Downhill: A dramatic working class Romeo and Juliet set in the 1980s coal mining North

by Ann Thorsson

Brought together by their passion for rock music, kindred teen-spirits Ged and Julie bridge their social divide, fall in love and marry. So far, so good... But when life throws them into a series of challenges, the only way is down...

249 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 20, 2019

Reviews

[Mark · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well, this was something completely different, billed as a ‘80’s Romeo and Juliet love story set up North’ it had a lot to deliver on, and it did
Ged and Julie are from the opposite ends of the social scale but meet and fall in love, the story follows their courtship and married life and the difficulties they face being so ‘different’ ( both Mums of the 2 are played brilliantly, I especially loved Beryl, Ged’s Mum, who caused some real LOL moments )
But that’s really where the story starts not ends and it took a surprising turn into marital physical abuse after the loss of a child and a Mothers anguish, harrowing subjects but dealt with really well by the author in her no nonsense, plain speak that was the same throughout the book
The ending caught me off guard and will everyone who reads it....
Perfect 80’s feel is evoked with the music and ‘things about the house’ and of course it is set in a mining village so the Miners Strike and all that that brought is really poignantly described
Its emotive, funny, sad, shocking at times and REAL, the writing style is real and bold and I loved that, I enjoyed the references to Derbyshire ( most of my family are living back there ) and can honestly say its a book of many surprises that endeared itself to me and will do any reader

10/10
5 Stars

[Sverrir Sigurdsson · Rating 5 out of 5]

The author creates characters I care about and want to keep on reading to find out what happens to them. They sound very real in their North England coal mining country brogue. The story is full of twists and turns that remind me of a psycho thriller. A most enjoyable read.

[Ian Hornett · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was some book! Gritty, beautifully written, and very difficult to put down.

The story is set in the Derbyshire / Notts area of the UK and is described on the front cover as a working-class Romeo and Juliet. Ged and Julie meet as youngsters and fall in love. Though from two different backgrounds, they have much in common and all seems set for them to have a long happy life together. It wouldn’t be much of a story if it turned out that way. The author cleverly builds their backstories in such a way that the reader gets sucked into their lives. We want them to have that happy ever after, but work, children, money, and relationships, all make it tricky. We’re taken on a roller-coaster ride with Ged and Julie as they try to maintain the love that first got them together

The setting of time and place in this book was just right, the characters well developed and the plot thoroughly engaging. A fantastic read

[Bruce Hanson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Downhill is a hard book for me to review, because I want to tell you everything — but I don’t want to include spoilers.

Downhill is a raw, realistic love story. It is captivating. What I loved about this book is the originality of the plot, which in combination with the very real and flawed characters, kept me turning the pages.

The story is set in a coal mining village in England from 1979 to 1993, the Thatcher Years, when these mining facilities were being shut down.

The layout of the book reminds me of a diary, in that unimportant periods are skipped, so the characters' lives and events are not pressed into a short, improbable timeframe.

And that, is all I am going to tell you.

A great first novel by Ann Thorsson. Five stars.

I look forward to reading her other books.