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Chosen Family
.
Books about friendship are not often described as love stories, but this is one.
Nell Argall and Eve Bowman are both brilliant, odd and friendless. Traumatised in their first year of high school, their lives are changed forever when they meet.
Set in Sydney over eighteen years, Chosen Family follows Nell and Eve as they grow into themselves, as they both love and destroy each other. From school, to university, to careers, to motherhood, Nell’s and Eve’s is a relationship that is a life-raft that is also a poison apple that is also a Medusan stare, frozen in time.
Together, Nell and Eve are a double helix. Love, guilt, shame, joy – these emotions twist and turn between them. Can the wounds of adolescent betrayal ever really heal? Can we ever really understand what is going on in someone else’s head? And what’s love got to do, got to do with it?
'. ‘ 'Madeleine Gray writes so acutely about the mess of desire and the human condition.' Nigella Lawson
A sexy, romantic, queer, epic literary novel for all readers by the award-winning author of the internationally acclaimed bestseller Green Dot Clear your schedule for the all-consuming read.' Books+Publishing
‘I inhaled this book, holding my breath at passages that felt ripped straight from my high school diary in 2007.’ LUCINDA PRICE (@Froomes), author of All I Ever Wanted Was to Be Hot
‘Hilarious and devastating ... This book is everything to me.’ SIANG LU, Miles Franklin-winning author of Ghost Cities
Books about friendship are not often described as love stories, but this is one.
Nell Argall and Eve Bowman are both brilliant, odd and friendless. Traumatised in their first year of high school, their lives are changed forever when they meet.
Set in Sydney over eighteen years, Chosen Family follows Nell and Eve as they grow into themselves, as they both love and destroy each other. From school, to university, to careers, to motherhood, Nell’s and Eve’s is a relationship that is a life-raft that is also a poison apple that is also a Medusan stare, frozen in time.
Together, Nell and Eve are a double helix. Love, guilt, shame, joy – these emotions twist and turn between them. Can the wounds of adolescent betrayal ever really heal? Can we ever really understand what is going on in someone else’s head? And what’s love got to do, got to do with it?
'. ‘ 'Madeleine Gray writes so acutely about the mess of desire and the human condition.' Nigella Lawson
A sexy, romantic, queer, epic literary novel for all readers by the award-winning author of the internationally acclaimed bestseller Green Dot Clear your schedule for the all-consuming read.' Books+Publishing
‘I inhaled this book, holding my breath at passages that felt ripped straight from my high school diary in 2007.’ LUCINDA PRICE (@Froomes), author of All I Ever Wanted Was to Be Hot
‘Hilarious and devastating ... This book is everything to me.’ SIANG LU, Miles Franklin-winning author of Ghost Cities
348 pages, Kindle Edition
Expected publication January 29, 2026
340 people are currently reading
4866 people want to read
About the author
Madeleine Gray
7 books301 followersMadeleine Gray is a writer and critic from Sydney. Her first novel, Green Dot, was an international bestseller. Her second novel is Chosen Family. She has an MSt in English from the University of Oxford and a PhD in feminist literary theory from the University of Manchester.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 205 reviews
November 7, 2025
So, this book did irritate me.
However, I was irritated insofar as I was challenged to think beyond my own, perhaps rudimentary, queer experiences.
Gray is a fun writer and I always enjoy her prose (it can be a bit verbose at times). I don’t love the constant pop culture references, as I feel it takes you out of the moment, but that’s just me (I would also argue some of the language choices used in the 2008-2014 chapters were anachronistic and needed editing).
Ultimately the core characters are extremely frustrating and flawed, and I struggled to root for them making objectively manic decisions (and frankly they often acted out of indulgence, not queer altruism as they would purport).
Also, I hate hate HATE the trope of young, naive people having babies because “they know they’ll do it better”. So that bothered me, but also challenged me to listen and consider to their perspectives concerning family dynamics and queer love. Ultimately it’s a neat love letter to the queer community and for that I guess I enjoyed it.
However, I was irritated insofar as I was challenged to think beyond my own, perhaps rudimentary, queer experiences.
Gray is a fun writer and I always enjoy her prose (it can be a bit verbose at times). I don’t love the constant pop culture references, as I feel it takes you out of the moment, but that’s just me (I would also argue some of the language choices used in the 2008-2014 chapters were anachronistic and needed editing).
Ultimately the core characters are extremely frustrating and flawed, and I struggled to root for them making objectively manic decisions (and frankly they often acted out of indulgence, not queer altruism as they would purport).
Also, I hate hate HATE the trope of young, naive people having babies because “they know they’ll do it better”. So that bothered me, but also challenged me to listen and consider to their perspectives concerning family dynamics and queer love. Ultimately it’s a neat love letter to the queer community and for that I guess I enjoyed it.
October 7, 2025
Chosen Family by Madeleine Gray
★★★★★
Nell and Eve’s friendship is decades long and is full of love, heartbreak, and unspoken longing. Bound by loyalty and complicated affection, they navigate growing up, identity, and the blurred lines between friendship and family.
Let me check something! I’ve read 80 books already in 2025. THIS HAS BEEN MY FAVOURITE READ OF THE YEAR! I am so blown away by Madeleine’s craft in composing a heartfelt, funny and captivating story.
The book constantly pulled me back in every single time. It was like the little plot twists were perfectly placed in the story to keep it going. I lost a whole night of sleep because I just couldn’t put this down. So girl you owe me a full night rest tonight. But I’ll probably be up tonight thinking about the ending now!
This book was so relatable as a mother. I connected with so many ideas and themes in this book. I felt connected with Eve and only really understood Nell’s character in the final chapter.
I usually find books that switch timelines difficult to navigate. This was controlled perfectly. Switching back to time at the right moment, pulling everything together nicely.
I laughed so hard about Lake’s artwork. That scene is the funniest thing I’ve ever read. I’m not even joking. I have Green Dot sitting on my shelf and I can’t wait to devour that now.
I am swept away by how heartfelt and amazing this story was. I’ll be telling everyone I know to read this.
👶🏼🍷🎨📝
Thank you to @netgalley for a copy of this book.
💭 What’s your favourite read for 2025 so far?
Pour a hot drink, it’s book talk time.
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★★★★★
Nell and Eve’s friendship is decades long and is full of love, heartbreak, and unspoken longing. Bound by loyalty and complicated affection, they navigate growing up, identity, and the blurred lines between friendship and family.
Let me check something! I’ve read 80 books already in 2025. THIS HAS BEEN MY FAVOURITE READ OF THE YEAR! I am so blown away by Madeleine’s craft in composing a heartfelt, funny and captivating story.
The book constantly pulled me back in every single time. It was like the little plot twists were perfectly placed in the story to keep it going. I lost a whole night of sleep because I just couldn’t put this down. So girl you owe me a full night rest tonight. But I’ll probably be up tonight thinking about the ending now!
This book was so relatable as a mother. I connected with so many ideas and themes in this book. I felt connected with Eve and only really understood Nell’s character in the final chapter.
I usually find books that switch timelines difficult to navigate. This was controlled perfectly. Switching back to time at the right moment, pulling everything together nicely.
I laughed so hard about Lake’s artwork. That scene is the funniest thing I’ve ever read. I’m not even joking. I have Green Dot sitting on my shelf and I can’t wait to devour that now.
I am swept away by how heartfelt and amazing this story was. I’ll be telling everyone I know to read this.
👶🏼🍷🎨📝
Thank you to @netgalley for a copy of this book.
💭 What’s your favourite read for 2025 so far?
Pour a hot drink, it’s book talk time.
TikTok
October 28, 2025
oh how STUNNING. although this has completely broken me. perhaps my favourite read of the year????
October 11, 2025
what an intense homoerotic friendship in adolescence will do to a dyke 😔 lowkey this is a lesbian horror novel!! enjoyed this quite a lot! i enjoyed the writing style and the alternating timelines between the chapters and the exploration of queer family dynamics and of course, what it means to have a chosen family. but at the root this was also genuinely quite horrific and distressing in relation to the dynamic between eve and nell. like lesbians can be scary as fuck!
July 13, 2025
So beautifully crafted, Chosen Family is a love letter to the queer community and what it means to grow into one’s self. I devoured this novel, the characters and Normal People esque plot… everything about it. Giving this anything below 5 stars would be a disservice. Do not miss this one when it comes out!!
December 2, 2025
Feels a slightly unfair rating as I did enjoy the plot, but the feeling I left this book with was frustration - the dialogue was really lacking for me which took me out of the story, especially because of how reliant the book was on it. There were moments of great insight into the characters but broadly I felt like I didn’t really understand them. I did love the visceral setting in Sydney’s queer scene, especially being away from home, but not enough to redeem the book!
October 28, 2025
This was my first DNF of the year. I really wanted to love this book. And while I certainly didn’t hate it, I found my feelings about it came in ebs and flows. I loved the relationship between the 2 main characters, Eve and Nell to begin with, and the hook question (“What did Eve do to make Nell leave?”) kept me turning the pages. However, I found the dialogue between the girls as teenagers/young adults to be too unrealistic. While hindsight makes us all insufferable in early adulthood (insert personal cringe here), I found their dialogue too Dawson’s Creek-esque mixed with Sally Rooney’s style. I wanted more clumsiness out of the characters in that age bracket and more relatability. Think more Hannah Horvath and her friends in Girls.
That being said, I would still recommend it to those who enjoy novels by Meg Mason and Sally Rooney. It wasn’t a hard pass but rather a “not for me”.
That being said, I would still recommend it to those who enjoy novels by Meg Mason and Sally Rooney. It wasn’t a hard pass but rather a “not for me”.
November 10, 2025
It must be pretty exciting for Madeleine Gray to write two books and then for me, Emily, to rate them both five stars!
November 15, 2025
lesbians that can’t communicate are my favourite kind of lesbians! loved this for its inwards look at queer family and queer spaces (and lovely to have them be in sydney). Gray is a great writer, and I liked this even more than Green Dot. Chosen Family is filled with great references, Newtown locations and relationship dynamics that felt very real even though I wanted to shake Eve and Nell by the shoulders.
July 18, 2025
Just finished this heartbreaking, beautiful, coming of age novel from Madeleine Gray and I found I am still wiping tears from my cheeks.
As with Green Dot, I love her quirky, modern day writing style which sometimes goes over the head of this just past 50 year old 🤣.
Be prepared to fall in love with her characters, seriously dislike her characters and ache for her characters. These people, if not already your people, will become your people.
Chosen Family is exactly as it sounds. It’s about finding yourself and surrounding yourself with people who know you and love you anyway. It is about building and growing your community through the laughs, loves and the hard times. It’s the nitty gritty of life with some extra thrown in.
Eve, Nell, Lake, Markus and Tae, we love you and welcome you to our world 💕
As with Green Dot, I love her quirky, modern day writing style which sometimes goes over the head of this just past 50 year old 🤣.
Be prepared to fall in love with her characters, seriously dislike her characters and ache for her characters. These people, if not already your people, will become your people.
Chosen Family is exactly as it sounds. It’s about finding yourself and surrounding yourself with people who know you and love you anyway. It is about building and growing your community through the laughs, loves and the hard times. It’s the nitty gritty of life with some extra thrown in.
Eve, Nell, Lake, Markus and Tae, we love you and welcome you to our world 💕
November 2, 2025
Read this in like 2 days (I am a slow reader lol, this is big for me). Madeline’s writing is so in the now, I feel like I can see the characters on the street.
The high school flashbacks have strong reminders of what being a bit of an awkward teen was like.
I like how I didn’t have to wait long from Green Dot to Chosen Family, selfishly I am curious for the next release!
The high school flashbacks have strong reminders of what being a bit of an awkward teen was like.
I like how I didn’t have to wait long from Green Dot to Chosen Family, selfishly I am curious for the next release!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 23, 2025
‘And why is it that the things we really mean are usually the hardest to put into words?’
December 15, 2025
Maybe 3.5 stars
This was a real page turner, I absolutely flew through it and was dying to know what happened next. I do love a book about people behaving badly and this was that, the high school experiences felt extremely real and relatable. The thing I had an issue with was the language and subject matter the teenage versions of themselves were using in their dialogue but if I frame it to myself that Eve is an unreliable narrator and that’s just her retelling the events I can forgive it. Messy dynamics is what this book really nailed for me
This was a real page turner, I absolutely flew through it and was dying to know what happened next. I do love a book about people behaving badly and this was that, the high school experiences felt extremely real and relatable. The thing I had an issue with was the language and subject matter the teenage versions of themselves were using in their dialogue but if I frame it to myself that Eve is an unreliable narrator and that’s just her retelling the events I can forgive it. Messy dynamics is what this book really nailed for me
November 20, 2025
I learnt three things from reading this book:
Every all girl high school experience from 2008-2012 was the same, from trying to kiss your best friend to being worried about your pubes during a swimming carnival.
The best way to ask if someone is a lesbian is, “Are you licking the light fantastic?”
And if you love someone…probably just tell them for goodness sake.
Every all girl high school experience from 2008-2012 was the same, from trying to kiss your best friend to being worried about your pubes during a swimming carnival.
The best way to ask if someone is a lesbian is, “Are you licking the light fantastic?”
And if you love someone…probably just tell them for goodness sake.
Review of advance copy
5 stars
what the fuck. madeleine gray you'll be hearing from my lawyers (and my therapist).
while i was reading this book, there was a question swirling over me the entire time. each flashback and forward only exacerbated my curiosity as to what happened? as i got closer and closer to the end, it slowly became clearand then i wanted to die.
while reading about nell and eve's early friendship, i was struck by the similarities between it and my own friendship experience in years 8 and 9. it seems that being ousted from a trio in year 9 with little-to-no explanation is a canon event... though the situations weren't identical, i was slightly freaked out by how represented i felt.
then, as eve went to uni and began exploring the world, i felt hopeful and excited - for her, and for myself. i am about to start university after all! true, i'm not going to university in sydney in 2014, but eve definitely had some experiences that i aspire to in my future.
and then shit hit the metaphorical fan!! what the hell!!
the closer i got to the end of this book, the more verbal exclamations i made. i was acutely aware of the dwindling number of pages, equally curious and terrified for how gray was going to tie this story together.
also, this was completely hilarious! i found gray's writing really funny in green dot and this certainly didn't disappoint. i particularly enjoyed lake's dialogue - having babysat children in recent times, i can attest to 7 year olds being capable of understanding neoliberalism. while at times i found references and language used somewhat anachronistic, i was a child in the 2010s so literally what would i know. take that with a grain of salt.
i'm going to force so many people i know to read this. an absolutely devastating, funny and lovely book.
what the fuck. madeleine gray you'll be hearing from my lawyers (and my therapist).
while i was reading this book, there was a question swirling over me the entire time. each flashback and forward only exacerbated my curiosity as to what happened? as i got closer and closer to the end, it slowly became clear
while reading about nell and eve's early friendship, i was struck by the similarities between it and my own friendship experience in years 8 and 9. it seems that being ousted from a trio in year 9 with little-to-no explanation is a canon event... though the situations weren't identical, i was slightly freaked out by how represented i felt.
then, as eve went to uni and began exploring the world, i felt hopeful and excited - for her, and for myself. i am about to start university after all! true, i'm not going to university in sydney in 2014, but eve definitely had some experiences that i aspire to in my future.
and then shit hit the metaphorical fan!! what the hell!!
the closer i got to the end of this book, the more verbal exclamations i made. i was acutely aware of the dwindling number of pages, equally curious and terrified for how gray was going to tie this story together.
also, this was completely hilarious! i found gray's writing really funny in green dot and this certainly didn't disappoint. i particularly enjoyed lake's dialogue - having babysat children in recent times, i can attest to 7 year olds being capable of understanding neoliberalism. while at times i found references and language used somewhat anachronistic, i was a child in the 2010s so literally what would i know. take that with a grain of salt.
i'm going to force so many people i know to read this. an absolutely devastating, funny and lovely book.
December 4, 2025
I really loved this! Super easy to read. Buuuut I think having loved it so much, I found myself being quite nitpicky while reading. Mostly because it was so close to being a perfect amazing book !!
1. where is the quick witted current writing I fell in love with in Madeleine’s first book?! Maybe it was a character choice to not be as cutting through the eyes of Eve but eek a lot of references and moments fell a littleee flat. Green dot felt SO fresh, whereas this defs felt quite …. I hate to say it but …. millennial. Again the characters were in uni in 2012 so TOTALLY could be and probably is a stylistic choice. But I guess I thought green dot writing was just Madeleine’s thing when it was just a green dot thing.
2. which leads me to…. why did the queer references in particular feel so shoe horned ??? I swear in Madeleine’s first book they felt completely lived in and authentic. I think this story as a whole was an incredible exploration of the queer experience but some moments I felt like we got a bit lazy and needed lean into the whole show don’t tell kind of mindset.
3. I swear people didn’t talk like that in 2012 hahahahah them having full gay internet lingo pre instagram even is taking me out
4. I know the whole point was for Nell to be mysterious, but she’s literally a main character and I know nothing about her. I know we learn a lot more later on but her character needed some serious fleshing out earlier in the story.
5. I feel for Eve but why is she SO fucking insufferable oh my god get a grip girl
6. Was a little disappointed with the ending, kinda felt like she didn’t know how to finish it
INCREDIBLE BOOK had me so locked in I think I read most of it in 2 days
Apologies for long review but needed to get this out of my system 🤓
1. where is the quick witted current writing I fell in love with in Madeleine’s first book?! Maybe it was a character choice to not be as cutting through the eyes of Eve but eek a lot of references and moments fell a littleee flat. Green dot felt SO fresh, whereas this defs felt quite …. I hate to say it but …. millennial. Again the characters were in uni in 2012 so TOTALLY could be and probably is a stylistic choice. But I guess I thought green dot writing was just Madeleine’s thing when it was just a green dot thing.
2. which leads me to…. why did the queer references in particular feel so shoe horned ??? I swear in Madeleine’s first book they felt completely lived in and authentic. I think this story as a whole was an incredible exploration of the queer experience but some moments I felt like we got a bit lazy and needed lean into the whole show don’t tell kind of mindset.
3. I swear people didn’t talk like that in 2012 hahahahah them having full gay internet lingo pre instagram even is taking me out
4. I know the whole point was for Nell to be mysterious, but she’s literally a main character and I know nothing about her. I know we learn a lot more later on but her character needed some serious fleshing out earlier in the story.
5. I feel for Eve but why is she SO fucking insufferable oh my god get a grip girl
6. Was a little disappointed with the ending, kinda felt like she didn’t know how to finish it
INCREDIBLE BOOK had me so locked in I think I read most of it in 2 days
Apologies for long review but needed to get this out of my system 🤓
December 29, 2025
Ahhhh. I didn’t really know what to expect with this one. Just blindly went in because I knew it would be good.
Madeline has done it again… Written a book with characters I thoroughly dislike, a story I find incredibly frustrating and for the most part far from enjoyable. But somehow I still really enjoyed the reading experience. It was an easy read and I feel like such an insane amount of content fit into such a normal sized book.
I don’t think Madeline sets out to write books with loveable characters… (going off her last book), but I do think she is a great storyteller. It was really refreshing to read something abit different.
Torn between 3-4 stars…
4 star reading experience of a 2-3 star story hahaha
Madeline has done it again… Written a book with characters I thoroughly dislike, a story I find incredibly frustrating and for the most part far from enjoyable. But somehow I still really enjoyed the reading experience. It was an easy read and I feel like such an insane amount of content fit into such a normal sized book.
I don’t think Madeline sets out to write books with loveable characters… (going off her last book), but I do think she is a great storyteller. It was really refreshing to read something abit different.
Torn between 3-4 stars…
4 star reading experience of a 2-3 star story hahaha
November 24, 2025
(4.5*)
Okay...
I won't lie, I battled a little with this one. After not finishing an audiobook version of Madeleine Gray's 'Green Dot' due to getting frustrated by the decisions made by the main character, I was expecting a similar issue to arise when I got to the struggles of the characters... Boy, was I wrong.
Although parts of this story were like watching a lesbian dumpster fire, I loved the story. Love and loss is complex and being young, while working out your place in the world, then encountering some of life's nasty sides... I feel for Eve during the entire first half, but then develop a disdain for her and her actions (poor Nell). I still felt like a lot of the problems the characters encountered would have been resolved if they JUST TALKED ABOUT IT. But this feeling fizzled out quicker than I expected.
I ended up really really enjoying the structure, the story moving along while moving between the time lines.
Madeline Gray has for sure brought my interest back.
Okay...
I won't lie, I battled a little with this one. After not finishing an audiobook version of Madeleine Gray's 'Green Dot' due to getting frustrated by the decisions made by the main character, I was expecting a similar issue to arise when I got to the struggles of the characters... Boy, was I wrong.
Although parts of this story were like watching a lesbian dumpster fire, I loved the story. Love and loss is complex and being young, while working out your place in the world, then encountering some of life's nasty sides... I feel for Eve during the entire first half, but then develop a disdain for her and her actions (poor Nell). I still felt like a lot of the problems the characters encountered would have been resolved if they JUST TALKED ABOUT IT. But this feeling fizzled out quicker than I expected.
I ended up really really enjoying the structure, the story moving along while moving between the time lines.
Madeline Gray has for sure brought my interest back.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 27, 2025
Actual rating 3.5. Review to come!
December 28, 2025
Started strong but didn’t really enjoy where it went
November 18, 2025
I was swept away by this love affair that lasted almost 2 decades and absolutely loved the jumping back and forth in time as the plot unfolds. Nell and Eve were amazing characters and I loved their bond. But the relatable part is how this bond ebbs and flows over time as they grow apart then find each other and then grow apart again. Part coming of age and part adulthood - so much was relatable in this book. With themes of healing, reconnecting, and parting ways - this story is weaved together by love and lust and longing. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
December 20, 2025
ahhh this was gorgeous. the perfect amount of current with modern references yet still a timeless feel. i loved eve and nell and was so invested in their story!!
November 25, 2025
Tw: Gosford mention
2.5 ⭐️
2.5 ⭐️
December 21, 2025
Hatade alla. Älskade boken 🫶🏾
October 24, 2025
A combination of a queer coming-of-age story blended with the experience of single motherhood. Chosen Family centres around Eve and Nell, who were friends from their early teens until their relationship broke down. When they meet again at uni, they reunite and form their own family.
There were some really beautiful elements to this story — the queer love and joy, the non-nuclear family unit, and the portrayal of Nell and Eve creating their own rules for motherhood and life in general. Unfort I found the time jumps a bit choppy, and it wasn’t until the second half of the book that I began to find any rhythm or flow to their stories. Once that shifted, I began to really care for and understand these complex, flawed women.
I found the writing to be a bit clunky. The use of third person felt disconnected from the vibe of the story, keeping me at a distance from what each woman was experiencing. I felt like so much of the story was telling not showing. Another thing that stood out to me was some of the fact-checking. Being a teenager myself in 2012-2014, I felt like some of the references and language were too current, more reflective of today’s lingo than how teenagers spoke back then.
While I love queer stories and this felt like this would be my vibe completely, but I just couldn’t get into it as much as I wanted. Definitely still recommend for readers looking for a gentle (though sometimes cautionary) queer story about friendship, family and forging your own path.
There were some really beautiful elements to this story — the queer love and joy, the non-nuclear family unit, and the portrayal of Nell and Eve creating their own rules for motherhood and life in general. Unfort I found the time jumps a bit choppy, and it wasn’t until the second half of the book that I began to find any rhythm or flow to their stories. Once that shifted, I began to really care for and understand these complex, flawed women.
I found the writing to be a bit clunky. The use of third person felt disconnected from the vibe of the story, keeping me at a distance from what each woman was experiencing. I felt like so much of the story was telling not showing. Another thing that stood out to me was some of the fact-checking. Being a teenager myself in 2012-2014, I felt like some of the references and language were too current, more reflective of today’s lingo than how teenagers spoke back then.
While I love queer stories and this felt like this would be my vibe completely, but I just couldn’t get into it as much as I wanted. Definitely still recommend for readers looking for a gentle (though sometimes cautionary) queer story about friendship, family and forging your own path.
October 28, 2025
There are still a couple of months of the year to go, but Chosen Family is without a doubt going to be a hot contender for my favourite book of the year.
It’s been a while since a book had me uncontrollably laughing out loud, but something about the way Madeleine Gray writes had me in stitches. She writes with an incredible combination of wit, compassion and relatability that I’ve rarely come across.
Chosen Family is Eve and Nell’s story, two women who first connect during the hellscape that is attending an all-girls private school in Sydney. They’re both misunderstood by most of their peers, but find deep friendship and connection with one another. As Eve’s feelings for Nell grow to be more than just platonic, Eve simultaneously finds herself ostracised by her classmates. Years later, when Eve and Nell reconnect, they must come to terms with their shared past and how they treated one another.
I loved so much about this book. The chapters alternate between present day and Eve’s high school and uni years. I loved how the author used this structure and I found it really engaging. The characters are also absolutely brilliant and I truly could have read 200 more pages of their story (I would die for a sequel).
I honestly can’t think of a bad thing to say about this hysterically funny, sexy and moving book.
Congratulations to Madeleine Gray on such a fantastic follow up to Green Dot. I can’t wait to see this book absolutely smash it!
Thank you to Simon & Schuster Australia for sending me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
5⭐️ (I would give it 6 if I could).
It’s been a while since a book had me uncontrollably laughing out loud, but something about the way Madeleine Gray writes had me in stitches. She writes with an incredible combination of wit, compassion and relatability that I’ve rarely come across.
Chosen Family is Eve and Nell’s story, two women who first connect during the hellscape that is attending an all-girls private school in Sydney. They’re both misunderstood by most of their peers, but find deep friendship and connection with one another. As Eve’s feelings for Nell grow to be more than just platonic, Eve simultaneously finds herself ostracised by her classmates. Years later, when Eve and Nell reconnect, they must come to terms with their shared past and how they treated one another.
I loved so much about this book. The chapters alternate between present day and Eve’s high school and uni years. I loved how the author used this structure and I found it really engaging. The characters are also absolutely brilliant and I truly could have read 200 more pages of their story (I would die for a sequel).
I honestly can’t think of a bad thing to say about this hysterically funny, sexy and moving book.
Congratulations to Madeleine Gray on such a fantastic follow up to Green Dot. I can’t wait to see this book absolutely smash it!
Thank you to Simon & Schuster Australia for sending me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
5⭐️ (I would give it 6 if I could).
October 5, 2025
Absolute disclaimer - I LOVED Green Dot. It has its place on The Shelves Of Keep, rather than being relegated to the Boxes Of Donation, and well deserved it is, too. For those of you who are expecting another GD, this is not that book, but it’s differently good. Similarly on the themes of those on the fringe, this time we meet Eve and Nell, firstly at school, different and therefore bulliable, and then we contrast that with Eve, current day,single parenting Lake. Gradually the past years catch up to the current time, and we find out exactly what happened, and along the way, become incredibly invested in the characters. This deals, in a sensitive and sometimes humorous way, the relationships that keep us through our lives, our parents - the original For Better Or For Worse, our friends, our chosen families, our lovers, our children, and puts each one under an acutely lensed microscope.
Read pre-release with kind thanks to the author, Simon and Schuster/Summit Books, and NetGalley (publication date 28 October 2025). Mark your calendars!
Read pre-release with kind thanks to the author, Simon and Schuster/Summit Books, and NetGalley (publication date 28 October 2025). Mark your calendars!
November 24, 2025
Very gay, very millennial, very good.
Read
November 26, 2025screaming and throwing up?? and the crowd is… speechless.
I don’t know how to feel about this or rate this right now because they both dragged out things they shouldn’t have but obviously not to the same extent (and I really really really don’t want to be reading myself into this story) so!!
this is kinda the intense homoerotic friendship growing up with you in a scarily possibly way. like can this count as sapphic horror with every continuing wholesome saccharine depiction of domestic life…
108 minutes yesterday and 86 minutes today - 194 minutes! for this book
I don’t know why im so interested in logging how long it takes for me to read stuff but enjoy it while it lasts
see the dialogue isn’t very… natural? they talk very similarly at 14 and 30. doesn’t that not make sense. also the changes in povs within chapters, basically with the introduction of a new paragraph was so uh interesting? it made it harder to follow who’s train of thought we were following (i remember one chapter that was purely eve’s pov and then one paragraph from Ella’s pov and got so confused that i had to reread it to make sense of the thought process because i thought it was still Eve). but i do really like the idea and concept of the flashbacks from when they grew up until the modern day. i don’t know if it was necessarily the easiest to follow though? it’s kinda rough to go from them being the best of buds at age 15 to eve bemoaning why Nell left at age 30. after the 4 years of time skip from them in uni the changes weren’t as drastic and thus easier to follow but still. that was a solid half of the book that was a bit jarring.
onto the plot now!
(rip tae btw, sigh).
honestly it is slightly horrific to me that they had kids so young too I don’t blame him. horror book but it’s just one woman almost unconditionally in love with and idolizing another who knows and toys with these feelings? it’s kinda bizarre to me that eve did that for so long. like at some point you couldn’t have just wanted to make her pay? for high school isolation ? that can’t just be it, can it? I know you crave that validation, eve. you have a child with her. it’s just. so bizarre to me. you don’t appreciate what you have until it goes I suppose??????? but they really shouldn’t have had a child so young and while she was so emotionally driven. and I wish they had someone that they would’ve listened to about that? I don’t know, that’s something in and of itself. it’s just really not a fun situation. parent wise, but hey it’s the truth sometimes? and it’s still just like okay sure I guess their child is a genius too?? love lake and all and im glad it turned out well for them but. im just shocked okay! not a fan of the young pregnancy personally (but that honestly might’ve just been the conditions and motivations beforehand for it ) but regardless they ball
sorry for the fact that im just reading like my worst nightmare ever written on paper with no justifiable reasons on eve’s end! im totally chill about this
it honestly is engaging though because the entire time you want to know what eve did so wrong to Nell, and with every passing page you’re just waiting for the ball (the other shoe!) to drop. it’s almost like reading a horror in that way. I keep calling this book that but it is just genuinely scary to me okay.
THEY DIDNT EVEN GIVE ME FULL ON CLOSURE AT THE END. could’ve at least shown my miscommunicating lesbians communicating properly for once but noooo, that would’ve been too much to ask for. heaven forbid I want a happy ending. but like. lowk fair with them. an epilogue wouldn’t really smooth out all the damage they’ve done to each other
I don’t know how to feel about this or rate this right now because they both dragged out things they shouldn’t have but obviously not to the same extent (and I really really really don’t want to be reading myself into this story) so!!
this is kinda the intense homoerotic friendship growing up with you in a scarily possibly way. like can this count as sapphic horror with every continuing wholesome saccharine depiction of domestic life…
108 minutes yesterday and 86 minutes today - 194 minutes! for this book
I don’t know why im so interested in logging how long it takes for me to read stuff but enjoy it while it lasts
see the dialogue isn’t very… natural? they talk very similarly at 14 and 30. doesn’t that not make sense. also the changes in povs within chapters, basically with the introduction of a new paragraph was so uh interesting? it made it harder to follow who’s train of thought we were following (i remember one chapter that was purely eve’s pov and then one paragraph from Ella’s pov and got so confused that i had to reread it to make sense of the thought process because i thought it was still Eve). but i do really like the idea and concept of the flashbacks from when they grew up until the modern day. i don’t know if it was necessarily the easiest to follow though? it’s kinda rough to go from them being the best of buds at age 15 to eve bemoaning why Nell left at age 30. after the 4 years of time skip from them in uni the changes weren’t as drastic and thus easier to follow but still. that was a solid half of the book that was a bit jarring.
onto the plot now!
(rip tae btw, sigh).
honestly it is slightly horrific to me that they had kids so young too I don’t blame him. horror book but it’s just one woman almost unconditionally in love with and idolizing another who knows and toys with these feelings? it’s kinda bizarre to me that eve did that for so long. like at some point you couldn’t have just wanted to make her pay? for high school isolation ? that can’t just be it, can it? I know you crave that validation, eve. you have a child with her. it’s just. so bizarre to me. you don’t appreciate what you have until it goes I suppose??????? but they really shouldn’t have had a child so young and while she was so emotionally driven. and I wish they had someone that they would’ve listened to about that? I don’t know, that’s something in and of itself. it’s just really not a fun situation. parent wise, but hey it’s the truth sometimes? and it’s still just like okay sure I guess their child is a genius too?? love lake and all and im glad it turned out well for them but. im just shocked okay! not a fan of the young pregnancy personally (but that honestly might’ve just been the conditions and motivations beforehand for it ) but regardless they ball
sorry for the fact that im just reading like my worst nightmare ever written on paper with no justifiable reasons on eve’s end! im totally chill about this
it honestly is engaging though because the entire time you want to know what eve did so wrong to Nell, and with every passing page you’re just waiting for the ball (the other shoe!) to drop. it’s almost like reading a horror in that way. I keep calling this book that but it is just genuinely scary to me okay.
THEY DIDNT EVEN GIVE ME FULL ON CLOSURE AT THE END. could’ve at least shown my miscommunicating lesbians communicating properly for once but noooo, that would’ve been too much to ask for. heaven forbid I want a happy ending. but like. lowk fair with them. an epilogue wouldn’t really smooth out all the damage they’ve done to each other
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 17, 2025
REVIEW FOR FUTURE ME WHEN I FORGET THAT I EVEN READ THIS BOOK:
You 🩷 Australian contemporaries. This book started with the most beautiful letter of all time before hitting you over the head with a reminder that all girls in high school in the early 2000s had the same common experience. Nell and Eve were flawed heroines, with the former feeling far less fleshed out than the latter. You loved the dual timeline and the metaphor of being a satellite orbiting someone’s life. You loved the housemates - Lake, Tay and Marcus provided excellent levity. You loved the third person omniscient POV and how it skipped around from sentence to sentence. You loved the pop culture references and the voice acting in the audiobook and you loved the love Gray was portraying for queer families. You HATED Eve’s autofic and couldn’t comprehend the act of cruelty. But still, maybe you will read Green Dot after all…
The quote: “It’s easy to see which of the girls have already learned to hate their bodies and which are still happily ensconced in the unblushing shamelessness of being 12 years old. Georgia Smith, for example, is uncomfortable in her body but as she is on the fringes of the popular group she must feign nonchalance. Part of being popular is projecting body confidence and making other people feel bad. Nevertheless, the fact that she’s clearly sucking in her stomach betrays her anxiety. Alex Robbins is skinny blonde and hot, for a 12 year old. As such she parades her near naked body around the changing room, in no particular rush to cover up. Minnie Parker, the athlete, is not exactly popular but she is fit and therefore slim, and this counts for a lot. She sees her body as a tool and changes into her suit accordingly, with dexterity and purpose. Nervously trying to get into her new bathing suit without displaying her burgeoning pubic hair to the mob of preteen girls, Eve is firmly on the ashamed team. In reality, her build is average but she is sure she is fat.”
You 🩷 Australian contemporaries. This book started with the most beautiful letter of all time before hitting you over the head with a reminder that all girls in high school in the early 2000s had the same common experience. Nell and Eve were flawed heroines, with the former feeling far less fleshed out than the latter. You loved the dual timeline and the metaphor of being a satellite orbiting someone’s life. You loved the housemates - Lake, Tay and Marcus provided excellent levity. You loved the third person omniscient POV and how it skipped around from sentence to sentence. You loved the pop culture references and the voice acting in the audiobook and you loved the love Gray was portraying for queer families. You HATED Eve’s autofic and couldn’t comprehend the act of cruelty. But still, maybe you will read Green Dot after all…
The quote: “It’s easy to see which of the girls have already learned to hate their bodies and which are still happily ensconced in the unblushing shamelessness of being 12 years old. Georgia Smith, for example, is uncomfortable in her body but as she is on the fringes of the popular group she must feign nonchalance. Part of being popular is projecting body confidence and making other people feel bad. Nevertheless, the fact that she’s clearly sucking in her stomach betrays her anxiety. Alex Robbins is skinny blonde and hot, for a 12 year old. As such she parades her near naked body around the changing room, in no particular rush to cover up. Minnie Parker, the athlete, is not exactly popular but she is fit and therefore slim, and this counts for a lot. She sees her body as a tool and changes into her suit accordingly, with dexterity and purpose. Nervously trying to get into her new bathing suit without displaying her burgeoning pubic hair to the mob of preteen girls, Eve is firmly on the ashamed team. In reality, her build is average but she is sure she is fat.”
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