It begins as your typical boy meets boy. While out with friends at their local university drag night, Tom buys Ming a drink. Ming is the perfect antidote to Tom’s awkward energy. But shortly after they move to London to start their next chapter, Ming announces her intention to transition.

I absolutely loved this book. I laughed, I cried, I stayed up way too late to finish Bellies.

It's a beautiful, beautiful coming of age story. I'll recommend this one until I'm blue in the face

This has become the book I enjoyed the most recently, it was written in such details that I will never get over with. The inner struggle of someone going through trauma, mental crisis, the difficulties facing at certain points of your life. It was all so real and human and I loved that in a book.

Initially I found this book hard to get into - the author, Nicola Dinan’s writing style read more like biography of the two protagonists rather than a fiction novel. However, before long I was totally absorbed in their two stories and was completely swept away. I believe this is an important book and although at times utterly heartbreaking, it was never depressing.

I thoroughly recommend this book and will certainly look out for more works by this author. Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers, Random House Uk for this ARC.

A story of relationships and tells the story of a couple who have been together a long time, throughout phases of life while one transitions. I enjoyed this read.

This is such a lovely book. All of the characters are so well written, they feel like friends. The two main characters are a couple, one of whom makes the decision to transition. The story follows their relationship in tender detail. I found it very interesting as I am mum to a trans person, so it had a personal interest for me.

Bellies is a contemporary fiction novel following Tom and Ming who meet and fall in love during university. They have a loving relationship despite being young and inexperienced and riddled with their own insecurities. Told mostly through Tom's perspective, we watch him change as he loves Ming, worry about her OCD and navigate his complex feelings as Ming changes in ways he's not comfortable. When we get chapters from Ming's perspective, more sparsely in contrast to Tom's, there is added depth to their interactions. We understand what it feels like to be the "beloved", not just the "beholder". The story starts off as a coming of age romance, then becomes a story of how first love ties two people together despite growing apart. Ming and Tom navigate mental health, privilege, race and transition together and we are able to contrast their different experiences with Dinan's astute understandings of the intersections of her characters.
I was disappointed by the plot twist which felt forced in order to reach a point of closure between Tom and Ming, but in my opinion made it feel as though secondary characters were disposable despite being so well fleshed out. But the writing, the explorations of class, race, gender and living in present-day London helped me forgive it.

I thought this book handled discussion of transitioning in relationships well and sensitively. I found other elements of the book flat and sometimes contrived (e.g. handling of death of characters).

It took me a little while to get into this novel and I think that was because the two protagonists, Tom and Ming, were university students when it opened and I felt them too immature for my tastes. But the story of their romance, their friendship, and the barriers to both, moves along smoothly as the characters aged and changed, particularly as Ming transitions. My absolute favourite part of Bellies was the descriptions of food, leaving me desperate to try some of the Malaysian dishes Ming and her family introduce Tom to.

I really enjoyed reading this book, my thanks to the publisher, author and netgalley for the advanced copy. Will be recommending!

I requested Bellies as I was completely sold on the premise, then forgot about it until recently reading a thinkpiece on Normal People which mentioned that Bellies is perhaps the first book to deserve the title ‘the new Normal People’. Whilst I think this comparison probably sets a book up to fail, this book is incredibly good, written in a detached, brutally honest, Rooney-esque prose.

I appreciated getting the perspectives of both Tom and Ming, especially as so many of the issues covered were not clear cut, particularly concerning Ming’s identity. Nicola Dinan has an incisive voice and isn’t afraid of really digging into each character’s flaws and their relationship - will definitely be reading more of them!

I'm embarrassed at how long it's taken me to finally get round to finishing this but I did it! And oh my god, I loved it.
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Nicola's writing all throughout was so good to read; she's amazing at ripping your heart out but also putting it back together again. Every character was likeable in their own way, I really enjoyed getting to know them all, especially the scenes of Ming travelling back to her home place of Kuala Lumpur— I feel like I got to learn about the Malaysian culture as I was reading which made me feel even more connected with her and the general story.
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I really liked how everything within the story felt so real. In the last couple chapters, I physically felt second hand grief from the characters and I'll admit, I may have teared up a little bit. I adored the last few lines of the ending too; I thought it was the perfect way of rounding up the story between Tom and Ming and I haven't stopped thinking about them both since.
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Bellies as a whole was a melting pot of emotions and I'm so happy I got the chance to read it. I can't wait to see more of Nicola's work; this was, in my opinion, an amazing and important coming of age novel that I felt also educated me more than a usual fiction book does.

Thank you Netgalley for the free eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Heartbreakingly beautiful. This book was incredible - the characters were flawed and real and it dealt with a range of important LGBTQ+ issues. Looking forward to reading more from Nicola Dinan!
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the chance to read this ARC.

God, this was heartbreaking but in such a beautiful way. I'd heard a lot of praise for Bellies before going into it, and it is very much well-deserved. The way that Dinan wrote Tom and Ming's relationship, the push-and-pull between them at different times in their lives, and the love between them that never really left. Having this be set around their uni days, and the years following after felt really important, as it is such a formative time in people's lives, and one I'm experiencing myself at the moment, so in that aspect it felt very relatable. Both Ming and Tom's families were so lovely, and I actually really appreciated that Dinan didn't feel the need to include the trope of Ming not being accepted by her family for whatever traditions or antiquated beliefs they may have held, but instead that they both had such great support systems, with their friends too. I had a proper cry reading this, and it was definitely a special read for me.

I really enjoyed reading this book. The conversations and emotions of the characters felt real and relatable. Each character had their own unique qualities and flaws, making them more endearing. The author spoke at a book launch I attended and I found her to be very eloquent and kind. The book explores the universal experience of transitioning and how it affects relationships. Food is an important element in the book and is described vividly. The title, 'Bellies,' is significant and represents the importance of food and self-perception in relationships. The novel's message is about the strength and vulnerability of human relationships.

Excellent, sensitive account of a relationship where one of the protagonists transitions. A cast of realistically flawed, selfish youth you can't stop reading about!

What a beautifully written book. There is no real drama as such. Just simply a complex story of a couple.

Tom and Ming meet at university and begin dating. A simple boy meets boy. But Ming discovers that the anxiety he feels, is a desire to transition. But where does that leave his relationship?

This debut novel focuses on vulnerability, 'showing your belly'. Ming's story is handled carefully and delicately as we explore relationships, grief, loss, mental illness, race, class and more as we follow that journey.

The characterisations in the novel are special. I feel like they are truly humane. Both Tom and Ming have their flaws, do not always manage to do the right thing but yet still love one another so deeply. They have been well thought out and formed.

I don't usually enjoy a dual narrative, but I feel we hear from each POV in equal measures and it is necessary to hear the story from both people to get the full impact of the novel.

I will definitely reccomend this book to other readers.
Thank you netgalley for an ARC.

After newly-out Tom meets Ming at a university party, they embark on a relationship that will take them to graduation and beyond, visits to Ming’s family in Malaysia, and a move to London and the start of a graduate scheme in the City for self-professed socialist Tom. But when Ming’s gender dysphoria becomes a decision to transition, will their relationship survive?

There was a lot I enjoyed about Bellies. It’s the first book in a long time that I’ve utilised the highlight function on my E-reader, as there are some outstanding one-liners which skewer queer life (about a recently-out friend: “she’d acquired a buzz cut, found a new girlfriend called Lisa, and pretended to understand Judith Butler”).

But as the book went on I did find it started to drag, and I really dislike the trope of killing off a secondary character so that main characters can experience growth. The death of Rob seemed to happen only so Ming and Tom would talk to each other again: it just felt quite lazy and unnecessary (but I don’t like unhappy things in books so I’m biased!).

Bellies is a decades spanning romance, not only between lovers but family and friends who are just as loved.

Ming and Tom meet in a club, introduced by mutual friends while they’re all at university. Their relationship is so well described and written by debut author Nicola Dinan, that I was drawn in from the beginning. They’re quite different from each other in approach and upbringing, but they connect on the deepest level, and this is believable.

As they get closer to both each other and graduating university, they visit their respective parents. Ming, an artist and playwright, is exploring his gender and starts to move towards transitioning. I loved the way this was explored from all angles, with empathy and kindness. Although the transition is a big part of the narrative, it didn’t overwhelm because there are a lot of other stories and characters in there to pick up on. Roommates, new jobs, new houses, new countries to live in and the different cultures to adjust to - this draws together a compelling story of a group of friends trying to get through life, together and apart.

There are chapters from both Tom and Ming’s perspectives, and I think this really helps to provide a balanced view - no one is the villain or the hero in this.

The other thing which makes this imminently readable is the writing itself - Dinan has a way with words which is lyrical and poetic, reminiscent of Ocean Vuong’s ‘On earth we’re briefly gorgeous’.

I also love books where food is a main character, and there’s a lot of talk about food - different food between Malaysia and the UK, bringing characters together by cooking and/or eating dinner, savouring new flavours and trying new things. The other best book I’ve read with this kind of description is “Crying in H Mart” by Michelle Zauner.

Recommended for fans of LGBTQ+ love stories or actually, all love stories. I recognised a bit of the tone in Saltwater by Jessica Andrews. Tender, beautifully written and a well plotted story - one you’ll think about for months after.

This book is a delight. It effortlessly mixes witty, natural dialogue with fundamental human emotions to create a group of characters that feel refreshingly real and relatable. All of the characters have a roundness to them, and the author has skillfully managed to maintain their likeability whilst not shying away from their flaws and mistakes.
I was lucky enough to attend a book launch with the author, and it allowed me to access a new depth to the novel. She is softly-spoken, yet completely eloquent. It was fascinating to hear that the origins of this novel always started as Tom's narration, even as one of the central focuses is on Ming's transition. She wanted to show that transitioning can be a universal experience, not just for the person transitioning, but for the people and relationships around them.
Another key aspect of the book is food. The way in which meals are described is so evocative and emotional. The author talked about how important food is in her Malaysian culture, and how it can often be a way of showing love. That is so present in the book, and I love the way different love languages, such as cooking for someone, are explored.
The novel's title, 'Bellies'. has such a deep meaning that runs throughout the book. One meaning, obviously, is the importance of food within these relationships. It also highlights the relationships that the characters have towards their bodies, and how this can change depending on their views of themselves. And finally, my favourite interpretation of the title is the idea of animals showing their bellies to people they feel comfortable with, as a display of vulnerability. The novel's central theme is how these relationships are strengthened, and sometimes challenged, by displays of vulnerability. But ultimately this is what makes us beautifully human.

It’s been a long time since a book made me well up but Bellies got me. This was such a beautiful, moving novel that I was gutted to finish. I’ve seen a lot of comparisons to Sally Rooney’s writing and whilst I hate to compare writers, Nicola Dinan nails characters worth investing in just like Rooney does. I’m so excited to read more of Dinan’s work.