It's a clever book with excellent writing and some very funny scenes. I'm not sure I warmed to the characters but I appreciated the humour and zingy one-liners.

This book left perplexed. There's a lot of potential in the idea behind the story but somehow the story felt skin deep and it didn't keep my attention.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

DNF at 11%

Is this suppose to be funny?

Because I’m bad at picking up on humour, especially in written fiction. I don’t ‘get’ it, and if that book relies on humour then it’s going to be a flop for me. But this... what was this?

I knew this was going to be a strange book, but the lack of sense this story has didn’t work. I was hoping for a quirky story like Eleanor Oliphant, and the synopsis was so intriguing and interesting, but it failed to be engaging. Maybe it was experimental, maybe it was absurdist fiction — I just think it’s nonsense that failed to have substance.

Which is sad because I want to read stories on the nature of work in modern society, and this seemed like that, but it’s just too crazy and weird.

Genre: Fiction

Release Date: 3rd March 2020



"The Gods created the first Temporary so they could take a break."

She is one of the Temporary. Who she is today depends entirely on her assignment. She could be anybody - a pirate, a barnacle, a mother, a murderer, you or even me. The entire world is her workplace and she could be filling in for anyone. According to the Temporaries, the most personal thing you can do is your job.

Along with her ever changing identity, the Temp agency and a cast of temporary boyfriends each with their own practical designations - from the handy one to the real estate one, she happily agrees to every assisgment, longing for the identity it brings.

But she dares to dream of permanance, of stability, of family instead of transience.

If you're looking for a book that makes perfect sense and doesn't hurt your brain - this isn't the book for you.

Completely absurd and wonderfully unique, this was a delightfully playful quick read that was a deeply dark and disturbing tale in a vibrant and colourful world. It felt like a string of whimsical dreams, each one fading into the next and slowly becoming more farcical and unbelievable than the next.

Temporary hit a nerve deep down in all of us somewhere in between the insanity - about the maddening fleeting, instable nature of modern life and our own identities.



RATING: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐



Thank you to Hilary Leichter and NetGalley for a reviewers copy in return for an honest review.