This book unfortunately wasn’t for me but I can see what the author was trying to achieve. Thank you for the opportunity to read this book.

I found all the characters to be self centred and only really interested in themselves.

There was very little romance and I could not connect to the characters.

How anybody could live like these characters I do not know.

Might just be my age though.

Not for me, although I did finish it.

Seeing Other People" by Diana Reid is an exploration of love, relationships, and the bond between sisters. Against the backdrop of modern dating and the complexities of romantic entanglements, Reid crafts a story that is both entertaining and thought-provoking, making "Seeing Other People" a must-read for anyone who enjoys a captivating blend of romance, humor, and family dynamics.

We meet Eleanor and Charlie, two sisters at turning points in their lives and follow them as they discover that selfishness sometimes helps you to discover who you really are. It took a while to get into this but the characters had distinctive voices and were realistic in their sometimes unlikeable mannerisms. Thanks NetGalley!

I came to this with no expectations but it totally blew me away. Reid is a gifted writer with a way of making everyday details - the petty jealousies, the lies, the hidden revelations - come to life.

Seeing Other People is one of the first books I have read that features the characters coming out of lockdown and dealing with the fallout of the pandemic but it not being health-related.
It’s this deeply interesting moment of right now where change is in the air and we’re all rethinking our entire lives and Reid is right there.
I love that it’s not set in America, but instead we’re immersed in a neighbourhood in Sydney, Australia.
The story is told from three different perspectives throughout the book: the two sisters, Eleanor and Charlie, and the woman they're both into, Helen.
We don’t get as many chapters from Helen though.
I enjoyed the contrast between the three of them, the different dynamics between them all, and the focus on what it actually means to be a good person.
There are themes of a queer love triangle, sisterhood, self absorbed characters, domestic drama and beach scenes, the writing is engaging and raw.
I didn’t love any of the characters if I’m totally honest but I was glad how the book ended (without giving away any spoilers).
There were some really humorous moments amidst the drama, fallout and sexual tension.
I don’t have a sister so I’m not sure how realistic the ability to betray in this way is and to forgive.
However, I enjoyed Seeing Other People.
With thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange foir an honest review.

I enjoyed Seeing Other People after an initial ambivalence to the characters. I felt it got better and better, and, when we met the two sister’s’ parents, a lot of things fell into place. Diana Reid writes complicated relationships with sensitivity and intelligence.

To be honest, I gave up on this halfway through because I just didn’t care about any of the characters. I found the two main characters annoying, but not even annoying enough to spark much interest from me. The comparisons to Sally Rooney are interesting, and while I do see where they come from, I feel like Reid had her characters doing things that were unlikely and nonsensical not in a whimsical, borderline-believable, Rooney-esque way, but because she thinks that’s how a troubled twenty-something in a literary novel should act - if that makes sense. I wouldn’t be adverse to trying to finish it at some point, but it’s definitely not near the top of my list.

An easy quick read, I did enjoy but wouldn't exactly call it memorable, I really disliked the two main characters which didn't help. Overall a good book just not for me.

DNF at 19%.

I've tried reading this three times but the characters just don't speak to me. It sounds odd to say so early on that I find them mildly repellent, but I do.

Having read so little I can't say much about the plot, its post-COVD lockdowns. Helen is a struggling actress in a play in a small theatre who has fallen in love with the director, they hooked up on opening night but Helen has heard nothing romantic from her since. Helen lives in a sort of party squat with questionable hygiene. Her sister Eleanor has just broken up with her boyfriend.

That's about it, a fifth of the way through and I have no more. Perhaps as this is recommended for fans of sally Rooney I am not its target audience as I didn't really get the point of Normal People.

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

The characters were remarkably realistic for what they seem to represent. Shallow, somewhat privileged and Sally Rooney-esque in the best way. I didn't necessarily care about their problems, but I was definitely intrigued by them! A solid 3. 5.

I really liked most of this book: I preferred the character observations in Diana Reid's first novel Love & Virtue but I thought this was a better, more cohesive, more assured book. It did dip towards the end for me – I'm all about no plot just vibes but I think I needed more vibes for this to work fully? Still enjoyed it a lot though and Diana Reid is definitely an auto-read author for me now!

I adored this book. Diana Reid’s writing style is clean and sharp and her characters are so beautifully drawn.
Would highly recommend

Sometimes reminicent of Sally Rooney in that she gets inside of people's heads and sees relationships from an inner and outer viewpoint.

Sometimes, what was going on in each character's heads was convoluted and confusing, but in the end this is the story of a love between sisters, who often get into compromising situations.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC.

This is pretty much the ultimate 'you can't choose who you love' tale. While I was swept along in the story of this book, I did find it a bit unrealistic in the main storyline - while I can buy one sister being involved with someone their sister is also involved in, two seems a bit much! However, the decisions made are totally relatable and I liked the message of forgiveness and acceptance at the end.

Perseverance pays off. I admit for the first few chapters I struggled to the point I was considering a DNF but I thought no give it one more chapter and I'm glad I did because it actually turned out to be quite enjoyable.

I think what initially put me off was all the social philosophy, and it seemed a lot at first, but once I'd got used to the writing style, I was committed to finish it.

Negatives aside, it turned out to be a good read. I actually really like Eleanor she's such a people pleaser and reminded me of myself in many ways. All the characters were well written, and I appreciated the relationships.

The author covered the lgbtq+ topics with ease, and it was certainly an interesting family dynamic for two queer sisters to be dealing with.

Despite it taking me a little while to commit to the story, I did enjoy it and am sure many others will, too.

I wasn't a big fan of this one. Everytime I thought about giving up something would happen and I would get sucked in, and other times I would skim some paragraphs. I didn't find the characters overly interesting or likeable either.
I just didn't click with this one.

Reminds me of normal people. At times was difficult to follow and felt disjointed but that was the point I think. Overall enjoyed it.

Thanks so much to Ultimo Press for the ARC of "Seeing Other People", which is out in the UK later this summer! "Seeing Other People" is one of my first forays into Australian fiction, but it won't be my last.

Quick plot blurb: Eleanor and Charlie are two sisters in their 20s who couldn't be more different, but both are at a turning point in their lives. After the end of lockdowns, Eleanor has broken up with her boyfriend, while Charlie is trying to make it as an actress in Sydney. As the summer progresses, their needs and wants begin to clash, and they are forced to confront the shape of their relationship as well as their aspirations for the future.

Some of the blurbs for this one have compared Diana Reid's prose and approach to character to Sally Rooney's, and while I do see it, I was pleased to also sense Reid's own authorial stamp on the novel. While there are some echoes of "Conversations with Friends" in this one, I really enjoyed Reid's exploration of the complexities of sisterhood and class. The frustration Eleanor and Charlie felt with each other was always couched in the deep love they had for one another – although both of them hurt the other, it was a breath of fresh air to see that there was always a lot of love there. Eleanor and Charlie are tremendously different, but they appreciate those differences in each other, trying to protect the other's uniqueness instead of changing them to reassure themselves.

Reid's prose was wonderful to read. Descriptive without getting bogged down in too many details, realistic while remaining lyrical. I was immediately absorbed into the lives of the Hamor sisters and the motley crew that surrounds them. The dialogue is particularly strong: sharp and witty but decidedly human, mixing cleverness with self-deprecation in an utterly charming way. Reid's interest in and understanding of ethics is palpable, and thankfully it adds an interesting depth to the story without taking over the plot and characters that first grabbed my attention. I have a background in ethics myself, and I think Reid's introduction of complex ethical debates into the story is a fantastic introduction for readers who might not have that same level of academic interest.

Diana Reid's character work here really hit the spot for me. While both Eleanor and Charlie make mistakes (big ones) throughout the novel, giving in to selfishness, I found myself rooting for them throughout. An older sister myself, I really felt the buildup of Eleanor's frustrations with the responsibilities that tend to be foisted upon eldest children. And Charlie was a breath of fresh air – not the caricature of the baby of the family that often tends to surface in explorations of sisterhood, but a complex young woman who is aware of the ways her family protects her and wants to do right by them (though she sometimes fails to). Although both characters had their frustrating moments, they never lost me. The first half of the novel is particularly driven by character, and it is a testament to Reid's achievement with these characters that it still kept me hooked.

I couldn't give this one five stars in the end because I felt like there was room for a bit more of what I loved about it – this isn't a very long novel, and I think it could have benefited from spending more time with the secondary characters to give them more depth, as well as by taking a longer journey to the resolution. But I also can't give it any less than four, because I loved everything else about it! If you're a fan of character-driven narratives, women having quarter-life crises, and snappy dialogue, this one is for you.

I enjoyed reading this but it's not one of my favourites. The fact that people keep comparing this book with the likes of Sally Rooney, who I have never read so I know nothing about her, makes this harder to understand. Personally I enjoyed this and am giving it 4 stars.


Thanks to Netgalley and publisher for this ARC