Very Impressive For Your Age

by Eleanor Kirk

A profoundly relatable debut novel about chasing your dreams and losing your ambition from a stunning new Australian voice.

What happens when overnight the Next Big Thing becomes a nobody?

Twenty-six-year-old Evelyn is well on her way to becoming an international opera star ... until one night, mid-performance, when she inexplicably loses her voice. With no cure in sight, she's forced to put her dreams on pause, flying back to her hometown to wait out her recovery.

Stuck in limbo, Evelyn balances her time attending overpriced doctors' appointments and accidentally-on-purpose running into her ex on the street outside his apartment. Then she discovers that her old high school is hiring a debating coach (no experience needed!) and realises this might just be her ticket back to relevance.

While re-entering the gates of her alma mater is a welcome reminder of the glory days, being faced with a bunch of starry-eyed teenagers, who haven't had their dreams blown to pieces yet, makes clear just how thin the line can be between drive and delusion---forcing Evelyn to consider whether she could ever be truly satisfied living a life away from the spotlight.

A deeply funny novel about chasing your dreams and losing your ambition, Very Impressive For Your Age explores the mid-twenties crisis that occurs when you learn that who you always wanted to be when you grew up isn't quite what you imagined.

'A painfully relatable story of youth and ambition, told with humour and heart. A must-read for all former 'gifted' children and recovering theatre kids alike.' Chloe Elisabeth Wilson, author of Rytual

'Evelyn might have lost her voice but Eleanor Kirk has certainly found hers! Kirk's voice is warm and witty and sings off the page.' Emma Darragh, author of Thanks for Having Me

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary, Australia, Literary Fiction

354 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 2, 2025

About the author

Eleanor Kirk is an author and screenwriter living and working on Gadigal/Wangal land. Her fiction has appeared in publications such as New Australian Fiction, the international literary journal adda, and the Hope Prize anthology Tomorrow There Will Be Sun. Her non-fiction has appeared in a range of newspapers, including the Sydney Morning Herald and The Age. As a screenwriter, she has been involved with the development of a number of Australian television shows. Very Impressive For Your Age is her first novel.

Reviews

[ariana · Rating 3 out of 5]

the chance of reading two books in a row about a self-absorbed musical prodigy who subconsciously sabotages her success is slim but never zero….

[Alexa CSA · Rating 4 out of 5]

NO QUOTATION MARKS ARE BACKKKKK MISS ROONEY IN AUSSIE FORM HELLOOOOO 🧎‍♀️🧎‍♀️I mean as you can see from the tagline, this is for the ‘gifted kid burnouts’ and the girls that were always told ‘you’re going to do great things’ and lowkey ended up doing nothing and are having a current crisis about it 🧍‍♀️

Evelyn was honestly really unlikeable to me and seeing myself in her in some aspects pissed the living fuck out of me. she was in the wrong so many times and her ‘rationalisation’ for her decisions was so fucking stupid…yet i know i’ve done the same in the past…and god reading it was so jarring and frustrating it was almost like being called out? the way she treated her friends was just NOT IT but i hate to say it…i sorta understood some of her reasonings even if i HATED them and it made me hate myself more…wow did i even like this book😭 i did it was just a bit of a ‘you sucked and you still suck’ moment🫵

also side bar i think i’m become acclimatised to reading books set in ‘australia’ i used to hate it now i’m kinda loving it more and more? i think it’s just reading so many more aussie authors i’m getting used to seeing cities i know in a literary sense and i’m kinda here for it 🫡

this is for the girls that have maybe finished uni and are kinda in limbo, or the girls that did some sort of competitive sports/arts/academics growing up but didn’t become a full blown professional…well this book might be for you…

[Daniella · Rating 2 out of 5]

With the central premise being the aftermath of the demise of lifelong ambition, we only really got half a chapter seeing Evelyn at her prime before it all went downhill, which I argue isn't enough time for the fall to hit the emotional beats I think it needed to. But also, maybe the point of the book was to focus on life after and all the drama that comes with it?

As expected once her dream goes up in flames, Evelyn does a lot of depressive bed rotting, self-destructive partying and pursuing an old crush who she left in the lurch to pursue her dreams. We also have a couple of encounters with the rising star who has taken her place, and seems eager to gloat about it (or is she just lonely and trying to reach out in a weird desperate way?). Lots of interesting elements to explore with the fall of a prodigy and how devastating it would be to feel like you have lost everything just as it was beginning.

But all the potential seemed to get lost in a muddle of Hallmark movie antics. She takes on a weird side-gig 'teaching' an underdog debate team and reunites with her old cruel teacher who has the key to helping her sing again. Only to find out 1) she wasn't a great singer anyway and 2) she never really liked it and that's why she was never truly great and her body shut down to tell her it's time to quit? The ending made the rest of the book feel like a pointless fever dream - did we really go through all that, for THAT?

I liked that it touched on how Evelyn's one-track mind impacted her friends and other relationships, and her realising what she truly cares about. It just felt both rushed and drawn out at the same time? The alternate path she could take is mirrored in one of the girls in her debate team, and culminates in what should be an emotional beat at the end, but considering how little the debate thing seemed to matter it felt hollow. There was also some pretty heavy-handed messaging (meant to be played for laughs) about how capitalism has drilled into everyone the importance of success (whatever that means) and encourages you to monetise hobbies so you have nothing that brings you joy anymore. And how subjective and comparative the art world is; pitting people against each other instead of creating communities. And these are all interesting things to say, they just didn't feel like they really formed a cohesive whole or did much with them once they were put into the universe of the novel. I think the ending would have had a lot more pay-off if we hadn't spent the whole book with Evelyn having revelations only when convenient for the plot, or served up on a platter by another character. It made a lot of the book feel like aimless wandering until we got to the appointed Life Lesson Time, making it feel very disjointed.

I really wanted to love this but found it just didn't give me the emotional payoff I was looking for with this kind of story. I can't help but compare it to Chlorine which really Went There with the 'child prodigy loses her mind trying to be the best' vibes I was hoping this would bring to the table. I think if you're looking for more of a messy romp like a 2000s movie this could do it for you; I just may not have had the right expectations going in. But then again, maybe it was the point that it was dramatic and all over the place???? girl idk

[Sue Thorpe · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think it is very brave to write a book where the main character isn’t very likable. Eleanor has courageously done this and cleverly so!

Evelyn is an extremely talented and ambitious opera singer, a child prodigy who has, for the last 16 years been doggedly focussed on being the absolute best in her field. It has consumed her life. She is also hugely self centred, egocentric, lacks empathy and social skills. Her equally ambitious Mother has persistently encouraged and enabled her dreams. whilst her father has taken a back seat.

Whilst it is very hard to warm to Evelyn and condone her behaviour, I can see how having a rare talent and having to continuously train and hone this, you would have to have strong self belief, work ethic and discipline. The fine line is maintaining this while also being actively involved and interested in those around you. When Evelyn’s life implodes and she returns home it is very apparent how poorly she has done this. The surprising revelation is that she doesn’t really care. She feels so superior to her peers that she feels it’s justified.

As Evelyn tries to either regain her exciting previous life or attempt to begin a new one it is interesting to see how her perception of herself changes and also how she perceives others. Sometimes it is difficult to admit or accept that things weren’t as you had believed. It is also interesting to look at how ambition can be wonderful but also devastating when not achieved, especially when you place such huge importance on it.

This is a refreshing, moving and totally absorbing novel written with both humour and heart.

4.4 stars

[ally · Rating 4 out of 5]

not even going to feign objectivity here, it’s soo fun to read something where you can puzzle out the connection from real life to the book. darius might be the second or third nice person to ever attend grammar.

didnt know there was going to be such a large debating element, now feeling anticipatory abt my own future experience of returning from a glamorous far away city (canberra) to coach debating at my alma mater.

[Emilie (emiliesbookshelf) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Evelyn is at the top of her game, mid 20s and already a hugely successful Opera singer in London. She is determined, focused and barely gives much thought to her life back in Australia

When horribly mid song her voice disappears her world is turned upside down. Is she sick? Is she stressed? What has caused her symptoms, and why can she speak but not sing?

With no answers, she flys back home to rest and hopefully regain her talent. But as she comes face to face with friends, an ex and family who she has pretty much abandoned since leaving, she is forced to question, did her singing career truely make her happy?

Written in a very unique writing style, this witty and honest story looks at what early success can do to your every day life.

Thank you Allen and Unwin for my gifted copy to review of this wonderful debut

[Sharondblk · Rating 5 out of 5]

I seem to be going through a phase of reading books about women in a quarter-life crisis, and I'm here for it. This is about Evelyn, who has always wanted to be an opera singer. it starts with her loosing her voice, and then works backwards and forwards from there. It's written with a deft touch - despite Evelyn being an unlikable main character she is very understandable. The pacing of the book was perfect, the friendships felt so real. This book avoided an issue I've been complaining about recently - novels that are set in a generic city. While Sydney is not a character in this book, as a reader I really felt it was happening there. And that's the charm of this book. It feels real and thoughtful. I had to smile at these 26 year-olds going through what they were going through and getting though it the best they can.
Thanks to NetGalley and Allen & Unwin for the E-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Vix101 · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed the perspective of a former perfectionist artist and their struggles to come back down to earth. The writing was strong but there were sections that needed editing - in particular the dragged out dialogues scenes in therapy and the classroom. Like others have mentioned, very Sally Rooney esque in the way you don’t actually like the main character and their flaws aren’t necessarily “fixed”.

[Lauren Castle · Rating 4 out of 5]

One helluva quarter life crisis

[Sarah-Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book got under my skin in the quietest, most unsettling way. As a singer, it hit particularly close to home. That experience of being praised for your talent early on, of having your identity wrapped entirely around the thing you’re “good at”, and then facing what happens when that certainty fractures… it was deeply confronting and painfully familiar.

Eleanor Kirk’s writing is provocative and emotionally sharp. I loved how the narrative shifts perspective, sometimes placing us firmly inside Evelyn’s head, other times pulling us back so we’re observing her from the outside. That distance made the self-obsession, the conceit, and the emotional messiness even more striking. Evelyn is not especially likeable, but she is brilliantly written. Her flaws feel intentional, necessary even, to the story being told.

At its core, this book explores what happens when talent becomes your entire self-worth, and how devastating it can be when that talent is taken away or no longer sustains you. Evelyn never had the chance to develop a sense of self beyond her achievements, and watching everything unravel because of that was heartbreaking and thought-provoking. Every relationship in her life, romantic and platonic, feels fractured in some way, and that felt very true to the internal chaos she’s living with.

“There’s almost worse than failure: the precariousness, the temporary nature, of success. The fear of falling from grace.”
That line alone sums up so much of the book’s emotional weight.

I cried more than once while reading this. And while the ending doesn’t offer neat resolutions or a tidy happily-ever-after, I think that’s exactly the point. This isn’t a story that wants to reassure you. It wants you to sit with it, to reflect, and to look inward. The ending feels like a door closing on Evelyn’s story, and we’re not meant to follow her beyond it.

A challenging, thoughtful read that lingers long after the final page.

Thank you to Allen & Unwin for the review copy. All thoughts are, as always, my own.

[Samantha Bones · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very enjoyable read of an unlikeable but realistic young woman , Evelyn, going through a difficult time in her mid-twenties. After showing early promise in her opera singing career, a crisis upends her life. Meanwhile her contemporaries from high school are all getting on with their lives. Where does this leave her? All of these finds Evelyn (eventually, after making even more poor and selfish choices) with time to reflect on her earlier life, her priorities and treatment of others. This book had me reflecting on my own life around a similar age. Were any of us our best selves as late teens early 20-somethings?

[Jess · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this, as an opera singer myself, I found this a really accurate depiction of pursuing your craft but also being in your 20’s and learning how to grow up. The relationship between Evelyn and her teacher was (unfortunately) bang on for a lot of people early in their careers and there were many people who this book reminded me of. I found the ending a little underwhelming however I really enjoyed reading this and found it a wonderful debut novel! To anyone who is interested in classical music or who is maybe studying opera, this book is for you.

[Meg Cooke · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 - Good. I liked the conversations with the therapist and the arc with the mentor. The slow reveal of where the main characters drive and superiority stemmed from was very satisfying.
One thing that would have made it better is if the main character had started taking more action to redeem herself as a person.

I listened to the audio book version and thought the experience would have been elevated by the singing parts actually being sung rather than just read.

[Tabetha (tabsbooknook) · Rating 4 out of 5]

ARC review: Very Impressive For Your Age by @eleanorkirk_ and published by @allenandunwin
Release date: 2 September 2025
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
What a great contemporary fiction debut by Eleanor! This books asks, what happens when the above average and talented enter the real world post school and become small fish in a big pond? Evelyn is a 26 year old opera singer who suddenly loses her singing voice mid aria with no physical cause. Evelyn has to pack her bags and return to her childhood home in Sydney and reevaluate what her life means without singing.
Honestly, Evelyn drove me a little crazy and I wanted to shake her at times. She was emotionally immature but it makes sense as part of her story and the growth journey she must go on in the year that this book covers.

[Imogen · Rating 4 out of 5]

The arc of a pretentious gifted child into burnout adult? sign me up! ✅ finished this in one sitting and feel a bit emotionally violated cause it felt like reading about myself from this strange third person perspective and I feel oddly perceived but not necessarily in a good way. highly recommend if you were ever a gifted child and now you’re not really anything at all 🙂 lol!

[Stefanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

We love an Australian book!!! And we love an Australian book set in the arts even more. At first all the characters really annoyed me but by the end, watching Evelyn’s growth as a character I was so sympathetic to her (which is obviously the point). I’m someone who frequents the opera so the tie in was chefs kiss!!!

[Maya · Rating 5 out of 5]

50TH BOOK OF THE YEAR🙌🙌🙌 and one of my faves!!!!

[Dale Erdmier · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5. Hard for me to enjoy a book when all the characters are unlikeable.

[corkasnorka · Rating 1 out of 5]

they say don’t judge a book by its cover, and they are absolutely right because this cover is the only thing it has going for it

[Cassie Landt · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the perfect book to read in your 20s!! It was unexpected, but turns out opera is the perfect way to explore ambition, pride, passion, fulfilment, and purpose. I especially related to the pressure.

I’m still obsessed with the cover and while the ending was unsatisfying (for me), it was objectively a great way to end this story.

My only issue with the book was the few times it switched from first to third person and got rid of quotation marks. It was completely unnecessary and felt so clunky that it took me out of the book every time it happened, especially since the writing was so good otherwise.

All in all, a wonderful debut and I look forward to seeing what Kirk does next!

[Gabriella · Rating 4 out of 5]

Evelyn loses her voice. Her story is witty, with the right amount of cringe to keep everything real.

[Chrisnaa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Got this from a Hobart bookstore and ended staying up past midnight to finish - what an interestingly beguiling book. I can see the Sally Rooney comparisons - but while Rooney at least to me appears to more interested in the interactions between two, Kirk appears more interested in the dynamic of the self and the difference between how we are perceived and how we perceive - which to me has more of an Ishiguro vibe.

There are many awkward scenes which delight in the gap between memory/perception and reality, and I did enjoy the meditations on the nature of success and desire and friendships in the story of Evelyn bouncing around as she tries to re-know / know her life after the loss of her singing ability, and I think the dynamics between her and her mum in particular is incredibly fascinating. The ending did feel like a bit of a letdown and I'm ambivalent around whether it was a good ending point though - but I appreciated the other 95% of the book too much for this to to mar my enjoyment too much.

[Ashleigh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to Allen and Unwin for sending us a gifted copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Very Impressive for Your Age follows 26-year-old Evelyn, former child prodigy now professional opera soprano. Her career has taken off in Europe when she suddenly loses her singing voice mid-performance. Evelyn returns to Australia to grapple with existing without the skill she revolved her identity and self-worth around.

This is peak gifted child burnout. Although I (and most readers probably) haven't experienced professional opera singing I feel like Evelyn suffers a very relatable loss of confidence. Prime quarter life crisis material. This book is witty, it is laugh out loud funny and often delivered in a very wry way. This book explores the dangers of perfectionism, the only option is to be extraordinary or die trying. One of my favourite portions of this book is when Evelyn would dissociate and wallow so hard that the writing would shift into third person. I feel like I rarely see a writing technique used in this way to be so effective to demonstrate a character's complete loss of self.

A fresh Australian take on the coming-of-age into a proper adult.

[Cris Antonia · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a very interesting book, but I'm terrible afraid I've grown dumb.
Honestly I just kept reading because I wanted to know where this was going to get me, I could not quite place the reason why the perspectives changed so suddenly or what actually dived the parts on the book.
I understand the struggles that the fmc was facing though, I mean that's the whole point right, but I guess I was hoping that she would find another passion or actually help the girls on the debating club, but I think that she took another years after the end of the book to get a grasp of her life, which it's realistic but also a little frustrating to me as a reader.
I appreciate learning more about the opera world too.

[Hot Mess Sommelière ~ Caro · Rating 1 out of 5]

Girlfailing as an art form, but it's unbearable to read

[Dom :) · Rating 5 out of 5]

You are not your instrument!
Yet, this book perfectly poses the paradox of a singer’s identity as irrevocably interwoven with their physical instrument.

[kat]

nailed the debater boy blue button shirt and camel chinos

[Zoe Ridgeway · Rating 2 out of 5]

Main character was unlikeable and story kind of boring

[Angus McGregor · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am at the right age and (perhaps unfortunately) move in the right circles for this cynical and whimsical take on an early to mid 20s life crisis. Kirk's voice is honest and cheeky. I giggled and felt seen.

The constant references to "Museum Grammar" boys, however, hit a bit too hard. Kirk's background allows for a certain insight but the novel, at points, gets tied up in its own parochialism.

[sareema · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 🌟
this one's for the gifted kids who find themselves burnt out and stuck in the midst of a quarter life crisis and second guessing every choice that landed them there. Evelyn is quietly unlikable, it doesn't click right off the bat, it creeps in slow, much like her own awareness. she is ego centric, self obsessed, and deeply suspicious of everyone, believing that anyone who refuses to entertain her is jealous of her and is seeking to knock her down. but she is also a product of her environment and a depiction of what happens when natural talent is pushed towards greatness far too young, when applause and validation starts to mean everything. how much of a performance is your love of the act and how much of it is your love for the appraisal of your ummatched skill? where do you draw the line between competition and deeply rooted resentment? who are you without the one thing you're known for? we follow Evelyn as she struggles to process all of this when she loses her voice and her life seems to have come to a standstill. she is forced to return to her hometown and comes face to face with everything and everyone she left behind to follow her dreams. we see her look back at her adolescent self through the eyes of her present self and come to terms with her own ignorance. one aspect of the writing that i found quite interesting was the switch in narration style from first person to third to signify Evelyn's dissociation and what spurs it on (and also what brings her back).