This book is all about the drudgery of the modern day: being underpaid, working several gig jobs, and never quite feeling like there is an end to it all. But somehow this book takes this drudgery and spins something profound (and often funny) out of it.

As we follow our central character, whose voice is given startling clarity in the book, we are forced to confront several realities, and it is very well handled.

I enjoyed the journal style of this novel as it gave a deep insight in to Leyla's experience and it was interesting to read about an immigrant's experience in Germany. This was a strong debut novel and I look forward to reading what the author writes next.

Thank you to netgalley and the author for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

very exciting and interesting text about the Gastarbeiter today in Germany. I couldn't quite finish the book myself, but I appreciate it.

I felt that this would be an important read for me , exploring large, relevant issues .
Unfortunately, I just could not get on with the journal format, though I appreciated Nazli Koca’s fine writing and persevered. Honestly, this book was just not for me.

I would like to thank NetGalley and the Publishers, for this ARC.

yes this is of the genre 'sad girl lit' but this takes on a fresh feel as it focuses on a 20 something immigrant whose life problems are a bit more real . It's written in journal style which I think worked well as it allows the reader to properly get inside Leyla's head and the problems still facing immigrants in Europe today. I LOVED the Berlin setting and all the random German language thrown in . Having lived in Germany i was a familiar with a lot of the terms and processes that foreigners living in Germany have to go through. You get to see the xenophobia and cultural clashes from Leyla's pov , all told with a dry humour . The writing is sharp , it's relevant and i think it's one for anyone who maybe thinks they are over the sad girl lit book !

A starkly realistic portrayal of what it means to be a non-white immigrant in Europe. The social commentary was bleak yet accurate and while the protagonist's decision-making was often jarring, Koca does an excellent job of showing, not telling, to garner empathy (and some degree of sympathy) for her. The journal format flowed well - it truly did feel like being inside Leyla's mind for the duration of the book. The hedonistic tendencies were just a bit overdone for my liking.

Leyla is an inspiring writer, who moved to Turkey hoping for a better future. Whilst waiting to know whether she will have a visa, she works as a cleaner in a hostel and is strapped for cash.

Will she stay in Berlin or move back to Turkey to live with her family? She also has the option to apply for a visa to move to Sweden, as she has met someone who lives there.

I found the narrative a bit flat and I didnt find myself particularly involved with the story of the main character.

This is a meditative story, giving a glimpse into the life of someone caught in-between. I enjoyed the book. I always enjoy reading from new points of view and experiencing lives far removed from mine. To me this is the reason to read. This was a compelling tale, my only criticism is that I felt the author was detached from the tale – looking down on events rather than living them.

A short read, and in between the partying and menial jobs, there were some really profound observations from the narrator regarding immigration and culture clashes. I particularly enjoyed the mix of people from different countries experiencing Germany and Europe in such varying ways.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for this ARC.

I'm always hooked by titles set in Berlin - I love that city. This had an interesting perspective of a young woman from Turkey facing a return to her home country following the rejection of her university thesis. It was original and it made you look at "normal" things from a different point of view. At times I had so much sympathy for her, but overall I just wanted her to get a grip. She had a perfect opportunity appear in her life in the face of "The Swede" - who doesn't even get a name, that's how insignificant he is in Leyla's eyes, yet she continues to resist. She has a perfect chance and she's still stuck in her head.
The writing was good, and the diary format read well, but it just left a little "meh" aftertaste in my mouth.

Titled after the Sylvia Plath poem, Nazli Koca’s first novel explores overlapping questions of gender and patriarchy. It’s presented as a diary written by Leyla, a would-be writer who left home in Turkey to study in Berlin, all part of a plan to become a writer. But after failing her thesis, Leyla’s left in limbo, barely supporting herself as a cleaner, while protesting her professor’s decision to block her from finishing her studies. Leyla is part of a loosely-formed community of drifters, women and men whose fantasies of life in Berlin have been derailed by the reality. She lives in a shared apartment in an area of Berlin once known as a cheap area for immigrants but now attracting would-be artists and students. Leyla documents her experiences hovering on the fringes of Berlin’s literary and artistic scenes, taking refuge in watching Turkish soap operas. Her fractured family background, and her now-dead father haunt her dreams, signalling a trauma she’s unable to confront.

In some ways Koca’s scenario is a familiar one, the disaffected, isolated woman caught between cultures and identities, the narrative even features a relationship between Leyla and the almost-stock wealthy, conservative man - referred to only as the Swede - echoing recent novels by writers like Sally Rooney and Naoise Dolan. Here used to introduce an exploration of politics versus emotions. Koca’s story could sometimes feel a little forced and unfocused but it also contains some striking reflections on Turkish society, as well as on xenophobia and racism, alongside a more general critique of contemporary capitalism. And, despite the occasionally flat delivery, there’s a sense of underlying sincerity to Koca’s portrayal of Leyla’s dilemmas. I also liked the ways in which Koca drew on books and films, particularly aspects of Turkish literature from Madonna in a Fur Coat to Cold Nights of Childhood. This didn’t entirely work for me but it's still a promising debut.

Thanks to Netgalley and publisher Corsair

Rating: 3 to 3.5

The premise of this book sounded really interesting, but it was very different to what I was expecting from the description.

the beginning was really interesting and kept me interested, but then it turned into a book about drugs, one night stands and all things problematic.

I would give this author another read though if it's on s different subject matter.

3.75 stars

Thanks to the publisher and netgalley for my free digital ARC!

Will I ever get tired of introspective, depressed girl lit? Probably not!
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Leyla is a 20-something Turkish woman who takes a job as a cleaner while she’s embroiled in a legal battle with her university to stay in Germany after her supervisor failed her thesis. She tries to seek solace in drugs and the Berlin nightlife, as well as her journal, hoping to become a published author. One night she meets a conservative Swedish Volvo salesman and is faced with the choice of abandoning her dreams to become his wife or returning to Turkey to possibly one day be arrested for her writing.
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While initially I felt disappointment at Leyla’s casual acceptance of the Swede’s rightwing politics (he maintains it’s for the economic benefits, not the bigotry), Koca quickly makes you interrogate that reaction in terms of privilege and status - things Leyla, as a Turkish woman writer and immigrant, does not have. Leyla grapples with all of this in her journals, as well as battling her mother’s expectations for her. Koca explores the divide that only grows between parents and immigrant children, not only in terms of distance but in shiftings of belief/values. Leyla struggles to bridge that divide and juggle the various parts of herself.
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I also appreciated the commentary on immigration & xenophobia from a German perspective. Koca posits Berlin as a centre of sexual revolution, but points out that this comes with a lot of unwanted sexual attention and harassment for women, that they’re expected to just accept because hey, it’s Berlin. We also get a look into Turkey via Leyla’s mother, who regularly encourages her to stop watching the news about Turkey and try this new soap opera instead. There’s a tendency to put their heads in the sand, to not discuss things like coups and domestic violence even when they’re happening in their own home and outside their front door.
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I know there’s quite a lot of books centring messy women at the moment (here for it personally) but I think The Applicant definitely has something fresh to offer! My only gripe is that the writing occasionally felt lacklustre in parts, and I couldn’t tell if it was on purpose because it was meant to be Leyla’s unfiltered thoughts in her journal!

I’d describe this book as realistic fiction. The author has done a fantastic job of 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. The language is clear, concise, and evocative, with descriptions that bring the setting and characters to life. Dialogue is natural and authentic, and the pacing is well-balanced, with enough tension and release to keep the reader engaged.

The E-Book could be improved and more user-friendly, such as links to the chapters, no significant gaps between words and a cover for the book would be better. It is very document-like instead of a book. A star has been deducted because of this.

This is a first for me by the author and one I enjoyed and I 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 to the author, publisher and Netgalley for this ARC.

This was not what I expected. The story follows a Turkish immigrant living in Berlin who dreams of becoming a writer. A young woman who’s failed her PhD thesis and is suing her university. Perhaps more importantly, she’s navigating who she is and what her future may be. She has a part-time work as a cleaner at an Alice in Wondertland-themed hostel that barely pays the bills and her German visa is a big concern.

This all sounds SO interesting to me. Yet, at the end of it, it ended up being a lot about drugs, toxic friendships, and one-night stands. It wasn’t bad, just three things that I hate reading about.

Leyla , a Turkish immigrant, living in Berlin and works as a cleaner in a hostel. She came to Berlin to escape Turkey and complete a degree. Unfortunately she has failed her thesis.

This started off well for me. I enjoyed the sense of the two cultures:
“ I realized that I hadn’t told Ali any of it. Partly because he talked rather than lis- tened but mostly, and undeniably, because it’s much more difficult to talk about failure in Turkish. It triples the pain, the shame, the drama of real life to think in that language.”

Unfortunately it soon became too much drug taking and a lifestyle that I could t relate to. Also, if Leyla was so desperate to write why didn’t she?

Thanks to Netgallery for the ARC