Adults is like a Bridget Jones wannabe book, without the humour. The main character is shallow, unlikeable, and has virtually no redeeming features. Nothing happens, and it takes forever about it. This was a complete misfit for me, and is clearly aimed at anyone who lives life through a social media lens. I would hesitate to suggest this was for a younger audience than me, as I’m certain plenty of this group would find it vacuous too. I read it all as I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. If I had bought it, I definitely wouldn’t have persevered.

This book could not be more timely, being centred, as it is ,on the social media obsessed Jenny. At 35 she seemingly has it all, but appearances can be deceptive, and never more so that in her perfectly posed and highly curated online profile. Online she's looking for the perfect filter to use on the photo of her morning coffee and croissant, or constantly editing and reviewing her comments on other peoples posts, to ensure she is the ideal blend of witty and wry. In the real world she has split with her long term boyfriend, can barely afford the mortgage on her home, and her job as a columnist for a feminist publication is in real jeopardy. As she starts to spiral out of control, it seems like she is about to lose her best friend and just to cap it all off, her mother comes to stay.
This book feels so relevant to today, appearance is everything and no one wants to seem vulnerable or anything less than perfect. Jenny is a difficult character to like, she is selfish and self obsessed , and treats those around her badly, but I still found myself engaged in her story and hoping that things would work out for her in the end. The writing is sharp and funny, and at times poignant, and it is these small moments of contrast that give the book a real heart. Underneath all the superficial problems of likes and follows, Jenny has suffered real tragedy and heartbreak , but as her best friend says , no one knows because she has been doing her best to hide it all under a veneer of perfection. Of all the relationships in the book, the one between Jenny and her mother was the most interesting. It's not hard for the reader to see where Jenny gets a lot of her personality traits from, and its amusing to see the two women butt heads in a very realistic manner. I wish the author had not made her ex boyfriend quite so much of an ass, he was verging on the edge of pantomime villain.
I'd recommend this book to anyone who is struggling with the realisation that they are in fact, an adult, despite what their inner voices tell them.
I read and reviewed an ARC courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher, all opinions are my own.

Jenny has an unhealthy obsession with her mobile phone and Instagram which on the surface leads to her split from her boyfriend. As we go through the story with Jenny we learn that there is more to her story than just a self centered, shallow woman.
Enjoyable read, although it did take me a while to start actually liking Jenny!!

This book is very relatable to the modern world and how everything is seen through social media. I was a bit confused about the book ended though as it just seemed to end.

I managed to read half the book before deciding that I obviously was not the target audience. Parts of it were funny : the social media obsession of a generation and its toxicity, the relationship between Jenny and her mother. Other parts just did not resonate , maybe it was the style it was written in

Jenny is 35, writes a weekly column for an online feminist magazine and owns her own home. Sounds like she has her life together, right? Not quite. Jenny and her partner Art have recently broken up, a decision that leaves Jenny wondering whether their relationship meant anything at all to Art.

She may own her house, but she cannot really afford it now that she is living alone. Her job isn't going so great, either. Add to that an obsession with social media, specifically Instagram, and the fact that she doesn't give her friendships the attention they deserve and, well, Jenny's life begins to spiral out of control.

Then her mother comes to stay, which Jenny is convinced will only make matters worse.

Adults is a witty take on 30-something life, trying to curb your social media usage and figuring out who you really are.

While there are elements of the story that were not for me-the endless drinking and references to alcohol, for one! -Adults is an enjoyable read even though you'll likely want to yell "get a grip" at Jenny on more than one occasion.

I'm not sure, on reflection, that I'm really the target audience for this book. Although I enjoyed some parts of it, it took me a long time to get into and even then I couldn't really connect with the characters, with the exception of Kelly (who had the patience of a saint).

'Adults' is a novel about a Jenny, a thirty five year old , home owning that writes for a cool magazine. She seemingly has everything in her grown up adult life and yet she is not happy. Suffering from an addiction to social media which even causes the break up of her relationship with the fabulous Art, Jenny is not that 'adult' after all.

This is a searingly honest look at the damage that social media addiction can do. Jenny becomes so wrapped up in her own online presence and who is following her online that she loses sight of her friends and their needs. It is a timely reminder to look up from our phones and tablets and pay attention to the real life that is happening around us.

While I was not initially a fan of the book by the time I was half way through my opinion had totally changed. It started off feeling a bit formulaic: Drug reference to highlight coolness? Tick! Dysfunctional relationship with mother figure? Tick! Slightly kooky and embarrassing mother? Tick! Trouble with job? Tick! Impossibly handsome boyfriend? Tick! But by the end I was firmly in the 'give this book a chance' category. There are parts that are genuinely laugh out loud funny and I think it paints an accurate picture of where our social media hungry society is heading if we aren't very careful.

Thanks to the Netgalley and the publishers for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is very definitely a read for the young twenty somethings obsessed with social media and how many likes they have. I’m afraid I did not gel with Jenny the main character, yet still I was intrigued to finish the novel. My thanks to Net Galley, the publisher and the author for allowing me to read an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC.

I recently saw Animals at the cinema and was very impressed by Unsworth's ability to capture the issues and characters of that particular age of late-twenties to early-30-something women. It definitely helps that I'm that age myself, as I can identify with the characters on profound level. Adults uses a similar method to deal with issues of social media overuse, mental health, friendship and mother-daughter relationships.

The main character is not particularly likeable and comes across throughout the book as pretty selfish, but that's part of the point that Unsworth is trying to make. Also having the juxtaposition of a friendship between a middle class and more working class character allows her to explore that social dynamic too. And the depiction of social media addiction and the mental health issues it can cause is right on the money. Overall a fresh, funny and enjoyable book.

I enjoyed this so much! It was really entertaining, well written, poignant and heart warming.
I loved every second of it. I'm sure women will find a part of themselves in it.

Thanks a lot to netgalley and the publisher for this copy.

A triumphant take on social media obsession, I loved Adults for its brutal honesty, laugh out loud turn of phrase and bare bulb spotlight on love, family and friendship.

Adults is a novel for the 21st century Instagram generation. Self obsessed, immersed in social media, 30 something Jenny mourning the loss of her relationship following a miscarriage, stumbles her way through life. There are snippets of humour e.g. the tatty lodgers but I wanted more. However, it was an enjoyable read for a dark night.

This is a book for the instagram generation ! Jenny is obsessed with creating the perfect post and obsessed with how many likes and comments she gets. It gets so bad that it ruins her friendships and lovelife . She is an interesting character and there were parts where I really didn't like her at all especially how she was with her friend Kelly . When she is spiraling out of control her mother comes to stay which Jenny is not happy with - their relationship is funny and touching.
I enjoyed this book although it took me a while to warm to Jenny and I was ready to give up at one point as she was irritating me but glad that I stuck to it , it is definitely a book for the social media generation there are some hilarious one liners which had me laughing out loud and some of the observations re social media were spot on and funny. It had a bit of a fleabag air to it which I enjoyed. I only gave it 3 stars as I enjoyed it but didn't enjoy Jenny although I did start to warm to her in the end!
Thanks to Netgalley and HarperCollins for the opportunity to read this ARC.

Jenny is unloved and totally lacking in self confidence, her best friend is sick of her constantly needing reassurance. A totally different theme with some home truths.

A chick-lit novel with a wildly unlikable protagonist and a lot of social media/pop culture references that will date almost immediately. Rather disappointing after the brilliant Animals, but sure to be widely read.

I loved Animals, so I was excited to read this book. It didn't disappoint - it's bitingly funny, painfully honest and expertly executed. The main character, Jenny, is obsessed with how other people see her, spending more time crafting the perfect Instagram caption than paying attention to what's happening in her life. On the surface it looks quite frivolous, but there's a lot going on in this book and it's thought-provoking as well as funny as we explore the the relationships between Jenny, her mother, colleagues and friends, and the way she moves through the world. Also, Jenny's mother may well be one of my favourite characters ever.

I really enjoyed this story of a social media-obsessed, 30-something woman battling her way through heartbreak, career issues and family problems. As I near my thirties I am relating to these kind of books more and more!

The writing style and way the book is divided made this a really fast read. I must admit though, it did start to get old about halfway through the book. The main character, Jenny, definitely seemed to become a bit of a caricature, especially with regards to her social media obsession. I know this is the purpose of the book, and I'm sure there are people like that out there, but it was a bit much at times!

The enjoyed the different storylines though, and thought it wrapped up really nicely. Her mum was a brilliant character too.

I liked this book but didn't love it. It was well written with interesting characters but I just didn't connect with them that well. Definitely worth a read though.

A must-read for anyone who has ever posted a photo of their breakfast on Instagram - and a reminder that what we see on social media is often very far from reality indeed. Funny, moving and true.