Big Nobody: The darkly funny new coming-of-age novel for fans of Bella Mackie and Derry Girls

by Alex Kadis

A FIZZINGLY ORIGINAL COMING-OF-AGE STORY FOR FANS OF HOW TO KILL YOUR FAMILY

'Riotously funny, nostalgic and immensely touching.' PANDORA SYKES

'Broke my heart one minute and had me really laughing the next.' XOCHITL GONZALEZ, author of OLGA DIES DREAMING

'Hands down the funniest, most original novel I’ve read in ages.' GRANT GINDER, author of THE PEOPLE WE HATE AT THE WEDDING

'Audacious and hilarious.' RUMAAN ALAM, author of LEAVE THE WORLD BEHIND

For Constance ‘Connie’ Costa, life is just beginning. She dreams of leaving behind her dull, dreary life in ‘70s East London, shaking off her deeply embarrassing Greek-Cypriot community of interfering Aunties and pretend ‘cousins’, and running away with her best mate Vas (fellow misfit; NHS specs; soul of a poet). She is determined to take her rightful place alongside her hero, David Bowie, onstage at Wembley Stadium.

Only one thing stands in her her father, The Fat Murderer. No longer content with being an absolute imbecile and general abomination of nature, he has dialled up his campaign to ruin Connie’s life ever since the untimely death of her mother.

If she ever wants to claim the destiny that is rightfully hers, Connie has only one option to kill him.

Fizzingly original, disarmingly tender and laugh-out-loud funny, BIG NOBODY is a coming-of-age story about first love, first grief, and the long, painful journey to feeling like a somebody.

READERS LOVE CONNIE COSTA . . .

'Poignant, authentic and darkly funny' *****

'Fabulous - I was rooting for Connie the whole way' *****

'Smart, funny, quirky' *****

Genres: Fiction, Coming Of Age

359 pages, Kindle Edition

Expected publication March 5, 2026

Reviews

[Kate O'Shea · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5

Connie Costa will definitely be a character who is difficult to forget.

Connie is expected to be a good Greek girl. She is expected to do what her father commands and behave in a certain way both in and out of the home. But Connie isnt going to listen to the man she refers to as The Fat Murderer. She is grieving for her mother and little brothers who were killed in a car accident. And The Fat Murderer is the one she blames for all her problems.

She just wants to be like any other teenager - to have fun with friends, go to school discos, to fool around with Vasos and to be allowed to play her guitar and chat to Marc Bolan and David Bowie without the Fat Murderer trying to control her every move. Is that really asking too much?

Connie is a brilliant character. She is funny, smart, self-deprecating and, like a lot of wildly hormonal teens, desperate for love. Her view on life is black and white and with reason. You cannot help but sympathise with her situation. I promise you will be cheering her on no matter what she does.

It was easy to recognise a teenage girl's desires as she takes her woes to her idols - posters of Bolan and Gilmour even if she does find Mr Bowie "snitty, obscure" and "unable to resist sticking his nose in" where its not wanted.

This is a very funny, very human book and Connie is a favourite character right from the start. She explodes off the page and I could picture her very clearly.

Brilliant. Highly recommended.

Thankyou to Netgalley and Random House UK for the digital review copy.

[BayouCat · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to Random House and NetGalley for providing an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. The book will be published on March 10th, 2026.

Big Nobody is an easy, engaging read driven by a strong, funny teenage voice. Especially for fans of the 70s, and people who used their teenage years to rebel against their parents. We follow Connie’s inner monologue as she rages against her father, a grieving man that handles that grief in all the wrong ways, simultaneously smothering his daughter and pushing her away. That rage helps her carry on.

The pacing is steady and quick enough that it never feels heavy, even when it’s dealing with grief and family dysfunction. Short chapters, sharp internal monologue, and dark humor keep things moving, so you’re rarely stuck wading through long introspection.

It’s the kind of book you can fly through in a few sittings because the writing is clear, lively, and emotionally honest without being exhausting. Overall, it’s readable, brisk, sad in places, funny in others, and very approachable.

[Ross · Rating 5 out of 5]

i love when a book makes it so easy to give it five stars

[Eve Thompson · Rating 3 out of 5]

read a proof copy of this for the little bookshop

i really loved the first half. connie’s stream of consciousness was funny and felt authentically juvenile (in a good way). however towards the middle/end of the book the plot became a bit ridiculous to me and i felt it could have been a 100 pages shorter and more effective. having said that, the ending was satisfying to me

[Lexi E · Rating 3 out of 5]

Big Nobody is a stream of consciousness spewed out from our girl Connie, a teenager growing up in the Greek community in London during the 1970’s. Stuck in an abusive household with her father she deemed the ‘Fat Murderer,’ grappling with the loss of her mother and two twin brothers, Connie struggles to make through each day, let alone actually figure out who she actually is. Armed with the escapism of rock and roll, and her two imaginary friends, Marc Bolan and David Bowie, Connie devises a plan to murder her father, and rid the world of the one thing holding her back in life.

Sometimes the prose feels suffocating and never ending, but it makes you sit with it, kind of making you feel trapped in the same way that Connie does. Too young to leave an abusive father, made feel like nothing, a big nobody. I found myself feeling uncomfortable in a way that was felt reminiscent of being 15, not knowing who you are, but not knowing how to avoid becoming who you don’t want to be. Parents who are supposed to protect you from the world being the very ones that are crueler than the rest of the world.

While I enjoyed the glimpses into Greek culture, I don’t know if the writing quite worked for me. Too much detail into small things like the knick knacks in ones household, to the point that relationships felt like an afterthought to me. I wasn’t sure if I was supposed to feel that Connie was keeping me at arms length due to her trauma, or if I was missing a connection that was supposed to have formed. I will say, the last chapter or two out a little smile on my face.

Check out Big Nobody on March 10th, 2026.

[Kristi Lamont · Rating 1 out of 5]

BOOK REPORT
Received a complimentary copy of Big Nobody, by Alex Kadis, from Random House/NetGalley, for which I am appreciative, in exchange for a fair and honest review. Scroll past the BOOK REPORT section for a cut-and-paste of the DESCRIPTION of it from them if you want to read my thoughts on the book in the context of that summary.

Once again, here I am, not really the target market for a book.

I tried, hard, to like it. Started it yesterday, then put it down when I realized I was paying more attention to the Ole Miss-Oklahoma football game than the story.

Tried again late this afternoon, but didn’t even make it a quarter of the way through before giving up. Couldn’t connect with anything in the book, and found it just generally…..ummm…vulgar? Crass? Something like that? Definitely more juvenile in the pejorative sense of the word than I’d expected.

Oh, well. Such is life.

DESCRIPTION
A wickedly funny coming-of-age novel about a misfit teenager in London determined to eliminate the one thing standing between her and a good life: her father

I think it’s safe to say that my father was probably always an abomination of nature.

It’s 1974 in London and Connie Costa’s already pitiful life has gone off the rails. She’s spiraling from the loss of her mother and younger brothers in a tragic accident. And the man responsible is her Dad—otherwise known as “The Fat Murderer.”

Kept at home under his increasingly tyrannical rule, Connie is an outcast who spends her nights conversing with the David Bowie poster on her wall and raiding her stash of whiskey and chocolate. Her only social outlet is the weekly gatherings with her father and their immigrant community of Greek “Freaks.” There she finds her life’s one bright spot: sneaking off with her friend Vas to smoke cigarettes, debate literature, and joke about whether it is finally time to run away together. But when Connie sees an opportunity to get out from under her father’s thumb for good, she must make a perilous decision that will change her forever.
 

[Ani · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was so funny, but also full of pain and sadness. Essentially, this is a coming of age novel and I loved the romantic narrative weaved into it. But there is so much more to the story - grief, trying to find yourself as a teenager, growing up as a first-generation immigrant, etc.

The author, Alex Kadis is half-Greek half-English, just like the main character, so this certainly gave the book authenticity.

At times I I felt like some passages could be shorter (didn't enjoy the main character talking to posters of famous musicians in her bedroom much). Also, looking up translations of many Greek phrases used throughout the book somewhat distracted me from reading.

But all in all, I would recommend this book - it is worth the read, especially for the last few chapters which were a great closure to the story and brough an unexpected twist too!

📖 Synopsis: Constance (Connie) is a half-Greek half-British teenager living in the 1970s. She lives with her father who she hates, as she believes he is the reason her mom and her two little brothers are dead. Constance's hatred towards her dad (the "Fat Murderer") is so big that she fantasises about killing him and tries to murder him in various ways.

As a girl living in a Greek immigrant community in London, Connie is under a lot of pressure to obey the traditions, but she also desperately wants to be "normal" and integrate with her peers. She finds solace in Vasos, a boy around her age, also from a Greek community, but when the parents find out they have feelings for each other, they tear them apart.

Will they find each other again?
Will Connie find her way in life?
And will Connie succeed in killing her father?

***Big Nobody will be published on 5 March 2026. Many thanks to Penguin Random House for the eARC via Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

[Spacey Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Set in 1970's we follow our misfit teen Connie Costa who is planning potentially murder and an escape, both of which she is consulting with her posters of David Bowie and Marc Bolon about. The planned murder is of her abusive father, whom she appropriately calls Fat Murderer as he was driving the night the family car crashed with her mother and younger brothers were inside. Connie is like any teenager, sneaking cigs, whiskey and having sex for the first time but her father believes her actions are too extreme and punishes her for it. Connie finds some reprieve in her extended Greek family, particularly Connie's aunt, who attempts to alleviate the tension between Connie and her father throughout the book. Over the course of the book the relationship becomes more and more strained and ultimately comes to a surprising conclusion.

The narration of Connie is fun, defiant and truly badass. It is a more honest portrait of teenage girls, emphasising the unhinged behaviour, the unjust way the world treats you and the expectations that girls are imposed with. The book is laced with humour throughout which counteracts the more heavy side of this story. I read this for a few days in large chunks and the pacing kept me engaged throughout which was emphasised by the quick and witty language. I would definitely recommend this read for those who enjoy a coming of age story with grit, humour and excellent 70s references! Thank you to Hutchinson and Heinenamm for sending the proof copy of this read to me!

[Diana Clough · Rating 4 out of 5]

Big Nobody is a deceptively gritty read softened by humour and charm, with one of the most memorable protagonists I can remember. It made me feel like I was reading Angus Thongs again or a darker Jacqueline Wilson novel.

Connie Costa dreams of leaving behind her life in 70s East London, her Greek-Cypriot community, and most importantly, her father — The Fat Murderer — so-called since the untimely death of her mother. If Connie ever wants to get out, she has no choice but to kill him. But like all teenage declarations of rebellion, I don’t believe Connie is seriously going to go through with this.

However, over the course of the novel, shared via confessions to the rockstars on her wall, we learn why she wants to go through with such an act and why she’s been siphoning money from her dad’s wallet. It explains why she despises her Greekness, and why she seeks solace in speaking to those like Bowie who she perceives as free and able to live life on their own terms.

There are some wonderful secondary characters in this book — including her friend and love interest, Vas, the only other outsider to Greek life — who support Connie in the throes of grief and in her dreams to run away.

Big Nobody is a rare book that had me laughing then tearing up within sentences, and when you read this you’ll be rooting for Connie all the way, as ridiculous as her plans to kill her father are.

Thank you to the publisher for sending me an early copy!

[Neth · Rating 5 out of 5]

An utterly brilliant coming-of-age novel about a half-Greek, half-English girl growing up in the 1970s.

Connie Costa cannot stand The Fat Murderer - also known as her father. It's his fault her mother and brothers are dead. And it seems clear to her now that her only option is to kill him before he kills her too. But that's a lot easier said than done. The last thing Connie wants is to spend the rest of her life in jail when she knows she's destined to become a great musician like her heroes, David Bowie and Mark Bolan, when she's starting to fall in love with her fellow Greek Freak, Vas, when there's so much life out there to be lived and so much of her past to be left behind. In a haze of cigarettes and walnut whips, of Greek nights and missed school dances, of kissing boys and trying to forget the touch of her grandfather, Connie hears The Calling of freedom, of independence, of becoming her real true self. All she has to do is get rid of him.

I loved this book. The pacy, almost stream-of-consciousness way it was written, the way it brings back the feeling of being fifteen and at the mercy of the adults around you, Connie's incredible resilience in the face of so so many difficult moments that no child should have to endure. The ending was wonderful, realistic but optimistic, and just what I wanted out of this magnificent journey of a novel.

[Charlie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House UK, Cornerstone for this eARC in exchange for an honest review,

Big Nobody is indeed a darkly funny coming-of-age story about a Greek Cypriot teenage girl (Constance) growing up with an abusive father in the 1970s. She laments to posters of Mark Bolan and David Bowie in her room, falls in love with a friend, and plots to murder her Dad.

The early chapters of the book reeled me in, and the style is distinctly juvenile (on purpose, not a bad thing), which was perfect for the events that she describes and that she cares about. It can be crass in parts, in a gross teenager way, which was not my favourite, but it does fit the subject.

Unfortunately it dragged in the middle for me as we got lost in minutia of multiple failed murder plots and various other benign parties and school episodes. The pacing was a bit off. It was saved by the very last couple of chapters and especially the last line.

I think it was set to be an incredibly poignant story that I would have preferred a bit shorter, however the exploration of trauma from a teenage girl's eyes was something I don't see very often, and I did really feel for our heroine and root for her throughout.

[Jackie Sunday · Rating 3 out of 5]

Teenage years can be brutal.

It was 1975 and Constance struggled as a 14-year-old in London with a father that was abusive at times and mother who had died. She thought her father wasn’t aware, but he knew she was trying to cope while stealing money, drinking whiskey, smoking cigarettes and putting dirty socks in his pockets.

They were Greek with men who controlled the women in those days. The story had lots of events with food, music and dancing. Constance was fond of a boy, Vas, that made her father upset. He helped her get through some of the challenges of feeling like an outsider. Music was also something she craved.

Yet, I found Constance to be unlikable hiding behind her insecurities while spitting out offensive words to her father, family and friends. She made fun of him constantly calling him names. She needed a good therapist!

At 16, her father took her to Cyprus where she met his Greek family and had more adventures. She also found a philosopher who shared with her some words of wisdom. I enjoyed the final chapters the most with a satisfying ending.

My thanks to Random House and NetGalley for the advanced copy of this book with an expected release date of March 10, 2026. The views I share are my own.

[Barb Martin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reading "Big Nobody" involved taking a step back in time and reliving many of my young teen emotions . . . except I never plotted to kill my father.

Alex Kadis has written a powerful story that is funny even as it rips the reader's heart out with painful revelations. Our main character, Constance, is half-English and half-Greek and completely angry at her father for the deaths (murders???) of her mother and two younger brothers. It's 1975, and Con spends much of her time smoking cigarettes and talking to the posters of musicians hanging on her bedroom wall. The rest of her time is spent thinking of ways to kill the man she deems responsible for the loss of her family -- her father.

Like Con, I was a young teen in the mid-1970s. Although her musical tastes skew differently than mine, I totally could relate to her complex feelings about boys, teachers and classmates and the refuge afforded by music. She had a few other complex issues to grapple with, however.

I wasn't sure what to expect from this book, which I received via Netgalley. I was pleasantly surprised. "Big Nobody" often was funny, sad and bewildering. Some of the revelations were expected. One incident near the end was shocking. The entire book was a compelling read.

[Maddie Grigg · Rating 5 out of 5]

Constantina Costa is an angry teenager living with her Greek Cypriot father in 1970s UK. She plots to kill him, referring to him as The Fat Murderer because she holds him responsible for the death of her British mother and two younger brothers.
Connie finds solace in her love for Marc Bolan and David Bowie, whose posters she frequently consults in her bedroom about her miserable life, which has been so touched by tragedy and darkness. She develops a loving relationship with Vas, a Greek Cypriot boy who 'gets' her and is a ray of sunshine in a world where Greekness threatens to suffocate her.
I absolutely adored this nostalgic coming-of-age novel (which is totally from my era) and was cheering Connie on from the sidelines. The scenes in which Connie is enveloped by her Greek heritage and 'aunties' were incredibly warm and funny, and I loved the music, food and pop culture references.
This would make such a great television series. The sassy Connie deserves her moment on the small screen.
Highly recommended.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for an advance review copy of this novel.

[Athena Rupas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to Random House & NetGalley for the advanced reading copy! Living under the rule of her Greek Cypriot father in the UK during the 1970s, Connie Costa is living in a miserable life after the tragic death of her mom and two younger brothers. She blames her father for the tragic accident that took their lives. Referring to her father as the Fat Murder because he was the one driving the night of the terrible crash. Kept at home with his abuse, she finds solace in her posters of David Bowie and and Marc Bolon. She also finds solace with the Greek Cypriot, Vas. Together they smoke and talk literature. When she finally sees the opportunity to escape, she goes to extreme measures to go for it.

I really did enjoy most of the book but the flash forward wasn't my favorite. The twist is really good at the end so it does make up for it in my opinion. I also really loved all the pop culture references! The book kept me engaged in the story even during the flash forward that I didn't enjoy. I could still appreciate the author's writing. Overall, I would definitely recommend this one to anyone who likes a funny and witting coming of age story with solid storytelling!

[Liz · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is about a half-Cypriot teenager in the 70s, living with her hated widowed father, and how she tries to escape her heritage.
I loved all the 70s references, and finding out about life in a Greek community then. Her father doesn’t want her to be a British teenager and a lot of the book is about how she tries to rebel against him.
This was five star until the last few chapters, set in 2007, when I thought it was overlong and with too much unnecessary detail. The final twist was good though.
She was taken to Cyprus when 16, with the intention that her father would marry her off. She wasn’t having this and when the car started to slide off the edge of a precipice in a rainstorm, she pushed it and her father over the edge, killing him. Except he managed to escape somehow and moved back himself to Cyprus. When he died 30 years later, she reconnected with some London Greeks come over for the funeral, include Vas her first boyfriend
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC.

[Farah G · Rating 3 out of 5]

After Connie's mother dies, leaving her trapped in her Greek Cypriot origin story and at the mercy of a father who seems determined to ruin her life, she is determined to escape. Luckily, she does have Vas, her best friend, who is just as much of an odd one out.

But are Connie's dreams of meeting David Bowie doomed to disappointment? Or can she perhaps find a different way of meeting her wish for another kind of life, a life where she can finally be someone?

Atmospheric, funny, and endearing, but with an edge, this story will appeal to many readers, and for a variety of reasons - multiculturalism, coming of age, the yearning for self realisation, and dysfunctional family relationships, to name just a few. It gets 3.5 stars.

I received a free copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review

[Cooper Sabo-Carter · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thank you Net Galley and Random House for the ARC!

I wanted to enjoy this book but it wasn’t for me. The story follows a young Connie and her mission to kill her sleezy father, referred to as “the fat murderer”. It takes place across a span of 30 years and is I suppose a story of identity, resentment, love, and family. I skimmed half of this book and still knew what was going on, lots of inner monologue from Connie which left me feeling a bit exhausted.

Overall I felt like this book was similar in style to Sally Rooney’s “normal people” which was a smash for a lot of people, but not my fave so maybe that’s why the book didn’t resonate with me. 2 stars because I appreciate the Greek culture throughout the story, the plot in general, and the love story.

[Amélie · Rating 3 out of 5]

mixed opinions about this one. i liked the characters, the written greek accents and the build-up to the Big Twist, but around the third act i lost interest.

the main issue i had was with the weird pacing. it was allllll over the place and it got worse as the story progressed. sometimes a day would take up multiple chapters and then there would be a six month time skip between one chapter and the next. there’s also this random decade long time skip i thought was stupid and unnecessary to a point where i hope it’s intentionally bad and not just straight up bad. i didn’t like the writing style for that part of the book either because it works just fine if let adolescents talk, but not if your mc is 45.

(thanks netgalley for the arc)

[Kristina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Alex Kadis' Big Nobody is a coming of age story told through the lens of Connie, a teenager in the UK during the 1970's in the aftermath of a family tragedy where her mother and two brothers died in a car accident, leaving her with her father whom she calls "The Fat Murderer" throughout the book. Connie is an outcast at school, and her father keeps her at home, outside of large Greek gatherings ("Freaks") in the community they go to. She comforts herself by speaking with posters of male artists she has on her bedroom walls. The one ray of light in her life is the friendship she has with Vas, and who she is terrified of losing. This is such a unique coming of age tale- Connie is one of a kind and the reader has to root for her. Many will enjoy this one, despite the challenging circumstances Connie goes through in the book.

Thank you to Random House via NetGalley for the advance reader copy in exchange for honest review.

[Sara · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received a free DRC of this book through Netgalley and the publisher. I got a little nervous when I saw that this was a stream of consciousness book because those are not usually my style. However, the story moved along at a good pace. The abuse scenes were really hard for me to read. One of the things I liked the least about the book (other than very little recrimination for the abusers) was the 30-year-jump in storytelling. I think that should have been the heart of the book when Constance finally gets to be an adult and do things her own way, but that is fast-forwarded so the nicely-wrapped up ending feels a bit hollow. TW: There is a lot of child abuse and domestic abuse and teens having sexual encounters.

[Becca · Rating 3 out of 5]

Reminiscent of “Are You There God? It’s me, Margaret”, “Big Nobody” follows Constantine Costa on a journey through not only the perils of adolescence, but also navigation of her Greek roots. Connie’s ramblings are often difficult to follow; however, we catch small glimpses of her trauma through her coping mechanisms. This was a rough read and may be triggering for victims of sexual or domestic abuse. It’s a tale of overcoming a difficult childhood, but I did feel things were a bit too neatly wrapped up for such a complex backstory. Thank you to Random House and Net Galley for a copy of this book. This review is my own opinion.

[Andy Krahling · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's not that I didn't like this - I did - it just blew hot and cold for me. There were times that the story felt real and I felt some sympathy towards Connie. Most times, however, she was wholly unlikable and talking sh*t about everyone and everything.

Her "growth" seemed a little forced and out of character. I just didn't buy it. I did enjoy the look at Greek/Cypriot customs and families -- that was quite interesting.

All in all, this kept me engaged, interested, and semi-invested. That's a win in my book.

Would I read more from the author? Yes, I would.

I received a complimentary copy of the novel from the publisher and NetGalley, and my review is being left freely.

[Sam · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!

I enjoyed this. It was a quick read, darkly humorous but also quite tragic. It’s a kind of coming of age novel set in 1970s London, told from the perspective of a half Cypriot teenage girl whose mother and brothers have died, leaving her living with her utterly awful father. It reminded me of My Sister the Serial Killer or How to Kill Your Family in terms of general vibe. It’s a tough read in places because it touches on episodes of assault and sexual abuse, so it’s not an easy read, but it is hopeful and very funny in places. I enjoyed the depictions of the Cypriot community and characters too - they were very vivid.

[Emma · Rating 3 out of 5]

Connie Costa is certainly an original - she'll have you laughing out loud on one page, and break your heart the next. I found her story to be something of a mixed bag; it opens with levity and humour, and the tone is relatable, especially in her encounters with her father The Fat Murderer.

However, after the first few chapters, the tone shifts and turns much darker, almost uncomfortably so. There's an unexpected pain in Connie's world, and I wasn't prepared for it. From then on, the book becomes chaotic.

For all its twists and turns, and maybe a sprinkling of the absolutely implausible, I really did enjoy the ending.

[Mark · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a welcome surprise, a well written coming of age novel from a debut novelist. The narrative voice of Connie is poignantly authentic and the reader shares in her hopes and the crushing humiliations imposed on her by her controlling father. ‘Big Nobody’ is also darkly funny in places, I particularly enjoyed the conversations Connie shared with the Bolan and Bowie posters on her bedroom wall and her feisty Greek Cypriot aunties. The 1970s are vividly evoked and, as a fellow teenager of the decade, I found Connie’s struggles to find her identity very relatable.

[Gail · Rating 3 out of 5]

A coming of edge novel set in an area of London I know well, Walthamstow, in the 70s. Greek Cypriot teenager Connie Costa hates her father and has been gathering a getaway fund to escape. All she wants to do is meet boys at discos in the normal way but her dad, whom she calls The Murderer, wants her to marry a nice boy.
It's mildly amusing in places, particularly the family gatherings, and I enjoyed the 70s references.
It's written in quite a disjointed and rambling way and didn't quite keep my attention from wandering, hence 3.5 out of 5.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fifteen year old Connie is bitterly angry with the Fat Murderer (otherwise known as her father) over the car accident that caused the death of her mother and two young brothers. She is all consumed with plotting her father’s death and her escape from his control and brutality towards her. There is humor and sadness as Connie navigates her journey into adulthood. This book definitely captured my attention and brought back memories of being a teenager not knowing what the world had in store for us. This ARC was provided by Random House Publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Helen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Living with her Greek Cypriot dad after the death of mum and twin brothers, constance is pulled between her Cypriot heritage and living as a teenager in Britain.
Resentful and blaming her dad for the deaths. Family secrets unravel within the Cypriot community.
Desperate to escape from her dad on her 16th birthday plans do not go to plan.
A book that will make you remember how it feels to be a teenager and at the mercy of the adults in the family. Caught between being a child and young adulthood as well as two cultures.

[Sonee Singh · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was entertained from the get-go. The author has a unique ability to make it seem like the character is having a conversation with you, while making it clear that although she’s humorous, she doesn’t care what you think. It was particularly impressive, given the darkness of some of the subject matter due to her troubled relationship with her father. As she grows older, the tone of the book changes but it’s still good. I enjoyed this coming-of-age story.