A poignant story of a young ,Black, gay man struggling with his life. Well written, thought provoking and empathetic.

My first book read in March is "Small joys". It's about fighting with yourself. Our hero strives to stand in truth with himself. Will he find happiness and true friends? What path will it take? It will be really bad, even tragic. Will the sun rise again for Harley? Will he find the love of his life? This story will be perfect for all LGBTQ lovers. Some of the characters in this book love to watch birds. Some of them recognize species of birds by their sounds. I personally quite liked it. I read it fairly quickly. But I won't be buying it a second time. You read at your own risk.

Harley has dropped out of uni and moved back to the flat he shared with his best friend Chelsea. Crippled with anxiety and depression, Harley is finding life too difficult to cope with and not worth living. Meeting up with old friend Noria, and making new friends with Muddy and Finlay, Harley slowly begins to feel life is worthwhile, and after a few heart to hearts with Muddy, he realises he is not alone and people do care and value him.

This was a difficult one for me to get into. I did not care for the dialogue between the characters and thought it wasn’t for me so gave up after a couple of chapters. However, I hate to be defeated and a while later returned to the book, and I was obviously in a different frame of mind as I loved it. The struggles and heartache that Harley goes through and the massive effect that the gang of friends has on him is lovely to read.

A really lovely, heartwarming story, difficult to process the angst at times, with some dark themes, but all done beautifully. We all need a Muddy to guide us!

Moral of this is don’t give up on life, or in my case reading a book after a couple of chapters.

An excellent debut.

Thank you NetGalley.

I was in the mood to read something different ( I often read thrillers) and this filled the bill. Harley shares his thoughts about his life, his past and those around him. He has recently dropped out of university and as his story progresses, the reasons become clear. Harley is depressed which has led to him making poor decisions, but as I read about his life, I was really impressed with how far he had reached with the adversity he has had in his life. I too wanted to protect him and stick up for him (like the group of friends around him). The banter of Muddy and Finn and the relationship between Harley and the girls felt so real and made for great entertaining reading.
So the book is about friendships, old and new and communication with friends. Lots of advice, heart warming moments and it is believable and a great, interesting read . Not always lots of action, but the emotions are so well described that that is unnecessary . As a criticism, it ended too suddenly .
Thanks to Net Galley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review

This stunning debut may be the best book I’ll read in 2023. The central concerns of the book - what it means to be a gay, Black man; what it means to be loved, and to believe you are worthy of love - are weighty but handled with a deftness of touch. The writing is beautiful, at times almost too desolate to cope with - perfectly conveying the desperation of depression and anxiety - and at times extremely funny, but always heart-warming.

A must read, especially if you enjoyed the C4 show Big Boys, with which it shares some key themes - masculinity, male friendships, mental health, those difficult years in your early 20s when everyone is a bit lost - and general air of loveliness.

A beautiful story of friendship and platonic love. It was moving to follow the development of the different characters, both the main characters Harley and Muddy but also the other friends in the story who really showed growth and surprised us as the book went on. This book deals with some difficult but very important topics, detailing a young man's mental health struggles and the emotional abuse he undergoes within his family, but there are bright spots. Parts of the story could be a bit slow, but as a debut this was a very good read.

Initially I found Small Joys slow reading. However, after a few chapters I was looking forward to see what was happening. It has sad parts, but the friendship that Harley and Muddy is fabulous. .

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC.
What a beautiful story. A stunning debut where the characters are easy to like and you find yourself rooting for them from the beginning. Sensitive issues such as mental health and racism are covered delicately and with respect. A truly wonderful story that I thoroughly enjoyed.

A quiet but heart-wrenching debut. I felt lucky to spend this time with this cast of characters, especially Harley and Muddy. It's full of jagged edges but with the warmest heart at the centre of it all. Fierce love for the people you care about is here in spades (definitely my weakness). It's a stunning read.

A poignant, brilliant, and well written novel full of emotions. I was involved in the story since the beginning and appreciated how the author deals with sensitive issues like mental health.
Great character development, excellent storytelling.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this arc, all opinions are mine

This was a truly beautiful story. It follows Harley as he navigates a particularly difficult period of his life with the help of his friends. There is a beautiful sense of found family on this book. It tackles difficult issues such as depression, anxiety, suicidal ideation, racism, and homophobia so although it is not an easy read it is ultimately very heartwarming and uplifting.

What a brilliant first novel! It is written with such sensitivity and insight into human nature that each character was unique and completely believable. I couldn't help falling in love with Harley and Muddy and their friends and hoping for a happy outcome for them all. I hope the author has some more novels in the pipeline!

I've always loved a British book so as soon as I saw this had Mancunian characters, I was sold!
This was heavy at times and dealt with very heavy themes including homophobia, racism, and suicidal ideation and plans. At times I felt like Harvey's inner monologue dragged on for a few pages too many and at times this felt quite repetitive, but overall it didn't take away from the major themes of the book. I struggled with Finlay's character as I found him irritating but Muddy was a breath of fresh air and I loved his development of sexuality throughout the book.

A breath of fresh air where the protagonists of the story are real men, with proper feelings, slight beer bellies and close emotional friendships.
The book really explores how Harley's sexuality and the confronting attitude of his family and community to his coming out really negatively impacts on his mental health.
Harley is a beautiful character who clearly wants to get himself back onto an emotional even keel but doesn't have the support he needs until in steps Muddy- who is an absolute hero of a character, comfortable in his own skin and not afraid to talk real words..
The characters are so well written that the story almost doesn't matter- it just feels like you are experiencing a day in the life of Harley and Muddy as a close friend and are so thoroughly absorbed into their world that a pint down the local with them would suffice!
That said, the actual story is a triumph of gentle humour, beautiful men and lots and lots of talking about and exploring their feelings- all of which come together into one of the best books I have read in a long time.

A beautiful deeply meaningful story about male friendship and love and the difficulties men face when suffering from mental illness in admiring this to themselves and seeking treatment and. help .
Everyone needs a friend like Muddy who shines out of the pages of this book as the real star of the story , his openness and honestly and ability to help his friends just by being there was fabulous . He is one of the characters I have read about in novels that I will remember for ever
The setting in suburban south eastern Britain was a very strong part of the story and the novel's description of the life of young working aged people in the Uk at the current time was spot on ,
I was very quickly immersed in the story and wanted to know what happened next .
I loved the casual way the young men I particular viewed their sexuality , the book looks at the way language I particular is used mainly in a derogatory way to belittle homosexuality . There are some descriptions of anti gay sentiment and even violence which was sensitively covered
I loved the use of music and musical themes within the story , you listen to the soundtrack of the characters lives as well as reading about them . I found myself listening to a few Oasis and Lighthouse family songs I hadn't heard in a while
The novel is perfectly composed a snap shot of the lives of these young people , it is an easy read but the topics it covers go deeper than you initially expect making the novel worthy of a literary fiction label
I read an early copy on Netgalley. Uk the book is published in the uk 13th. April 2023 by Simon Schuster uk @simonschusterUK

This is a charming and heartfelt story that had me invested from the beginning. It's depiction of friendship, love, mental health and family is well written and feels rooted in reality. I became fond of all the characters and the central friendship between Harley and Muddy was a delight to see grow.

This is a delightful debut book which focuses on the transformative power of friendship.
The book centres around Harley, a gay, black young man who has recently dropped out of University and hit rock bottom. Challenging family issues add to Harley's difficulties and he reaches a point where he believes life isn't worth living. A bunch of unlikely heroes emerge in the shape of a mixed group of friends ( all with their own back stories) who reach out to Harley in the most endearing ways and add value to their own lives in the process.
This is a very gentle book which deals sensitively with a whole host of serious issues whilst maintaining a level of light humour throughout.
A very enjoyable and thought-provoking book. The absence of an epilogue suggests there is potential for a sequel - I'd be delighted if there was one!
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for an ARC of this book.

This book gives unexpected satisfaction as it takes the reader through the mental distress of its main character. Harley is a young, gay black man who has taken time out of university to address his issues. His mother died at his birth and he believes his father blames him. His father rejected him because of his sexuality so finding a group of friends whom he shares accommodation with becomes his support. He develops a loving connection with one of them known as Muddy. Chelsea whose father owns the flat is also a string support to him as he struggles with his issues. The writing is remarkably understanding and even if this is not a story full of surprises, it grips the reader’s attention because of its empathy with Harley. It is a rewarding read as the reader just wants the young black gay man to find himself. I recommend this unqualified read.

On the surface a sweet and romantic story, but underneath a hard and compelling tale of friendship, racism, homophobia and sexual confusion. Combined with themes of depression and suicide, this is at times a tough read. But it’s not all doom and gloom; there are scenes of great humour and compassion and i found myself rooting for Harley.

I’m looking forward to a Channel4 production!

My thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC.

This is not my usual type of book but I really enjoyed the developing friendship between loner Harley and the irrepressible Muddy. There are a lot of dark moments but, equally, some lightness of touch. Ultimately, a book that makes you appreciate some unexpected joy, no matter how small.