I'm trying to work out why I chose to read Loner. It was partly the hype; the first I heard of Georgina Young's Loner was that it was winner of the 2019 Text Prize for Young Adult and Children’s Writing. The description sounded enticing, with mention of roller DJs, Harry Potter fans and old school photography. I suspect I was also riding high on the Normal People wave and may have seen an article comparing Loner to Sally Rooney's exceptionally popular book.
Whatever lead me to Loner was not what I found in the book and that is little surprise.

Had I properly read the blurb, I would have realised that a book about a university dropout aimlessly navigating social isolation, unrequited love and a perpetual sense of failure was never going to be exciting reading. In fact, it was all rather bland.

Perhaps it was that my own memories of university were of an identical inertia, an inability to function that slowly marched its way to a bone-grinding depression? Whatever the case, Loner was not the quirky, uplifting book I was in the market for and perhaps the hint was in the title?

Despite my reservations and lukewarm reception, I strongly suspect that this will somehow become a television series. The critical hype is immense - hence the Text Prize - but for those of us seeking a bit of escape during the worst year ever? Not so much. Ultimately, Loner reminded me of why I don't read New Adult fiction.

I give Loner an okay three out of five stars. Recommended if you're looking for the post-millennial version of Douglas Coupland's Generation X.

Lona is a little bit lost. She has finished high school and done what is socially expected and went to university but she found herself a little lost there too. She has dropped out and is now working a dead end job normally reserved for a teenager and she doesn’t know how to get herself out of this hole. What she is starting to realise is that being a grown up kind of sucks.

I really enjoyed reading Georgina Young’s Loner. I feel like she really captured that un-tethered feeling. You aren’t a kid any more but you still aren’t really feeling like an adult yet all of the decisions you make are now your responsibility. It is a fascinating look at the awkward period in your life and Young perfectly captures the discombobulated feeling.

My favourite thing about Loner came at the end of the book. The whole story was great but the ending gave me an overwhelming feeling of hope. It reminds you that life I long and there are plenty of ways to screw up but also to fix the screw ups. It is very optimistic.

Overall, Loner by Georgina Young is a very good read.

Loner by Georgina Young is available now.

For more information regarding Text Publishing (@text_publishing) please visit www.textpublishing.com.au.

Loner follows Lona - a twenty year old art school dropout unsure of her place in the world. As she travels the murky waters of adulthood we are privy to different parts of her life: her romantic feelings, her familial problems and also her never ending anxiety, fuelled by the fear and doubt of the future. This novel is a highly relatable coming of age novel for twenty somethings that explores the complexities of what we want to do versus what we feel we need to do in this modern world. I believe that this book was quite enjoyable and the writing style of short snappy third person sentences was also easy to read and get lost in. It was also scarily relatable to me, as a twenty something who is also in a liminal state similar to Lona’s. Her feelings were described well and her anxieties didn’t seem to far fetched from real life.

However, I refrained from giving it five stars as I am unsure of the overall longevity of the impact of this book. Though I enjoyed it, the ending wasn’t quite settled for me as I felt there was more to unpack, and I wasn't fully sated though I enjoyed it. That being said, Georgina Young is a fantastic writer and Loner is a stunning debut.

What a nice find. This was the first book I've read from this author and I really enjoyed it. The story was different from anything I've read recently and really captured my attention. It was so well written and the characters were fantastic.

Unfortunately I didn't enjoy this as much as I thought I would. The story is a bit boring. There were parts where nothing really happens and the main character, Lona, is at times quite frustrating to read about. Even though Lona is a very relatable character, her actions can be very frustrating.

I do admire Young's ability to honestly capture the struggles of coming of age and going into adulthood and the anxiety that comes with it. It felt truly natural and very recognizable.

Loner reads like it's being recited. The pacing felt off in the beginning but got a lot better throughout the rest of the story. The ending is very satisfying since you have been rooting for Lona and you feel content when you realize she's beginning to find her way.

Wow! I haven't found myself captivated by a contemporary-set, aimed-at-women-under thirty novel since as long as I can remember.

Lona, our protag of 'Loner', is a fascinating character who I just had to root for. I recognised so much of myself in her, and while in many senses she seemed to be deliberately presented as an "exaggeration", I'm not sure how valid it is to think that because she almost comes across as being somewhere on the neurodiverse scale. Also, perhaps, the non-binary scale, though there is never any overt moment or thought to suggest that the author wants us to consider her to be non-binary. What Lona does experience and think about, often, is the template of young womanhood that she is expected to fit into by society. Something else that really struck a cord with me.

And all this is packaged in fun, quirky writing. Some books try very hard to achieve this; interestingly, 'Loner' reminded me most of 'Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine', but not in the sense that it was desperately trying to emulate the success of that book. Lona and Eleanor have very similar thought-processes when it comes to thinks like pop culture. This is what generated most of the laughs for me, and I did have quite a few of them! There are some great turns of phrase too (for example, women's purses are described as "fat steaks of leather", or something along those lines that really struck to me).

For those readers who want neat, happy endings, this is not the book for you. But then, life often isn't like that. I appreciate that the author had the guts to reflect that in 'Loner', and I very much enjoyed reading it. I'll certainly be on the lookout for her work in the future.

(With thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for providing an advance ebook copy, in exchange for my honest review)

Reading this book was an experience.
I actually finished this a couple of days ago and wasn't able to properly sort my thoughts and feelings about this book into a coherent review and I still fear that this is going to end up all over the place, so sorry about that.

Lona as a character was frustrating. I was frustrated with how much I could relate to her in some instances, how much I wanted to be like her in others and then there were some scenes where I was just downright annoyed at her and couldn't believe how she managed to have any relationships - romantic or otherwise at all.

But, and this is I think important, despite her many flaws and issues, she is so deliciously human that I sometimes even forgot she wasn't actually real. That was achieved through the truly fantastic writing.

I'll be honest, it took me a while to actually get into the writing. The very short sequences with the strange headlines were... new. Not what I am used to. But oh my god, it works so well. It is so damn Lona, it's infuriating. And I mean that in the best possible way.

Was this book life changing? Probably not. But it definitely did something to me. It made me think, about humanity and about myself and about how each and every one of us has baggage and we don't know about when we first meet another person. How there is always a deeper water under the surface.

And this is why I love this book. These thoughts and musings completely sneaked up to me and I was surprised by the amount of thinking I did while reading. I honestly thought this was going to be a fairly quick read about a new adult girl who is different but not really and who has lost her way a little. It was so much more.

I recommend this book to... literally anyone. Go get Loner!

Absolutely loved this book!!! Would wholeheartedly recommend to all of my friends, and I cannot wait to read more from this author.

I'm going to start by saying that I absolutely love this cover. This probably would not have hit my radar otherwise. I also really enjoyed the main character. Lona is an art school (or art major at a university) drop out. She gets the most boring and mundane job ever. She gets an apartment with people she barely knows. She gets a boyfriend. And nothing really happens. But that's sort of the point. Things are looking up by the end, but I'm not giving anything away. And Grandpa is, without a doubt, my favorite character. He sort of mirrors Lona in the fact that he's sort of lost and doesn't know what to do with himself either.

Such a great book! New adult fiction at its best. I loved everything about Lona - her looks, her art, her relationships, her feelings. I felt for and with her. The book is such a perfect portrait. It is a different book, the style and its characters are unique. The feelings are not. I really connected with Lona. I loved the little side comments on society. I cannot praise this book enough, it was just so entertaining. The relationship to her grandpa is another point that made me like this book. Lona wants to help but does not have this kind of relationship to him at first. I liked how she did what she could.

Nevertheless I did not like the end. It was way too fast, way too senseless. I'm sorry I did not get what the author wanted to express with this end, but I wanted more for Lona. A clear ending, some stability for her. But I guess that is what makes it even more special..

"She likes to agonise over particular words and ensure that she is making herself clear."

"he looks phenomenally undateable. Hair short and blunt cut along his forehad, small wire-framed glasses with one broken arm, David Tennant peering out through the door of the Tardis on his t-shirt. Lona's loins are instanly ablaze."

This story follows Lona as she tries to work out life post dropping out of college. Georgina Young has created a relatable character in Lona but she can be quite frustrating, much like a real person, as she is stuck in indecision for much of the book. In particular I enjoyed the relationship with her Grandpa as this felt real and nuanced to me.
Would recommend to readers looking for something similar to Normal People as its meandering but with a younger protagonist.

I absolutely loved this book! Loner is one of those timeless stories about growing up, identity and adjusting to the different changes life throws at us as we move from being naive teenagers to a young adulthood. The writing was eloquent and charming, and I absolutely loved how well developed all the characters were. Would definitely recommend this,

**I received an ARC copy of Loner from Netgalley and the Publisher in exchange for a review.**

**May contain spoilers.**

Loner is a coming of age story (think Normal People) about a college dropout with no prospects, and no motivation to seek prospects, in regards to the next chapter of her life. The entire story is presented in a monologue format of Lona’s thoughts and conflicting emotions. Although this book was, at times, boring, I found the characters relatable and various aspects of the story to be interesting.

What I liked about the book:

-Relatable characters.
-Lona’s relationship for her grandfather.
-Lona’s (main character) rediscovery of her hobbies (mainly art).
-How Lona uses roller skating to decompress; I found it unique yet fitting to the age.

What I did not care for:

-Lona and Tab’s relationship as it began to fade about midway through the book when the beginning of the books projected a sort of “besties for the resties” situation...keep reading though if you are reading this and no finished!
-Although I enjoyed Lona’s relationship with her grandfather, I kept hoping they would open up to each other a little more.
-How there was minimal description of the end of George and Lona’s relationship.
-The very strange art party at the end of the book...
-I would have also liked to hear more from Lona’s parents in regards to thoughts they might have on what she should do with her future and/ or other parental guidance.

Overall, I would recommend this book to someone who enjoys YA; however, not to someone seeking to dabble in the genre.

I think that the topics explored in this book are incredibly important for young people to read about and have conversations about. This felt relatable and engaging throughout.

This was received as an e-arc from NetGalley in exchange for an honest opinion.

Typically, this is not my kind of book – however, Young does a particularly good job at creating a realistic portrayal of young women and their anxieties. The writing style is simplistic but effective and does well to create a sense of aimlessness and loss of direction in Lona’s life.

There does seem to be some plot holes or ends which aren’t tied up, such as Lona’s relationships with her friends, though this could simply be put down to the book being entirely from her perspective. However, as the book’s ending was so enjoyable – and relatable – to read, with a sense of finality about it, it did bother me that these other aspects of her life and the story were not full idealised or explored.

The plot can seem haphazard and almost pointless at times, though I believe this is largely due to the atmosphere of confusion and aimlessness that Young looks to create and it does cause the reader to almost mimic Lona’s misdirection in life.

While Lona truly is a relatable character, the lack of real driving narrative can be offputting and, while it makes an enjoyable read, it is not a book which will stick out in memory a couple of months down the line. With that being said, it is a quick and enjoyable read and one that I would recommend to anyone who enjoys Young Adult, contemporary fiction.

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

Loner is a honest, raw and angsty exploration of new adulthood. Lona (see what the author did there?! I was hoping some character would address it at some point and they did!) is a college dropout and a DJ at Planet Skate (she works in a skate rink, I'm a beginner skater and I include skates on my Instagram posts, so I absolutely had to read this!!) and throughout the book we see her dealing with anxiety, love and the many sorrows of adulthood.

I loved this book, because I could relate so much to the main character. The fact that she felt like she had to wear a mask around others, because they would not understand her anxiety and the fact that she prefers a quiet night in watching TV shows rather than going out and partying, I felt THAT.

The writing is very real and fluid and all the characters are well-written and relatable. I recommend this to anyone who's in their 20s and struggling or who would like to know what it's like being a twentysomething with no idea what to do with their life.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read an early copy!

I loved this book in my 30s and I would have love it even more in my teens. I really enjoyed this book, the characters were well written and lots of things really resonated with me, even now - why weren't there more books like this when I was younger?!

Recommended to young and older-er women alike!

3.75 stars / This review will be posted at BookwormishMe.com on 5 February 2021 .


Lona has dropped out of uni, is living with her parents, and still working her high school job at the local skating rink. Meanwhile all her friends are still in uni and moving on with their lives. But Lona doesn’t care. She doesn’t really see the point in finishing her art degree. After all, what is she going to do but create art anyway.

Lona’s mother disagrees. If Lona isn’t going to uni, she can find a real job and start paying rent. So Lona moves out with two friends from uni, living behind a curtain in the living room and paying a bit less. Her best friend Tab is still at uni and has a new boyfriend that she is smitten with. The boyfriend Nick is all about double dating, so they fix Lona up with George. Now Lona is smitten. George is a med student and in a band.

Still, with all this Lona is still happier being on her own reading or watching Buffy (yes, the vampire slayer.) Lona is on a dead end road working at the grocery store, not making art, and barely making ends meet. Until her grandpa is hospitalized. And somehow that is a turning point for Lona.

Melbourne, Australia is the setting for this novel. Lona is somewhat likeable, since in a lot of ways, I empathize with her. Staying home and reading or binge watching Netflix is part of our lives now. Lona also prefers her own company and finds being with others exhausting - the true sign of an introvert. Young definitely conveys Lona’s aimlessness, the aimlessness of a lot of recent high school grads. However, there was very little growth in Lona’s character during the book.

Still, I feel that it was an enjoyable read. The short, brief chapters were a nice change from the last book I read. I appreciated the quirkiness of both Lona and the other characters. Nothing rote about them at all.

In Loner, we follow lead character Lona as she navigates life in her early twenties living in the suburbs of Melbourne, Australia. A university drop out, who appears to be struggling with the perceived concept of 'adulthood' and societal pressure.
From the outside this sounded like exactly my cup of tea, but I struggled to get into it much or make a connection with the characters. I was originally taken in by the Melbourne setting, as someone who has previously lived there. I really enjoyed the setting and Young did a good job of bringing the quirks and normality of living in Melbourne and its varied suburbs to life. Whilst this is something that I enjoyed, i'm not sure how well it would transfer to an international audience, or people who haven't experienced Melbourne, especially when I think it played a lot of grounding in who the characters were - in particular in reference to the areas they lived etc.
As this book is one that is essentially about transgressing through the end of teenage years into life in your 20s I was expecting a lot more in depth character development. I felt as though there was a little bit with Lona but it never really went anywhere. Whilst we see some of her insecurities and fears, they aren't deep dived and whilst on some occasions it appear as though conversations are going to happen, nothing ever truly emerges. I don't expect a perfect outcome, and everyone to be happy from then onwards, that's not real life but a couple of sentences unfortunately doesn't give us a great insight into why Lona feels the way she does. Essentially, I felt as though there was so much left unsaid from all of her relationships, both romantically and friendships - there were so many interesting support characters but they never fully bloomed.

At its core, this is a good book with a lot of potential. We're currently experiencing more and more novels addressing the 'normal' of everyday life and I am absolutely here for that - we all know its not rainbows and magic every day. But it is also this current trend in this type of novel that holds this one in particular back, we've seen some incredible examples of characterisation and inner turmoil that ultimately Loner sadly only brushes the edges on.

“It’s the simple fact that Lona has always done well, but doing well has done nothing for her.”

Wow what can I say? I love this book.
I was already drawn to it by the plot and the cover (which is lovely), but I was surely more impressed by the books itself after reading it.
First I liked how the title “Loner” resembles the name of the main character “Lona”.
The writing is not for everyone, it is very descriptive, short sentences with a few dialogues here and there, but the books is mostly based on describing things, surroundings, Lona’s state and feelings. Personally I loved how it was written, some sentences were written with such a simplicity that in my opinion gave them even more meaning, I really enjoyed Young’s writing style so if she will publish something else in the future I’m most likely going to buy it.
The book in its entirety reminded me of Normal People or Sally Rooney in general, so if you liked that one I suggest you to give a shot to Loner as well.
The book is so realistic that sometimes I felt like I was the one narrating everything.
I also felt really attached to Lona, she’s a pretty unique character with many facets that is basically impossibile to not feel like being her in at least on part of the book.
Lona is the perfect example of a 20 year old person going through the difficulties and anxieties of the pre adulthood. And as someone who felt confused and lost interested in things that I used to love, Lona somehow reminded me of myself, so I guess that’s a bonus.
I’m going to end this review with some quotes that I really liked from the book (please note that the quotes are taken from the ARC and are subject to change):

“Lona became someone who was interested in pretending not to be interested in boys.”

“Dad and Grandpa are at either end of the table due to the patriarchal structure of society.”

“But the getting out of the hose is the hard thing. The making herself the person she is for everyone else is the painful thing.”

3.8 stars