What do you think?
Soft Serve
Stuck in a regional McDonald's, as bushfires close in, three 20-somethings and their dead friend's mum all face a reckoning. Fern longs for Ethan, Ethan longs for Jacob, and Jacob struggles to long for anything. Meanwhile, Pat just wants her grief to ease up.
Soft Serve proves that small-town lives are huge, and that anyone can get stuck in limbo between their past and their hoped-for future. From celebrated Australian playwright and actor George Kemp comes this charming and poignant it's drive-thru Chekhov… and full of heart.
Soft Serve proves that small-town lives are huge, and that anyone can get stuck in limbo between their past and their hoped-for future. From celebrated Australian playwright and actor George Kemp comes this charming and poignant it's drive-thru Chekhov… and full of heart.
Audible Audio
First published February 3, 2026
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 102 reviews
April 3, 2026
It is refreshing to read a book so distinctively Australian. When I read the blurb I thought this was the premise of an Australian play if I had ever heard one, I was pleasantly surprised to see that George Kemp is a playwright, Soft Serve being their first novel (story checks out!)
Three young adults and their deceased friend’s mother sheltering in a regional Maccas while a bush fire closes in. All are coming to terms with decisions which can change the trajectory of their lives.
A character study through grief which felt urgently relevant, self discovery at the forefront, this little book is complex. How do you redirect yourself when your life crumbles? Soft Serve is raw, tender and captures dreams beyond a small town. I’ve seen it described as drive-thru Chekhov which I think is perfect.
I would love to see more Australia literature on shelves.
Three young adults and their deceased friend’s mother sheltering in a regional Maccas while a bush fire closes in. All are coming to terms with decisions which can change the trajectory of their lives.
A character study through grief which felt urgently relevant, self discovery at the forefront, this little book is complex. How do you redirect yourself when your life crumbles? Soft Serve is raw, tender and captures dreams beyond a small town. I’ve seen it described as drive-thru Chekhov which I think is perfect.
I would love to see more Australia literature on shelves.
April 2, 2026
I read this on a whim - because it is rare day when I find myself perusing BorrowBox’s offerings (I’m a Libby girlie!) but the stars aligned and I quite enjoyed this snap shot of a handful of people dealing with the reality of a bushfire closing in on the town and the impending realisation that it’s too late to leave.
The group of people that find themselves holed up at the Maccas are also bound together by a person who isn’t there, who died before the story starts but who haunts the narrative. It’s quite beautiful but also tragic how the little dramas that make up life collide with the realisation that there might not be time to make that change, to pursue their dreams of a bigger future.
The author is a playwright and that shows in the framing of the novel, I could see this working brilliantly on stage.
The group of people that find themselves holed up at the Maccas are also bound together by a person who isn’t there, who died before the story starts but who haunts the narrative. It’s quite beautiful but also tragic how the little dramas that make up life collide with the realisation that there might not be time to make that change, to pursue their dreams of a bigger future.
The author is a playwright and that shows in the framing of the novel, I could see this working brilliantly on stage.
March 17, 2026
This is a lovely book but it’s too short! I would have liked to know more both of the characters’ futures and their pasts. Story of grief after Pat’s son dies and how she and his friends try to patch their lives back together - each with a somewhat different strategy. It mostly takes place on one day in the town’s MacDonalds as bushfires approach. It took me back to the trapped feeling of my own Black Summer experience. It’s a quick read so it’s only afterwards that you start to question some of the elements of the plot - Fern and Ethan’s relationship, Jacob’s decisions.. In the midst of it you really are just in the midst of it all with them.
February 14, 2026
Sweet and funny and sad and human. A gorgeous debut.
June 8, 2026
The premise for George Kemp's novel,
Soft Serve
, is deceptively simple - four people taking shelter in a regional McDonald's as bushfires close in around the town. What unfolds, is a story about grief, expectations and imagined futures.
Three 20-year-olds, Ethan, Fern and Jacob, gather at McDonald's to toast their friend (with a soft-serve), Taz, on the anniversary of his death. Taz's mother, Pat, is the manager of Macca's, and on this particular day, she arrives early, going through the motions, nursing her grief.
As the day begins, news of the bushfires reach the group. The fires create an intense backdrop, compressing and giving urgency to the interactions between the characters. Thoughts about the future get put on hold when your present is precarious - this applies to Ethan, Fern and Jacob, but is also a reflection of the trajectory of Pat's grief.
What Kemp has done very well is capture the sense of place in a mid-size regional Australian town.
I emphasise 'mid-size' because such towns put youth in a difficult position. There's rarely enough (in terms of entertainment and employment) to keep them there, yet they're discouraged to leave - it's often not socially acceptable to demand 'more' from life, and fear around the unknown is powerful.
Themes of wanting a different future are explored through each of the 20-year-olds in various ways (Fern through financial security; Ethan through questioning his sexuality; and Jacob, who wants to do something but doesn't know what). Significantly, Taz had followed his dream, left the town to make a life in Sydney, and was killed in an accident - a terrifying cautionary tale for his friends.
Lastly, this book has Year 12 text written all over it!
3.5/5
...orange embers dart over her head and flutter down the hill towards the town, flicky death-filled confetti...
Three 20-year-olds, Ethan, Fern and Jacob, gather at McDonald's to toast their friend (with a soft-serve), Taz, on the anniversary of his death. Taz's mother, Pat, is the manager of Macca's, and on this particular day, she arrives early, going through the motions, nursing her grief.
Pat's grief counsellor once said: The mindless and the manual will be your best friends. Stupid, Pat thought. Yet here she is, cleaning inside the bottom of the slippery dip.
As the day begins, news of the bushfires reach the group. The fires create an intense backdrop, compressing and giving urgency to the interactions between the characters. Thoughts about the future get put on hold when your present is precarious - this applies to Ethan, Fern and Jacob, but is also a reflection of the trajectory of Pat's grief.
They're just trying to do the same thing that she is - fill in a sinkhole with a trowel.
What Kemp has done very well is capture the sense of place in a mid-size regional Australian town.
Out into the sandwich-board-and-mugaccino cafes, the Vinnies, the Thai restaurant, Fine Wines, Vibe (the good dress shop), the homewares 'boutiques' whose whitewashed frangipani sensabilities make it seem as though they took a wrong turn miles away at the ocean and ended up here, trying to cash in on the tourist dollar. What tourists?
I emphasise 'mid-size' because such towns put youth in a difficult position. There's rarely enough (in terms of entertainment and employment) to keep them there, yet they're discouraged to leave - it's often not socially acceptable to demand 'more' from life, and fear around the unknown is powerful.
Themes of wanting a different future are explored through each of the 20-year-olds in various ways (Fern through financial security; Ethan through questioning his sexuality; and Jacob, who wants to do something but doesn't know what). Significantly, Taz had followed his dream, left the town to make a life in Sydney, and was killed in an accident - a terrifying cautionary tale for his friends.
Lastly, this book has Year 12 text written all over it!
3.5/5
June 4, 2026
enjoyable premise but i sadly thought the emotional beats and their aftermath were poorly handled / abandoned
March 23, 2026
When I read a slender, novella sized book, I’m always hoping for another Of Mice & Men. Poverty, struggle, humanity, tenderness, care and tragedy. Unfortunately this doesn’t come anywhere close.
It’s Tell and not Show, it’s lumpen and lazy. For a 190 page book, it’s very hard to finish. The characters are bare, names stencilled with emotion that the author says they feel rather than their actions demonstrate. Fern, the main female character, is given nothing to do but cry and frown. Her spoken lines are almost non existent.
Bush fire, small town, tragedy - this should have packed a punch. This should have been memorable.
A real shame.
It’s Tell and not Show, it’s lumpen and lazy. For a 190 page book, it’s very hard to finish. The characters are bare, names stencilled with emotion that the author says they feel rather than their actions demonstrate. Fern, the main female character, is given nothing to do but cry and frown. Her spoken lines are almost non existent.
Bush fire, small town, tragedy - this should have packed a punch. This should have been memorable.
A real shame.
February 20, 2026
4.5 ⭐️ I bought this as I am currently travelling Australia and I have seen it in all the bookshops. SO GOOD! Read it in a sitting. A tender exploration of grief and love with a backdrop of wildfire fear. This will stay with me for a while.
February 28, 2026
“This place holds her grief in its hands,”
Grief is all encompassing as a bushfire. The embers sparking kilometres away.
Beautiful and devastating. And as someone who’s lived through several days that start with ‘black’, it was all too real and I loved them all.
And yes, I cried like a baby.
Grief is all encompassing as a bushfire. The embers sparking kilometres away.
Beautiful and devastating. And as someone who’s lived through several days that start with ‘black’, it was all too real and I loved them all.
And yes, I cried like a baby.
May 23, 2026
This book is the embodiment of ‘you don’t know what someone else is going through’.
An oppressively hot and burning setting, matched with oppressive insight into people’s lives. Being a human is fraught and hard and grief filled. But it is also love and connection and service to others.
Very Australian.
Very good.
Also, Maccas being the central setting…genius.
An oppressively hot and burning setting, matched with oppressive insight into people’s lives. Being a human is fraught and hard and grief filled. But it is also love and connection and service to others.
Very Australian.
Very good.
Also, Maccas being the central setting…genius.
July 14, 2026
amazing. gorgeous. perfect. maybe my fav read of the year so far?
April 16, 2026
A somber love letter to small town Australia. I know these people and I know these places. Devastatingly beautiful descriptions of nature and grief
August 26, 2026
A sad little Australian novel about friendship, family and grief. The audio narration was done well! I just wanted a bit more from the ending
March 2, 2026
What a debut!
March 24, 2026
Wasn't blown away by this debut - good depiction of regional Australia during bushfires but I couldn't connect with any of the characters
March 12, 2026
Wasn't bad, Wasn't great, was ok.
March 3, 2026
Possibly one of the worst books I’ve ever read and that’s saying something!
The author had a lot of interesting ideas he wanted to say but all the characters are frankly unlikeable, the authors decision to not use quotation marks when a character is talking is frankly bazaar and makes it hard to read.
To be fair the novella suffers from the fact that I read a book onto a month ago where the characterisation and certain plod of that novel come across as frankly homophobic, but it’s hard not to accuse this book of the same
In a nutshell the book is a swing and a miss of being any form of good, and is the second of two Australian books recently where the author heavily implies that being straight is good and gay is bad.
The author had a lot of interesting ideas he wanted to say but all the characters are frankly unlikeable, the authors decision to not use quotation marks when a character is talking is frankly bazaar and makes it hard to read.
To be fair the novella suffers from the fact that I read a book onto a month ago where the characterisation and certain plod of that novel come across as frankly homophobic, but it’s hard not to accuse this book of the same
In a nutshell the book is a swing and a miss of being any form of good, and is the second of two Australian books recently where the author heavily implies that being straight is good and gay is bad.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
Soft Serve is an absolutely fantastic portrait of small town Australian life and the way in which people deal with trauma and crisis. Reading this, I was instantly transported back to my own small town facing the crises of bushfires and my own personal struggles. Kemp writes with such clarity and reliability I was completely transfixed with the story, the characters and the emotions that swallowed me whole.
March 5, 2026
This is a really strong, taut debut work from Kemp. A perfect length, almost locked-room narrative, with a surprising ending. Kemp showed love and empathy for all his characters and their faults laid bare in the McDonalds restaurant as a bushfire rushes towards them.
"She always finishes her time up here by standing and gazing out towards the hills in the distant darkness. This morning those hills are shrouded in an ominous black and grey - maybe the smoke is close than it was yesterday? She thinks, briefly, of those praying, petrified Romans in Pompeii, the terrestrial in its perpetual losing battle with the mythic. She closes her eyes, spreads her arms and takes a deep breath in."
"His day has been gently but persistently macabre: the roadkill fox, the fly floating in his long black, the fire trucks hulking through the town. They've all conspired to give Jacob the uncomfortable sensation that the clammy hand of death is resting lightly on the back of his neck."
"Fern thinks of her mum, Angie, with her red ankle boots and butterfly floatiness, always dancing, lightly landing on a series of step-boyfriends' in a series of houses. It was always them who moved to the men. That's the thing about butterflies: you're not supposed to touch them. Every time you do, you wipe off a little bit of their magic, and each of those men had done exactly that to Angie. Fern had watched on as her mother lost a little bit of herself each time, wings tiring, searching desperately for somewhere to land."
"'Come on, darlin'. What's the King Brown in your toilet?'"
"Ethan can smell on Jacob all four of the elements: hot wind, earthworm bait, river water and smoke. Complete. But broken into bits."
"She had wondered about all the waste, all the shitty plastic toys she's handed out in Happy Meals, and thought, Have I done this? What's happening outside? No, it's a mismatch of thought, she tried to tell herself. The scale is all off."
"'How can you be so wise and good at rugby?'"
"The two of them sit in their booth: Fern, searching for a back to be carried upon; Jacob, the unlicked cub. One leaning towards connection like it's a fire giving warmth; the other running madly away in fear."
"In her time, Lotte has seen the haphardness of the mind when choosing what to pack in an emergency: two-minute noodles from the pantry and a wedding dress; a sleeping bag and a favourite childhood book. A forced and panicked sorting of past, present and fuutre - an essentialising of one's life."
"Without thought there's only instinct and it's exactly that which makes her look out and see it: the writhing mass of orange in the gum that leans towards the restaurant's golden arches, towards their fatty yellow heat. The tree is crackling and popping, and its leaves smell like a hospital ward. Clean and sharp and menacing. What a trick for Mother Nature to play, Pat thinks - to bend her mind back like that."
"She always finishes her time up here by standing and gazing out towards the hills in the distant darkness. This morning those hills are shrouded in an ominous black and grey - maybe the smoke is close than it was yesterday? She thinks, briefly, of those praying, petrified Romans in Pompeii, the terrestrial in its perpetual losing battle with the mythic. She closes her eyes, spreads her arms and takes a deep breath in."
"His day has been gently but persistently macabre: the roadkill fox, the fly floating in his long black, the fire trucks hulking through the town. They've all conspired to give Jacob the uncomfortable sensation that the clammy hand of death is resting lightly on the back of his neck."
"Fern thinks of her mum, Angie, with her red ankle boots and butterfly floatiness, always dancing, lightly landing on a series of step-boyfriends' in a series of houses. It was always them who moved to the men. That's the thing about butterflies: you're not supposed to touch them. Every time you do, you wipe off a little bit of their magic, and each of those men had done exactly that to Angie. Fern had watched on as her mother lost a little bit of herself each time, wings tiring, searching desperately for somewhere to land."
"'Come on, darlin'. What's the King Brown in your toilet?'"
"Ethan can smell on Jacob all four of the elements: hot wind, earthworm bait, river water and smoke. Complete. But broken into bits."
"She had wondered about all the waste, all the shitty plastic toys she's handed out in Happy Meals, and thought, Have I done this? What's happening outside? No, it's a mismatch of thought, she tried to tell herself. The scale is all off."
"'How can you be so wise and good at rugby?'"
"The two of them sit in their booth: Fern, searching for a back to be carried upon; Jacob, the unlicked cub. One leaning towards connection like it's a fire giving warmth; the other running madly away in fear."
"In her time, Lotte has seen the haphardness of the mind when choosing what to pack in an emergency: two-minute noodles from the pantry and a wedding dress; a sleeping bag and a favourite childhood book. A forced and panicked sorting of past, present and fuutre - an essentialising of one's life."
"Without thought there's only instinct and it's exactly that which makes her look out and see it: the writhing mass of orange in the gum that leans towards the restaurant's golden arches, towards their fatty yellow heat. The tree is crackling and popping, and its leaves smell like a hospital ward. Clean and sharp and menacing. What a trick for Mother Nature to play, Pat thinks - to bend her mind back like that."
March 27, 2026
It might be that my first job was at Maccas, or that I spent my childhood living between two towns where you felt “the excitement of a new set of traffic lights going up … as well as the sadness about the excitement of a new set of traffic lights”, or that I have felt the gravity of grief Kemp writes about, but whatever the reason, I thoroughly enjoyed this as a quick read. Whatever shortcomings it may have I’ll put down to being a debut novel. If you grew up in regional Australia and understand the humour and heartbreak of those places, I would recommend.
August 5, 2026
A short book that packs a punch. The story primarily revolves around four characters, although it is the absence of a fifth that looms larger.
Ethan, Fern and Jacob are meeting to toast their late friend Taz, gathering in the McDonalds staffed by Taz's mother Pat while a bushfire threatens their town. As external events progress, their internal struggles come to the fore.
It was Pat's story that resonated with me the most, seeing her maternal instincts kick in time and again while she continued to mourn her son. Overall, a simple but beautiful book
Ethan, Fern and Jacob are meeting to toast their late friend Taz, gathering in the McDonalds staffed by Taz's mother Pat while a bushfire threatens their town. As external events progress, their internal struggles come to the fore.
It was Pat's story that resonated with me the most, seeing her maternal instincts kick in time and again while she continued to mourn her son. Overall, a simple but beautiful book
May 12, 2026
3.5 stars!
As a country bumpkin turned city slicker, this book filled me with nostalgia. I was immersed into a world of grief, love, confusion, and fear, set within a small country town in Aus that reminded me of home.
I wanted to give this more stars, though I needed just a bit more from most of the characters, aside from Pat. This could’ve been a 300-400 page novel, though was stellar for 193 pages
As a country bumpkin turned city slicker, this book filled me with nostalgia. I was immersed into a world of grief, love, confusion, and fear, set within a small country town in Aus that reminded me of home.
I wanted to give this more stars, though I needed just a bit more from most of the characters, aside from Pat. This could’ve been a 300-400 page novel, though was stellar for 193 pages
September 2, 2026
I really wanted something short and rooted in Australia and this fit the bill
I valued getting little peaks into the internal lives of the side characters as the fire closed in
Pat felt very real to me
Audio narration was immersive
3.75ish? Idk how to rate contemporary/general/lit fic
I valued getting little peaks into the internal lives of the side characters as the fire closed in
Pat felt very real to me
Audio narration was immersive
3.75ish? Idk how to rate contemporary/general/lit fic
September 16, 2026
Ya win some, ya lose some. People at work were raving about this one so I guess it’s just not my flavour. I struggled with the writing, the descriptions and metaphors I found … juvenile? Which might be right for the right reader but I was not her. Sorry to this man.
April 16, 2026
I did like this novel although gut-wrenching at times; it did feel a bit underdeveloped as I feel like it quickly brushed over certain aspects in a tip of the iceberg manner, when I would’ve loved a more in depth explanation of what happened in the characters’ innermost relationships. I would have liked to know more of the characters' futures and their pasts; like the story of grief after Pat's son dies and how she and his friends try to patch their lives back together; as well as a bit of backstory on how he died. I feel like it was hinted at, unless I have forgotten it by now. Additionally, I would’ve loved a deeper exploration of the characters sexuality and gayness, navigating self acceptance, as well as a more in-depth look at how it affects their relationships with the other characters.
I did listen to the audiobook, which I did enjoy the narration of. I later learned the physical copy does not have quotation marks when the different characters are speaking, and I know that would’ve confused me as to who was speaking when. So I’m glad I went down the audiobook route.
Since most of this book is described as taking place on one day in the small, tight-knit town McDonalds/Maccas, as bushfires approach, it has an uncanny trapped, claustrophobic feeling, which I can only imagine, gratefully so, despite living in Australia, myself. It really hit close to home since it’s the end of summer now, yet despite that, still having fire warnings with the sky full of smoke as early as 6am, lasting all day into the evening. Whilst listening to the narration, it felt like I was in the midst of it—in the midst of it all, with them.
In the beginning of the book I did find a lot of the characters unlikeable but I’m glad I pushed through. I would possibly reread this again in the future when enough time has passed, that I forget what happens and can relive all the emotions addressed within this book; as well as themes of love, friendship, coming of age, family, denial, acceptance of oneself and others (gay/sexuality), found family, death and grief—it was definitely a book out of my comfort zone, but an important read, nonetheless—really makes you feel grateful for what you have, when you read about those that have lost.
I did listen to the audiobook, which I did enjoy the narration of. I later learned the physical copy does not have quotation marks when the different characters are speaking, and I know that would’ve confused me as to who was speaking when. So I’m glad I went down the audiobook route.
Since most of this book is described as taking place on one day in the small, tight-knit town McDonalds/Maccas, as bushfires approach, it has an uncanny trapped, claustrophobic feeling, which I can only imagine, gratefully so, despite living in Australia, myself. It really hit close to home since it’s the end of summer now, yet despite that, still having fire warnings with the sky full of smoke as early as 6am, lasting all day into the evening. Whilst listening to the narration, it felt like I was in the midst of it—in the midst of it all, with them.
In the beginning of the book I did find a lot of the characters unlikeable but I’m glad I pushed through. I would possibly reread this again in the future when enough time has passed, that I forget what happens and can relive all the emotions addressed within this book; as well as themes of love, friendship, coming of age, family, denial, acceptance of oneself and others (gay/sexuality), found family, death and grief—it was definitely a book out of my comfort zone, but an important read, nonetheless—really makes you feel grateful for what you have, when you read about those that have lost.
July 27, 2026
gut? wrenched
August 21, 2026
Guys, I read this book in one sitting. Admittedly, it’s only 208 pages long, but that had nothing to do with it. This story is so quintessentially Australian, so original and so beautifully written that I just didn’t want to put it down.
On the second anniversary of Taz’s death, three of his friends meet up at the local McDonald’s where Taz’s mum works to raise a soft serve toast in his memory. At the same time, a wild bushfire is barrelling towards them. As the fire closes in, our characters are forced to reckon with their grief, their place in the lives of others and their authentic selves.
What happens next had my heart in my throat.
This is a character driven coming of age story that's full of heart and gorgeous writing. Check out this montage that really builds the mood:
His day has been gently but persistently macabre: the roadkill fox, the fly floating in his long black, the fire trucks hulking through the town. They’ve all conspired to give Jacob the uncomfortable sensation that the clammy hand of death is resting lightly on the back of his neck.
I'm also a sucker for great metaphors and similes:
'Life isn’t folded laundry; it’s the clothes chucked into the washing basket waiting to be cleaned.'
and
'She will drive past gaps where houses used to be, like teeth knocked out from a mouth.'
So good!
There are no quotation marks in this book. The dialogue is italicised, and to be honest, I was halfway through before I even noticed. That’s how magnetic the writing is.
Soft Serve is a strong debut novel. I thoroughly enjoyed it.
On the second anniversary of Taz’s death, three of his friends meet up at the local McDonald’s where Taz’s mum works to raise a soft serve toast in his memory. At the same time, a wild bushfire is barrelling towards them. As the fire closes in, our characters are forced to reckon with their grief, their place in the lives of others and their authentic selves.
What happens next had my heart in my throat.
This is a character driven coming of age story that's full of heart and gorgeous writing. Check out this montage that really builds the mood:
His day has been gently but persistently macabre: the roadkill fox, the fly floating in his long black, the fire trucks hulking through the town. They’ve all conspired to give Jacob the uncomfortable sensation that the clammy hand of death is resting lightly on the back of his neck.
I'm also a sucker for great metaphors and similes:
'Life isn’t folded laundry; it’s the clothes chucked into the washing basket waiting to be cleaned.'
and
'She will drive past gaps where houses used to be, like teeth knocked out from a mouth.'
So good!
There are no quotation marks in this book. The dialogue is italicised, and to be honest, I was halfway through before I even noticed. That’s how magnetic the writing is.
Soft Serve is a strong debut novel. I thoroughly enjoyed it.
April 10, 2026
I normally steer pretty clear of Australian literature for no other reason than I prefer escapism when I read and Aussie lit is just a little too familiar, but I’m really glad I read this!
July 19, 2026
So vividly painted, the story and setting leaps of the page and burns bright right the way through.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 102 reviews