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Rebel Rebel
When a shared love of Bowie draws Jess to the captivating Astrid, she has no idea that her carefully planned future risks being torn apart…It’s 2007. Bowie is alive, and Jess is at university with her boyfriend, Robert. Their future together is all planned out, and Jess will never, ever, have to be alone again.At a party, Jess meets Astrid, a fellow Bowie fan whose world brims with adventure and possibility. Amidst clinking glasses and the infectious rhythm of 'Let’s Dance', she is drawn into Astrid’s orbit. Their friendship blossoms – Astrid, the enigmatic musician, and Jess, the wordsmith. Astrid inspires Jess to explore her own creative aspirations and question the essence of her existence.But beneath the surface, tensions grow. Robert is uneasy about Astrid's influence, and Astrid can’t understand why Jess stays with him. With the risk of losing it all, Jess finds herself at the crossroads of two worlds – one familiar and safe, the other filled with the intoxicating pull of another path…As Jess is pulled into a hedonistic adventure that challenges conventions, celebrates the power of female friendship, and champions creativity, she faces a daunting choice. Will she find a way to navigate her dreams and desires before it’s too late?
416 pages, Paperback
Published January 10, 2024
About the author
Jen Eve Taylor
1 book9 followersJen is originally from Sydney, Australia, but now lives in London - her life’s one great love story.
Her debut novel Rebel Rebel, set in a UK university town, explores the many facets of female friendship, and romantic relationships, with music spinning throughout.
Aside from writing, music is her life. Her own album, Dreams of the Lights by Jen Eve, can be found on all music streaming platforms.
Jen is also known for her blog, The Cancer Chronicles, where she writes about her adventures with a pesky bit of bone cancer (osteosarcoma), which is trying to kill her, and has most recently turned her blind.
Her debut novel Rebel Rebel, set in a UK university town, explores the many facets of female friendship, and romantic relationships, with music spinning throughout.
Aside from writing, music is her life. Her own album, Dreams of the Lights by Jen Eve, can be found on all music streaming platforms.
Jen is also known for her blog, The Cancer Chronicles, where she writes about her adventures with a pesky bit of bone cancer (osteosarcoma), which is trying to kill her, and has most recently turned her blind.
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
March 18, 2024
This book is a purposeful, passionate, celebratory and heartbreaking tribute to female friendship, music and self worth. It covers so much in its 400 pages. Yes, the main plot is the story of Jess and Astrid, and how Jess comes to discover herself and who she is away from everyone else’s expectation - and it’s a totally gripping, exhilarating one. However, there is so much to be found in the magic that appears as if by accident. The parties. The gigs. The references to the music of the time and the music of the past. The long nights walking home through the unnamed university town much of the novel is set in. Jen Eve Taylor creates atmosphere and a time capsule in this book that made reading it really feel like escapism. But as the book teaches us: it’s not an accident. You can feel the work and skill that has gone into this book, despite the fact that each sentence appears in front of you effortlessly.
I could write an essay on the difference between how daytime is portrayed in this book: Jess’ fears of expectation, of conforming, her need to be looked after in the cold light of day; and then night time, when she is allowed to let go and be free, dancing until the early morning with Astrid.
Also, Robert is written perfectly. He’s such a knob, but you are also able to understand why Jess stays (mostly).
A book for anyone who has ever been an over thinker, a crier, a friend, a Bowie fan, an unappreciated girlfriend, an unappreciated best friend.
I could write an essay on the difference between how daytime is portrayed in this book: Jess’ fears of expectation, of conforming, her need to be looked after in the cold light of day; and then night time, when she is allowed to let go and be free, dancing until the early morning with Astrid.
Also, Robert is written perfectly. He’s such a knob, but you are also able to understand why Jess stays (mostly).
A book for anyone who has ever been an over thinker, a crier, a friend, a Bowie fan, an unappreciated girlfriend, an unappreciated best friend.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 14, 2024
“Rebel Rebel” is a brilliant book. It’s not short – over 400 pages – but it’s a joy to read. The only disappointment is coming to the end. Jen Eve Taylor is a skilled author. She writes with real clarity so that you’re barely aware of her presence. Instead, you’re drawn imperceptibly into an intriguing intimacy that makes you feel part of the relationships and events taking place. The story starts with Jess, the narrator, in sixth form. She has no confidence in or understanding of herself, particularly when it comes to social interactions, “I couldn’t bear the idea of people not liking me.” So she’s both excited and terrified when the relaxed and popular Robert takes an interest in her. He is soon acting as a bridge between Jess and a world which she finds intimidating and confusing. When the two of them partner up and decide to go to university together, Jess’s future suddenly seems safe and full of hope. However, the story really starts when Jess meets Astrid at a party. Astrid is a wild and spirited character and her friendship exposes Jess to undreamt of ideas. Jess finds herself being pulled in contradictory directions. With Robert, she is protected from the unknown by living in a carefully proscribed world. With Astrid, the unknown is there to be relished and fears mere obstacles to be overcome. As Jess’s life flowers, she struggles to decide which direction her future should take. Towards a world free of fear with Robert or to a world full of possibility with Astrid? Jen Eve Taylor has a talent for describing vulnerability and uncertainty. Jess is a brilliantly realised character and I found myself cheering her on, hoping that in time she came to realise her own strengths and value as a person. I don’t know how I’ve managed to come this far without saying a word about the music which permeates every page of “Rebel Rebel”. Maybe that’s something you can discover for yourself by reading this stunning book.
April 5, 2024
i already knew jen was a cracking writer after years of reading her poignant blog 'the cancer chronicles'. we met because of it, cancer that is. when i found out she was writing a book, i was pleased that it wasn't related to cancer as it meant we would be gifted with a whole new aspect of her creativity & skill.
jen's writing has a fluidity that makes her work easy to read, digest & appreciate, but also get you thinking without asking any questions. to have a flow of writing so skillful in a debut is special & the mark of someone meant to be a writer. i found myself in shock by how much i'd read in one sitting without even realising on multiple occasions - something that i can't remember the last time i did. i enjoyed her use of the first person narrative to tell jess' story, speaking to another character rather than us, the reader. again, i knew she had skill but seeing it in fictional form means anyone who reads this work in for a treat for both the eyes & noggin.
this well-written book is an exploration of female friendship during those pivotal university years when you're figuring out who you are and your place in the universe. not just any friendship but that distinctive one which feels unbreakable & life-long like blood or biology. the one that puts you on the path to discovering who you are.
we're taken through this time in her life & her past by jess - the main protagonist who is probably the most anxious, dependent character with the lowest self-esteem i've ever come across. she addresses her boyfriend, robert. a man who grated on me increasingly with his cocky, holier-than-thou attitude. while at university with robert, she meets the free-spirited astrid & the two girls form a formidable, unforgettable friendship. just like reality, each of the three main characters evokes a whole host of emotions in the reader; you root for them, you sympathise with them, you're annoyed by them, you're angered by them, etc.
well, except robert, i just deeply dislike him but that might just be me & my lack of sympathy for men.
jen has painted a picture with words of that friendship when the world seems like an odd place where you play at being a grown-up while being in education but only a jump from the reality of being an actual adult. she did it well enough that i found myself unlocking memories long forgotten & taking trips down memory lane to adventures with that friend in ldn 2011-2014. plus, the book comes with an accompanying playlist for an added immersive experience! never had that before, it feels like a deal.
how lucky am i to have a friend who is so hard-working & creative, & can channel them so skillfully into her multiple crafts?! how lucky are we all to experience her art?!
jen's writing has a fluidity that makes her work easy to read, digest & appreciate, but also get you thinking without asking any questions. to have a flow of writing so skillful in a debut is special & the mark of someone meant to be a writer. i found myself in shock by how much i'd read in one sitting without even realising on multiple occasions - something that i can't remember the last time i did. i enjoyed her use of the first person narrative to tell jess' story, speaking to another character rather than us, the reader. again, i knew she had skill but seeing it in fictional form means anyone who reads this work in for a treat for both the eyes & noggin.
this well-written book is an exploration of female friendship during those pivotal university years when you're figuring out who you are and your place in the universe. not just any friendship but that distinctive one which feels unbreakable & life-long like blood or biology. the one that puts you on the path to discovering who you are.
we're taken through this time in her life & her past by jess - the main protagonist who is probably the most anxious, dependent character with the lowest self-esteem i've ever come across. she addresses her boyfriend, robert. a man who grated on me increasingly with his cocky, holier-than-thou attitude. while at university with robert, she meets the free-spirited astrid & the two girls form a formidable, unforgettable friendship. just like reality, each of the three main characters evokes a whole host of emotions in the reader; you root for them, you sympathise with them, you're annoyed by them, you're angered by them, etc.
well, except robert, i just deeply dislike him but that might just be me & my lack of sympathy for men.
jen has painted a picture with words of that friendship when the world seems like an odd place where you play at being a grown-up while being in education but only a jump from the reality of being an actual adult. she did it well enough that i found myself unlocking memories long forgotten & taking trips down memory lane to adventures with that friend in ldn 2011-2014. plus, the book comes with an accompanying playlist for an added immersive experience! never had that before, it feels like a deal.
how lucky am i to have a friend who is so hard-working & creative, & can channel them so skillfully into her multiple crafts?! how lucky are we all to experience her art?!
April 18, 2024
Really loved this book, which I read mainly in hospital while recovering from a hip replacement. I wasn’t sure at first whether the generational divide between me and its author and characters would be problematic. It wasn’t. Gradually got thoroughly pulled into its three main characters, Jess, Astrid and Robert and longed for the moment where Jess would tell Robert where to go. She never quite does that, of course - she wouldn’t - but she does leave him to go off travelling on her own, which is nearly as good and much more believable.
Loved it that there was much to be irritated about in Jess and Astrid, as well as Robert - no one gets off scot-free. Jess is - let’s face it - pathetic - and Astrid’s focus on self-realisation over relationships pissed me off after a while. But the overall ethical direction of the book is clear. Art, creativity and excitement win out over the tedious plod to professional success; feminism wins out over (fairly) unreconstructed blokes; life is for living, not accumulating; creation is its own reward. Hard not to be at least vaguely on board with most of that - and the book never oversimplifies the complexities of things.
Loved it that there was much to be irritated about in Jess and Astrid, as well as Robert - no one gets off scot-free. Jess is - let’s face it - pathetic - and Astrid’s focus on self-realisation over relationships pissed me off after a while. But the overall ethical direction of the book is clear. Art, creativity and excitement win out over the tedious plod to professional success; feminism wins out over (fairly) unreconstructed blokes; life is for living, not accumulating; creation is its own reward. Hard not to be at least vaguely on board with most of that - and the book never oversimplifies the complexities of things.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 19, 2024
Well, where do I start? This book absolutely blew me away, and is definitely one I won’t forget in a hurry!
As a character, Astrid is intoxicating and I know I would have been drawn to her as Jess was. It felt a little like a “moth to a flame” relationship though, and there were times when I found myself wondering if Jess would emerge unscathed. As Jess grew closer to Astrid, I felt as though I was in free fall with her, right there in their flat and at the parties, not just reading about them. Despite my intermittent concerns for Jess and this friendship, overall I adored the way that Astrid championed her and pushed her to realise who she was and what she wanted from life.
In contrast to Jess and Astrid’s relationship, Jess’s relationship with Robert made me deeply uncomfortable from the outset, with everything seemingly on his terms. I was desperate for Jess to just stand up to him and for herself.
Jen Eve Taylor’s decision to write this as a letter to Robert only served to increase my emotional attachment to Jess, as it added emphasis to just how unhappy and confused to she was at times, and how uplifted she was by Astrid and her friends when she was away from Robert.
These are characters that got deeply under my skin. A lot of Jess’s feelings about being on the periphery of life, and not deserving to take up space resonated hard with me and where I have been at various times of my life, and I think because of this, the letter that she discovers that Astrid wrote for her really hit home, and I will admit that I was a mess when I was reading it.
Rebel Rebel is a deeply emotional book about women championing other women, and I found myself laughing and crying in turn throughout the time I was reading it. I know it is only February, but I feel confident in saying that this will be one of the best books I read in 2024
As a character, Astrid is intoxicating and I know I would have been drawn to her as Jess was. It felt a little like a “moth to a flame” relationship though, and there were times when I found myself wondering if Jess would emerge unscathed. As Jess grew closer to Astrid, I felt as though I was in free fall with her, right there in their flat and at the parties, not just reading about them. Despite my intermittent concerns for Jess and this friendship, overall I adored the way that Astrid championed her and pushed her to realise who she was and what she wanted from life.
In contrast to Jess and Astrid’s relationship, Jess’s relationship with Robert made me deeply uncomfortable from the outset, with everything seemingly on his terms. I was desperate for Jess to just stand up to him and for herself.
Jen Eve Taylor’s decision to write this as a letter to Robert only served to increase my emotional attachment to Jess, as it added emphasis to just how unhappy and confused to she was at times, and how uplifted she was by Astrid and her friends when she was away from Robert.
These are characters that got deeply under my skin. A lot of Jess’s feelings about being on the periphery of life, and not deserving to take up space resonated hard with me and where I have been at various times of my life, and I think because of this, the letter that she discovers that Astrid wrote for her really hit home, and I will admit that I was a mess when I was reading it.
Rebel Rebel is a deeply emotional book about women championing other women, and I found myself laughing and crying in turn throughout the time I was reading it. I know it is only February, but I feel confident in saying that this will be one of the best books I read in 2024
June 27, 2024
I'm not even certain that I can put into words just how wonderful I think this book is.
Jen Eve Taylor writes with flawless clarity and brings her characters to life with what I can only assume is some kind of sorcery. This story and these characters will stay with me for a long time and I'm not sure I'll ever be ready to let go of them.
Jess' experience at university mirrors mine in so many ways that I felt, in some parts, that I was reading about my own life.
Which is exactly the beauty of this book. We all have parts of Jess in us, some of us (like me) more than others. This book is for those of us who have always been told we're 'too loud' or 'too much' those of us who spent far too much time shrinking ourselves to the smallest version we could be so we didn't annoy anyone or be noticed. Those of us who have been TERRIFIED to take up the space that we have every right too.
This book is for all of us. Those who stayed, those who left, those who are thinking about it. Those who know exactly who they are and those who need the encouragement to be exactly who they are.
I CANNOT recommend this book enough. I adore it.
"Be you, and promise me, no matter what, you will ALWAYS LIVE. And do it as loudly as you can."
This is the new motto for my life from this day forward.
There will forever be an Astrid sized hole in my heart
Jen Eve Taylor writes with flawless clarity and brings her characters to life with what I can only assume is some kind of sorcery. This story and these characters will stay with me for a long time and I'm not sure I'll ever be ready to let go of them.
Jess' experience at university mirrors mine in so many ways that I felt, in some parts, that I was reading about my own life.
Which is exactly the beauty of this book. We all have parts of Jess in us, some of us (like me) more than others. This book is for those of us who have always been told we're 'too loud' or 'too much' those of us who spent far too much time shrinking ourselves to the smallest version we could be so we didn't annoy anyone or be noticed. Those of us who have been TERRIFIED to take up the space that we have every right too.
This book is for all of us. Those who stayed, those who left, those who are thinking about it. Those who know exactly who they are and those who need the encouragement to be exactly who they are.
I CANNOT recommend this book enough. I adore it.
"Be you, and promise me, no matter what, you will ALWAYS LIVE. And do it as loudly as you can."
This is the new motto for my life from this day forward.
There will forever be an Astrid sized hole in my heart
May 19, 2024
Rebel Rebel is a brilliant novel and Jen Eve Taylor is a brilliant writer. She perfectly captures the subtleties and complexities of human motivations, behaviour and relationships.
The novel plot follows the tale of Jess, a young woman finding her path and place in the world. Jess is torn between the reliability and predictability of the life she has been living and the world of adventures that her new best friend Astrid opens her eyes to.
Through Jess’ eyes with Astrid’s influence, the novel is a powerful invitation to all women to live their dreams and to know their worth. A thought provoking and compelling read from start to finish. Jen Eve Taylor is amazing and everyone needs to read this novel!
The novel plot follows the tale of Jess, a young woman finding her path and place in the world. Jess is torn between the reliability and predictability of the life she has been living and the world of adventures that her new best friend Astrid opens her eyes to.
Through Jess’ eyes with Astrid’s influence, the novel is a powerful invitation to all women to live their dreams and to know their worth. A thought provoking and compelling read from start to finish. Jen Eve Taylor is amazing and everyone needs to read this novel!
May 21, 2024
This is a book about friendship, love, lust, pushing self-imposed limits, pushing limits imposed by others but most of all I think it is a book about living YOUR life. I binged this book one sunny Sunday. There is so much to love in this book - I loved the themes, I loved the pace and not least, I loved Astrid. We should all strife to be a little more Astrid. I binged this book one sunny Sunday. It is the perfect holiday read or coffee shop read or commute read or bedtime read. Wherever you read, please read this book.
April 23, 2024
I enjoyed this book so much, reading it felt like going on one of Astrid and Jess’s adventures. It was pure escapism. I loved and was irritated by the characters in equal measure. They got under my skin in the best way and I couldn’t wait for the moment that Jess would finally stand up for herself. I raced through it and it broke me out of a real reading rut. Jen Eve Taylor is such a talented (sorry Astrid!) writer and captivating story teller. Now, time to listen to the playlist!
March 3, 2024
I loved this book! It felt so relatable and I love the focus on importance of female friendships. I could really picture the characters and the journeys they went on, I didn’t want the adventures to end.
November 23, 2024
This book was so relatable in different ways. I have never wanted a book to last even longer than this one- I wish you'd had the time to write more books. Thank you for leaving such a gem for us to read and re-read. Rest in peace you wonderful person ❤️
May 6, 2024
I loved this book. It swept me up in the story and took me away from everything else for a while. A book that can do that is always such a special thing and this one is simply spectacular. The writing, the characters, I couldn’t put it down and it was a joy to read. Could not recommend strongly enough!!
December 9, 2024
A beautiful love letter to creativity, music, hedonism and independence. I loved reading this so much. The authors passion for life is so clear, as is their deep understanding of the transformative power of female friendship. I was really swept into the world of these characters, who are bought to life beautifully in the audiobook narrated by the ever-brilliant Rosa Hesmondhalgh.
October 20, 2024
I don't usually enjoy 1st person/ narrator stories but I LOVED this book. Loved how it was written. Loved how it sucked me in. And just enjoyed the story. Poignant. Real feelings. Relatable. Read it in a day! Highly recommended x
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews