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Ginger and Me
The debut novel from the winner of the Primadonna Prize – a part-coming of age and part-mystery novel perfect for bookclubs and fans of Joanna Cannon’s The Trouble With Goats and Sheep and Emma Healey’s Elizabeth is Missing
Wendy is nineteen and living alone.
All she wants is to drive the 255 bus around Uddingston with her regulars on board, remember to buy milk when it runs out and to just be ok. After her mum passed away, there’s no one to remind Wendy to eat, what to do each day and most importantly to love herself. Every week Wendy proudly shows her social worker Saanvi the progress she’s made, like the coasters she bought to spruce up the place, even if she does forget to offer her a cup of tea.
But Wendy is ready to put herself out there and really live.
She joins a writer’s group to share stories she writes including the one about a bullied schoolboy who goes to Mars. The other writers are total amateurs, unlike Diane Weston – a famous local author who likes and sometimes even comments on Wendy’s tweets.
Everything changes on a rainy day when Wendy meets Ginger.
A teenager with flaming orange hair, Ginger’s so brave she’s wearing a coat that isn’t even waterproof. For the first time, Wendy has a real best friend. But as they begin the summer of their lives, Wendy wonders if her life would be simpler if she hadn’t met Ginger. And that’s before she realises just how much of a mess Ginger is about to get them in…
My Name is Leon meets Thelma and Louise in this part-coming of age and part-mystery from the winner of the Primadonna Prize 2020.
Wendy is nineteen and living alone.
All she wants is to drive the 255 bus around Uddingston with her regulars on board, remember to buy milk when it runs out and to just be ok. After her mum passed away, there’s no one to remind Wendy to eat, what to do each day and most importantly to love herself. Every week Wendy proudly shows her social worker Saanvi the progress she’s made, like the coasters she bought to spruce up the place, even if she does forget to offer her a cup of tea.
But Wendy is ready to put herself out there and really live.
She joins a writer’s group to share stories she writes including the one about a bullied schoolboy who goes to Mars. The other writers are total amateurs, unlike Diane Weston – a famous local author who likes and sometimes even comments on Wendy’s tweets.
Everything changes on a rainy day when Wendy meets Ginger.
A teenager with flaming orange hair, Ginger’s so brave she’s wearing a coat that isn’t even waterproof. For the first time, Wendy has a real best friend. But as they begin the summer of their lives, Wendy wonders if her life would be simpler if she hadn’t met Ginger. And that’s before she realises just how much of a mess Ginger is about to get them in…
My Name is Leon meets Thelma and Louise in this part-coming of age and part-mystery from the winner of the Primadonna Prize 2020.
368 pages, Paperback
First published July 21, 2022
38 people are currently reading
932 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 169 reviews
June 28, 2022
19 Year old Wendy is in prison and its not her fault. This is her story of what happened, the friendship she found with Ginger and the writers group she joined.
As she struggles with Mental Health issues and her mother's death she finds herself in a few challenging situations. Ginger really pushes her towards being more open and trying new things. Both young women struggle with adapting and merging with society.
A very heartbreaking story that will keep you captivated until the last page. For a debut novel this was fantastic. Some really sad moments, but also a few smiling moments too. You have to read this to appreciate the full story.
Thank you Netgalley and HaperCollins UK for this ARC.
As she struggles with Mental Health issues and her mother's death she finds herself in a few challenging situations. Ginger really pushes her towards being more open and trying new things. Both young women struggle with adapting and merging with society.
A very heartbreaking story that will keep you captivated until the last page. For a debut novel this was fantastic. Some really sad moments, but also a few smiling moments too. You have to read this to appreciate the full story.
Thank you Netgalley and HaperCollins UK for this ARC.
March 22, 2024
audiobook. This is such a sad and heartbreaking story of wanting to belong and be loved. It still depresses me when I read how vile people can be if you’re slightly different from the majority. Abuse and neglect also raise their ugly heads.
There’s a clear signal here that obsession can result in an abundance of issues, especially when combined with delusion. Thankfully there are comedy moments to break up the despair, and I’d love a wee ride on Wendy’s bus, ding ding.
There’s a clear signal here that obsession can result in an abundance of issues, especially when combined with delusion. Thankfully there are comedy moments to break up the despair, and I’d love a wee ride on Wendy’s bus, ding ding.
June 27, 2025
“...the way to happiness was to strike a balance between the terror that is life and the wonder that is living…”
A rainy day is the cause of a chance meeting between Wendy and Ginger. Both are too young to be outsiders in their own lives, but sometimes it works out that way.
Wendy is dark haired and tall, introverted and loves being a bus driver. Though only nineteen, this is her dream job. Picking up the regulars along her route, she knows their routines and enjoys the banter, feeling involved in their lives, even though it’s only on the periphery.
Ginger is standing bedraggled in the pouring rain at a bus stop with no umbrella. Her thin anorak barely keeping her dry. As her name suggests, Ginger has a gorgeous red flame of curls. Though as we later find out, patches of it are missing through the stress she is living under. The bus that comes along is Wendy’s. Seeking refuge in it they strike up a conversation, with Wendy offering Ginger a brolly that another passenger has left behind.
Returning the little pink brolly the next day is the beginning of an unlikely yet true friendship between the two. Wendy is trying to put her life together, remembering to buy milk and bread and other grown up things while still grieving the loss of her mother a year previously. Ginger is fifteen and lives with her Uncle Tam who lives a questionable life. The two are drawn together as neither has had a best friend before. And it’s nice to feel that maybe, just maybe, somebody cares.
Wendy is an avid reader and at the suggestion of her counsellor she attends writers meetings, and discovers the works of Diane Weston, a writer who happens to live nearby. Being a bit on the spectrum, Wendy misunderstands social cues, and believes that Diane and her will also become close friends after meeting her at a book reading. Ginger tries to convince Wendy that only their friendship is real, and encourages her to set out on little outings together, to the local markets and the seaside. A set of events turns this into such a bittersweet tragedy. Oh what longing does to people! And loneliness. The need to fit in and be accepted.
I cared so much for both characters, and felt such empathy that the two lasses were basically facing the world by themselves. Set in Scotland, this is a fabulous début novel from Elissa Soave that really highlights how many people fly under the radar and how insidious alcoholism and domestic abuse is. There’s a thread of hope throughout and moments of humour, but it basically will have you wondering how many people out there lining up for a coffee with you, or in the queue at the supermarket are genuinely struggling with their lives. We probably can’t even begin to guess.
“It’s snakes and ladders isn’t it?
Up the ladder and down the snake, do it again and again, till game over.”
A rainy day is the cause of a chance meeting between Wendy and Ginger. Both are too young to be outsiders in their own lives, but sometimes it works out that way.
Wendy is dark haired and tall, introverted and loves being a bus driver. Though only nineteen, this is her dream job. Picking up the regulars along her route, she knows their routines and enjoys the banter, feeling involved in their lives, even though it’s only on the periphery.
Ginger is standing bedraggled in the pouring rain at a bus stop with no umbrella. Her thin anorak barely keeping her dry. As her name suggests, Ginger has a gorgeous red flame of curls. Though as we later find out, patches of it are missing through the stress she is living under. The bus that comes along is Wendy’s. Seeking refuge in it they strike up a conversation, with Wendy offering Ginger a brolly that another passenger has left behind.
Returning the little pink brolly the next day is the beginning of an unlikely yet true friendship between the two. Wendy is trying to put her life together, remembering to buy milk and bread and other grown up things while still grieving the loss of her mother a year previously. Ginger is fifteen and lives with her Uncle Tam who lives a questionable life. The two are drawn together as neither has had a best friend before. And it’s nice to feel that maybe, just maybe, somebody cares.
Wendy is an avid reader and at the suggestion of her counsellor she attends writers meetings, and discovers the works of Diane Weston, a writer who happens to live nearby. Being a bit on the spectrum, Wendy misunderstands social cues, and believes that Diane and her will also become close friends after meeting her at a book reading. Ginger tries to convince Wendy that only their friendship is real, and encourages her to set out on little outings together, to the local markets and the seaside. A set of events turns this into such a bittersweet tragedy. Oh what longing does to people! And loneliness. The need to fit in and be accepted.
I cared so much for both characters, and felt such empathy that the two lasses were basically facing the world by themselves. Set in Scotland, this is a fabulous début novel from Elissa Soave that really highlights how many people fly under the radar and how insidious alcoholism and domestic abuse is. There’s a thread of hope throughout and moments of humour, but it basically will have you wondering how many people out there lining up for a coffee with you, or in the queue at the supermarket are genuinely struggling with their lives. We probably can’t even begin to guess.
“It’s snakes and ladders isn’t it?
Up the ladder and down the snake, do it again and again, till game over.”
May 2, 2025
4.5*
well I was pleasantly surprised with this one!
Throughout the whole book until the last pages, I had no idea which way it was going to end up going! Each chapter had me guessing a different outcome.
We meet some cracking characters here and there are some real laugh out loud moments. The main character's sense of humour or obliviousness really made the heavier parts of this book lighter. A great balance. This was mixed with some genuine heartbreak. Serious issues here are delicately shown but brought to life in a way that leaves you with mixed feelings,regarding the bigger picture.
This is a book you could pick up and struggle to put down. Each character works really well and even the ones with little input are a great addition!
I will definitely read something else by Elissa Soave. She has a fantastic way of telling a story that makes it so realistic and heart felt. I would revisit this book and read it in the future.
well I was pleasantly surprised with this one!
Throughout the whole book until the last pages, I had no idea which way it was going to end up going! Each chapter had me guessing a different outcome.
We meet some cracking characters here and there are some real laugh out loud moments. The main character's sense of humour or obliviousness really made the heavier parts of this book lighter. A great balance. This was mixed with some genuine heartbreak. Serious issues here are delicately shown but brought to life in a way that leaves you with mixed feelings,regarding the bigger picture.
This is a book you could pick up and struggle to put down. Each character works really well and even the ones with little input are a great addition!
I will definitely read something else by Elissa Soave. She has a fantastic way of telling a story that makes it so realistic and heart felt. I would revisit this book and read it in the future.
November 3, 2022
I had absolutely no idea what to expect going into this book but having spent a lot of my teen and young adult years in Uddingston, I felt very comfortable with the setting. I found Wendy very interesting and naive and the comical aspect of a lot of things that she encounters was funny at times and frustrating at others…
It touches on a lot in this book and there are so many different challenges discussed in this book. I think it’s very well-written and keeps you interested as you begin to understand what happened with Wendy to get her into the situation she is in at the beginning of the book.
Overall, I enjoyed reading this book, it’s dark, it’s twisty and it’s engaging.
It touches on a lot in this book and there are so many different challenges discussed in this book. I think it’s very well-written and keeps you interested as you begin to understand what happened with Wendy to get her into the situation she is in at the beginning of the book.
Overall, I enjoyed reading this book, it’s dark, it’s twisty and it’s engaging.
did-not-finish
April 25, 2023I read just over 100 pages and I’m putting it down permanently. I never really connected with the prose, and certainly didn’t ever get invested in the protagonist. I need much much more nuanced character work in my fiction than I found here.
June 26, 2022
Wendy was a joy of a character to get to know. She’s 19 years old and drives a bus for a living. She’s not your ordinary 19 year old young adult though. At the beginning of the book we gather that she struggled mentally when she lost her mum to cancer. But it was just Wendy and her mum. Her dad was off the scene, lost to alcoholism, though she still thinks fondly of him. Difficult enough for anyone of that age to be left to nurse their mum through her end of life, but Wendy had no one else in her life and now her mum has gone, Wendy is a little lost. We also gather that it’s possible Wendy may be on the autistic spectrum, finding it difficult to make friends, as well as struggling in social settings.
Whilst driving her bus she meets Ginger. Ginger is 15, vulnerable but tough on the surface. They both agree to meet up and from there a friendship begins to blossom. In a way it’s a coming of age story. With Wendy coming to enjoy the companionship of Ginger, finally having a friend, something she’s never had before, and Ginger clinging on with hope, that their friendship can offer some fun, some light relief from the turbulence and neglect she suffers at home.
There are many lighter moments to the book, especially within the writers group that Wendy attends once a week, but there is also a darker undercurrent running through the story for both Wendy and Ginger, covering obsession, abuse and neglect. Both humorous and poignant this is a really interesting story that keeps you turning the pages and wondering what’s going to happen next.
A wonderful debut novel with excellent characterisation, I could imagine these characters as real people, making you want to reach out to them and try to stop them making the mistakes you just know are going to lead to trouble.
Whilst driving her bus she meets Ginger. Ginger is 15, vulnerable but tough on the surface. They both agree to meet up and from there a friendship begins to blossom. In a way it’s a coming of age story. With Wendy coming to enjoy the companionship of Ginger, finally having a friend, something she’s never had before, and Ginger clinging on with hope, that their friendship can offer some fun, some light relief from the turbulence and neglect she suffers at home.
There are many lighter moments to the book, especially within the writers group that Wendy attends once a week, but there is also a darker undercurrent running through the story for both Wendy and Ginger, covering obsession, abuse and neglect. Both humorous and poignant this is a really interesting story that keeps you turning the pages and wondering what’s going to happen next.
A wonderful debut novel with excellent characterisation, I could imagine these characters as real people, making you want to reach out to them and try to stop them making the mistakes you just know are going to lead to trouble.
December 15, 2022
I read Ginger and Me for the #ScottishBookClub
The eponymous "Me" is the narrator Wendy and we follow her trying to navigate through life after the death of her mother.
Wendy is a highly unreliable narrator and as a character sits somewhere on the fringes of society. She struggles sometimes to make connections with people and read social situations but she thrives as a bus driver with her passengers and she builds friendships in a local writing group and with her new friend Ginger and online with her favourite author Diane Weston - but all is not quite what it seems!
Wendy's obsession with Diane (from twitter) eclipses the real-life friendship she has with Ginger and she fails to see how much Ginger is suffering from an abusive home situation. She also ignore the real connections she has made with her passengers and some of her writing group.
The story hurtles towards a tragic climax and the reader is left wondering if Wendy has actually learnt anything.
This was a quick and diverting read.
Ginger's character was the most empathetic - suffering through abandonment and abuse she finds solace in Wendy's friendship but with disastrous consequences.
Wendy is an interesting character to read, although the writing style felt detached at times, I wondered whether this was a deliberate device to echo Wendy's detachment from others.
This book feels like you're on the outside looking in, waiting for something terrible to happen.....and then it does and it's not quite what I expected and left me a little confused.
The eponymous "Me" is the narrator Wendy and we follow her trying to navigate through life after the death of her mother.
Wendy is a highly unreliable narrator and as a character sits somewhere on the fringes of society. She struggles sometimes to make connections with people and read social situations but she thrives as a bus driver with her passengers and she builds friendships in a local writing group and with her new friend Ginger and online with her favourite author Diane Weston - but all is not quite what it seems!
Wendy's obsession with Diane (from twitter) eclipses the real-life friendship she has with Ginger and she fails to see how much Ginger is suffering from an abusive home situation. She also ignore the real connections she has made with her passengers and some of her writing group.
The story hurtles towards a tragic climax and the reader is left wondering if Wendy has actually learnt anything.
This was a quick and diverting read.
Ginger's character was the most empathetic - suffering through abandonment and abuse she finds solace in Wendy's friendship but with disastrous consequences.
Wendy is an interesting character to read, although the writing style felt detached at times, I wondered whether this was a deliberate device to echo Wendy's detachment from others.
This book feels like you're on the outside looking in, waiting for something terrible to happen.....and then it does and it's not quite what I expected and left me a little confused.
October 27, 2022
Ginger and Me by Elisa Soave kinda remind me of Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine, but darker as one reviewer stated here (Scott Baird). It has an intriguing premise with important subject matters that may have been excellent if explored in depth, but it unfortunately didn’t deliver.
The story started off intriguing enough. It opened with Wendy saying “They kept asking me why I was outside her house that day, and who was with me” and we discovered that she was actually in a prison for something she committed. The storyline then flashes back to a year earlier, when Wendy has recently lost her mother and formed a friendship with Ginger and Diane. Wendy is clearly on the autism spectrum so she isn’t exactly a social butterfly. She hasn’t had much luck in making friends and never knew the right thing to do and say.
This was a fun read with some touches of humour and mystery but it lacks the nuance and complexity expected for it to be noteworthy. Wendy lost her mother and Ginger lived in a dysfunctional household but these subject matters weren’t explored enough. The conversations about writing and womanhood in this book also felt awkward, artificial and written only for the sake of sounding serious. That said, given the nature of Wendy personality, it’s possible that it was written that way on purpose: aloof-like and quite impersonal.
Ginger and Me has received many praises from readers and even won the Primadonna Prize in 2020 so don’t let my review discourage you from reading it. Despite my qualms, Ginger and Me was still an enjoyable read and the last sentence made me exclaimed “oh, Wendy :(”
Thank you so much Times Reads for the review copy of the book.
The story started off intriguing enough. It opened with Wendy saying “They kept asking me why I was outside her house that day, and who was with me” and we discovered that she was actually in a prison for something she committed. The storyline then flashes back to a year earlier, when Wendy has recently lost her mother and formed a friendship with Ginger and Diane. Wendy is clearly on the autism spectrum so she isn’t exactly a social butterfly. She hasn’t had much luck in making friends and never knew the right thing to do and say.
This was a fun read with some touches of humour and mystery but it lacks the nuance and complexity expected for it to be noteworthy. Wendy lost her mother and Ginger lived in a dysfunctional household but these subject matters weren’t explored enough. The conversations about writing and womanhood in this book also felt awkward, artificial and written only for the sake of sounding serious. That said, given the nature of Wendy personality, it’s possible that it was written that way on purpose: aloof-like and quite impersonal.
Ginger and Me has received many praises from readers and even won the Primadonna Prize in 2020 so don’t let my review discourage you from reading it. Despite my qualms, Ginger and Me was still an enjoyable read and the last sentence made me exclaimed “oh, Wendy :(”
Thank you so much Times Reads for the review copy of the book.
June 8, 2022
This is a very impressive debut, I absolutely devoured Ginger and Me. I was mesmerised by it, I was well and truly in Elissa Soave’s story telling grip and I had to know how things were going to end up for Wendy. She’s a character that you take into your heart – she’s a bit of an odd ball, she’s quirky and doesn’t always understand social situations. She loves writing and her admiration of author, Diane Weston, becomes a beacon for her. Her path crosses with Ginger, a troubled fifteen year old. The two strike up a fierce friendship and Ginger starts to lean on Wendy, needing her and resenting Wendy’s adoration of Diane.
Ginger And Me is a tale of friendship and obsession. But there is also an underlying theme of the discrimination that flows from the publishing world (although a lot of changes have been and are being made!) Elissa Soave uses the character of Diane to make an important commentary on a white male dominated world. And I nodded in furious agreement with a lot of what was said. But again, I hasten to add – I know that changes are happening to address the imbalances.
There’s a lot of darkness in this book but there’s also humour. The funny moments really made me chuckle and lifted an intense read away from being too overwhelming. Ginger And Me is a fantastic read and I look forward to more from Elissa Soave
Ginger And Me is a tale of friendship and obsession. But there is also an underlying theme of the discrimination that flows from the publishing world (although a lot of changes have been and are being made!) Elissa Soave uses the character of Diane to make an important commentary on a white male dominated world. And I nodded in furious agreement with a lot of what was said. But again, I hasten to add – I know that changes are happening to address the imbalances.
There’s a lot of darkness in this book but there’s also humour. The funny moments really made me chuckle and lifted an intense read away from being too overwhelming. Ginger And Me is a fantastic read and I look forward to more from Elissa Soave
July 25, 2024
A great little book about a girl who is on the spectrum. She becomes fixated on an author called Diane and a friend Ginger. She does not see the grey areas only black and white. Great story from a new voice in Scottish fiction.
August 3, 2022
Eleanor Oliphant but make it dark.
Our protagonist Wendy has recently lost her parents, she's 19 and a budding young writer. Wendy has 2 friends, Ginger a 15 year old who is the subject of abuse at the hands of an Uncle and Diane, a successful author who has been Wendy's friend even since Wendy read Diane's novel, followed her on Twitter and Diane liked one of Wendy's comments. We know from the start that Wendy has gone to prison for something that happens in the novel, but we don't know what.
Wendy reads as neural diverse, and in a flashback Wendy's parents discuss whether she has autism.
This is a bleak study of life in Glasgow, of crime, sexism abuse, sexuality, writing novels, feminism, power, but mostly of friendship and the different forms that takes.
The writing sucked me in and I read this novel in 2 sittings, I couldn't put it down. This book is occasionally quite humorous and the characters are alive and vivid.
Thank you to Net Galley for this audio ARC, Ginger and Me is released on the 21st of July.
Our protagonist Wendy has recently lost her parents, she's 19 and a budding young writer. Wendy has 2 friends, Ginger a 15 year old who is the subject of abuse at the hands of an Uncle and Diane, a successful author who has been Wendy's friend even since Wendy read Diane's novel, followed her on Twitter and Diane liked one of Wendy's comments. We know from the start that Wendy has gone to prison for something that happens in the novel, but we don't know what.
Wendy reads as neural diverse, and in a flashback Wendy's parents discuss whether she has autism.
This is a bleak study of life in Glasgow, of crime, sexism abuse, sexuality, writing novels, feminism, power, but mostly of friendship and the different forms that takes.
The writing sucked me in and I read this novel in 2 sittings, I couldn't put it down. This book is occasionally quite humorous and the characters are alive and vivid.
Thank you to Net Galley for this audio ARC, Ginger and Me is released on the 21st of July.
April 10, 2022
This opens with you knowing something has happened, something big, and the majority of the book is the build up to that.
The back story not only had me tensing for what was coming, but building up sympathy for the main character, who was just a bit different, and didn't always quite get the glaringly obvious.
Sad, tense, with moments to make you smile. This is a very enjoyable read.
The back story not only had me tensing for what was coming, but building up sympathy for the main character, who was just a bit different, and didn't always quite get the glaringly obvious.
Sad, tense, with moments to make you smile. This is a very enjoyable read.
May 23, 2022
This debut novel cleverly explores two vulnerable people in society, Wendy and Ginger. Two memorable characters who will stay with me for a long time, each damaged and simply surviving. It’s heart breaking at times to get taken on their journey and I found the ending really poignant. I can’t really believe it’s a debut! Highly recommend.
July 7, 2024
This is a heartbreaking and heartwarming story set in Scotland, about two young Scottish women by a Scottish author, so what's not to like? Well I'll tell you one thing, I had no idea what to expect and it was a pleasant surprise!
What's It About?
Wendy, a young woman on her own after her mum's death, just wants a normal life. Routine keeps her afloat, but she craves connection. Joining a writing group, she finds a friend in the fearless Ginger. Their summer takes a wild turn as Ginger's impulsiveness leads them into trouble. This coming-of-age story (think "My Name is Leon" meets "Thelma and Louise") is about finding yourself, the power of friendship, and facing the unexpected after loss.
What Did I Think?
- You enter this story knowing something has happened, something big but you don't know what, you just know things change when the main character Wendy meets her bestie Ginger!
- The whole story builds at a good medium pace with a tenseness as you wait to discover what the heck happened?! And it was very well done.
- Even though you know "something" is gonna happen I love watching Wendy and Ginger's friendship develop.
- Wendy is such a complex character, she is clearly struggling with her mental health and this is reflected in her behaviour and naivety.
- Both Wendy and Ginger are seeking belonging in a world where they don't fit and life is not easy for either of them. This is what makes for such a powerful yet heartbreaking story.
- Despite the topics this story covers - grief, abuse, loneliness, obsession, familial bonds (or lack of) - it's interspersed with a lot of humour from Wendy the narrator.
- Talking of obsession, Wendy's with the writer Diane Weston is compelling yet hard to observe from her POV. It gave me a touch of Baby Reindeer vibes but with empathy for Wendy.
- Set in and around Uddingston it made it a very familiar setting for the story to be told as it's an area I know well.
A unique and compelling story about two young women trying to find their way and belonging in the world.
What's It About?
Wendy, a young woman on her own after her mum's death, just wants a normal life. Routine keeps her afloat, but she craves connection. Joining a writing group, she finds a friend in the fearless Ginger. Their summer takes a wild turn as Ginger's impulsiveness leads them into trouble. This coming-of-age story (think "My Name is Leon" meets "Thelma and Louise") is about finding yourself, the power of friendship, and facing the unexpected after loss.
What Did I Think?
- You enter this story knowing something has happened, something big but you don't know what, you just know things change when the main character Wendy meets her bestie Ginger!
- The whole story builds at a good medium pace with a tenseness as you wait to discover what the heck happened?! And it was very well done.
- Even though you know "something" is gonna happen I love watching Wendy and Ginger's friendship develop.
- Wendy is such a complex character, she is clearly struggling with her mental health and this is reflected in her behaviour and naivety.
- Both Wendy and Ginger are seeking belonging in a world where they don't fit and life is not easy for either of them. This is what makes for such a powerful yet heartbreaking story.
- Despite the topics this story covers - grief, abuse, loneliness, obsession, familial bonds (or lack of) - it's interspersed with a lot of humour from Wendy the narrator.
- Talking of obsession, Wendy's with the writer Diane Weston is compelling yet hard to observe from her POV. It gave me a touch of Baby Reindeer vibes but with empathy for Wendy.
- Set in and around Uddingston it made it a very familiar setting for the story to be told as it's an area I know well.
A unique and compelling story about two young women trying to find their way and belonging in the world.
September 30, 2022
The ending had got me staring into space for a good 5 minutes :')
Personal Ratings : 3.5🌟
A story that is somewhat neurotic but its still addicting in a sense. I find myself wanting to know about Wendy and Ginger and their antiques. I read the book in one seating, and it was like reading a memoir-of-sorts but with added trauma and neurotic(?) aspects. I find myself doubting myself whether I had really enjoyed this book or I was just curious on how it ended.
The book started by Wendy being in jail; and the thing is, it was not her fault. 19 year old Wendy, who works as a bus driver was in a depressive state after her mother died. Then she met Ginger on her bus, a 15 year old who has charms of her own. Two people who unconventionally became friends and somewhat ended up relying up on each other. A story of female friendships set in Glascow a small town and about aspiring authors and escaping from the person that you had become.
Personal Thoughts
Ginger and Me was a novel that I read in one seating and its a tale of Female Friendships that feels incovenient but somewhat showed how two broken souls somewhat related with each other. Wendy is a person that adds the neurotic aspect to the book. She has a naiveté mindset that can be considered as mostly the people who are usually socially outcasted in a circle group. The day she met Ginger, they somehow connected with one another, but I can't help feel that they are both good and toxic for each other. The author had shown the Effects of Traumatic Childhood and how it had impaired growth for both of these characters. Wendy grew up with an alcoholic father and Ginger grew up with an absent mother. I felt both sorry and sympathy for Ginger and Wendy despite frowning at some of the actions that they did in the book. Their story is quite mundane and yet, its addictive in a sense that you would want to find out more of what happens to the fate of these two souls.
The side characters in this book, whilst its not best written, it adds drama to the story. The dynamics of Wendy and Ginger as a duo is both worrying but yet has the element of youth with it. It kind of brings to millennial aspects and how there are teens that had been abandoned acted the same things that both Ginger and Wendy did. The chapters in the book was divided into a few parts and its somewhat a flashback of what had happened before Wendy went to jail. The ending threw me off a bit but it was a read that left me a bit speechless.
Would recommend if you would like to read a book on female friendships and complex characters, set in a small town.
Biggest thank you to Times Reads for this ARC!
Personal Ratings : 3.5🌟
A story that is somewhat neurotic but its still addicting in a sense. I find myself wanting to know about Wendy and Ginger and their antiques. I read the book in one seating, and it was like reading a memoir-of-sorts but with added trauma and neurotic(?) aspects. I find myself doubting myself whether I had really enjoyed this book or I was just curious on how it ended.
"Years of bearing up and shutting up make us stoic, and a bit aloof from everyone else. Ginger could be that way too and I sometimes wonder if it's more to do with being women than being brought up in difficult circumstances. It's like, we're not supposed to say anything's bothering us because that's our job - to put up with shit, make sure everyone else is fine and just carry on."
The book started by Wendy being in jail; and the thing is, it was not her fault. 19 year old Wendy, who works as a bus driver was in a depressive state after her mother died. Then she met Ginger on her bus, a 15 year old who has charms of her own. Two people who unconventionally became friends and somewhat ended up relying up on each other. A story of female friendships set in Glascow a small town and about aspiring authors and escaping from the person that you had become.
Personal Thoughts
Ginger and Me was a novel that I read in one seating and its a tale of Female Friendships that feels incovenient but somewhat showed how two broken souls somewhat related with each other. Wendy is a person that adds the neurotic aspect to the book. She has a naiveté mindset that can be considered as mostly the people who are usually socially outcasted in a circle group. The day she met Ginger, they somehow connected with one another, but I can't help feel that they are both good and toxic for each other. The author had shown the Effects of Traumatic Childhood and how it had impaired growth for both of these characters. Wendy grew up with an alcoholic father and Ginger grew up with an absent mother. I felt both sorry and sympathy for Ginger and Wendy despite frowning at some of the actions that they did in the book. Their story is quite mundane and yet, its addictive in a sense that you would want to find out more of what happens to the fate of these two souls.
The side characters in this book, whilst its not best written, it adds drama to the story. The dynamics of Wendy and Ginger as a duo is both worrying but yet has the element of youth with it. It kind of brings to millennial aspects and how there are teens that had been abandoned acted the same things that both Ginger and Wendy did. The chapters in the book was divided into a few parts and its somewhat a flashback of what had happened before Wendy went to jail. The ending threw me off a bit but it was a read that left me a bit speechless.
Would recommend if you would like to read a book on female friendships and complex characters, set in a small town.
Biggest thank you to Times Reads for this ARC!
February 27, 2023
Great initial premise set up with likeable characters. Our protagonist has the personality of someone on the autistic spectrum although this is never explicitly stated in that she not only doesn't understand the social cues and social situations around her, but simply doesn't even recognise them to begin with.
This reads like a bad debut in that it falls into common pitfalls: she starts off with a great concept, then the pacing and plotting both lose steam, until the author is flailing around as she's not quite sure what she's doing with her plot or where she wants it to go. The classic sign of a debut author who doesn't know how to end her book: just shoot somebody; and we end up kind of in a heap on the fall looking at it like, that had so much potential, how did it go downhill so fast?
Literally the only thing making me not DNF this was wanting to know why and how Wendy ended up in prison and even the way that turned out was just absurd.
So much promise, disappointing. Avoid at all costs, especially if this ends up on the women's prize longlist this year.
2/3 concept
1/3 writing
1/3 enjoyment
0/1 feeling
= 4/10 (2/5*)
This reads like a bad debut in that it falls into common pitfalls: she starts off with a great concept, then the pacing and plotting both lose steam, until the author is flailing around as she's not quite sure what she's doing with her plot or where she wants it to go. The classic sign of a debut author who doesn't know how to end her book: just shoot somebody; and we end up kind of in a heap on the fall looking at it like, that had so much potential, how did it go downhill so fast?
Literally the only thing making me not DNF this was wanting to know why and how Wendy ended up in prison and even the way that turned out was just absurd.
So much promise, disappointing. Avoid at all costs, especially if this ends up on the women's prize longlist this year.
2/3 concept
1/3 writing
1/3 enjoyment
0/1 feeling
= 4/10 (2/5*)
August 7, 2023
I loved everything except the conclusion, so I'm going to pretend the last 50 pages never existed.
December 29, 2023
Honestly should have DNF'd but I persevered. Completely unable to get into it in any way.
July 31, 2022
Ginger and Me is a story about a nineteen-year-old named Wendy who is in prison for something that wasn't her fault. Wickedly funny, uplifting and also heartbreaking, I'm so pleased I opted to read this début novel. Set in Uddingston, a small place on the outskirts of Glasgow, the characterisation is excellent and I know it will appeal to many. Utterly fantastic, so enjoy!
I received a complimentary copy of this novel at my request from HQ via NetGalley. This review is my own unbiased opinion.
I received a complimentary copy of this novel at my request from HQ via NetGalley. This review is my own unbiased opinion.
July 17, 2022
I enjoyed listening to this story, I really enjoyed the relationship between Wendy and Ginger and watching it develop.
It was authentically narrated and the narrator added to the story with enthusiasm.
Many thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for gifting me this arc in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.
It was authentically narrated and the narrator added to the story with enthusiasm.
Many thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for gifting me this arc in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.
November 30, 2022
“I think if you read books, it calms you down. And it makes you realize there’s a place for everybody, no matter how weird.”
Ginger and Me is the story of friendship, loneliness and what it means to be different in our world today.
Wendy is a 19 year old bus driver from Uddingston who is ultimately alone. After the death of her mother Wendy wants nothing better than to find friendship and her place within society. Enter Ginger, Wendy’s first real friend and the young girl who might just change her life….
This is a heartwarming, laugh out loud funny book with some sheer heartbreaking moments throughout. Elissa Soave has managed to capture some of the most intimate and often mundane parts of our existence and make them magical. I absolutely believe that someone comes into your life at the right time and this is what this story shows us. One meeting with Ginger changes Wendy’s life forever and vice versa.
It also shows us the sense of familial bond being more than just blood. You can 100% choose your family and that is exactly what these girls do. In Wendy, Ginger finds safety and comfort; something she has never known before. In Ginger, Wendy finds someone who will show her how to navigate life and have some fun; and ultimately someone who accepts her for her.
Wendy’s outlook on life is very black and white- she says what she sees and she means what she says, there is no in between. This made for some hilarious moments (HELLO IRISH MARY!) but also some extremely uncomfortable moments. It made me think often of Eleanor Oliphant and if these two could cross paths the difference they would make to each others lives would be enormous. I often wondered throughout the reliability of the story that Wendy was telling; was she in fact dangerous? Or was she a harmless misunderstood individual.
I thoroughly enjoyed my time with Wendy and Ginger and I’ll think about them often as I pass through Uddingston.
Ginger and Me is the story of friendship, loneliness and what it means to be different in our world today.
Wendy is a 19 year old bus driver from Uddingston who is ultimately alone. After the death of her mother Wendy wants nothing better than to find friendship and her place within society. Enter Ginger, Wendy’s first real friend and the young girl who might just change her life….
This is a heartwarming, laugh out loud funny book with some sheer heartbreaking moments throughout. Elissa Soave has managed to capture some of the most intimate and often mundane parts of our existence and make them magical. I absolutely believe that someone comes into your life at the right time and this is what this story shows us. One meeting with Ginger changes Wendy’s life forever and vice versa.
It also shows us the sense of familial bond being more than just blood. You can 100% choose your family and that is exactly what these girls do. In Wendy, Ginger finds safety and comfort; something she has never known before. In Ginger, Wendy finds someone who will show her how to navigate life and have some fun; and ultimately someone who accepts her for her.
Wendy’s outlook on life is very black and white- she says what she sees and she means what she says, there is no in between. This made for some hilarious moments (HELLO IRISH MARY!) but also some extremely uncomfortable moments. It made me think often of Eleanor Oliphant and if these two could cross paths the difference they would make to each others lives would be enormous. I often wondered throughout the reliability of the story that Wendy was telling; was she in fact dangerous? Or was she a harmless misunderstood individual.
I thoroughly enjoyed my time with Wendy and Ginger and I’ll think about them often as I pass through Uddingston.
Read
October 2, 202319-year-old Wendy is not doing well after the death of her mother, but with the help of her social worker she has a plan to get her life back on track. On the list are to figure out what she likes doing besides her job as a bus driver and making a few new friends. The two merge admirably when Wendy discovers author Diane Weston. She’s convinced Diane’s tweets are directed at her, encouraging to write her own stories, and so she does. Around the same time Wendy meets Ginger, a teenage girl who rides the bus all day to escape from her dire home life. The two become a solace for each other, but their friendship turns down a dark path that there might be no coming back from.
Ginger and Me can best be described as a mix between Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine and Shuggie Bain. It is a heartfelt and gentle exploration of human connection in times of grief and abuse, and what happens when fascination turns into obsession. While the subject matter is deep and painful, Soave deals with it with a respectful lightness and warmth that made Ginger and Me one of the best things I’ve read in a long time.
Ginger and Me can best be described as a mix between Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine and Shuggie Bain. It is a heartfelt and gentle exploration of human connection in times of grief and abuse, and what happens when fascination turns into obsession. While the subject matter is deep and painful, Soave deals with it with a respectful lightness and warmth that made Ginger and Me one of the best things I’ve read in a long time.
June 18, 2022
Wow, this book is both insightful and heartbreaking at the same time! The story is told through the eyes of 19 year old Wendy from jail but, initially, she doesnt elaborate on what has happened, other than to say it is not her fault. She then goes on to describes the series of events that lead up to this point.
Wendy is a neurodivergent young woman, who is struggling with her mental health after the tragic death of her mother. She lives alone and has little social interaction, apart from with the regulars on the bus that she drives. On the advice of her social worker she tries to make friends by joining a writing group, but this is unsuccessful as she clashes with some of the members, due to her misunderstanding of social cues.
Then she befriends a 15 year old teenager called Ginger, a passenger on her bus. Ginger has a difficult background: her addict mother has abandoned her to the care of her "Uncle Tam" who has a salubrious career, involving the turnover of large tvs and various household items and regularly has house parties with friends who give unwanted attention to the teenager.
The friendship between Wendy and Ginger is strange as they have little in common, apart from being lonely. Wendy seems to mother Ginger and take her under her wing, buying her food and even a warm coat on a day out to the beach. It is unclear whether Ginger genuinely likes Wendy or is just using her to have somewhere to stay. Equally it is hard to tell whether Wendy likes the teenager or is just friends with her so that she can keep her social worker happy.
Things start to unravel for Wendy when she becomes obsessed with a local author, Diane Weston. Wendy is drawn to Diane's novels as they describe the poverty and hardship of working class Scotland which strikes a chord with her own childhood and she feels that they share a background in common (not realising that fiction is not always based on personal experience!) When Diane likes a comment Wendy has made on Twitter, Wendy misinterprets this as a friendship and starts to follow the author around, desperate to find out more about her and be part of her life.
This is a great devut novel from Elissa Soave and I really enjoyed reading it.
Wendy is a neurodivergent young woman, who is struggling with her mental health after the tragic death of her mother. She lives alone and has little social interaction, apart from with the regulars on the bus that she drives. On the advice of her social worker she tries to make friends by joining a writing group, but this is unsuccessful as she clashes with some of the members, due to her misunderstanding of social cues.
Then she befriends a 15 year old teenager called Ginger, a passenger on her bus. Ginger has a difficult background: her addict mother has abandoned her to the care of her "Uncle Tam" who has a salubrious career, involving the turnover of large tvs and various household items and regularly has house parties with friends who give unwanted attention to the teenager.
The friendship between Wendy and Ginger is strange as they have little in common, apart from being lonely. Wendy seems to mother Ginger and take her under her wing, buying her food and even a warm coat on a day out to the beach. It is unclear whether Ginger genuinely likes Wendy or is just using her to have somewhere to stay. Equally it is hard to tell whether Wendy likes the teenager or is just friends with her so that she can keep her social worker happy.
Things start to unravel for Wendy when she becomes obsessed with a local author, Diane Weston. Wendy is drawn to Diane's novels as they describe the poverty and hardship of working class Scotland which strikes a chord with her own childhood and she feels that they share a background in common (not realising that fiction is not always based on personal experience!) When Diane likes a comment Wendy has made on Twitter, Wendy misinterprets this as a friendship and starts to follow the author around, desperate to find out more about her and be part of her life.
This is a great devut novel from Elissa Soave and I really enjoyed reading it.
July 21, 2022
I absolutely loved Ginger and Me from the very first pages. Wendy is a character you will immediately take to heart. She has her own unique way of looking at the world which makes her rather vulnerable, as she takes things at face value. She is a creature of habit, routines are very important to her and she’s rather socially inept. After her mother’s death, really all she is looking for is someone to be close to and to love her. Not a grand passion necessarily but a more simple kind of love. “…sometimes people forget, love can be… wanting to bake a coffee cake for someone, or asking them if they are warm enough, making them feel clean and safe and looked after.”
Her world is changed by Ginger, a teenager Wendy meets on the bus she is driving and Diane, a writer she follows on Twitter and who in Wendy’s mind anyway she befriends. Wendy really relates to Diane’s writing and often feels she’s speaking directly to her, “We all have a story to tell. Women matter. Working class voices matter. Your story matters.” The problem is that Wendy makes much more of this connection than really exists and her behaviour veers towards stalkerish. Some of what Wendy believes about this ‘friendship’ made me squirm!
I found Ginger a bit harder to warm to initially as it seemed she was taking advantage of Wendy’s naivety, but I soon realised she was just a young girl with a terrible home life. She really needed a friend to watch out for her. For all her faults, she made me want to reach out and give her a hug and as the story progressed I was so desperately sad for her. I wanted to take her away from the awful life she was living. I had a lump in my throat when she told Wendy she didn’t like to read about nice things and a better life as “sometimes it’s worse to dream then wake up and have it snatched away from you”.
Ginger and Me is a book you read with a sense of foreboding as when we first meet Wendy, she’s in Polmont Prison clearly having been involved in some kind of terrible crime that she doesn’t quite seem to understand. She tells her story looking back and throughout the book she refers to things going wrong. As a reader, you can tell that these things involve Ginger and her family but Wendy in her innocence can’t see that.
Ginger and Me is a wonderful debut novel. It’s heart-breaking at times but also warmly funny and so wise. Wendy and Ginger are characters I will remember for a long time. It’s an excellent debut novel with a distinctly Scottish voice and I can’t wait to see what Elissa Soave writes next.
Her world is changed by Ginger, a teenager Wendy meets on the bus she is driving and Diane, a writer she follows on Twitter and who in Wendy’s mind anyway she befriends. Wendy really relates to Diane’s writing and often feels she’s speaking directly to her, “We all have a story to tell. Women matter. Working class voices matter. Your story matters.” The problem is that Wendy makes much more of this connection than really exists and her behaviour veers towards stalkerish. Some of what Wendy believes about this ‘friendship’ made me squirm!
I found Ginger a bit harder to warm to initially as it seemed she was taking advantage of Wendy’s naivety, but I soon realised she was just a young girl with a terrible home life. She really needed a friend to watch out for her. For all her faults, she made me want to reach out and give her a hug and as the story progressed I was so desperately sad for her. I wanted to take her away from the awful life she was living. I had a lump in my throat when she told Wendy she didn’t like to read about nice things and a better life as “sometimes it’s worse to dream then wake up and have it snatched away from you”.
Ginger and Me is a book you read with a sense of foreboding as when we first meet Wendy, she’s in Polmont Prison clearly having been involved in some kind of terrible crime that she doesn’t quite seem to understand. She tells her story looking back and throughout the book she refers to things going wrong. As a reader, you can tell that these things involve Ginger and her family but Wendy in her innocence can’t see that.
Ginger and Me is a wonderful debut novel. It’s heart-breaking at times but also warmly funny and so wise. Wendy and Ginger are characters I will remember for a long time. It’s an excellent debut novel with a distinctly Scottish voice and I can’t wait to see what Elissa Soave writes next.
August 8, 2022
Oh, Wendy. Oh, Ginger. Oh, Elissa! The three of you have broken my heart.
I was delighted to meet Wendy. Nineteen, neurodiverse, and still processing her grief following her mother’s death, she is cast adrift in the world with no real friends and no real hope. She copes, she coasts, but she’s missing some love and belonging. Enter Ginger, vulnerable to equal yet differing degrees, happy to find a friend in Wendy, and eager to pull her into her own problematic world.
The friendship feels precarious throughout - both of these girls are desperate for a friend and are drawn together by that acute and painful feeling of abandonment. It’s difficult to interpret their reliance on each other as anything other than a lack of options. Neither of them can quite understand the other and the separate world they live in; both minutely focused on their own feelings and obstacles.
Whilst we explore this dynamic, and begin to understand our two fast friends, Wendy becomes interested in creative writing, and soon finds a local author whose work she enjoys reading. Her strong feelings for the author soon quicken into dark behaviours which Wendy believes are perfectly acceptable when they’re coming from a place of love.
There’s so much to be considered and explored here - Soave telling the story through Wendy’s eyes is an important one; to understand not all of us recognise social norms, or can pick up on nuance, to live a while in the world of the neurodiverse, is something many of us can benefit from.
Although a sad and relatively dark story, there is humour peppered around, and a lot of joy. An excellent debut from Soave, something raw and real.
I was delighted to meet Wendy. Nineteen, neurodiverse, and still processing her grief following her mother’s death, she is cast adrift in the world with no real friends and no real hope. She copes, she coasts, but she’s missing some love and belonging. Enter Ginger, vulnerable to equal yet differing degrees, happy to find a friend in Wendy, and eager to pull her into her own problematic world.
The friendship feels precarious throughout - both of these girls are desperate for a friend and are drawn together by that acute and painful feeling of abandonment. It’s difficult to interpret their reliance on each other as anything other than a lack of options. Neither of them can quite understand the other and the separate world they live in; both minutely focused on their own feelings and obstacles.
Whilst we explore this dynamic, and begin to understand our two fast friends, Wendy becomes interested in creative writing, and soon finds a local author whose work she enjoys reading. Her strong feelings for the author soon quicken into dark behaviours which Wendy believes are perfectly acceptable when they’re coming from a place of love.
There’s so much to be considered and explored here - Soave telling the story through Wendy’s eyes is an important one; to understand not all of us recognise social norms, or can pick up on nuance, to live a while in the world of the neurodiverse, is something many of us can benefit from.
Although a sad and relatively dark story, there is humour peppered around, and a lot of joy. An excellent debut from Soave, something raw and real.
July 18, 2022
Ginger and Me is a poignant, heart-breaking, gritty, raw observation of life as lived by those who don't quite fit into society's expectations or boxes. It's also a beautiful tale of friendship, loneliness, and longing - exploring that age-old desire to simply be loved.
Wendy is an utterly believable protagonist who ticks along somewhere on the spectrum of autism and negotiates the challenges of grief, living alone, work and needing to support herself at only 19 in a very unfriendly world with total authenticity (I've family members with Aspergers) but ultimately, it was poor, poor Ginger who I cried for and longed to reach into the pages and pull out to hug.
It was apparent from the very first page just why Elissa Soave won the Primadonna prize with this incredible debut. It will linger with me for a long time, and will be read and reread. A masterpiece for sure.
Wendy is an utterly believable protagonist who ticks along somewhere on the spectrum of autism and negotiates the challenges of grief, living alone, work and needing to support herself at only 19 in a very unfriendly world with total authenticity (I've family members with Aspergers) but ultimately, it was poor, poor Ginger who I cried for and longed to reach into the pages and pull out to hug.
It was apparent from the very first page just why Elissa Soave won the Primadonna prize with this incredible debut. It will linger with me for a long time, and will be read and reread. A masterpiece for sure.
October 13, 2022
A tale brilliantly told with rounded characters, a great plot and authentic details means that Ginger And Me hits that sweet spot between literary and readable fiction. It's rooted in reality – plenty of grit here – and conveys a strong sense of place, but there are also lots of plot twists to keep you gripped. For a long time after I finished it, I kept thinking back to the main characters - which, to me, is the mark of a book that goes that bit deeper. Oh and I loved the great humorous touches - especially love the nod to a certain Scottish writer towards the end.
August 29, 2022
Bleak but brilliant, Ginger and me will absorb you from the very beginning, and will break your heart throughout.
The story of Wendy and Ginger is at times beautiful, at times utterly tragic. A story of not belonging, a story of loneliness, a story of pain. But also one of friendship and kindness.
Compelling and beautifully devastating, Ginger and me is a book that remains in your heart long after the last page is turned.
The story of Wendy and Ginger is at times beautiful, at times utterly tragic. A story of not belonging, a story of loneliness, a story of pain. But also one of friendship and kindness.
Compelling and beautifully devastating, Ginger and me is a book that remains in your heart long after the last page is turned.
September 9, 2022
DNF at 50%. This was well-written. I think that's why I stuck with it for so long. However, I did not like this AT ALL. I just hated being in the mind of someone so delusional and naive, and after a bit, I just didn't believe Wendy could be THAT naive. The whole thing made me feel really uncomfortable, so despite the writing (which really was good), I just couldn't continue. This was absolutely not for me at all.
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