The Mess We Made

by Megan O'Neill

The Mess We Made is an addictive will-they-won't-they debut love story about whether there can ever be a second chance for your first love.

Quin and Henry meet as kids and quickly become inseparable... They are high-school sweethearts until one night, one bad decision shatters everything.

Years later, Quin's stuck working at a local takeaway. She's not spoken to Henry since he left town nine years ago. She barely talks to her twin brother Josh, and their mum has early-onset Alzheimer's - Quin's dealing with the fact that she might get it too.

When Henry suddenly returns - and keeps showing up at work to walk Quin home - she feels herself falling all over again. But his reappearance triggers the secret she's kept buried for the past nine years, and she doesn't know if she can trust Henry not to disappear on her when he learns the truth.

If you love the millennial angst of Normal People and the addictive appeal of It Ends With Us and Daisy Jones and the Six, you will be captivated by Quin and the enigmatic Henry.

Genres: Romance, Fiction

337 pages, Kindle Edition

Published July 30, 2024

Reviews

[Lo · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to Hachette New Zealand for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for review. All opinions are my own.

I'll start by saying that it is a page turner. There are some very sweet moments and some heavy themes the novel is tackling. O'Neill hooks into the story by setting up a mystery which slowly unravels over the course of the novel. The use of two POVs through twins Josh and Quin as opposed to the main love interest was an interesting choice too.

Unfortunately, the story felt a little untethered at times and the ending left me wanting. There were some questions left unanswered, which felt pivotal to the ending coming full circle. A few of the characters felt like plot devices rather than fitting seamlessly into the story.

Overall it is a very good debut, but I may have not been the correct audience for this one.

[Elly Vanasche · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a real page turner. An enjoyable read that covers some heavy themes. I liked the writing style and the characters of the story. I look forward to reading more work from Megan O’Neil.

[Clare · Rating 5 out of 5]

Quite the page turner! Beautiful characters and an attention gripping story, didn't take long to finish and now I'm itching for Megan's next book!

[Carley Dixon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant debut novel, Congratulations!!

Thoroughly enjoyed getting to know these characters and the dynamics of their relationships. So much emotion…. Love a book that makes you laugh, cry, feel and think. Highly recommend. Congratulations Megan O’Neill, looking forward to reading more.

[Martinette · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm at a bit of a loss of how to rate this.

I kept flipping from really liking it to not being able to stand it.
It was REALLY heavy. Like, too heavy. And I didn't trust the author to give me a happy or at least happy-for-now ending that I desperately craved.

I was also surprised by the number of typos I found.

The end fell a bit flat for me as we didn't find out the diagnosis of the main character and that seems like a huge detail to leave out?

Overall, I think it was just a bit too heavy for me and left me feeling a bit empty when I finished it.

[Ellie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have so many conflicting feelings about this book but I often felt like things were missing in the story. And the end was infuriating because it left so many question like, does the have the disease? Is Josh permanently moving? Did Matt ever get held accountable? So many questions with an ending that just felt like the end of a chapter. It made me mad actually. This book had a lot of potential, but I felt so meh after reading it and I'm not sure if that was what the author was going for?

[Leanne Webster · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this a while ago but forgot to review it.

It’s a love story about Quin and Henry, who were childhood sweethearts until “something” happens and Henry disappears from Quin’s life.

Henry is also Quin’s twin brother’s best friend and he has been part of their family since forever.

The story sounds very “tween” Mills and Boon however I enjoyed the complicated relationship Quin has with her brother Josh. Josh appears to have everything going for him however appearances can be deceiving and he is also secretly suffering.

Quin’s living a simple life in her home town, working in the local diner, regularly visiting her mother who has early onset alzheimers. Quin never fully recovered from Henry breaking her heart then he turns up 9 years later to walk her home from work.

This is an easy read which I really enjoyed, relatable characters and great to support NZ authors. It’s more than just a love story.

[Kirsty Powell · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. Written in first person, swapping easily between the inner teen world of Quin and her twin brother Josh as they gradually lose their beloved mother to a genetic disease which they know will progress from early dementia to death. Each twin approaches their own 50% chance of inheriting this same condition very differently. Drawn into this world is their childhood friend Henry, who had always found refuge from his own dysfunctional family in the twins happy home. But now it has all changed. This story is a gritty read. It reminds me of Demon Copperhead’s slick edgy characters and arc. There’s a great twist at the end as well. I will be watching this author. Well written beyond her years.

[Kylie Campbell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow. What a book.

From the very first page, I was completely hooked and simply couldn’t put it down. This stunning debut novel by a Kiwi author is an emotional powerhouse, hitting all the right notes with grace and honesty.

The writing is both lyrical and raw, weaving a story that explores long-lost love, buried secrets, deep grief, and the often quiet struggles of depression. At its heart, it’s also a beautiful journey about learning to live again—and what it means to truly grow up.

Powerful, heartfelt, and deeply moving. An unforgettable read that will stay with you long after the last page.

[Brooke · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a beautiful, heart-wrenching story about unrequited love and past traumas. I read this book after buying it blindly without reading the back and I was so pleasantly surprised, I fell in love with the characters and the different perspectives gave such valuable insight into the actions of everyone in the book. What an absolute gem of a debut novel!

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of those books I kept thinking about when I wasn't reading it. There is a twist in it that I didn't see coming (like all good twists) that helps make sense of, well, lots of stuff! (Trying not to give anything away!). I had an acquaintance a long time ago with Huntington's (my guess at the mum's diagnosis/illness) and it's always stuck with me so this book was very poignant.

[Dani · Rating 2 out of 5]

You could cut this book in half and it would still be too long. Constantly circles the drain, never gets to the point. The characters are just a bunch of underdeveloped cliches whose motives and big narrative issues are so bland and benign that I would have DNFed if I didn't have OCD. Comparative to banging your head against the wall to pass the time.

[Anna Tempero · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved this impulsive buy, a beautiful book! I struggled with the abruptness of the ending, but I guess that’s life, it carries on and you can never plan for how it will turn out, maybe it ends the way it does to prove that.

[Ashley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved the book could not put it down !

[Emma · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved this. Fantastic, relatable characters.

[Nicole · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fantastic book that really taps into the reality of the human experience. Messy and complicated relationships that the reader quickly gets drawn into. I didn’t want to stop reading.

[Reader · Rating 4 out of 5]

Was a good read, it did keep going over things from the past but was an awesome ending.

A story of growth and deep emotions and trauma

[Karen Dowle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good page turner - but too much unresolved at the end

[Tracy Plane · Rating 5 out of 5]

A suspenseful dark romance and family drama written by an emerging NZ author. Absolutely loved it.

[josè mcguinny · Rating 3 out of 5]

A sweet book with some complex and relatable characters. Nice reading an NZ author and I look forward to her next book :)

[Hannah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enjoyed this easy read.

[Abby K · Rating 5 out of 5]

this is so gorgeous and painful and real my gosh

[Sarah Barnett · Rating 4 out of 5]

I adored this story about love and loss. The characters are so real and raw.

And it’s written by a kiwi author too!!

[Nicky Flint · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good read with interesting characters. Not a must read but good for some light hearted reading.