What do you think?
Rate this book
About Charlie
348 pages, Paperback
Published October 20, 2024
2 people want to read
About the author
J.M. Langan
8 books18 followersJM Langan’s work has been published in various online journals and anthologies, including The Cabinet of Heed, The Drabble, 50-Word Stories, Poetic Sun and The Crowstep Journal. Jane has published a short story collection and two poetry collections. Her debut novel, About Charlie, was shortlisted in the 2025 Rubery Book Prize. Her second novel, The Last Metaxian, was published in 2025, as was her third – The Impossible Queen. The sequels for these will be out in 2026. Jane can be found on social media @muddynosugar.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
January 14, 2025
About Charlie by JM Langan
Emma is a lost soul seeking solace in anything that will help her forget, drowning her pain to blur the edges of reality against the backdrop of 1990s London. Jason witnesses Emma’s darkest moments, but can he forgive everything?
This contemporary tale explores love, loss, grief, and addiction as Emma and Jason navigate a treacherous path that tests the limits of friendship and the resilience of the human spirit.
I always find it exciting when I'm asked to read and review a debut novel. So, when Zooloos Books reached out to me, I eagerly signed up and awaited the arrival of the ARC (Advance Reader Copy).
Not knowing what to expect, I made myself comfortable and began reading.
The plot is fast-paced, but not so fast that important details are missed. I appreciate the author's writing style; you wouldn't have guessed it was a first novel unless told. It is a well-rounded and accomplished debut.
The characters are well-developed and relatable. Learning about their backgrounds was both interesting and enjoyable. The author sensitively and thoroughly addresses drug addiction, self-harm, and loss, exploring how these issues affect individuals physically and mentally, as well as how they impact those who care for them.
I enjoyed About Charlie, and am happy to recommend it. I look forward to seeing what JM Langan writes next.
I want to thank publishers Castle Priory Press; 1st edition (20 Oct. 2024). I also want to thank Zooloos Book Tours for providing a copy to read and review.
Emma is a lost soul seeking solace in anything that will help her forget, drowning her pain to blur the edges of reality against the backdrop of 1990s London. Jason witnesses Emma’s darkest moments, but can he forgive everything?
This contemporary tale explores love, loss, grief, and addiction as Emma and Jason navigate a treacherous path that tests the limits of friendship and the resilience of the human spirit.
I always find it exciting when I'm asked to read and review a debut novel. So, when Zooloos Books reached out to me, I eagerly signed up and awaited the arrival of the ARC (Advance Reader Copy).
Not knowing what to expect, I made myself comfortable and began reading.
The plot is fast-paced, but not so fast that important details are missed. I appreciate the author's writing style; you wouldn't have guessed it was a first novel unless told. It is a well-rounded and accomplished debut.
The characters are well-developed and relatable. Learning about their backgrounds was both interesting and enjoyable. The author sensitively and thoroughly addresses drug addiction, self-harm, and loss, exploring how these issues affect individuals physically and mentally, as well as how they impact those who care for them.
I enjoyed About Charlie, and am happy to recommend it. I look forward to seeing what JM Langan writes next.
I want to thank publishers Castle Priory Press; 1st edition (20 Oct. 2024). I also want to thank Zooloos Book Tours for providing a copy to read and review.
March 29, 2025
From the back cover: “Emma is a lost soul, seeking solace with anything that will help her forget, drowning her pain to blur the edges of reality in the backdrop of 1990s London.
Jason witnesses Emma’s darkest moments but can he forgive everything?
This is a contemporary tale of love, loss, grief, and addiction as Emma and Jason navigate a treacherous path which tests the limits of friendship and the resilience of the human spirit. “
My review: (does contain some spoilers but for the purposes of highlighting the authors work)
I’ve been totally absorbed in this highly accomplished debut novel from Jane M Langan. Emma is newly widowed and at rock bottom when the narrative opens straight into a drug induced state from Emma’s point of view in first person. I’ve never experienced drugs but Jane really pulls me into that world and lets me feel Emma’s pain with her. The loss of her husband Charlie to cancer, is skilfully woven in as she comes down from the drugs, and Jason (her’s and Charlie’s longstanding friend), comes across strongly as more than just a friend. His determination to help her seems to be a sign of real love.
Flashbacks to her time with Charlie up to his death give poignant detail of his decline, so back in the present day of the narrative her despair is brought into sharp focus. I think I can see a pattern of layering from Jane, as she mingles Emma’s grief and its effects on Jason and other people close to her, with snapshots of her time with Charlie. There’s a lot of internalising through Emma’s thoughts which heighten the sadness of her state of mind, especially when she puts on a front to avoid scrutiny and be free to use again. Jason is giving her tough love in a bid to save her from herself and this, seen from her point of view, is very effective. I like the way Jane mingles Emma’s messed up thoughts with real time events, adding to the complexity of grief, addiction, and loss.
Intense interactions between Emma and Jason are played out against the effects of drugs and alcohol combined. It’s emotional to the point of pain for Jason due to Emma wanting sex with him just to be close and feel something. She’s off her head and seeing/wanting Charlie instead of him. Something has to give and he books her into a rehab centre when he can’t cope anymore (there’s also his added guilt from not hiding his own small stash of drugs well enough from her). It seems that they’re both broken at this stage.
On entering rehab, Emma seems very lucid and it’s the matter of fact narration that really emphasises her stark reality. Rehab offers a good opportunity for more flashbacks, and casting back to 1983 shows her as a teenager at the start of her friendship with Jason when they work on the Turner Bros burger vans. The graphic description of Bobby Turner’s drunken attempt to rape her is as gritty as it gets, and reveals another layer to her: “I’m scared now, I’ve felt like this before. I couldn’t escape then. I feel bile rise in the back of my throat as I start to panic.” What has happened to her in the past? It’s a relief when Jason brings the other Turner brothers to her aid just in time.
Back in rehab I can really sense the cold clinical environment Emma finds herself in. It’s hard for her to open up, and her vulnerability is particularly poignant when she strays into the men’s section after walking out of her first therapy session. Memories of Charlie flit in and out of her consciousness.
A return to 1987 shows the London drug/club scene via Emma’s, Jason’s, and Charlie’s experiences of Ecstasy. Once again, Jane gives an insight into the effects of drugs and it’s her style channeled through Emma that can really immerse the reader. The dynamic between the three of them is powerful, with the E consumption lowering their inhibitions and the sexual content heightening the effects.
The day to day of Emma’s existence back in the present (1993 in rehab), sees her internalised thoughts remain focussed on drugs. I’m finding myself really hoping that she can get back to Jason’s for Christmas, as I’m fully invested in her despite her flaws and weaknesses. However, her encounters with Seth (a male patient) in the garden are a real setback. If she’s prepared to offer sex in return for smuggled in drugs, is there hope for her? Does she have the will to get clean, or will she spiral further? Jane’s authorial voice is authentic. Being an addict must be so complex and significant research is bearing fruit here. Week five in rehab is an emotional rollercoaster with Emma’s attempt on her life, hitting hard. Mental imbalance is no joke and Jane doesn’t pull any punches.
With just a visit from Jason instead of going home with him at Christmas, sympathy for Emma can soon turn to frustration due to her further antics with Seth. Things switch up when Rosie (a mental health nurse), suggests “There is more than one type of addiction,” the obviously implied sex adds a new dimension to Emma’s recovery and eligibility for release. The complexity of feelings between Emma and Jason is still the main focus, but both of them are trying to accept that they should give each other space. In the meantime, readers may well ask what the hell is wrong her for continuing to meet up with Seth. She seems to be her own worst enemy but underneath all of it, she is grieving for Charlie. As a reader, I’m relieved when she does finally go home with Jason. Their tender reconnection culminates in their true passion for each other. I’m wanting them to move forward together in love, yet sensing that they’re not out of the woods yet.
When Emma discovers she’s pregnant, the question of whether the baby is Jason’s or Seth’s, hits with full force. Again, I admire the way her feelings are so focused, the internalising is superb. During the lead up to her first pregnancy scan, her counsellor sums things up pretty accurately: “Well you can’t say your life isn’t exciting.” Emma’s guilt over her liaisons with Seth, suggests she still has a way to go before any semblance of normality: “The constant craving for drugs is like a low background hum these days, but it’s still there.” Will she achieve true happiness?
The descriptions of Jason’s paintings of Emma, via her narrative point of view, are highly emotive and sexually charged. They seem to serve as a kind of recap of all she’s been through in the novel so far. As he explains: “I think painting was my way of expressing how I felt…I don’t know…They’re about me as much as they’re about you.” His love for her is graphically depicted via his passionate art: Showing his visions of her through their early days on the burger vans, through their love and friendship with Charlie, through the aftermath of Charlie’s death and the horror of her drug use, and through her rehab. It’s a love story, but doesn’t shy away from how love often has to ride out the brutal realities of life. Similarly, a photo shoot with Ken (a gay friend with a connection to Jason and Charlie’s student days), has the artistic beauty interspersed with the passion of their relationship.
Towards the end of the novel, I’ve enjoyed the sense of normality beginning to take over for them both. Emma “writing a novel about a drug addict, a girl who’s grieving the death of her husband,” is a neat touch from Jane which gives continuity for Emma as the main protagonist. Emma’s thoughts on Jason’s paintings, some of which have featured her at her worst, lead to a lighter perspective on her life: “I’m none of those girls he painted anymore.” The Epilogue is a great way of cementing Emma and Jason as a couple. And there’s artistic success for both of them with his portrait of her on display in the Hayward Gallery on the Southbank, and her receiving the first editions of her book from her publisher. ‘About Charlie’ has been an extremely thought provoking read for me. Life can be so tough, but there is always hope. It gives me great pleasure to recommend it, there is so much more to it than what I have outlined here ❤️
Suzanne L Burn
Jason witnesses Emma’s darkest moments but can he forgive everything?
This is a contemporary tale of love, loss, grief, and addiction as Emma and Jason navigate a treacherous path which tests the limits of friendship and the resilience of the human spirit. “
My review: (does contain some spoilers but for the purposes of highlighting the authors work)
I’ve been totally absorbed in this highly accomplished debut novel from Jane M Langan. Emma is newly widowed and at rock bottom when the narrative opens straight into a drug induced state from Emma’s point of view in first person. I’ve never experienced drugs but Jane really pulls me into that world and lets me feel Emma’s pain with her. The loss of her husband Charlie to cancer, is skilfully woven in as she comes down from the drugs, and Jason (her’s and Charlie’s longstanding friend), comes across strongly as more than just a friend. His determination to help her seems to be a sign of real love.
Flashbacks to her time with Charlie up to his death give poignant detail of his decline, so back in the present day of the narrative her despair is brought into sharp focus. I think I can see a pattern of layering from Jane, as she mingles Emma’s grief and its effects on Jason and other people close to her, with snapshots of her time with Charlie. There’s a lot of internalising through Emma’s thoughts which heighten the sadness of her state of mind, especially when she puts on a front to avoid scrutiny and be free to use again. Jason is giving her tough love in a bid to save her from herself and this, seen from her point of view, is very effective. I like the way Jane mingles Emma’s messed up thoughts with real time events, adding to the complexity of grief, addiction, and loss.
Intense interactions between Emma and Jason are played out against the effects of drugs and alcohol combined. It’s emotional to the point of pain for Jason due to Emma wanting sex with him just to be close and feel something. She’s off her head and seeing/wanting Charlie instead of him. Something has to give and he books her into a rehab centre when he can’t cope anymore (there’s also his added guilt from not hiding his own small stash of drugs well enough from her). It seems that they’re both broken at this stage.
On entering rehab, Emma seems very lucid and it’s the matter of fact narration that really emphasises her stark reality. Rehab offers a good opportunity for more flashbacks, and casting back to 1983 shows her as a teenager at the start of her friendship with Jason when they work on the Turner Bros burger vans. The graphic description of Bobby Turner’s drunken attempt to rape her is as gritty as it gets, and reveals another layer to her: “I’m scared now, I’ve felt like this before. I couldn’t escape then. I feel bile rise in the back of my throat as I start to panic.” What has happened to her in the past? It’s a relief when Jason brings the other Turner brothers to her aid just in time.
Back in rehab I can really sense the cold clinical environment Emma finds herself in. It’s hard for her to open up, and her vulnerability is particularly poignant when she strays into the men’s section after walking out of her first therapy session. Memories of Charlie flit in and out of her consciousness.
A return to 1987 shows the London drug/club scene via Emma’s, Jason’s, and Charlie’s experiences of Ecstasy. Once again, Jane gives an insight into the effects of drugs and it’s her style channeled through Emma that can really immerse the reader. The dynamic between the three of them is powerful, with the E consumption lowering their inhibitions and the sexual content heightening the effects.
The day to day of Emma’s existence back in the present (1993 in rehab), sees her internalised thoughts remain focussed on drugs. I’m finding myself really hoping that she can get back to Jason’s for Christmas, as I’m fully invested in her despite her flaws and weaknesses. However, her encounters with Seth (a male patient) in the garden are a real setback. If she’s prepared to offer sex in return for smuggled in drugs, is there hope for her? Does she have the will to get clean, or will she spiral further? Jane’s authorial voice is authentic. Being an addict must be so complex and significant research is bearing fruit here. Week five in rehab is an emotional rollercoaster with Emma’s attempt on her life, hitting hard. Mental imbalance is no joke and Jane doesn’t pull any punches.
With just a visit from Jason instead of going home with him at Christmas, sympathy for Emma can soon turn to frustration due to her further antics with Seth. Things switch up when Rosie (a mental health nurse), suggests “There is more than one type of addiction,” the obviously implied sex adds a new dimension to Emma’s recovery and eligibility for release. The complexity of feelings between Emma and Jason is still the main focus, but both of them are trying to accept that they should give each other space. In the meantime, readers may well ask what the hell is wrong her for continuing to meet up with Seth. She seems to be her own worst enemy but underneath all of it, she is grieving for Charlie. As a reader, I’m relieved when she does finally go home with Jason. Their tender reconnection culminates in their true passion for each other. I’m wanting them to move forward together in love, yet sensing that they’re not out of the woods yet.
When Emma discovers she’s pregnant, the question of whether the baby is Jason’s or Seth’s, hits with full force. Again, I admire the way her feelings are so focused, the internalising is superb. During the lead up to her first pregnancy scan, her counsellor sums things up pretty accurately: “Well you can’t say your life isn’t exciting.” Emma’s guilt over her liaisons with Seth, suggests she still has a way to go before any semblance of normality: “The constant craving for drugs is like a low background hum these days, but it’s still there.” Will she achieve true happiness?
The descriptions of Jason’s paintings of Emma, via her narrative point of view, are highly emotive and sexually charged. They seem to serve as a kind of recap of all she’s been through in the novel so far. As he explains: “I think painting was my way of expressing how I felt…I don’t know…They’re about me as much as they’re about you.” His love for her is graphically depicted via his passionate art: Showing his visions of her through their early days on the burger vans, through their love and friendship with Charlie, through the aftermath of Charlie’s death and the horror of her drug use, and through her rehab. It’s a love story, but doesn’t shy away from how love often has to ride out the brutal realities of life. Similarly, a photo shoot with Ken (a gay friend with a connection to Jason and Charlie’s student days), has the artistic beauty interspersed with the passion of their relationship.
Towards the end of the novel, I’ve enjoyed the sense of normality beginning to take over for them both. Emma “writing a novel about a drug addict, a girl who’s grieving the death of her husband,” is a neat touch from Jane which gives continuity for Emma as the main protagonist. Emma’s thoughts on Jason’s paintings, some of which have featured her at her worst, lead to a lighter perspective on her life: “I’m none of those girls he painted anymore.” The Epilogue is a great way of cementing Emma and Jason as a couple. And there’s artistic success for both of them with his portrait of her on display in the Hayward Gallery on the Southbank, and her receiving the first editions of her book from her publisher. ‘About Charlie’ has been an extremely thought provoking read for me. Life can be so tough, but there is always hope. It gives me great pleasure to recommend it, there is so much more to it than what I have outlined here ❤️
Suzanne L Burn
January 19, 2025
Thank you @zooloosBT For letting me be part of this tour and reviewing this book. About Charlie is a contemporary genre. The story about Emma, who loses her husband Charlie to cancer and becomes a drug addict. The story set in the 1990s in London. There are plenty of themes in the book, which are loss, love, addiction, friends, and grief. I found this to be a very deep read and it took me a few days to read this book due to me not wanting to rush this book and take in everything that was going on with the characters. About Charlie is a fascinating read that gave me insight into Emma Grief and her addiction due to her loss. I felt for her so much and her journey trying to get clean and a world without her husband. I also felt for her friend Jason, who was trying to help Emma but knew he could no longer give her the care she needed because she needed proper help. That must be hard for Jason. I liked the art side of the story which flows through the book. The story is written exceedingly well and gripped me from the first page. This is a entirely different read to what I normally read and so glad I read this book. It’s an amazing and inspiring read. 5 stars. I will be looking for more books by JM Langan in the future
January 16, 2025
About Charlie by JM Langan.
This was a good read. I did like the cover. I did like the story with likeable characters. I did like the writing style. I didn't have any favourite characters but I didn't not like them either. A very moving read. I did like the ending.
This was a good read. I did like the cover. I did like the story with likeable characters. I did like the writing style. I didn't have any favourite characters but I didn't not like them either. A very moving read. I did like the ending.
January 23, 2025
I will be honest normally I wouldn’t have picked up this book based on the blurb but I am so glad I did. I keep trying to reach outside my comfort genres and I have to say, while this is somewhat hard to categorise. I fully enjoyed it.
I really loved the humanity of the characters and how Langan writes. You cannot help but be caught up in Emma and Jason’s stories. The emotion and topics that Langan deals with are sometimes dark but show what some of go through. I won’t spoil the story but I will say tha it is written beautifully even if that is a bit strange to say about the a book and deals with topics such as loss, grief and addiction. A definite must read.
As always thank you to Zooloo’s Book Tours for the copy to review, my reviews are always honest and freely given.
I really loved the humanity of the characters and how Langan writes. You cannot help but be caught up in Emma and Jason’s stories. The emotion and topics that Langan deals with are sometimes dark but show what some of go through. I won’t spoil the story but I will say tha it is written beautifully even if that is a bit strange to say about the a book and deals with topics such as loss, grief and addiction. A definite must read.
As always thank you to Zooloo’s Book Tours for the copy to review, my reviews are always honest and freely given.
January 17, 2025
A raw and visceral portrayal of grief and addiction, I was simultaneously rooting for Em, frustrated and annoyed with her, and willing her on, all at the same time.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews