This was not my cup of tea and I did not finish the novel. I tried hard to like it but the writing style was just not for me.

This book had a good idea.
But it fell completely flat for me because everything wasn't done in a way that made it feel anything but flat. Which is a strange way to describe a book if it even counts as a description.
Let me try to explain.
I liked the idea of a woman not knowing what she's doing with her life, more or less clueless what she wants to do now or how she even got there,
That can be done well. It has been done well. Some might even say that it's becoming an overused trope.
This book however lacked in building an actual character. There was nothing memorable or unique or even lifelike about the character. She felt completely one dementional, or in another word: flat.

The plot? A nice enough idea, as already mentioned not a new one but one that can be done well.
In this book? It dragged a bit, felt a bit underdeveloped and as if the author had the idea to write this book about this topic and then kind of didn't know what she actually wanted to do with it or were to do with that idea. And so to me the entire plot portion of this book? You guessed it! Felt a bit flat.

The writing? It wasn't bad.
But with the things I didn't enjoy about it it certainly wasn't good either!
It could have been okay. But once again everything felt lifeless, and one dementional. It lacked emotion and for me that isn't great writing, great writing makes me read a book without any plot at all, because there is something about it that sucks me in and keeps me captivated with something that might not be describable but makes me go: wow that's fantastic writing!
This book wasn't anywhere near that,
And a good book doesn't have to be. Not every book needs to leave me speechless, but to be considered a good book it has to be something I remember a few days after finishing and this book didn't really do that and with that the writing, yes again, felt flat and emotionless to me.


All in all? I am sure there is an audience for this book.
People that haven't read a lot of similar books for example might enjoy this a Lot.

For me it wasn't a good read, it's not bad, it's not horrible. But it's not one that I will shove at people and beg them to read it.

The writing was good in the book and I loved the idea of the story, I think it’s something that a lot of people can relate too but I didn’t love the tone a lot of the times throughout the book and it fell a little flat for me unfortunately.

Unfortunately, I have not been able to read and review this book.

After losing and replacing my broken Kindle and getting a new phone I was unable to download the title again for review as it was no longer available on Netgalley.

I’m really sorry about this and hope that it won’t affect you allowing me to read and review your titles in the future.

Thank you so much for giving me this opportunity.
Natalie.

Really enjoyable read. Good characters and a Good story. Well worth a read. Think others will enjoy.

There is a story running through the book but it is also written as lots of little observations.
I really enjoyed it, main character was funny and current but then it just finished and I felt left hanging.
Still worth a read though.

This was an easy read, though it was a bit of a strange format. Once you realise you're practically following Claires every (muddled) thought, it's actually an enjoyable book, though I appreciate how it would be difficult to get past that, as sometimes there are parts that are so random and completely unrelated to the current story. I liked Claire and her irrational thoughts and behaviours though, despite there not being too much of a story, it was still a good book though I'm not sure I would heartily recommend it - it didn't blow me away - but didn't offend either, I was happy to read on and find out where she would eventually find herself.

Thank you to NetGalley, Pan Macmillan and the author Lisa for allowing me to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

I liked this book but didn’t really connect with it that well. Its diary style writing is confusing and doesn’t really allow for you to really engage with the main character.

Having said that there are some really funny parts in this book which are ‘laugh out loud make you gasp’ funny which is why I gave it three stars.

Full review available on my blog and on Goodreads (linked below).

This book really wasn’t my cup of tea at all. I have a bit of a mishmash of thoughts so I decided to scrap my usual pros vs. cons format and just talk about my general thoughts.

Overall, this book feels like a cheaper, less funny version of Sophie Kinsella’s Shopaholic series. The main character, Claire, is a carbon copy of Becky Bloomwood, albeit less kindhearted and more cold. Even some of the names of characters are the same or similar. This book doesn’t have much of a storyline either – it follows Claire through her everyday life as she searches for her place in the world, something that will make her feel fulfilled. Pretty much all we see are meaningless snapshots of her life that add nothing to the story.

There are a few subplots (which seems like the wrong word, since there’s no main plot, but anyway) that I suppose are there to show us a different side of Claire, but it really doesn’t; it just makes things even more uncomfortable. One of the subplots revolves around her grandfather and an incident that happened when Claire was 11 (trigger warning for possible sexual abuse; it’s very ambiguous and never gets resolved, rather it’s treated as an amusing and witty plot device), and as a result, Claire’s mother is not speaking to her. It was silly and awkward and pointless.

Claire is a bit dull; in fact, she’s about as interesting as a piece of cardboard. She comes off as selfish, insecure, entitled, careless, and wishy-washy. All she does is complain about her life, when in fact she’s incredibly privileged: she owns (yes, OWNS; she mustn’t buy avocados) a flat in London, she has been in a stable relationship for seven years, she has a network of supportive, caring friends, and she has the privilege of quitting her job to “find herself”. She’s the type of jumped-up yuppie who gives people of our generation a bad name. She’s also very inconsiderate and self-absorbed. An example:

"Over breakfast, Luke idly drops a bombshell, claiming the mirrors in the gym changing rooms are warped to flatter the beholder.

‘But why would they make you look thinner?’ I ask, dropping my spoon in a panic that the wide reflection I’d dismissed only yesterday as grotesquely distorted might in fact have been slimmed down, and therefore several degrees more forgiving than the reality.

‘To make your workout seem immediately effective,’he says. ‘You see results, you keep coming back.’

‘No, no, that doesn’t make sense. If you look fatter, you’ll keep coming back, to lose weight. If you look thinner, you’ll quit: job done.’

…

‘Shit.’ His eyes zigzag across his laptop screen. ‘There’s been a massive earthquake in Chile. Three thousand deaths and rising.’

‘Oh my God. That’s terrible.’ I allow enough seconds to pass, stirring my porridge. ‘Maybe . . . maybe it’s different for men and women. The men’s changing-room ones make them look thinner, and the women’s ones fatter.’

‘We should donate,’ Luke says, tapping quickly, so I shelve the subject, pending further investigation."

I’m sorry, but what? She hears about an earthquake that killed 3,000 people, and she waits a few seconds so she can continue her frivolous conversation? With a doctor? Pass.

Speaking of Luke, he has no substance through the eyes of Claire, and seems to be there as an extra character with whom Claire can interact. She blames him for everything and it seems to be very much him taking care of her, rather than a mutual understanding between two independent adults. I could feel his frustration with her, but he always came around and let her off the hook and I found him to be a bit of a pushover. The rest of the characters (including Claire’s parents, grandmother, and friends) are all bland stereotypes. I assumed Claire would improve as a person and learn something by the end of the book, but nope.

The style of this book could have been great if the content weren’t so boring and tedious and pointless. I love trying out new formats and this was a promising idea that was badly executed. I found myself waiting to finish the book, because it just was not working for me at all. (See what I did there?)

Rating: This could have scraped a 2.5 stars from me, but after taking the sexual abuse plot device and the incident with the Chilean earthquake into account, I’m going to be harsh and give it 1 star.

Recommended for: I don’t recommend this book.

Not Working is the much anticipated debut novel from Lisa Owens. This book was on my radar for quite some time - plus, I was in love with its original cover art - so when it appeared on Netgalley I jumped at the chance to read it.

Twenty-something Claire might seem to possess the recipe for a good life; a London flat, a boyfriend who's a trainee brain surgeon, a mother who she spends time with, and a decent day job. However, Claire isn't thoroughly satisfied - she isn't doing a job she loves, and even though she doesn't have to worry too much financially with Luke's salary, she has suspicions that he may be cheating on her.

A bit fed up with a life that now seems to be heading nowhere, Claire decides to quit her tedious job and find one that's more meaningful - to truly find her calling. After all, she has enough savings to keep her going for enough time to find a job - which, sadly, is harder than she expected.

Claire soon realises that perhaps leaving a job before finding another was probably not the best of ideas, and soon her life, which at least used to have some semblance of normality, is taken over by an excessive job hunt. Claire needs to get her life back on track, and quickly.

Not Working seemed as though it would be a promising debut. I had expected it to be quirky, humorous, with the added relatablility of twenty-something life. Most of us have probably taken jobs 'for now' with the intent of landing our dream careers, or have spent considerable time glued to our computers, applying for various roles over and over again. That's part of what interested me about this novel - we've all been there, that's life, that's reality sometimes. But sadly, it just didn't ring true.

Firstly, Claire is an extremely annoying character; she's self-centered and irresponsible, and if I'm being blunt, acts like a whiny, entitled, immature and shallow millennial waiting for everything to be automatically handed to her. (I am only a couple of years older than Claire, and yet with her actions, it seems as though she's a lot younger). I couldn't sympathise with her at all and she annoyed me so much that I really didn't want to finish the novel.

Secondly, the format of this book is quite annoying; it's not written in novel form, more like a diary, with every page or so having a different title, with a glimpse into Claire's relatively normal, day to day life. This became very tedious, VERY quickly, as the chapters didn't fully flow for me and it was hard to get into the story.

I'm disappointed, mainly because I had such high hopes for this book. That said, if Lisa Owens releases another novel I would certainly give it a go, but as for Not Working, I'm sad to say it wasn't for me.

Rating: 2/5

2.5 stars

Not Working by Lisa Owens is one of those book where I can't say if I actually liked it or not. The synopsis really spoke to me, as I've been in a similar situation. That feeling of being lost, and not knowing what you want. So with that part I could definitely relate to Claire.

It's just that the writing style, and the diary format made it incredibly difficult for me to get fully into it. While I can understand a scattered brain, and rambling thoughts, it was not easy to read them this way. Thus making it a hardship to really connect with Claire and her life.

There were certainly some funny moments, as plenty of cringe worthy moments. The ending felt very abrupt and fast, and I still have no clue where Claire ended up. All this time we followed her in her quest to find herself, and a job, and I feel I was left with no resolution.

*I received a copy through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*

This was an interesting read for me. Its definitely not exactly what I was expecting it to be. I was initially drawn in by the cover, you know I love a good coffee cup, and then by the title. I too am currently not working. Then I read the premise and the early praise his novel and thought, yes I will definitely like this but it didn't quite meet my expectations... A have heard a lot of people talking about the way the book is structured. Its not traditional prose and yet it isn't written in verse either. This book is written in little snippets of thought, kind of like a stream of consciousness, however each section has a heading so you know what each part is going to concern. Each section can range from one small paragraph to a few pages. I would like to be controversial and say that I liked this structure. It did make the story harder to follow but I feel like it made me identify with the character more. I felt a little like I was reading Tumblr posts or facebook updates and it really stuck a chord with me.

Although I did feel like I could identify with the character more because of this structure, I didn't necessarily warm to her that easily. Obviously this character has chosen to leave her job, a move which I made too so I can feel what she is going through. She is also in a long term relationship and so is in the position of being the one at home while her partner goes off to work. I did think that she was somewhat self-centred though and so I found her difficult to like for those reasons. I did definitely agree with her reasons for doing most things but struggled to side with her on all things.

There are is a range of supporting characters in this novel too. I really disliked Claire's family and her partners family too. I thought them to be seriously backward and really couldn't believe the way they were behaving sometimes. This did create drama for the storyline but I'm not sure people can be so narrow minded in this day and age. I really liked Luke, he too felt real and so I found him easy to identify with. he is not perfect at every moment throughout this story, but for a sleep-deprived trainee medic, he had a lot of patience.

Its quite hard to sum up my thoughts on this book. I liked the premise of the story and I enjoyed the way it was written. In terms of the story arc itself and the characters involved in the story, I wasn't entirely convince and so I would say that it was a mixed bag for me. I would really like to find out if the author intended there to be a follow up to this book and that is why the story arc is the way that it is. But my best advice to you is to read it for yourself, especially if you enjoy books about women in their twenties trying to find their way in life, and see for yourself!

I loved the idea of Owens' book, about a woman who has just quit her office job to seek out her real passion, told through a series of 'vignettes'; a different format for sure, so I was intrigued to give this a go.

I was informed from the book description that the main character would be wholly relatable. Now, as a hard-working, career-driven individual, I did not find the main character at all relatable. I found her lazy and irritating, sailing through life with minimal effort to change.

I didn't think the vignette format would be a problem, but I actually really disliked it. Some of the vignettes were three or four lines, others longer at a page or two. However they all had dull headings such as 'at the bank' or 'dinner'. It read to me as though a story had been written, but the writer had skimped on putting the effort into joining the paragraphs together through writing, and instead inserted sub-headings. I hate to say, but this just came across as a lazy attempt at writing, and didn't flow. It was so disjointed that it wasn't enjoyable for me. You could put the book down and come back to it, and because of how much the vignettes jumped all over the place, you'd forget what was going on.

As for the plot, this was such a loose plot without much going on. There was lots of observations about the mundane bits of daily life, but nothing exciting. The momentum was slow and this was hard-going to finish. I'm sorry to say this this isn't a book I would recommend.

First off, isn't this cover of Not Working so beautiful? I hugely prefer it to the hardback version that launched last year. I think the gorgeous blue and yellow aesthetic fits the tone perfectly.

Claire quits her job to find herself and discover her true, meaningful purpose. Her boyfriend Luke has always been ambitious and is on the way to becoming a surgeon, but what is her calling? On her "journey", Claire observes the world around her and the people in her life, calling everything into question with her Bridget Jones-esque humour.

I've been aware of Not Working for a while. It's one of those books that floated in my periphery, whispering read me, but I couldn't hear it over all of the other books shouting at me. Okay, now I just sound a bit crazy. What I'm trying to say is that I wish I'd picked up Not Working a bit sooner. It's packed with detail as the story flickers around at rapid pace. You might get just a line or a snippet of a scene before moving onto Claire's next observation. From her relationship with her parents, to her boyfriend Luke and her job hunt and complicated friends, there's so much depth beneath the surface of every relationship.

So many times whilst reading this, I found myself highlighting lines and reading them to people. "Isn't this true?" I would say, as Owens once again touched on something that everyone is aware of, but no one ever talks about. From grandparents to boyfriends, her social commentary was a brilliant form of honest comedy.

The only reason I couldn't give this a 5/5 was because I already know it's not a book that will stay with me forever. It was light and fun and so engaging, but not earth-shattering. That's not a bad thing, though, we all need something to relax in and simply enjoy from time to time.

If you haven't read Not Working yet and are looking for a humorous summer read, I couldn't recommend this more.

Claire is a young woman who, sick of feeling stifled by an office job that just doesn’t interest her, decides to quit and find her true life’s purpose. The problem is, she doesn’t know where to begin. We can’t help but feel sorry for Claire, who to begin has so many plans about the things she will do with her time off to improve herself, but finds herself caught up with much of nothing and feels that she is not accomplishing anything she started out to do. She constantly feels the pressure of those around her to conform to a 9 to 5 life that suits her, or to “find her passion”, but all time in the world, and relaxing over many glasses of wine, isn’t seeming to help her with this. Claire could have felt annoying and directionless but she actually felt more like a friend that you wanted to comfort, and remind her that she doesn’t have to figure everything out right away. Claire, while seeming flighty, does seem to be tender and thoughtful, and this makes the book funny and charming, rather than grating, which it so easily could have been. A perfect summer read for millennials or people who have experienced something like Claire has.

Not Working wasn't as funny to read as I tought it would be. The plot had potential but I did not enjoy the characters. The style is interesting but this is not the book the for me.

Young and Unemployed

This was an entertaining, fictional, read that presents the life of the unemployed. Claire's story of course is not realistic of all those who are unemployed but it's very much fitting of the prospects much of the young generation face. Claire is stuck in a rut and has opted out of the rat race to look for a more fulfilling job. One with purpose. So, for now she has free time.... Of course, that is between browsing for a meaningful career.

I loved this bit, when she reflects on her non-working days and all her free time, 'When I had a job, I used to fantasize about what I’d do if I didn’t have to work anymore. Go to the gym every day, get really fit, train for a marathon perhaps. Finish Ulysses, read Moby Dick and one of the big Russian guys. Get to grips with the economy, also modern art.' This doesn't come to be, her time seems to be just as limited. This book is very relatable.

Especially Claire's constant humorous self depreciation with her boyfriend, Luke, who is a neurologist in training. He has that meaningful career, and she feels worthless in comparison. I liked how their relationship managed this change in dynamic, and I enjoyed the dialogue between them. Perfect balance of witty and plain weird.

The four stars is only because the writing, structurally, seemed a little all over the place. It was a bit off putting, it just seemed to jump around. I'm not sure if this was intentional or because I was reading an early reader's copy of the book. In truth, this wasn't too great a problem, for I know first hand when you have free time you lose all sense of the time altogether and so no real, reliable recollection of when something occurs. There is no routine to your day. And, with this book, this seemed appropriate. It was just that after leaving it for some time and coming back to it, remembering what was going on was a little difficult.

This is definitely the kind of book to read on an 'off day'.

I received this book through NetGalley.