Charlie Carroll's debut novel, *The Lip*, is a refreshing twist on the typical Cornish seaside story. If you’re expecting quaint villages and charm, think again! This book dives into the rugged beauty of the Cornish coast and explores the lives of those living on its fringes.

Meet Melody Janie, our memorable narrator. She’s tucked away in a cozy caravan on a clifftop spot called Bones Break, leading a solitary life shaped by a poignant past. Melody spends her days wandering her beloved territory, watching the tourists and walkers pass by, always just out of sight. But everything changes when a stranger crosses her path, pushing her to face the truths she’s been keeping at bay.

Carroll’s writing shines with honesty, beautifully capturing both the stunning landscape and Melody's emotional struggles. He offers a view of Cornwall that goes beyond the typical tourist attractions, shining a light on the challenges faced by a often overlooked community. The story touches on deep themes like grief, mental health, and the long shadow of childhood trauma.

Melody’s voice is both engaging and moving, pulling you into her world and making you feel connected to her journey. The dramatic Cornish coastline feels alive, mirroring Melody’s personal battles.

Carroll bravely tackles tough topics with sensitivity and insight, and just when you think you have the story figured out, it surprises you with unexpected twists that keep you glued to the pages.

Who would enjoy this book?
- Readers seeking a tale that’s beautiful yet thought-provoking.
- Anyone interested in the intricacies of mental health and grief.
- Those wanting to discover a side of Cornwall that’s off the beaten path.

*The Lip* is a haunting yet unforgettable read that lingers with you long after you turn the final page. It’s a tribute to human resilience and the lasting beauty of nature, even amidst heartache.

A story set in beautiful Cornwall, through the eyes of Melody-Janie. Melody (I refuse to keep saying the ridiculous hyphenated name!) has always been an outsider and has suffered a lot of trauma for a young woman, she now lives in isolation in a caravan in the woods and spends her days hiding away and watching what the tourist are up to. At school she and her only friend Esther, had a falling out, Melody is pleased to rekindle their friendship but is reluctant to let Esther see where she is now living.

I loved the descriptions of Cornwall and the mental health issues are dealt with in a gentle manner.

What a fantastic debut!

The Lip is a beautiful portrayal of loneliness and isolation, that will tug at your heart strings. Whilst our protagonist is very much not in a great place you can't help but hold out hope for her. Melody Janie is completely loveable, you just want to scoop her up and take all her troubles away.

What I loved even more was the detail in the descriptions of the beautiful coastal line. I could imagine the Cornwall scenery so vividly in my imagination.

This slow burn starter is a quiet novel, with a powerful message to it's readers.

This book didn't work for me, but it's definitely a personal thing. Way too much description of the scenery (but I struggle with description anyway as I have aphantasia). It just distracted from the story. Beautiful writing though. I wouldn't put anyone else off it - it just wasn't for me.

I found this really hard to read due to the triggers but think that is a good book in itself and would recommend it even though hard.

I was given a free copy by netgalley and the publishers but the review is entirely my own.

4.5/5
A beautifully descriptive novel in the 1st person narrative of a 19 yo girl fending for herself. Immersive description of the particular part of the Cornish coastline which belongs to her, which she hates to share with the ‘emmet’ tourists but delights in sharing with animals and birds.
Including themes of survival, mental health issues, aloneness and trust, I thoroughly recommend this book which stayed with me long after the satisfying end.

Thanks to Netgalley and the author for the arc

This book was everything I look for in a book. It was so exciting. The plot was fantastic. It really had me on the edge of my seat, and my heart racing. It was very well written and flowed well.

As someone who grew up on holidays in Devon & Cornwall and still does to this day, i feel this story touches on the lesser known side of how solitary life can be in a place often only visited in the sunshine where everything feels idyllic and looks pretty.

The Lip Follows the story of Melody Jane who lives quite a lonesome life, in a very pretty pace but who is struggling with her own issues of loneliness and mental health. You feel quite a connection with the protagonist as she tries to come to terms with the trauma that has happened, in her very young life. I found it quite poignant and emotive

This book also touches on the effects that our furry friends have on us, which is immense and so much more effective at times when there are no words

Will stay with you for reasons wrong and right but thoroughly enjoyed nevertheless

“Let them visit, don’t let them stay”


Warning! Tissues will be required before you get to the end of this one!

That wistful cover art was the first thing which caught my eye, followed by the unique premise which held so much promise, written by a new to me author with such an intriguing biography – who could resist!

An exquisitely balanced, slow-burning, often lugubrious storyline, unfolded from the very first page and held me enthralled and trapped in its web of fragility until the very last word, when I emerged battered, bruised and almost broken, by Melody’s sad journey and final earth-shattering revelation, which in all honesty I never saw coming, even though I might have been one of the few who didn’t!

As this story featured few characters and covered such a small physical footprint, some fluently written, well structured, short chapters, which appeared almost seamless, kept everything focussed, very fluid and more importantly gave me those much needed short breathing spaces before continuing on my journey, without ever becoming disjointed or ‘clunky’. To expand further on the already cohesive premise, would be divulging far too many spoilers, so you really need to watch this immersive storyline unfold and play-out for yourself.

Multi layered, powerfully original in its concept, with an almost lyrical simplicity, yet hauntingly raw passion in its writing, The Lip offers a perceptive, poignant and beautifully nuanced journey, which explores the constantly changing frailty of the human mind; the destructive consequences of loneliness and isolation; the promise, power and redemptive qualities of family and friendship; tempered by the faint glimmer of recovery and hope for the future. This is a story about people clinging onto the edge with their fingertips, while all around them their world falls away.

A small cast of multi-faceted, wonderfully well drawn and defined characters, completely owned this storyline, with every word spoken and every action taken, being executed with careful consideration, an almost brutal yet naive honesty, and clear often compassionless thought for the consequences. Not easy to connect with or relate to, all searching for their own individual sense of belonging, totally unreliable, volatile and often manipulative, there is nonetheless a vulnerability and genuine authenticity about them, which makes them addictive and beguiling.

Narrated exclusively in the first person, by Melody Janie herself, who is often given to extremes of emotion and paranoia, her strength of passion and determination belie her perceived fragility of thought and reasoning. Protecting ‘her’ little corner of Cornwall from the Emmets (I have always used the word Grockle to mean the same thing), whilst waiting for her mother to return home, has been her all-consuming mission. The arrival of a stranger causes Melody extreme angst and distress, especially when she hears some disturbing information about the unwanted new guest to the area. Their forced relationship forms a pivotal part of the storyline and as their individual experiences are shared, they are each driven to the edge of both their physical and mental capacity to cope. They are destined to hurt one another, almost to the brink of destruction, before truth and honesty pull them back from the precipice and sow the seeds of new beginnings.

So powerful and intuitively skilled in the imagery of words and the depth, range and dimension they can add to a story, author Charlie Carroll has made the landscape of this small area of ‘off the beaten track’ Cornish coastline and its nearby villages, characters in their own right. Uncompromisingly, yet sympathetically and empathetically documented, the narrative delves deep into the consequences of social injustices caused by the current trend of ‘second home’ culture, which has all but destroyed the rural economy and home owning potential for the indigenous residents of the local community. As if to pour scorn on an already smouldering cauldron, severe storms causing coastal erosion and cliff landslips threaten Melody’s home and indeed her very life, although the purging and reshaping of the landscape acts as a catalyst for her reawakening and the small steps forward she must take, if she is to escape the long shadows caused by her mother’s ill health.

All the many reasons for which I read, were thrown out of the window, with the exception of ’emotion’, which oozed from the pages in copious quantities, threatening to overwhelm me at any moment. Reading this book definitely took me on a unique, personal and definitely not always comfortable journey, so I urge you to check out The Lip for yourself and see where your journey leads you!

Beautifully written, but I found the subject matter a little heavy going and struggled to finish this.

Thank you to NetGalley and to the publisher for allowing me to read a copy in exchange for an honest review.

'All of this is Bones Break. All of this is mine.
I know every inch of it; I know it as intimately as the seagulls. I stand at dead-centre, my feet teetering on the edge of the lip. Below, the thundering tattoo of waves on rock. Wind catches the tips of my hair, lifting them above my ribs: less force than it takes to knock me down; enough to make me right myself with a step to the left, and then another back again. Here on the lip, it is vital to know where my feet are.'

Such a mood read, filled with atmosphere and intrigue. I loved this book.

4.5 stars

Melody Janie lives alone in a caravan, in Bones Break, Cornwall. She doesn't want to leave it, as she awaits her mother's return and always walk around to surveil her land.

She has just recently reconciled with her best friend from school, but also a mysterious stranger has entered her land and her life, and this friendship will make her reflect on the past events, like her mother's disappearance.

A tale of loneliness, friendship and mental illness in a land not often seen as this wild and unwelcoming. I feel Melody Janie's pain in every word she speaks and in her actions, you can't help but hope for a happy ending for her.

'The Lip' isn't the kind of book I've really read before and I found I took my time getting into it, as its more character-based rather than plot based. However once I settled into it, I enjoyed it and found the story of Melody Janie and her wider family intriguing. The story of her life in Cornwall away from the tourist views and income, as she lives in a remote corner in a windy caravan, is a bleak one and not an easy read as you find out more about her struggles with mental health and finding her way. Its not a book for everyone but Im glad i had the chance to read it.

On an isolated part of the Cornish cliff side there is a small cafe where Melody Janie works and hidden not far behind it is the craven where she lives. Life has been harsh to her for a while, so she walks along the cliff path spying on ramblers and tourists. One day she meets a dog and his owner and an uneasy friendship begins.

This is the Cornwall away from the holiday spots and picture perfect scenes. Instead this book questions the problems of reliance on tourism and second home owners, isolation and mental health and resentment all tied up together. It's an interesting view and you question Melody Janie's perspective as a reliable narrator.

I would like to extend my gratitude to the author, publisher and NetGalley for sending me this advanced reader’s copy in return for a fair, frank, and honest review.

This was a hard one for me. I really struggled to get into it. It was difficult to read about Melody’s mental health issues and how this has impacted her life so much that she is lonely and does not have anyone to truly talk to who will understand what she is going through. It is paradoxical as despite the sorrow and hardship in the book I still enjoyed it. I was invested in her life and felt like I was spurring her on albeit in my own head. Highly recommend.

Ok So I am going to write this review before i Consider what my rating should be.

I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review and am grateful to Netgalley for the opportunity to read it. I was attracted to this book more by the setting than anything else - I have walked half of the 650 odd miles of the South West Coast Path and was intrigued by a fiction book set in that area.

I find when considering what to say that anything I sat about the plot line will necessarily ruin the book for other reader. It is impossible to give an idea of where the narrative goes without giving away the unknowns.

The book is, in my view more character than narrative driven. There is a real emphasis on the thoughts and feelings, the events and people that have brought our characters to the edge they are not teetering on. There is also a very limited cast of character so everything essentially centres around Melody Janie (an awful name IMO but i will admit you won't forget it). I struggled with the book for almost all of the first half - here i was reading a book about a dysfunctional MC with no real sense of where it was all going. However as the book progresses Melody Janie's interactions with others increase and a story begins to emerge. It is only at that point that I realised how clever the author had been. I had no idea where he was going and the way he led me to the next steps in the narrative was exquisite.

I cannot give it 5 stars - there were too many moments when I thought it was not worth continuing. It deserves much more than a blah 3 stars a rating in my mind which means it was Ok but nothing special) So it is firmly in the 4 Star realm

Like Jacqueline Wilson for grown ups. This book touches on so many of the themes familiar to Wilson's childrens books like parent child relations and fitting in within society. It's a sensitive portrayal of grief, coping with mental health issues, and loneliness. A very charming novel, it's just a shame that the first 100 or so pages take some getting into, after that the plot becomes clearer and I flew through it.

Melody Janie lives in a caravan in a remote and beautiful part of the Cornish coast. Everyday she visits the 'Cafy' that her parents ran but which is now falling into ruin. Her father killed in a road accident, her mother disappeared and her 'Little Sister Lucy' fallen over the cliff to her death. Melody Janie is hidden and resentful of the tourists who spoil her land but who the locals are completely reliant on. One day she meets an 'emmet' who is also in hiding and his presence causes Melody Janie to confront the truth about her life and family.
I really liked the premise of this book, its passion around Cornwall and mental health especially. Unfortunately I found it rather hard going and the twist was obvious from the beginning. It was a brave and ambitious book which will garner fans and is to be applauded, but it wasn't for me.

I loved the style of writing, the descriptions of the setting and the characters.
Unfortunately I found the story too depressing and struggled.
Not my cup of tea.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

Melodie Janie lives alone on Bones Break, Bones Break is hers she knows every inch of the cliff top, she is its custodian and she needs to protect it.
She lives in a caravan hidden behind the Cafy which her father bought way back when... in happier times. The family hoped to profit from the emmets that visit Cornwall each summer, but tragedy struck, Melodie Janies' life is altered beyond recognition. Now she is dealing with it day to day through isolating herself from the outside world and spying on those who walk across her land.
Narrated by the main character, The Lip deals with issues of grief, isolation, mental health and the importance of friendship to see us through tough times. It is a book that sticks with you long after you have finished reading it. The descriptions of the settings and of the people Melodie Janie observes are a wonderful constant though the book.and I really enjoyed picturing everything in my mind.
No spoilers, the books conclusion will stay with you, it was very moving and I'd be interested to read more by Charlie Carroll.