forward to him being older, which was such a shame because i was initially so fond of both of them. we’re just told that they’re in love, and they have a baby, and we should buy this, and no work is done to justify any of it. such a let down!!
September 26, 2025
Utterly beautiful and profound love story about the connection between two damaged people and the tentative ways in which they heal, break and reform. Reluctant to put it down - haven't felt like this about a book in a while. I may have read it too quickly in fact...this book deserves to be savoured and felt and absorbed in all it's quiet, sad beauty. Bravo Paddy Crewe! I don't read many love stories, but this one hit the spot.
'For her, there's no other real desire. If she is a door, locked and iced shut, then drink is the warm glowing key that's been pressed into her palm. It's happened quickly, her reliance on it. She never feels like she needs it until she needs it, until the prospect of spending the night alone with her own thoughts hits her, and she reasons that the drink is actually helping her, that it's a contributing factor to her ongoing survival.'
'She still goes to the charity shop to buy books. But whenever she sits down on the sofa and opens one up, she finds that she can't concentrate. Her mind is never still, never empty....memories...it's like the contents of her mind have been unmoored, like they're now free to spill out into her reality. At the weekend, the pub, any pub, is where she wants to be. It doesn't matter what time of the day it is, whether it's morning or afternoon or night. As soon as she steps through the door, as soon as she smells the warm sour pull of the spilled beer, sees the rows and rows of bottles stacked behind the bar, she feels something shift inside her. She is alive again, as if she's been breathing the wrong type of air, as if she's been living underwater.'
'There's a pleasant tiredness in their limbs that speaks more of a desire to be alone with one another than it does the need for rest or sleep. It's a feeling both of them have come to familairise themselves with over the past week since they got back from Finn's nan and grandad's, of being connected to one another in ways that seem to transcend the natural order of their lives up until that point. Thoughts, feelings, sensations, infinitesimal shfts of mood and humour - all are startling clear in the other without having to ask. The world they share needs no explaining. It just is. Does everyone, at some point, feel the way that they feel about each other now? Of course, there are hundreds of songs and books about love, but why do the people they know not talk about it? ...It striked them as strange, almost sinister, this conspiracy of silence to keep secret the most joyous and transformative of experiences, as if there should be a terrible price to pay for having revealed it.'
'She blinkers her tears back. all of this closeness with Finn - she knows it could drag her back to that time and those feelings of fear, of all the good she knows being taken away from her. But she doesn't want that. She wants to make herself present and available to this boy before her now. She knows that he needs her and that he will keep on needing her. He's chosen to give himself to her, and she feels it important that she acknowledge this responsbility, not of making him happy, nor of catering to his every need, but of trying to understand him as best she can, of learning the ways he receives the world and participates in it. It's not her duty to correct those things. She must simply look and listen. That, she thinks, is the best thing that she can give him: her vigilance.'
'There was a time when she knows she would have started drinking by now. Any kind of pressure and it would be the first thing she would turn to. She can feel it, the same pull that she'd first felt after he da had left , that ache at the back of the throat. There are bottles that she's sequestered away all over the flat...she could find one now and she could sip away at it until the sharp edge of the panic she's feeling starts to round itself out. But since meeting Finn she's felt the need for it much less intensely. It's not the same persistent drone that it one was at the back of her mind, but an occasional flare of longing. that she can, more often that not, manage to quell. She'll still succumb - normally after an argument or if she's feeling particularly misunderstood or neglected - and when Finn's sleeping in bed or out she'll find herself drifiting, as if on autopilot, toward places she can't even remember hiding anything, reaching up on top of the kitchen cabinet and groping about until her fingers find the dusted glass of a bottle. Then she'll sit quietly at the table, never for long enough to sink into herself and past so fully that she can't find her way back out, but just enough so that she can feel the tempo of her mind begin to change, and she once more ebcomes aware that there's a world beyond the one which is turning in her own head.'
'For her, there's no other real desire. If she is a door, locked and iced shut, then drink is the warm glowing key that's been pressed into her palm. It's happened quickly, her reliance on it. She never feels like she needs it until she needs it, until the prospect of spending the night alone with her own thoughts hits her, and she reasons that the drink is actually helping her, that it's a contributing factor to her ongoing survival.'
'She still goes to the charity shop to buy books. But whenever she sits down on the sofa and opens one up, she finds that she can't concentrate. Her mind is never still, never empty....memories...it's like the contents of her mind have been unmoored, like they're now free to spill out into her reality. At the weekend, the pub, any pub, is where she wants to be. It doesn't matter what time of the day it is, whether it's morning or afternoon or night. As soon as she steps through the door, as soon as she smells the warm sour pull of the spilled beer, sees the rows and rows of bottles stacked behind the bar, she feels something shift inside her. She is alive again, as if she's been breathing the wrong type of air, as if she's been living underwater.'
'There's a pleasant tiredness in their limbs that speaks more of a desire to be alone with one another than it does the need for rest or sleep. It's a feeling both of them have come to familairise themselves with over the past week since they got back from Finn's nan and grandad's, of being connected to one another in ways that seem to transcend the natural order of their lives up until that point. Thoughts, feelings, sensations, infinitesimal shfts of mood and humour - all are startling clear in the other without having to ask. The world they share needs no explaining. It just is. Does everyone, at some point, feel the way that they feel about each other now? Of course, there are hundreds of songs and books about love, but why do the people they know not talk about it? ...It striked them as strange, almost sinister, this conspiracy of silence to keep secret the most joyous and transformative of experiences, as if there should be a terrible price to pay for having revealed it.'
'She blinkers her tears back. all of this closeness with Finn - she knows it could drag her back to that time and those feelings of fear, of all the good she knows being taken away from her. But she doesn't want that. She wants to make herself present and available to this boy before her now. She knows that he needs her and that he will keep on needing her. He's chosen to give himself to her, and she feels it important that she acknowledge this responsbility, not of making him happy, nor of catering to his every need, but of trying to understand him as best she can, of learning the ways he receives the world and participates in it. It's not her duty to correct those things. She must simply look and listen. That, she thinks, is the best thing that she can give him: her vigilance.'
'There was a time when she knows she would have started drinking by now. Any kind of pressure and it would be the first thing she would turn to. She can feel it, the same pull that she'd first felt after he da had left , that ache at the back of the throat. There are bottles that she's sequestered away all over the flat...she could find one now and she could sip away at it until the sharp edge of the panic she's feeling starts to round itself out. But since meeting Finn she's felt the need for it much less intensely. It's not the same persistent drone that it one was at the back of her mind, but an occasional flare of longing. that she can, more often that not, manage to quell. She'll still succumb - normally after an argument or if she's feeling particularly misunderstood or neglected - and when Finn's sleeping in bed or out she'll find herself drifiting, as if on autopilot, toward places she can't even remember hiding anything, reaching up on top of the kitchen cabinet and groping about until her fingers find the dusted glass of a bottle. Then she'll sit quietly at the table, never for long enough to sink into herself and past so fully that she can't find her way back out, but just enough so that she can feel the tempo of her mind begin to change, and she once more ebcomes aware that there's a world beyond the one which is turning in her own head.'
July 16, 2024
True Love by Paddy Crewe has catapulted itself right in to my list of favourite books ever. This is a story that I went in to almost blind, having read the blurb, but not really knowing what to expect.
It is astonishing. It feels like the perfect book. A story about true love in all of its many forms; a story of two individual, very different people who do not even meet until towards the end of the book but we, the reader, know that their relationship is inevitable.
Paddy Crewe is an extraordinary writer. His beautiful prose totally captivated me throughout the novel. He writes about ordinary people who lead lives that are filled with pain, he gets to the heart of what true love is. Love can be damaging, toxic, beautiful, exciting. It can be brutal and heartbreaking. The love for family members differs from the love we feel for members of our immediate community, and romantic love is absolutely another experience.
Told from the point of view of two lead characters; Keely and Fin. Their stories are told separately, each one given their own part of the book. Keely is a young girl who lives in a caravan on a site by the sea, her father is a sea coaler, her mother is dead. Keely has a younger brother, Welty, she cares for him. Their father does care, but he too is broken and struggles to express his feelings. When the tragedy that will shape Keely's life forever happens, her life changes. She leaves school, she starts to gather sea coal, she becomes more insular, thinner, her spark goes out.
She does discover books, and Crewe's explanation of just what reading means to Keely really touched me, I felt it so much, it could have been written just for me;
"She can't imagine her life without books and she thanks Miss Collins every day for dropping that first bag off outside the caravan. She doesn't know how else she would fill her time, or what could possibly feel as satisfying. She is filled up by words. Whatever pain she suffers in her own life, the characters she reads about set to replenishing her, all of which has led her to treat books with a reverence that she affords nothing else. They are sacred to her, and though in her care they all wind up dog-eared, with pages folded down and spines cracked, she would mourn one if it was ever lost or damaged beyond use."
Keeley finds herself living alone. She has no contact with her dad and begins to find solace in the local pubs and the bottom of a glass.
Finn has lived with his grandparents for his whole life. His parents are never mentioned, he knows nothing of them, of where they are, why they left him. He is loved, but finds it very difficult to express his own love. Speaking very few words, he suffers the anguish of being bullied by his peers. Until the day that he finds music and suddenly his voice is being heard.
It is a given that these two damaged yet incredibly intelligent people will meet and discover their own form of true love. It is an intense relationship, both of them wary, yet at the same time, exposing everything about themselves and it feels as though this frenzy of a relationship will always continue.
But True Love is painful and they both cause pain and feel pain. Pain that hurts so much that they can not get over it and once more, they become individuals, having to find their own paths, deal with their own lives. They have to survive.
I didn't read Paddy Crewe's first novel; My Name Is Yip, which won so many awards, but I am most certainly going to change that now. This author has created two characters that became part of my existence whilst I was reading about them. I cared about them so much, I felt their pain, I shared in their joys, I almost mourned them when I turned the final page. This is utterly remarkable and highly recommended by me.
It is astonishing. It feels like the perfect book. A story about true love in all of its many forms; a story of two individual, very different people who do not even meet until towards the end of the book but we, the reader, know that their relationship is inevitable.
Paddy Crewe is an extraordinary writer. His beautiful prose totally captivated me throughout the novel. He writes about ordinary people who lead lives that are filled with pain, he gets to the heart of what true love is. Love can be damaging, toxic, beautiful, exciting. It can be brutal and heartbreaking. The love for family members differs from the love we feel for members of our immediate community, and romantic love is absolutely another experience.
Told from the point of view of two lead characters; Keely and Fin. Their stories are told separately, each one given their own part of the book. Keely is a young girl who lives in a caravan on a site by the sea, her father is a sea coaler, her mother is dead. Keely has a younger brother, Welty, she cares for him. Their father does care, but he too is broken and struggles to express his feelings. When the tragedy that will shape Keely's life forever happens, her life changes. She leaves school, she starts to gather sea coal, she becomes more insular, thinner, her spark goes out.
She does discover books, and Crewe's explanation of just what reading means to Keely really touched me, I felt it so much, it could have been written just for me;
"She can't imagine her life without books and she thanks Miss Collins every day for dropping that first bag off outside the caravan. She doesn't know how else she would fill her time, or what could possibly feel as satisfying. She is filled up by words. Whatever pain she suffers in her own life, the characters she reads about set to replenishing her, all of which has led her to treat books with a reverence that she affords nothing else. They are sacred to her, and though in her care they all wind up dog-eared, with pages folded down and spines cracked, she would mourn one if it was ever lost or damaged beyond use."
Keeley finds herself living alone. She has no contact with her dad and begins to find solace in the local pubs and the bottom of a glass.
Finn has lived with his grandparents for his whole life. His parents are never mentioned, he knows nothing of them, of where they are, why they left him. He is loved, but finds it very difficult to express his own love. Speaking very few words, he suffers the anguish of being bullied by his peers. Until the day that he finds music and suddenly his voice is being heard.
It is a given that these two damaged yet incredibly intelligent people will meet and discover their own form of true love. It is an intense relationship, both of them wary, yet at the same time, exposing everything about themselves and it feels as though this frenzy of a relationship will always continue.
But True Love is painful and they both cause pain and feel pain. Pain that hurts so much that they can not get over it and once more, they become individuals, having to find their own paths, deal with their own lives. They have to survive.
I didn't read Paddy Crewe's first novel; My Name Is Yip, which won so many awards, but I am most certainly going to change that now. This author has created two characters that became part of my existence whilst I was reading about them. I cared about them so much, I felt their pain, I shared in their joys, I almost mourned them when I turned the final page. This is utterly remarkable and highly recommended by me.
July 12, 2024
Sometimes the title of a book sets up a particularly strong expectation of the story. I was immediately drawn to the word ‘true’; a qualifier of love amongst all the many types of ‘love’ and I read with a conviction that this would be a story about a relationship. I peeped round pages waiting for the love affair..
In the life of her childhood, Keely was ‘Kegs.’ She was a sister and a daughter; now she holds those titles in name only. Every member of her family is long gone, though only her Father left her voluntarily. The story of her childhood has dominated her life; left its mark in a brittleness, a love of alcohol and a distrust of human relationships. Finn lost the story of his childhood when his parents left him to be brought up with his grandparents. He has no mememtos, no photographs and no links to who he was. Instead he collects bits and pieces from the river, in a box which he hides under his bed. And the day he meets Keely he has collected something else. Like the Cinderella story, he has found a shoe.
This was an unusual and mesmerising read. Given the title I had imagined a relationship earlier in the story. However, the lyrical prose sets up a narrative which explores the mental and physical landscape of both characters separately. It also looks at the presence or absence of other kinds of love in their lives: the relationship between Finn and his Grandparents and that between Keely and her Dad. The novel has reached halfway point before a meeting occurs. By this stage I felt I knew both Keely and Finn intimately. I was aware of their scars; the tragedy Keely had already endured; the bullying that had led to Finn’s retreat socially. It felt like everything had led to this meeting. Was it possible that this could be True Love?
This is very much a character driven novel and the strength of the writing is in its depiction of the thoughts and feelings of the two central characters and the domesticity of their immediate environment. The early chapters of Keely’s childhood were particularly devastating and powerful and the beach scenes so beautifully described.
February 2, 2025
True Love is transformational.
True love is transformational.
Well, the first one might not be true. That depends on you. But the book gives us a good account of how the second one might be true. Traumatised individuals can grow if they're lucky enough, resilient enough, to find real love. This is something to celebrate, but not everyone grows and makes things better for the next generation. Love can fail us, too.
Good, sensitive people burdened by their pasts, their presents, and themselves. There's something of a hopelessness, more than just acquiescence, to their lives. They suffer their grief, slings and arrows in painful isolation and silence as if communicating, communing is pointless. This makes them independent units skirting around each other without much contact, understanding, or trust, as they still ache for it. And maybe you can say that the unspecified time, the unspecified place, the unspecified ages, reflect the uncertainty the characters have about themselves and their own lives.
The book starts with a bang in terms of the opening paragraph, which sets an atmosphere more than a scene. It didn't take too long to get my bearings, and then you can get carried along. A human story that's poetic, relatable, and rewarding.
Extra personal reflections:
I write to put myself together.
But writing doesn't achieve that.
The writing reflects my broken-up-ness; my atomisation.
It can be a cohesive whole if I concentrate with an inhuman intensity, but the natural state is towards constant reforming of the not-enoughness.
I read a book called 'True Love', which I took to be about love repairing broken souls. Characters, like me, untethered and not knowing otherwise, until they discover through being seen through the eyes of someone they come to love, who loves them and wants the best for them, that they have a unity. It puts their pieces back together.
But this love that makes them whole does not have infinite power either. Even being seen and loved for who they are does not overcome their earthly fears.
True love is transformational.
Well, the first one might not be true. That depends on you. But the book gives us a good account of how the second one might be true. Traumatised individuals can grow if they're lucky enough, resilient enough, to find real love. This is something to celebrate, but not everyone grows and makes things better for the next generation. Love can fail us, too.
Good, sensitive people burdened by their pasts, their presents, and themselves. There's something of a hopelessness, more than just acquiescence, to their lives. They suffer their grief, slings and arrows in painful isolation and silence as if communicating, communing is pointless. This makes them independent units skirting around each other without much contact, understanding, or trust, as they still ache for it. And maybe you can say that the unspecified time, the unspecified place, the unspecified ages, reflect the uncertainty the characters have about themselves and their own lives.
The book starts with a bang in terms of the opening paragraph, which sets an atmosphere more than a scene. It didn't take too long to get my bearings, and then you can get carried along. A human story that's poetic, relatable, and rewarding.
Extra personal reflections:
I write to put myself together.
But writing doesn't achieve that.
The writing reflects my broken-up-ness; my atomisation.
It can be a cohesive whole if I concentrate with an inhuman intensity, but the natural state is towards constant reforming of the not-enoughness.
I read a book called 'True Love', which I took to be about love repairing broken souls. Characters, like me, untethered and not knowing otherwise, until they discover through being seen through the eyes of someone they come to love, who loves them and wants the best for them, that they have a unity. It puts their pieces back together.
But this love that makes them whole does not have infinite power either. Even being seen and loved for who they are does not overcome their earthly fears.
July 8, 2024
In True Love, by Paddy Crewe, we follow two alienated young people, Keely and Finn, through adolescence and early adulthood.
Keely’s life has been shaped by loss: her mother and younger brother both died before she was a teenager and, after uprooting Keely from the tight-knit camp where she grew up, her father deserted her when she still needed him. She works in a shop and finds solace in drink and books.
Finn never knew his parents, as his mother left him to be raised by his nan and grandad. Although he’s well-treated, the cross-generational relationship is not one of easy intimacy, and Finn elects to fly under the radar at home and school as much as he can. He likes to dig for treasure by himself in the nearby river bed.
Finn eventually finds an emotional outlet as a singer in a fledgling rock band, but he doesn’t enjoy life on the road, and gives it up to work in a butcher’s shop when he meets Keely and the pair enter into an intense romantic relationship.
True Love is one of those books where much of the action is everyday and unspectacular, but it’s written in such a beautiful, profound way that you can’t help but get pulled in and really care about the unshowy characters (think: The Stone Diaries, by Carol Shields).
The level of detail the author goes into about Keely and Finn’s inner lives, and the places and people around them, made it very easy for me to create – and luxuriate in – images in my head. It also conveys the message that these ordinary-seeming characters are nonetheless highly interesting, and absolutely worth examining.
Crewe compounds this by refusing to judge, or write off, either character. While Keely can no longer face going to school after losing her brother, and Finn can’t find the will to make the effort with his exams and doesn’t have any particular ambitions, these are presented as understandable positions, and not the end of the world.
With their rich interiority, competence at the work they do alongside/after leaving school, and intellectual interests they cultivate outside of the classroom (literature for Keely; songwriting and archaeology for Finn), the two of them are demonstrably far from stupid. It’s just that school isn’t the right environment for them at the age they’re expected to go there.
That’s not to say they never do anything stupid – both Keely and Finn had me wanting to howl “noooooo!” at them at different points – but these are treated as very human aberrations that they can, at least to some extent, come back from with time and grace.
While I loved and wanted the best for both characters, I could particularly relate to Finn. Like him, I found invisibility and living predominantly in my own head to be the best strategy for surviving school – and struggled to cope when I inadvertently attracted attention and people made A Thing of it.
Also in common with Finn, I went on to discover writing and performing for an audience (spoken word, in my case) to be a safe way to express my emotions on my own terms. It was really validating to see so many of my experiences reflected on the page.
True Love is a moving, compassionately-written novel that renders the ordinary extraordinary.
Keely’s life has been shaped by loss: her mother and younger brother both died before she was a teenager and, after uprooting Keely from the tight-knit camp where she grew up, her father deserted her when she still needed him. She works in a shop and finds solace in drink and books.
Finn never knew his parents, as his mother left him to be raised by his nan and grandad. Although he’s well-treated, the cross-generational relationship is not one of easy intimacy, and Finn elects to fly under the radar at home and school as much as he can. He likes to dig for treasure by himself in the nearby river bed.
Finn eventually finds an emotional outlet as a singer in a fledgling rock band, but he doesn’t enjoy life on the road, and gives it up to work in a butcher’s shop when he meets Keely and the pair enter into an intense romantic relationship.
True Love is one of those books where much of the action is everyday and unspectacular, but it’s written in such a beautiful, profound way that you can’t help but get pulled in and really care about the unshowy characters (think: The Stone Diaries, by Carol Shields).
The level of detail the author goes into about Keely and Finn’s inner lives, and the places and people around them, made it very easy for me to create – and luxuriate in – images in my head. It also conveys the message that these ordinary-seeming characters are nonetheless highly interesting, and absolutely worth examining.
Crewe compounds this by refusing to judge, or write off, either character. While Keely can no longer face going to school after losing her brother, and Finn can’t find the will to make the effort with his exams and doesn’t have any particular ambitions, these are presented as understandable positions, and not the end of the world.
With their rich interiority, competence at the work they do alongside/after leaving school, and intellectual interests they cultivate outside of the classroom (literature for Keely; songwriting and archaeology for Finn), the two of them are demonstrably far from stupid. It’s just that school isn’t the right environment for them at the age they’re expected to go there.
That’s not to say they never do anything stupid – both Keely and Finn had me wanting to howl “noooooo!” at them at different points – but these are treated as very human aberrations that they can, at least to some extent, come back from with time and grace.
While I loved and wanted the best for both characters, I could particularly relate to Finn. Like him, I found invisibility and living predominantly in my own head to be the best strategy for surviving school – and struggled to cope when I inadvertently attracted attention and people made A Thing of it.
Also in common with Finn, I went on to discover writing and performing for an audience (spoken word, in my case) to be a safe way to express my emotions on my own terms. It was really validating to see so many of my experiences reflected on the page.
True Love is a moving, compassionately-written novel that renders the ordinary extraordinary.
July 9, 2024
I’m on the blog tour for this heart-wrenchingly beautiful book, and my god this has been such a raw yet stunning read - I’ve been drawn to keep picking this back up and savour more of the lives of Keeley and Finn ❤️
The first third of the book gave us Keeleys story: set against a harsh, rugged landscape, Keeley grew up living in grief with her father who was battling with himself and therefore wasn’t ever as present for her as a parent should be, leaving Keeley to navigate resolutely through a tough adolescence into an uncertain young adulthood.
The second third of this book introduces us to Finn: his parents left him with his maternal grandparents when he was young, he never saw them again and his childhood was one he chose to shape quite solitary - he didn’t need a group of friends, he needed his time to adventure alone and absorb himself in his own wonderment, which just wasn’t understood by his grandparents and peers alike - but he found friendship in his late teens and joined a band.
Which led him in the last third to cross paths with Keeley…..
I’ll leave you with this quote that I loved from the book:
“He’s chosen to give himself to her, and she feels it important that she acknowledge that responsibility, not of making him happy, or of catering to his every need, but of trying to understand him as best she can, of learning the way he receives the world and participates in it”
Easily a 5 star read, occasionally bleak but without a doubt one of the most compelling books I’ve read this year, it’s a beautifully written story of two outsiders dealing with personal pain brought on by life’s challenges. As a reader you can’t help but connect deeply to them and in the end all you want is to feel optimistic that the future might treat them better…..
A huge thanks to @doubledayukbooks and @randomthingstours for the gifted copy of this book in order to read and review for the blog tour
The first third of the book gave us Keeleys story: set against a harsh, rugged landscape, Keeley grew up living in grief with her father who was battling with himself and therefore wasn’t ever as present for her as a parent should be, leaving Keeley to navigate resolutely through a tough adolescence into an uncertain young adulthood.
The second third of this book introduces us to Finn: his parents left him with his maternal grandparents when he was young, he never saw them again and his childhood was one he chose to shape quite solitary - he didn’t need a group of friends, he needed his time to adventure alone and absorb himself in his own wonderment, which just wasn’t understood by his grandparents and peers alike - but he found friendship in his late teens and joined a band.
Which led him in the last third to cross paths with Keeley…..
I’ll leave you with this quote that I loved from the book:
“He’s chosen to give himself to her, and she feels it important that she acknowledge that responsibility, not of making him happy, or of catering to his every need, but of trying to understand him as best she can, of learning the way he receives the world and participates in it”
Easily a 5 star read, occasionally bleak but without a doubt one of the most compelling books I’ve read this year, it’s a beautifully written story of two outsiders dealing with personal pain brought on by life’s challenges. As a reader you can’t help but connect deeply to them and in the end all you want is to feel optimistic that the future might treat them better…..
A huge thanks to @doubledayukbooks and @randomthingstours for the gifted copy of this book in order to read and review for the blog tour
July 17, 2024
True Love has to be one of the most emotively raw books I have read since reading Kes by Barry Hines. Keely and Finn’s emotions and characters are explored and discussed in infinite detail in all their raw state for the reader to take and build their personas from.
From the very first instance of seeing the cover photograph I could tell this was going to be a book that would be no holds barred at describing the lives and feelings of these two individuals who were destined to meet and unravel , and make sense, of what life had given them without destroying what could be.
For me True Love is the type of book that I have been waiting a long time to come across and read with its openness ,and in some ways naivety , of how he displays the characters and the tragedies that life has thrown their way and consequently how they deal with them.
Like I said earlier it reminds me of the style of writing of Barry Hines with Kes and those of you have read this book will possibly feel the same. Characters like Keely and Finn and their families are taken from the working class era I grew up in where life was often about surviving and children were often forced before their time to earn a wage through necessity.
Paddy Crewe draws you into the lives of Keely and Finn through his “telling it as it is approach” and consequently creates what I call a black and white novel with no colour to brighten up the lives of the two strong individuals. Children were brought up, or brought themselves up, in these environments and life was harsh as they learnt how to survive.
This is a book that should find itself on recommended reading lists for schools and colleges as there is a lot to be discussed and thought about from these incredibly well written 309 pages. I have put Paddy Crewe on my watch out for list of up and coming new authors and I hope we’ll be hearing a lot more from him in the very near future.
June 4, 2024
‘But there was still a choice to be made, a choice between the living and the dead. The dead don’t need saving, but the living do.’
Keely(Keg) lives with her father and her brother William (Welty) in a camp near the beach in Ireland where they eke out a living as sea coalers. Keely is twelve years old when we meet her, still grieving the death of her mother. And then another tragedy blights her life. Keely’s a fighter: she and her father move away from the camp, and they find other work. But Keely’s father never settles, and soon she finds herself alone. Alcohol provides some solace.
Finn lives with his maternal grandparents. He is isolated and lonely and lacks close friends. While he and others find some escape in music, he does not really belong. And one night, when he and the others were out of town playing a gig, the others leave Finn behind. Abandoned again.
‘Over the years, he’s come to be an expert in recognizing moments that might result in his being humiliated.’
Keely and Finn meet. Can they find true love? Or will their individual self-doubts, flaws and history prevent this? Two flawed individuals, shaped by circumstance and life, struggling to find happiness. Keely feels betrayal and rejection, Finn pays an enormous price for a moment of folly. How will it end?
‘He was here and now he’s not. This is a fact. Her life has been made up by facts and here is another one to add to the pile.’
I was drawn into the lives of both Keely and Finn, hoping that they could find the happiness that they both deserved. Mr Crewe takes the reader on an emotional rollercoaster as Keely and Finn’s stories unfold. By the end of the novel, my despair had changed to cautious optimism.
Note: My thanks to NetGalley and Random House UK for providing me with a free electronic copy of this book for review purposes.
Jennifer Cameron-Smith
Keely(Keg) lives with her father and her brother William (Welty) in a camp near the beach in Ireland where they eke out a living as sea coalers. Keely is twelve years old when we meet her, still grieving the death of her mother. And then another tragedy blights her life. Keely’s a fighter: she and her father move away from the camp, and they find other work. But Keely’s father never settles, and soon she finds herself alone. Alcohol provides some solace.
Finn lives with his maternal grandparents. He is isolated and lonely and lacks close friends. While he and others find some escape in music, he does not really belong. And one night, when he and the others were out of town playing a gig, the others leave Finn behind. Abandoned again.
‘Over the years, he’s come to be an expert in recognizing moments that might result in his being humiliated.’
Keely and Finn meet. Can they find true love? Or will their individual self-doubts, flaws and history prevent this? Two flawed individuals, shaped by circumstance and life, struggling to find happiness. Keely feels betrayal and rejection, Finn pays an enormous price for a moment of folly. How will it end?
‘He was here and now he’s not. This is a fact. Her life has been made up by facts and here is another one to add to the pile.’
I was drawn into the lives of both Keely and Finn, hoping that they could find the happiness that they both deserved. Mr Crewe takes the reader on an emotional rollercoaster as Keely and Finn’s stories unfold. By the end of the novel, my despair had changed to cautious optimism.
Note: My thanks to NetGalley and Random House UK for providing me with a free electronic copy of this book for review purposes.
Jennifer Cameron-Smith
July 7, 2024
Keely has grown up with her Dad and brother at a caravan camp by the coast, collecting coal from the sea and delivering it to locals. When tragedy strikes, Keely’s life is upended. Finn has grown up with his grandparents, never having known his parents. Shy, uncomfortable in his skin and awkward with those around him, he can’t seem to find his place in the world. When Keely and Finn’s paths cross, they are two broken, lonely souls, at odds with the world around them and yearning for connection, affection. They find it in each other, consumed by a love at times beyond their understanding; but is love enough to move on from past trauma, to leave old versions of themselves behind, and to keep them living in the present, looking to their shared future?
This one broke my heart; such beautiful, lyrical writing that balances both a quiet stillness and intensity with an absolute depth of feeling and visceral emotion. Set mostly in 1980s Northern England around the colder months, Crewe deftly and atmospherically conjures the bleakness, the seeping chill, the harshness of the landscape and climate. The first warmth we see is at the peak of Keely and Finn’s love, before dipping back into winter’s chill. Keely’s relationship with her father is beautifully explored; a man who has lived a hard existence and who loves his daughter in his own awkward way but is drowning in grief. Finn’s grandparents try their best for him but a wall remains between them.
This is a novel about grief, loss, abandonment, and the ways we handle them; about trauma and the ways we carry forward; about our pasts that haunt us and come calling, no matter how much we try to push on. It’s about knowing ourselves, who we are; the people and places we have come from. It’s about the unclosable distances between people, the things that hang heavy but remain unspoken. It’s about the need to be understood; to be listened to without interjection, to be stood by silently and solidly. It’s about love in all its unfathomable complexity. Keely and Finn, and their story, will get under your skin, and stay with you long after.
This one broke my heart; such beautiful, lyrical writing that balances both a quiet stillness and intensity with an absolute depth of feeling and visceral emotion. Set mostly in 1980s Northern England around the colder months, Crewe deftly and atmospherically conjures the bleakness, the seeping chill, the harshness of the landscape and climate. The first warmth we see is at the peak of Keely and Finn’s love, before dipping back into winter’s chill. Keely’s relationship with her father is beautifully explored; a man who has lived a hard existence and who loves his daughter in his own awkward way but is drowning in grief. Finn’s grandparents try their best for him but a wall remains between them.
This is a novel about grief, loss, abandonment, and the ways we handle them; about trauma and the ways we carry forward; about our pasts that haunt us and come calling, no matter how much we try to push on. It’s about knowing ourselves, who we are; the people and places we have come from. It’s about the unclosable distances between people, the things that hang heavy but remain unspoken. It’s about the need to be understood; to be listened to without interjection, to be stood by silently and solidly. It’s about love in all its unfathomable complexity. Keely and Finn, and their story, will get under your skin, and stay with you long after.
July 8, 2024
The power of love, the good, the bad and the tragic
With such a high concept title, you would be forgiven for thinking that this was a romance. There IS a romance, but that's not really what this book's about. It's about the power of love, what love can make you do, both the good things and the not so good.
The first third of the book is narrated in third person present tense about Keely, a daughter without a mother, who faces tragedy after tragedy until she is left alone with only drink to succour her. Then the next third of the book shifts to a boy-then-man, Finn, a lonely child with only his maternal grandparents who grows into a lonely young man who storms the local rock scene with a Svengali-like best friend. And then they met, and it was... love?
Really, this novel is about love in all its forms: paternal and maternal, fraternal, platonic, personal, adulation, love at first sight, lust, sacrificial, selfish love. Keely and Finn are both fairy tale abandoned children, looking for the one to be their other, and too late they realise what's exactly in front of their eyes in a conclusion that takes up barely a chapter.
A technically interesting novel, but emotionally opaque, with language that belies both the child characters and the adults they become, the floridity in parts breaking the spell of suspended disbelief. I see what Crewe is trying to do here, perching tight on the shoulders of his two main characters, but the structure relies on the reader investing in each protagonist to the end,; meanwhile the book focuses wholly on one, and then the other, so that by the time they come together the reader is just expected to believe that one form of true love can spark up between these two broken characters. And it just doesn't ring true.
With such a high concept title, you would be forgiven for thinking that this was a romance. There IS a romance, but that's not really what this book's about. It's about the power of love, what love can make you do, both the good things and the not so good.
The first third of the book is narrated in third person present tense about Keely, a daughter without a mother, who faces tragedy after tragedy until she is left alone with only drink to succour her. Then the next third of the book shifts to a boy-then-man, Finn, a lonely child with only his maternal grandparents who grows into a lonely young man who storms the local rock scene with a Svengali-like best friend. And then they met, and it was... love?
Really, this novel is about love in all its forms: paternal and maternal, fraternal, platonic, personal, adulation, love at first sight, lust, sacrificial, selfish love. Keely and Finn are both fairy tale abandoned children, looking for the one to be their other, and too late they realise what's exactly in front of their eyes in a conclusion that takes up barely a chapter.
A technically interesting novel, but emotionally opaque, with language that belies both the child characters and the adults they become, the floridity in parts breaking the spell of suspended disbelief. I see what Crewe is trying to do here, perching tight on the shoulders of his two main characters, but the structure relies on the reader investing in each protagonist to the end,; meanwhile the book focuses wholly on one, and then the other, so that by the time they come together the reader is just expected to believe that one form of true love can spark up between these two broken characters. And it just doesn't ring true.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 16, 2024
Keely and her dad struggle with grief after losing her mum and brother. While her dad find it hard to move on, they are still supported by the community at the camp and Keely grows from a little girl into a young woman, continuing to love and support her dad and believing he would be a happy dad again to her. And then, her dad abandons her for a woman he loves.
Finn lives with his grandparents after being abandoned by his parents when he was young. The grandparents take good care of him and love him, and he loves them deeply. But he doesn’t have real friends and feels lonely.
Keely and Finn together. Will they find true love?
This character-driven and beautifully-written love story tells ups and downs in Keely and Finn’s lives and relationships with one another and others around them. The writing is immaculate. The author’s style is subtle and understated, but it captures loneliness and longing they feel growing up so well that it pulled me into the story and I felt strong affection for them. We see what happens to them in adult life. They have flaws and make mistakes. Because characters are portrayed so well, I understood them and hoped they would find happiness. The final chapter, the climax, is especially strong. I could not put it down.
The only problem is that after finishing I am not sure what “true love” means that the book wanted to say. But it might be just me. Maybe the point is made in such an understated way that I missed it. In any case, this is no doubt a love story that is worth reading. And I love the author’s style, so I would love to read more by him!
4.5 ⭐️/5
Finn lives with his grandparents after being abandoned by his parents when he was young. The grandparents take good care of him and love him, and he loves them deeply. But he doesn’t have real friends and feels lonely.
Keely and Finn together. Will they find true love?
This character-driven and beautifully-written love story tells ups and downs in Keely and Finn’s lives and relationships with one another and others around them. The writing is immaculate. The author’s style is subtle and understated, but it captures loneliness and longing they feel growing up so well that it pulled me into the story and I felt strong affection for them. We see what happens to them in adult life. They have flaws and make mistakes. Because characters are portrayed so well, I understood them and hoped they would find happiness. The final chapter, the climax, is especially strong. I could not put it down.
The only problem is that after finishing I am not sure what “true love” means that the book wanted to say. But it might be just me. Maybe the point is made in such an understated way that I missed it. In any case, this is no doubt a love story that is worth reading. And I love the author’s style, so I would love to read more by him!
4.5 ⭐️/5
September 13, 2024
Keely is twelve when we first meet her, she lives with her caring, but remote father, and her little brother, William. They eke out a meagre living picking sea coal and the caravan where they live is functional, but basic. When tragedy strikes, Keely must try and hold everything together but she doesn't know how to shoulder the unbearable burden of grief which hangs about her shoulders like a cloud. She searches for a means of escape, desperately seeking comfort in a world which doesn't seem to care very much about her.
Finn is an introspective child, brought up by his grandparents, he is always on the outside looking in, and although perfectly content with his own company, he remains a lonely child, an easy target for bullies and made fun of by those who see him as some kind of misfit. On the surface these two lost and lonely souls would never have met but as this hauntingly beautiful story unfolds we start to discover that sometimes the stars align and what will be, will inevitably, be.
True Love wrapped itself around me like a blanket and even when I wasn't reading it my thoughts returned to Keely and Finn, two of the most memorable literary characters I have met in a long time. Whilst the story is a complex study into the fragility of relationships it is also desperately sad and deeply moving. It’s the story of two people searching for something only to have life get in the way and though desperate for a happy ever after ending, I knew that life isn’t always kind enough to give us what we want. Strong and beautiful the essence of True Love lingers long after the book is closed and Keelu and Finn’s story is finally told.
Finn is an introspective child, brought up by his grandparents, he is always on the outside looking in, and although perfectly content with his own company, he remains a lonely child, an easy target for bullies and made fun of by those who see him as some kind of misfit. On the surface these two lost and lonely souls would never have met but as this hauntingly beautiful story unfolds we start to discover that sometimes the stars align and what will be, will inevitably, be.
True Love wrapped itself around me like a blanket and even when I wasn't reading it my thoughts returned to Keely and Finn, two of the most memorable literary characters I have met in a long time. Whilst the story is a complex study into the fragility of relationships it is also desperately sad and deeply moving. It’s the story of two people searching for something only to have life get in the way and though desperate for a happy ever after ending, I knew that life isn’t always kind enough to give us what we want. Strong and beautiful the essence of True Love lingers long after the book is closed and Keelu and Finn’s story is finally told.
August 13, 2024
This, she is realising, is one of the things men are best at: turning their backs on the things they're meant to love and walking in the other direction.
Keely grows up lonely but loved. Her mother died when she was young. Her father spends his days doing backbreaking work dredging for coal in the sea off Ireland. But tragedy drives a wedge between her and her da and grief follows them both, reaching a breaking point.
Finn is being brought up by his grandparents. He too is lonely. He barely speaks, unable to find the words to articulate how he feels about the world. As a young man, he finds this ability in music, but this is short-lived.
When Keely and Finn meet, the connection is instant. Love blooms. But is it enough to save them both?
This story about love, grief and loneliness is rendered in heart-wrenchingly beautiful prose to the point where I wiped away tears. These themes are etched into the plot, and explored with deftness and aplomb.
Keely and Finn jump off the page, three-dimensional characters who feel real enough to touch. They're full of depth and I felt so protective of them. Keely, especially, stole my heart.
My only real criticism of the book is that the relationship between the characters develops too quickly. I've never been a fan of insta-love and I feel like the tensions between Keely and Finn would have been more pronounced and their heartache more profound if there had been more of a build-up.
Otherwise, I cannot recommend this stunning, lyrical novel enough.
June 27, 2024
True Love opens with a young girl, 12, called Keeley or as she is known Keg. A skinny, blonde girl who is living in a camp by the sea with her younger brother and father. Keeley takes on the role of her mother, she cooks for her dad and brother, tidies and cleans. Her dad is out at the beach by the camp working as a sea coaler, a dirty and physically exhausting job.
We then switch a narrative to meet Finn who is in his early teen years. Finn doesn't know his parents and lives with his somewhat stuffy grandparents. He is shy and avoids talking in most situations.
The narrative then switches between Finn and Keeley as they meet and ultimately fall in love, grow together and as two lost souls with levels of trauma seek solace in each other.
True Love is a character novel that is deeply moving and extremely sad. The two characters' internal monologues are incredibly complex and detail how the characters repeat toxic behaviours and how generational trauma has deeply affected them. Throughout the book you are hoping for a bit of peace for each of the characters which they both deserve. The story follows the highs and lows of growing up and is ultimately an incredibly moving coming of age story.
With an understated writing style, filled with subtly beautiful prose, Paddy Crewe has created an emotional novel and although it is not the happiest read, the ending leaves you with a sliver of hope which is what the characters deserve.
We then switch a narrative to meet Finn who is in his early teen years. Finn doesn't know his parents and lives with his somewhat stuffy grandparents. He is shy and avoids talking in most situations.
The narrative then switches between Finn and Keeley as they meet and ultimately fall in love, grow together and as two lost souls with levels of trauma seek solace in each other.
True Love is a character novel that is deeply moving and extremely sad. The two characters' internal monologues are incredibly complex and detail how the characters repeat toxic behaviours and how generational trauma has deeply affected them. Throughout the book you are hoping for a bit of peace for each of the characters which they both deserve. The story follows the highs and lows of growing up and is ultimately an incredibly moving coming of age story.
With an understated writing style, filled with subtly beautiful prose, Paddy Crewe has created an emotional novel and although it is not the happiest read, the ending leaves you with a sliver of hope which is what the characters deserve.
December 1, 2024
True Love by Paddy Crewe is a poignant and beautifully written exploration of love in its many forms—romantic, familial, and self-discovery. Set in the 1980s North East of England, it follows the lives of Keely and Finn, two deeply flawed and tender souls navigating their way through hardship, grief, and the search for connection.
Keely, fiercely resilient yet vulnerable, is shaped by loss and a relentless struggle for belonging. Finn, quiet and introspective, grapples with loneliness and his sense of identity. Their stories, told through alternating perspectives, build a vivid portrait of love’s ability to both heal and challenge us. Crewe's writing shines, particularly in the character-driven moments where their emotions are laid bare.
The structure of the novel—a deep dive into each character’s life before their eventual meeting—adds a layer of depth and empathy. While the first two sections captivated me with their intensity, I found the final part slightly rushed, missing the immersive focus of the earlier chapters. That said, the ending brought a sense of hope and redemption that felt earned.
Paddy Crewe’s prose is lyrical and evocative, making even the bleakest moments profoundly moving. Fans of authors like Donal Ryan or Louise Kennedy will appreciate the quiet power of this story. It’s not a light read, but it’s a rewarding one, brimming with raw emotion and heartfelt humanity.
A stunning novel that will linger long after the final page. Highly recommended for those who love character-driven narratives with depth and nuance.
Keely, fiercely resilient yet vulnerable, is shaped by loss and a relentless struggle for belonging. Finn, quiet and introspective, grapples with loneliness and his sense of identity. Their stories, told through alternating perspectives, build a vivid portrait of love’s ability to both heal and challenge us. Crewe's writing shines, particularly in the character-driven moments where their emotions are laid bare.
The structure of the novel—a deep dive into each character’s life before their eventual meeting—adds a layer of depth and empathy. While the first two sections captivated me with their intensity, I found the final part slightly rushed, missing the immersive focus of the earlier chapters. That said, the ending brought a sense of hope and redemption that felt earned.
Paddy Crewe’s prose is lyrical and evocative, making even the bleakest moments profoundly moving. Fans of authors like Donal Ryan or Louise Kennedy will appreciate the quiet power of this story. It’s not a light read, but it’s a rewarding one, brimming with raw emotion and heartfelt humanity.
A stunning novel that will linger long after the final page. Highly recommended for those who love character-driven narratives with depth and nuance.
March 29, 2024
This book was close to a 5 star as I was drawn into Keely’s life. She lives in a camp on the coast with her father and younger brother as they try to cope with the death of her mother. When her brother drowns both father and daughter struggle to come to terms with it. Her story is heartbreaking yet hopeful as Keely, underneath it all, displays a remarkable resilience.
Then we meet Finn, living with his grandparents having been abandoned by both parents. He doesn’t talk much or make friends and is perhaps neurodivergent. He eventually does find his voice through music. As a character I found him somewhat introspective and infuriating at times.
When Finn is abandoned by his bandmates after a gig he meets and moves in with Keely and maybe just maybe the tide will turn for these two characters.
This is certainly an emotional read from an author able to draw you into the lives of these two characters. My frustration with Finn is no doubt due to how well the character was portrayed and developed. It’s not always an easy read but I would wholeheartedly recommend it.
4.5 ⭐️
Thanks to NetGalley.co.uk and the publishers for this DRC in exchange for this honest review.
Then we meet Finn, living with his grandparents having been abandoned by both parents. He doesn’t talk much or make friends and is perhaps neurodivergent. He eventually does find his voice through music. As a character I found him somewhat introspective and infuriating at times.
When Finn is abandoned by his bandmates after a gig he meets and moves in with Keely and maybe just maybe the tide will turn for these two characters.
This is certainly an emotional read from an author able to draw you into the lives of these two characters. My frustration with Finn is no doubt due to how well the character was portrayed and developed. It’s not always an easy read but I would wholeheartedly recommend it.
4.5 ⭐️
Thanks to NetGalley.co.uk and the publishers for this DRC in exchange for this honest review.
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