This is a most amazing insight into the minds of Noa and Elliot.
Both are insecure and struggle with relationships. What is 'normal'? How does life work? Will anyone ever love me? Will it last? What is real and what is in my head?
The reader is drawn in to their dilemmas and feels their pain and emotions. I found myself speaking to them and trying to give advice. Cheering when things are going well, and crying with them when it all turns pear shaped.
By the end of the book, I felt worn out emotionally, having lived their lives because the writing was so amazing.
I have to be honest and admit that after the first couple of chapters, I wasn't sure this book was for me, but I'm so pleased that I read on.
An emotionally real book.
Thanks to Emily, NetGalley and the publishers for an ARC of this book.

A raw and unflinching exploration of love, self-worth and the relationships that shape us.

Noa is desperate to be loved. More than her studies, her job, her friends or even her family, she just wants to belong to someone. She is convinced that if someone chooses her, she will finally be happy. Elliot, on the other hand, is paralysed by fear—fear of what will happen to his brother if he is not there to protect him, fear that his friends will realise he has no opinions of his own, fear that the girl he loves will see through him entirely.

When Noa and Elliot meet, there is an instant connection. Each of them hopes that their love will be enough to silence the voices of self-doubt and insecurity. But can you truly love someone else when you have never learned to love yourself?

Emily Slapper delivers a beautifully painful and deeply relatable story about love in all its messy, destructive and redemptive forms. This is a book about childhood trauma, mental health, self-worth and the ways in which human connection can both heal and break us. It is brutally honest, sometimes heartbreaking and always compelling. A must-read for anyone who has ever questioned whether they are enough.

Read more at The Secret Book Review.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for answering my prayers and letting me have an e-ARC of this title.

Emily Slapper's Everyone I Know Is Dying was one of my top reads of 2024 which made me super eager to read this title. While it has some similarities in examining mental health and interpersonal relationships, it is also a completely different narrative.

Throughout this book we are following the lives of Noa and Elliot from childhood to young adulthood. Noa doesn't have much confidence in herself and her self worth, she just wants to be loved but this has lead to some toxic relationships and encounters. Elliot cares for his brother while his mother works resulting in a strained and friction-full atmosphere, from a young age Elliot develops OCD and harmful learned behaviours resulting from his environment. The book jumps around between different ages to give a fuller picture and examine the contributing factors to the mindset and behaviours of the characters, the main storyline being how Noa and Elliot came to meet at school and how they interact years later when they meet again.

In essence this story is looking at how the people around us help shape us; childhood trauma, finding love and connection, mental health, self worth and the alchemy of these things in real life.

I really love the depth to these characters and the dissection of their lives, however, I found that there were some bits that felt a bit unnecessary like the brackets that seemed to point out obvious things. And also note the storyline is not chronological if that is something that might bug you!

If you enjoyed Everyone I Know Is Dying, Normal People or My Year of Rest and Relaxation then I would recommend giving this a read too :)

This is a poignant account of two people who are struggling with romantic relationships and the pressures of life. Noa is insecure and unsure of who she is or should be. She changes herself to suit whichever man she's dating. Elliot is suicidal, struggling with OCD and actively evaded relationships and friendships.

The book looks at their history, part of which is shared, and tracks why they've ended up the way that they are.

This is a sensitive and well written account that's entirely relatable. The dialogue is strong and punchy and I empathised with both the characters. This is a moving and beautifully written book.

I also love that the setting is different and a large portion of the action is in Stoke on Trent.