I received a copy of this book from NetGalley.

I was unsure whether I would like this as it’s not my usual kind of book, and I did want to bail after a couple of chapters.

I’m glad I persevered though. The dynamic between the two main characters was heartwarming, and the unanswered questions left me wanting to find out more.

One part I really enjoyed was the depth the Indian culture was covered. I learnt such a lot reading this that I wouldn’t have come across otherwise, and I am grateful for that.

The Things We Lost is a compelling and moving debut that tells the story of Avani, her son Nik and her grief surrounding his father, Elliot's death before he was born.
It does however consider some sensitive issues which include child abuse, so please be aware of that.
Thank you to NetGalley, Random House UK, Cornerstone, Merky Books for the opportunity to read and review this touching novel.

A captivating read page after page
I am finding it hard to truly put in to words how searingly honest, multilayered and heartbreaking this book is. Exploring a family torn apart by secrets and tragedy, aswell as how to navigate the modern world within identity, culture and prejudice.

At first, as I neared the end of this book I was getting irritated that there wouldn't be enough time for the follow up story of Nik and Avani. However as I finished I realised that actually, the story itself is an explanation.

Sorry for starting at the end but the book itself sort of starts with an end. The Things We Lost tells the story of Avani, her son Nik, her husband Elliot and their families.

Nik, moving to university following the death of his beloved grandfather, is desperate to know more about the father who died before his birth. On the afternoon of his grandfather's death he tells Nik that only Chand, his uncle, would be able to give him the story. Nik knows his mother never talks about his dad but he does not know why. Even the basics of how his dad died are confusing.

This novel is not an easy read in that it deals with some weighty subjects - death, racism and child abuse to name a few. However it is sensitively written. Nothing is rammed down your throat or put there to shock or disgust - they are simply there, as they are in life.

The reason I knocked off the half point is because the slang used by the teenagers really made my toes curl. I actually had to look some of it up. (My stepson is 33 now so it's been a while since I've had to decipher "teen speak".

Apart from this I really enjoyed this book and zipped through it in a couple of days. I'd definitely recommend it and look for more work by Jyoti Patel.

This was a great first novel by a new author. Not perfect, but really enjoyable nonetheless and covering some very difficult topics, such as death, grief and sorrow. I was hooked from the very start and kept wanting to get back to the book when I had to put it down. I felt the characters were a bit underdeveloped but I think this is perhaps something that becomes better with second and subsequent novels, so I wouldn't say it was detrimental to the overall story. I would definitely recommend this new author and I look forward to future books. My sincere thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the advance copy in exchange for an honest unbiased review.

Really touching multigenerational family saga, about the impact of grief.

One of the characters in the novel made an observation along the lines of things tend to come out when someone dies (I’m butchering the author’s lovely prose with my poor memory, sorry!). There were several secrets that were hinted at and revealed throughout the book which kept me enthralled. It was quite a page turner - unusual for me and this genre.

I particularly loved Nik, he felt so real - I just wanted to give the poor lad a cuddle.

Pick up this book if: you enjoy tension, difficult family relationships and real, multifaceted characters.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

The Things We Lost stayed with me long after finishing it. It was a compelling story which covered love, loss and grief and how each of the characters dealt with it in their own in their own way and the impact this had on their mental well-being. It shows the impact we have on each others lives even when we don't realise.

Nik’s father, Elliot, died before he was born and he still does not know the cause because his mother refuses to discuss it. Triggered by the death of grandfather Nik starts to search for answers and his mother is extremely reluctant to engage with him. Nik is a spoilt, unlikeable boy who does not treat his friends very well.
The book tries to cover grief, race, privilege and friendship. Unfortunately the characters are general stereotypes and do not feel real.

I received a free copy of this novel from NetGalley in return for an honest review.

This book was beautiful but felt way too long for the relatively little that happened. I loved Avani and Nik, mother and son, each with their own deeply felt problems which were different but connected. Avani had married outside her family's religion and against her mother's wishes. Her father dies at the start of the book and seems to have been a wonderful man. She was widowed very young and without realising she was pregnant. Son Nik, has spent his life wondering about who his father had been and why his mother won't talk about him.

There are great themes of loss and bereavement, light touches on racism and the differences between multi-cultural London and whichever northern town Nik chooses to study in. There's an examination of the challenges of holding onto your friends when your lives start to diverge - and that's for both mother and son.

An old BMW forms the eye of an emotional hurricane with Nik unable to understand why his mother is so determined that he should sell it.

With great characters, a gentle mystery about the past, and a supporting cast of friends and lovers, there's a lot to like about this book. I just couldn't help feeling it would have been 50% better with a large chunk of the inaction edited out.

The Things That We Lost by Jyoti Patel

Thank you Netgallery and Random House UK, Cornerstone for an arc for an unbiased review.

This is a debut novel, and like the previous 2 debut novels I've read, it absolutely delivers in an extraordinary way.
The prologue had me hooked. Avani is introduced, and while I immediately had a sense of where the story of her past might be headed, it still grabbed me in, as I wanted to not only know if my instinct was right, but the details to be filled in.

We then immediately move to Nik, trying to find his grandfather in hospital, as he had been moved. You sensed the closeness they had from the off. We then move through various points in time. Some are present day, some scenes are from the past. It melds into a story that is done beautifully well in my opinion.

We see all kinds of themes tackled. Some are small, some larger. Some obvious, others less so. Yet I felt they not only made sense within the context of the story, it allowed us to see love, loathing and family dynamics play out in many realistic ways.

I'm more than happy to give this 5/5 stars. As I said, another recent debut novel that is great in its execution and leaving me wanting more in the future by Jyoti Patel.

Oh and were my instincts right? Yes, although the details were far richer than I imagined, and at least once made me sit back and utter, "wow."

I highly recommend this book.

This book really touched on grief and loss in a special way. I truly felt connected to Nik and Avani. The book was very slow paced, but I actually enjoyed that. Patel really brought to light a lot of everyday issues that POC in the UK face. I would recommend this book to friends.

I received the arc through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book touches on a number of interesting themes, and is at times incredibly compelling in trying to unravel the mystery of the grief surrounding Elliot's death. However, the book gets bogged down in parts and the pacing, especially, with the jumps in time doesn't flow consistently. The themes brought up are highly relevant and addressed in a very authentic and believable way, however, the book doesn't do enough to reach any kind of satisfying resolution with too much left hanging. The characters as well don't really have clear development or arcs, but rather seem to exist as they are.

I think for a first novel this is incredibly promising and I look forward to see what Jyoti Patel produces in the future.

This is the story of Nik, and how he finds out what happened to his late father, and why his mother, Avani will not talk about him. Nik learns more from his other relatives, who have respected his mother's wishes to keep quiet. Nik's family and friends are so loving an supportive, as he goes through difficult times at university, and in his relationship with his mum. It's a sad story, but filled with unexpected kindnesses and understanding. The writing is great, and describes Nik's experiences vividly and sensitively. I really enjoyed the teenagers'' speech, so much sarcasm, and humour. A lovely book.

This book had me hooked from the very first page and I couldn't put it down and finished reading it within two days!

The story revolves Avani & her son Nik who is about to start university. They experience a family bereavement and the book explores how they cope with this and the family secrets that are uncovered post this event. It explores many family relationships focusing on the positive and negative aspects of these and the impact of grief.

I was extremely touched by the writing and the challenges described that have been felt by the Black & Asian communities over the last 20 years. Being Gujarati too and a similar age to the protagonist Avani I connected closely with her character and the challenges she experienced. The author articulately gives a glimpse into the experiences and expectations from this generation that many may not know about.

A wonderful and touching story that I would recommend to all.

A hugely moving story about loss and grief and family relationships, that tells the story of Avani and her son, Nic, from the time of Avani's growing up to Nic's first year at university.
The story is set in London, mostly Harrow. Avani is from an Gujarati family, that left Kenya and government service and settled in England. They have brought their culture and many of their traditions with them and this leads to clashes between Avani and her mother. When Avani marries Elliot, a white English man, her mother is furious and it is her father who provides comfort and solace in the difficult times that follow. Skip some eighteen years later and Nik is looking for answers about his family after his grandfather's death. He wants to know about Paul, his one time step-father, and about his real father. The grief at his grandfather's loss coupled with going to university in a place where he knows no one and suffers racial abuse, and the feeling that his mother is keeping something from him, sends him into a dark place.
I very much liked the characters of Avani and Nik and felt they were very real. I'm sure many of the prejudices and problems highlighted in the book are all too real as well. There are many references to Gujarati foods and drinks, most of which were incomprehensible to me, but which didn't matter so much, but I did find the endless lists of music some what annoying as none of them resonated with me at all.
All in all, a very moving read that I enjoyed. I would happily read more from this debut author. With thanks to Netgalley and Random House UK, Cornerstone for an early copy in return for an honest review.

I knew from the first page that this book was going to be good so I wasn’t surprised when I said “wow” out loud when it ended.

What a beautiful tribute to all those who have experienced trauma they found too difficult to share. How refreshing to see an Asian male protagonist dealing with mental health issues.

Patel has written a book that captures so much so well. If you are Black or Asian in the UK you will have experienced the microaggressions that are so hard to explain in words and the feeling of being othered as you simply try to live your life. If you aren’t from these communities through this book you’ve been given a glimpse into what these challenges are like from the stares to the unnecessarily intrusive questions.

Patel also captures what it means to be a daughter with a mother who is hateful and resentful especially in the context of certain cultures. An issue that is more common than we allow ourselves to think but rarely explored and certainly not with this level of care and candour. Layered over all this are feelings of grief and blame, coming of age and relationships of every direction.

A truly ambitious work pulled off immaculately!

Nik is reeling from the loss of his grandfather, as is his mother, but the hole he has left in Nik's life is trying to be filled with memories and information that he doesn't have.
Avani, his mum, is keeping something big from him, and he doesn't know how to get to the bottom of it, to help him heal his own grief.
Dealing with huge issues such as racism, mixed-race relationships, and grieving, this story is told in a beautiful manner.
I'm not Gujrati but understood many of the phrases used in the book, and felt an extra link with my parents both being from Kenya and moving here, too.
Many thanks to Penguin Random House UK for an ARC in exchange for an honest opinion.

I’d describe this book as realistic fiction. The author has done an amazing job at creating imaginary characters and situations that depict the world and society. The characters focus on themes of growing, self-discovery and confronting personal and social problems. This is a first for me by the author and one I enjoyed and would read more of their work. The book cover is eye-catching and appealing and would spark my interest if in a bookshop. Thank you very much to the author, publisher and Netgalley for this ARC.