The Answer to Everything

by Luke Kennard

Emily should be happy. She has a nice husband (even if they rarely speak to each other, let alone sleep in the same bed), two little boys she loves (even if a full night’s sleep is a distant memory) – and now, a brand-new house in which they can live out all of the bourgeois fantasies she knows she should be ashamed of. But still she aches for something more.

Enter Alathea and Elliott, their new neighbours, and also parents of two young boys. Alathea is intimidatingly confident and beautiful, but also disarmingly open and friendly. And Elliott … Elliott is intriguing. Dishevelled, talented, charming and a little lost, he seems as fascinated by Emily as she is by him, and soon their friendship has reached an intensity neither of them seem able to control.

As riotously funny as it is painfully moving, this is a novel about disappointment and yearning; about parenting and growing up; and the search for love, meaning and connection.

Genres: Fiction, Family, Contemporary

416 pages, Paperback

First published May 13, 2021

Reviews

[emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

[deleted my previous review, felt cringey; might re-read it soon, and write a new one.]

And a tiny playlist to end my review; I think it fits the vibe of the novel quite well.
The Less I Know Better – Tame Impala
Under My Skin – Rachael Yamagata
The Answer to Everything – Del Shannon

‘How long before you found another Emily?’

[Jodie Matthews · Rating 5 out of 5]

Is this one of the best books I’ve read this year? Yes, yes it is. Luke Kennard gets right to the heart of what it means to be human and desired – and feared and lonely and loved.

This novel is witty, the dialogue is perfect, the WhatsApp correspondence between two characters that builds up throughout is the most brilliant fictionalisation of an emotional attachment I’ve ever seen. There is no way to passively read this book – you start and you are IN. IT. right away, fully invested, fully involved, a little in love and completely mortified as you feel that same desperate hunger that the characters feel.
At times satirical of the middle-class, selective/exclusive community living and those with so much money they need not act human, The Answer to Everything also deals in the business of important emotional turmoil. Class differences, takes on motherhood, post-partum psychosis, comparison and a shifting sense of self all feature throughout. The characters are self-aware to the extent that it is painful — they judge themselves for their actions until those same actions become a form of self-flagellation.

I cannot fault this novel. Not one sec to on bored me, not one character felt anything other than fully realised. It’s out on 13/05/21, published by @4thestatebooks who sent me this proof copy, and it’s a must-read for me. I’m not surprised that Kennard is a prolific poet – there is a nuance to the way he writes emotions that feels both touching and biting.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 rounded up

I'm struggling to know where to start when reviewing this book. Is it a contemporary romance? Sort of but also not really in the way you might expect. Despite the chick-lit-esque cover (which is actually part of what attracted me to it and perhaps gave me slightly the wrong expectations) this is an often intelligent examination of contemporary romantic relationships, marriage and infidelity. But there's also a feeling I had as a reader of being constantly discomfited while reading which I suspect was intentional on the part of the author, like there was something more sinister going on behind the scenes of what - at face value - could have been purely the story of the relationship between two couples living on the same estate.

Perhaps I'll focus on the positives first: the writing was good in that unobtrusive way that you don't particularly notice it (I mean this as a compliment!) and that Emily was a very real character to me. Unfortunately Elliott in particular and Alathea to a lesser extent felt less fleshed-out and the novel lost its impetus for this reader in the latter sections, with the plot feeling a bit strung out in parts like there was too much going on.

Unhelpfully I'm not sure who I'd recommend this to as it really does defy categorisation, and I'd suggest reading some more favourable reviews if any of this sounds like your cup of tea.

Thank you Netgalley and 4th Estate for the advance copy, which was provided in exchange for an honest review.

[Sarah AF · Rating 4 out of 5]

As soon as I saw the line “soon their friendship has reached an intensity neither of them seem able to control” in the blurb, I knew this was for me. Longing intensity is my absolute weakness when it comes to a book and this didn’t let me down at all. While the connection between Emily and Elliott was very much the hook for me, there’s so very much in this book that feels so current and fresh. How easily it is to get lost in the rhythm of parenthood/long-term relationship and the little “outs” that people find to keep themselves feeling alive and an individual, the way that dynamics played out over messages are so temptingly disconnected and deceptive and then how those dynamics - orchestrated from behind a screen - aren’t always the reality you’ve lulled yourself into falling for. Probably a tad on the navel-gazey side for some people, I was, predictably, once again lured into a navel-gazey world where the richness of the dialogue was completely captivating.

[Liv (llivsbooks) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was wonderful and right up my street - a big thank you to NetGalley and Fourth Estate for an ARC.

Emily and Steven plus their two young children move to a fancy new build estate - the first home they've owned, achievable through the cheap living costs in an almost forced and artificial community. Emily is cripplingly lonely, her husband Steven is emotionally unavailable and Emily is still coming to terms with living in the aftermath of post-natal psychosis. Their new, attractive and intriguing neighbours Elliott and Alathea offer a welcome distraction to their odd estate, but things soon get out of hand...

The Answer to Everything is a story looking into betrayal, obsession and the human need for love and attention. Each character is so unlikeable in their own way, yet the story is so gripping and tense; I devoured this in a couple of sittings.

[Vansa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this book, some of the observations are so razor sharp you wince at their acuteness. Emily and her husband have moved into their new house, in a community that seems perfect from its marketing brochures. Emily's life is perfect on the surface, with 2 children and a nice husband( who doesn't seem to speak to her much, though). Her life seems to get more interesting, and more complicated, when she makes friends with the neighbours, a similarly yuppie couple with 2 children, Elliott and Alathea. Emily seems to have found a soulmate in Elliott- or is that merely the lure and ease of texting, where that semblance of anonymity makes it much easier to be vocal about your thoughts, than you would be in a face to face meeting? Emily's constant exhaustion and her attempts to have a life, and a personality to herself ,apart from that of mother, are captured very well.
The book's an excellently observed skewering of upper middle class life, and modern day parenting, and marriage. What elevates this over a regular midlife crisis dreary cheating exploration, is Kennard's control over his characters. They're all vividly written, and behave in completely relatable ways even when they're being insufferable, and none of them are shallow stereotypes at all, when this so easily could have been. The semblance of emotional closeness that texting offers is explored really well- it's superficial, and so easy, which paradoxically can delude you into thinking you're actually bonding with someone when it's probably no more than a convenient outlet. And most probably, the person at the other end is not irreplaceable. I loved the text messages sections of the book- the interlocutors aren't mentioned but their personalities are so clear you're never in doubt of who's saying what. Much like the way Evelyn Waugh writes his back and forth conversations. Like Waugh, Kennard too uses Emily's faith to explore notions of duty, love and morality, and try to figure out the answer to everything. Faith can't give you easy answers though, and neither does Kennard. The resolutions for all the characters are absolutely excellent and perfectly written. Hugely enjoyed this book

[may · Rating 1 out of 5]

Dull, dull, and dull again. I'm a romance lover and usually a forgiving one at that; this book, however, just shouldn't have made publication. Kennard is an excellent poet and this translates in probably the worst way possible. This piece felt long winded, the descriptions were too much, and I actually had to put it down after the first 20 pages. I really wanted to love this book but I just couldn't find it enjoyable as it felt like Kennard was just creating long, complex, and polysemic sentences that just weren't what I was looking for. Definitely look into this more if you're going to be looking for a romance - I wanted to feel in love, and instead, just felt extremely disappointed.

[Selina · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’m not sure how I feel about this book really. On the one hand I felt like it was packed with very relatable observations of everyday life and people’s mannerisms and made many aspects seem relatable. On the other it was difficult to get into any sort of flow of reading because of the cumbersome writing style.

[Francis Barton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cheating is bad, I thought we all knew it; these folks certainly didn't. A great book in that it dissuades you from doing anything similar, trying to comprehend how they're getting away with it will have you on the edge of your seat far more than the plot itself. Also weirdly makes you second-guess having kids as it doesn't sound like the most enjoyable journey, more of a drain than anything else. Moral of the story, keep your urges in check or you'll no longer be able to pick your kids up at the school gates without getting para that everyone knows you're a husband-stealing goodfornothing (even though in this instance they emerge largely unscathed, miraculously)

[Tracy B · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC.
Emily, Stephen & their two boys move across the street to Aletha, Elliot & their two boys. Emily and Elliot get talking until continuous conversations through text messages become more. I struggled a little with this book as the characters weren’t particularly likeable yet I still had to keep on reading to find out what happens, I was glad I did as there are a few good twists. The book really makes you think about at what point those harmless messages become harmful or were they never harmless in the first place?

[Martha S · Rating 3 out of 5]

About as good as a £2 blind date with a book could be

[Samantha Allison · Rating 3 out of 5]

the art of being desired is insatiable for some, but this book made me view marriage/love and friendship in a different way, so I’m thankful I read it. it took me a while to get into it and finish it but I’m glad I did.

[Emily Barker · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was a bit painful…not a lot going on and the ending was a bit rough! Finally finished it

[Molly Moore · Rating 3 out of 5]

Where to start with this one..... let's tackle the elephant in the room that is part of the book description

"As riotously funny as it is painfully moving"

It is absolutely not riotously funny. I have no idea who read this book and made that statement but it is not funny. It is indeed a moving read, a bit like watching a very slow train crash where you know everything is slowing going very wrong.

The book deals with themes of love but also cheating, monogamy, kink and emotionally abusive behaviour and does so in a fairly brutal way and some of it in a really poor way. For example the kink is about how Elliot and Alathea get off on fighting and breaking each others stuff until they are so wound up they f&ck. There is no nuance to it though and for intelligent people they seem to have done no research or reading into kinks and how to enjoy them in a safe but sexy way. Considering Alathea is some sort of therapist it just feels off.

There is nothing particularly likable about 3 of the 4 main characters: Elliot is a complete and utter narcissist, Alathea seems to enjoying being his accomplice in many ways and the character of Steve doesn't really feature apart from the fact that Emily needed a husband to make the plot work, but he is a non figure or is completely passive in the the story. Emily is the only one with some slight redeeming features but at times even she was frustrating in her ineptitude and lack of fire.

The other thing I found frustrating is the how it deals with monogamy and cheating. Clearly it raises questions about what is cheating. The answer is whatever you and partner decide it is but the conversation around monogamy and and non-monogamy is cloudy here because what Elliot is doing to the other women is not OK regardless of his arrangement with his wife. The key to non-monogamy is open honesty for all. Everyone needs to know what the deal is and what they are getting involved with. Otherwise, in this case, it is just abusive. As someone who is non-monogamous this book was quite frustrating from that point of view because it is confusing non-monogamy with an abusive narcissist. Non-monogamy can be wonderful and beautiful and a healthy option for many people. Elliot is mostly utterly incapable of any type of healthy relationship regardless of it's status and needs some fairly intense therapy to help him stop the cycle of abusive

The one other thing about this book that I hated was the ending. It is one of those books that kind of stops and we are meant to believe that Emily, a character with a track record of fragile mental healthy, appears to me mostly OK at the end of it having turned back to her religion for solace. It just left me going wait, what?

I am giving this book 3 stars but I will say, it did get me thinking and I did feel quite passionate about some of it and the themes it explores. It is a good read if an unsatisfying one

[Vansa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this book, some of the observations are so razor sharp you wince at their acuteness. Emily and her husband have moved into their new house, in a community that seems perfect from its marketing brochures. Emily's life is perfect on the surface, with 2 children and a nice husband( who doesn't seem to speak to her much, though). Her life seems to get more interesting, and more complicated, when she makes friends with the neighbours, a similarly yuppie couple with 2 children, Elliott and Alathea. Emily seems to have found a soulmate in Elliott- or is that merely the lure and ease of texting, where that semblance of anonymity makes it much easier to be vocal about your thoughts, than you would be in a face to face meeting? Emily's constant exhaustion and her attempts to have a life, and a personality to herself ,apart from that of mother, are captured very well.
The book's an excellently observed skewering of upper middle class life, and modern day parenting, and marriage. What elevates this over a regular midlife crisis dreary cheating exploration, is Kennard's control over his characters. They're all vividly written, and behave in completely relatable ways even when they're being insufferable, and none of them are shallow stereotypes at all, when this so easily could have been. The semblance of emotional closeness that texting offers is explored really well- it's superficial, and so easy, which paradoxically can delude you into thinking you're actually bonding with someone when it's probably no more than a convenient outlet. And most probably, the person at the other end is not irreplaceable. I loved the text messages sections of the book- the interlocutors aren't mentioned but their personalities are so clear you're never in doubt of who's saying what. Much like the way Evelyn Waugh writes his back and forth conversations. Like Waugh, Kennard too uses Emily's faith to explore notions of duty, love and morality, and try to figure out the answer to everything. Faith can't give you easy answers though, and neither does Kennard. The resolutions for all the characters are absolutely excellent and perfectly written. Hugely enjoyed this book

[Khadijah E · Rating 1 out of 5]

I found certain descriptions of the book very realistic (e.g. interacting with other people, strained relationships, putting on a face etc). The blurb was also quite intriguing and drew me to picking up this book.

However, I found the writing style very difficult to connect with. The phrasing of sentences were quite confusing to me and I had to keep on re-reading sentences to make sense of it. The inclusions of first person narrative within the majority third person narrative of the novel felt very unexpected to me and definitely broke the flow of writing and ultimately the connection I was trying to build with the novel.

The first glimpses of the dialogue between Elliot and Emily was also hard to wrap my head around- it came across like we were outsiders peaking into their conversation, listening to pieces of sentences that didn't appear to mesh together.

Unfortunately for these reasons above, I did not continue with this novel and only read roughly 60 pages.

[Cora McCormack · Rating 1 out of 5]

I didn't enjoy this at all, the characters were unlikable, without depth, the stupid Magda/Oracle type neighbor was a silly add in. It felt like a horrible place to live and people to live near. Yes there is a twist or two at the end, which helped to slightly make a story of it but otherwise not one I would recommend to anyone.

[Rebecca Stevenson · Rating 1 out of 5]

I found this book to be so boring if it wasn't for the audiobook IT would've been a DNF.Also I did not like any of the characters they were all in my opinion boring.

[Nigel Jones · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was surprised by how much this story has stayed with me. An interesting and absorbing tale of the relationship between two neighbours...

[B.S. Casey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Genre: Literary Fiction | Fiction | Romance

Release Date: Expected 13th May 2021


Emily has everything. A husband, two beautiful children, a great job and a new home in a trendy neighbourhood with wonderfully friendly neighbours.

But her and her husband don't talk anymore, she hasn't slept properly since the boys were born, she doesn't want to keep working so much, her estate is full of aging hipsters, and the neighbours might be an issue. Alathea is beautiful, confident and totally intimidating and her husband Elliot is ... a problem. He's charming, and funny, and understanding and she's finding herself undeniably drawn to the couple. But too soon her friendship with Elliot is all-consuming and out of control. They should be happy with their lives, but underneath they still want something more.

I'm just going to say it - everyone in this book was extremely unlikeable. They were dysfunctional, selfish, and destructive but somehow I was still desperately searching for their redeeming qualities and wanting to know more about them. The stark contrast between our two married couples was jarring - both messed up in their own unique ways that would never be obvious on the surface.

The Answer to Everything is a story about obsession, posession and jealousy thay can trickle from relationships into someones whole life - setting us up with a simmering tension that keeps the reader on edge without letting up - even through to the very end. Analysing the differences between just being stuck in a rut or finding yourself stuck in a life you don't want, this book called out to the part deep inside us that is desperate for love and connection.

I read through this in one sitting - it was easy to read and quite addictive - although there were a lot of long text message exchanges that went on for quite some time but still added something valuable and the ending was most definitely not anything I saw coming but left me wanting just that little bit more - no doubt completely on purpose.

This was a story about counting your blessings, but your crosses too - It was strange and uncomfortable and awkward and I loved every minute of it.


RATING: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Thank you to Luke Kennard, Fourth Estate and NetGalley for an ARC in return for an honest review.

[Stephen Dilley · Rating 4 out of 5]

'The Answer to Everything' presents the relationships between two families with young children who live opposite each other on an eco-housing development, in particular teacher Emily's growing entanglement with art historian Elliott, and also with Elliott's wife Alathea, a psychotherapist. Much of Emily and Elliott's communication is via WhatsApp, and the novel explores the intensity of digital communication, how a friendship can spill over into an affair as Emily reflects that she has exchanged more words with Elliott than anyone else in her life.

At times I found this a frustrating book - the main characters like to talk, and they talk a lot. The dialogue and messages felt very believable, and are often very clever and witty (a hilarious - and erotically charged - conversation about pen-chewing which really initiates Emily and Elliott's liaison is a particular highlight) but for most of the novel I found it difficult to really care about any of the main characters. as they all seem to fall back into an archness and irony as their default mode, making it hard to get beneath the surface. It's a fairly long novel and there are some strands which feel less necessary than others (including the whole setting of the eco-commune), while the pages and pages of WhatsApp messages begin to feel rather self-indulgent and tedious - perhaps this was intentional?

That said, I finished the novel quite quickly as it was never less than readable and often very entertaining, and I did find the ending both clever and moving. I also liked Luke Kennard's unusually sensitive and sympathetic presentation of religious faith and the challenges of adhering to it, including a brilliant scene where Emily goes for confession with her Orthodox priest. So I felt more kindly disposed towards the novel by the end, and I'm glad I read it overall. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for sending me a digital copy to review.

[Melody Nürnberger · Rating 1 out of 5]

Woooow war das ein Pain. Am Anfang echt süß geschrieben und man verliebt sich ganz langsam, wie die Protagonisten, realisiert garnicht wie toxisch die Situation ist weil man eine Rosarote Brille aufhat. Je länger man aber liest, desto mehr wird einem bewusst wie ungesund die Beziehung zwischen Elliot und Emily ist und desto mehr tun einem ihre Familien leid. Die beiden sind absolut unsympathische Charaktere die sich selbstsüchtig verhalten und gleichzeitig in Selbstmitleid versinken. Der Großteil des Buchs ist demnach trocken und man leidet richtig mit, will einfach nur dass es vorbei ist. Der Plot Twist auf den letzten 30 Seiten ändert daran auch nichts, selbst wenn er ein paar Dinge verbindet und die Geschichte inklusive der ganzen Details die nebenher immer wieder erwähnt werden und nun endlich Sinn machen. Der Autor hat sich ziemlich verrannt mit der Erzählung und viel zu lange gebraucht um auf den Punkt zu kommen. Das ganze hin und her, für nichts. Fairerweise muss man sagen dass dies sehr wahrscheinlich seine Intention war und man muss ihm hoch anrechnen, dass er die Affäre nicht romantisiert sondern vielmehr das Gegenteil tut und zeigt, dass man durch Kommunikation zu seinem ursprünglichen Partner zurück finden kann. Das ist aber das einzige positive was ich an diesem Buch finden kann.

[Kirsty (BookBlogger) · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Answer to Everything - Luke Kennard

I was given a copy of this book in exchange for a fair review thanks to 4th Estate and Netgalley.

Emily should be happy. She has a nice husband (even if they rarely speak to each other, let alone sleep in the same bed), two little boys she loves (even if a full night’s sleep is a distant memory) – and now, a brand-new house in which they can live out all of the bourgeois fantasies she knows she should be ashamed of. But still she aches for something more.

Enter Alathea and Elliott, their new neighbours, and also parents of two young boys. Alathea is intimidatingly confident and beautiful, but also disarmingly open and friendly. And Elliott … Elliott is intriguing. Dishevelled, talented, charming and a little lost, he seems as fascinated by Emily as she is by him, and soon their friendship has reached an intensity neither of them seem able to control.

This book is well-written but I really struggled to connect to any of the characters. I found the book got off to a slow start, but had twists at the end that I could not see coming.

There are a lot of text message conversations which I found difficult to read but I suspect this was due to the poor formatting in the eARC.

Rating 3/5

[Samantha · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book! It's funny, really well-written and paints a painfully realistic picture of relationships and marriages. We follow two couples, both appear happy(ish) on the outside but their relationships have their challenges. As the couples are neighbours and have children the same ages they become good friends. However Emily (from couple 1) and Eliott (from couple 2) become a bit too close and we see their relationship develop through their secret Whatsapp chats.

None of the characters are particularly likeable but they're all interesting and funny in their own ways. Some of the Whatsapp chats between Emily and Eliott were stupid and mundane... and that's what made it so good! The chats were hilariously realistic and reminded me of the early stages of my relationships where you just talk crap for the sake of being able to speak to each other.

On a more serious note, there's a lot more to this than text chats (it's mostly NOT text chats!) and the intensity of this burgeoning, illicit relationship jumped off the page. And although it's of course wrong, you can almost understand why and how it's happening. It feels like a guide on what NOT to do and how to not accidentally (but also on purpose) fall in love with your neighbour and end up having an emotional affair.

Highly recommend! This was so good and juicy. I need more!

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Kagan Goodliff · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don’t usually read books like this, books that are character rather than plot driven. Trying new things. I liked it much more than I thought I would. It was well written. It was peculiar but I think real life can be peculiar. It made me feel something. I related I think. To be in a marriage and feel lonely. To have a relationship by text or letter that is different to the relationship you have in real life. To want something / someone to focus on to distract from your problems / your thoughts. To find that they are not, in fact, the answer to everything. That the fantasy is better than the reality. It was an unusual book that I found really sweet. I loved the connection between them. The only bits I didn’t like were with the other wife and their relationship.

Plot for my memory. Emily lives with husband and two kids, marriage has been damaged by her post party psychosis. They move in opposite Elliot and family, Emily and Elliot begin an all consuming relationship via text. Not much more to the plot really, it’s all very much about the development of their relationship which is really separate to their real lives. In the end, it turns out that Eliot is a bit of a serial romancer which is sad for Emily but she sort of resolves things with her husband.

[Emily Delacy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Immediately you could feel the tension and awkwardness of both couples; Elliott and Alathea’s ongoing toxic, manipulative feud that they seem to be having and what seems to be a complete absence of love from Steven and Emily. You feel it so much so that you unfortunately get excited for Emily and Elliott’s budding romance. After a while, you get real fed up of their constant metaphors about everything - their story lacks passion, the rush of heart flutters and butterflies you might feel for an ever growing crush. However, I think there is a reason for this. You start rooting for Emily and Elliott because their “love” seems so pure and refreshing yet you know that it cant work out that way. You want them to say fuck it and run away together, you want them to ditch their toxic and absent partners and be happy together. This lack of physical affection and carelessness leaves you hanging throughout the whole story, you’re constantly waiting for a passionate kiss or..Jesus give us something!! But later on you come to find that you never really know who Elliott is or who Alathea is and unfortunately Emily falls victim to them both. In the end, you still don’t know how you wanted it to go…

[Madeleine Roberts · Rating 3 out of 5]

I went through phases reading this book, sometimes the chapters and conversations between characters really hooked me and I couldn’t put the book down. And then sometimes it was harder to keep up and the chemistry was lost briefly.

I really enjoyed how relatable this made the everyday life of two average couples living in a housing estate and despite not being married with two kids, I found myself being able to empathise with the characters, particularly Emily. The way all the different relationship dynamics were written was so realistic, the pain of being in a relationship where you feel lonely or the struggle of being in a relationship over messages that is completely different in real life. It felt very real and not dramatised for effect.

I really enjoyed the ending and honestly didn’t expect it to finish like that which I like. I wouldn’t know how to categorise this book it’s not particularly a romance but I wouldn’t know what to call it either. I also really don’t like Alathea I know they’re all supposed to be complex characters with good and bad parts but nothing could really convince me to like her.

[Chloe · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think this novel successfully captured the intensity of certain relationships, especially when they exist in text form, the way sometimes you can be much more intimate with a person via text on a screen than you can be in real life. In The Answer to Everything I thought Emily and Elliot were well realised as characters and my reading experience left me feeling very close to both of them too (more to Emily though that seems to be intentional), though their partners were more hazy, which again feels more of a deliberate choice. This was a very involving story of an emotional affair and friendship which I haven't really seen done before. Some of the dialogue was grating, affected rather than natural, but I was so drawn into the heady relationship and the potential of its fall out that I found this a surprisingly engrossing read.

[Kelsey · Rating 4 out of 5]

A compulsively readable, dark inversion of the rom-com. This book tackles a lot of different topics -- loss of personhood after having kids, social media/communication platforms, religion, codependency, marriage after kids, mental illness, AI. But really it's about the fact that there are some really messed up people out there who will take a sledgehammer to your life if they see the chance to, and you don't get to understand why.

Reading through some of the reviews made me a bit sad. I don't think this book ever found its readership. Anyone who goes in to it expecting a romance novel (which is fair, given the ridiculous cover) will be sorely disappointed and probably a little ticked off. Do not expect a happy ending. Do not even expect closure. Do not expect to feel better about humanity. Do not expect an answer to everything.

[Linda Murray · Rating 3 out of 5]

Slightly strange, but in fact its strangeness is what lifts it above a beach read. Two couples, hints of a slightly dystopian 'truman show' living environment, a parallel relationship plays out completely underground ( or so they think)
Some existential cul de sacs that left me unmoved, but equally some of them were refreshing and thought provoking. Particularly enjoyed Emily's use of her faith to try and make some sense / management of her feelings, this is an often overlooked aspect in contemporary fiction and I thought it was very well done. So maybe a 3.5, on reflection, because the narrative is kind of sticking in my head, even though parts of it were super annoying!