Blurb

East Village, summer of 1984. Renata is a young dyke-about-town who has the ability to see ghosts, which has been happening more and more frequently as her friends have started dying of what has recently been named AIDS.

So, when her best friend Mark dies, she assumes she’ll see him again. There’s no way Mark wouldn’t give her a chance to say goodbye, would he? But to her disappointment – and increasingly, her concern – Mark doesn’t appear.

Renata has other problems, too. A mysterious, police-like force has begun ridding their East Village neighbourhood of anything abnormal or inexplicable. At first, she’s sure they’re scam artists, but it becomes clear they’re actually trapping ghosts. With her band of lovably eccentric pals and lovers, Renata is determined to fight back against the erasure of her friends’ memories and the sanitizing of her beloved New York.

Both heartbreaking and healing, tragic and triumphant, Waiting on a Friend is a magical retelling of queer history and a celebration of youth and camaraderie. With pathos and humour, empathy and an edge, Natalie Adler freshly reimagines the past for a new generation, reclaiming the spirit of resistance and determination that would become one of the era’s defining legacies.

Review

I was lucky enough to receive a proof copy of this book in exchange for an honest review – many thanks to the publisher and the lovely Squadpod. There were so many reasons why I wanted to get my hands on Waiting on a Friend – I have a real soft spot for books where the protagonist can see ghosts, such as The Dust Never Settles by Karina Lickorish Quinn, and indeed my own work-in-progress! I’ve also been deeply moved by media about the AIDS crisis – Rebecca Makkai’s book The Great Believers and the TV series It’s a Sin both left a strong impression on me, so I was intrigued to get another perspective on it.

Renata is a brilliant protagonist: she’s flawed and chaotic but brimming with a kind of light and energy that carries you through her story right alongside her. She seems to have a really strong idea of who she is, while at the same time wrestling with the traumas that continue to shape and change her. There’s a beautiful sense of found family in the queer community that surrounds her; her friendships run deep, and in amongst the tragedy there’s so much love. It’s the sort of novel where the characters feel so real – I grew so fond of Bianca, Julie, Star – and even the less sympathetic characters like Patrick are given space to develop and show their nuances. Renata’s backstory, including her relationship with her mother and her friendship with Mark, is woven in really skillfully – as you might expect from someone who sees ghosts, past and present become fluid concepts, and the overlap is felt in the writing.

The East Village setting is vividly evoked, and there is some fascinating socio-political commentary on the city of New York’s attempts to ‘sanitise’ the areas staked out by Renata and her friends as ‘home’ – housing dilemmas and battles with landlords form a constant background rumble to the more idiosyncratic plot points. I really like the way Manhattan Remediation becomes a kind of metaphor as well as part of the ‘Ghostbusters’ adventure thread of the book. There’s a lot going on here, but it all fits together in a really clever and fresh way. The novel reminded me of why I love magical realism as a genre, or even just as elements dripped into a story: the power of the human imagination to elevate the glorious messiness of existence into something rich and strange is really one of the greatest joys of literature for me, and this book is a stunning example of that.

If I had to choose one word to describe Waiting on a Friend, I think it’d be ‘impactful.’ It packs a punch in its brutal honesty, stripping away any pretence, and its portrayal of grief is powerful and raw. It’s a novel that presses against your heart and leaves an imprint, the ‘ghost’ of the emotions experienced while reading it. Natalie Adler is a fiercely bright talent, and I will be eagerly awaiting whatever comes next from this author. I highly recommend getting your hands on this deeply moving, gorgeously queer, utterly original novel as soon as you can.

Waiting on a Friend by Natalie Adler is published by Quercus and is available to purchase here.

Blurb

Thomas lives a slow, deliberate life with his mother in Longferry, working his grandpa’s trade as a shanker. He rises early to take his horse and cart to the grey, gloomy beach to scrape for shrimp; spending the rest of the day selling his wares, trying to wash away the salt and scum, pining for Joan Wyeth down the street and rehearsing songs on his guitar. At heart, he is a folk musician, but it remains a private dream.

When a striking visitor turns up, bringing the promise of Hollywood glamour, Thomas is shaken from the drudgery of his days and begins to see a different future. But how much of what the American claims is true, and how far can his inspiration carry Thomas?

Haunting and timeless, this is the story of a young man hemmed in by his circumstances, striving to achieve fulfilment far beyond the world he knows.

Review

Many thanks to the publisher and the lovely Squadpod for the opportunity to read a proof copy of Seascraper in exchange for an honest review.

This is such a beautifully written, atmospheric book – the coastal setting and carefully wrought descriptions of the sea put me in mind of Garrett Carr’s The Boy From the Sea, which I also read recently and loved. Unlike Carr’s book, however, the focus is less on community and more on the individual character of the protagonist, Thomas, to whose perspective the story cleaves throughout. The present tense makes for a very close link between reader and protagonist, and, appropriately enough, reading the book feels a little like watching a film, due to the vivid descriptions and real-time unfolding of events.

Thomas is a fascinating character – there is something ancient about the way he slips into the rhythms of his job, at one with the sands and the tides. And yet he is a young man, with hopes and dreams that he keeps hidden, a yearning for more from life than his current hard, stoic existence. His relationship with his mother is a complex web of duty, guilt and affection that keeps him trapped in Longferry, and it is only the unlikely appearance of film director Edgar Acheson that allows his dreams to grow bigger in his imagination. I also really enjoyed Thomas’ interactions with his unnamed and equally hard-working horse, who plays a vital role in the book!

The compressed timeframe of the novel, set over a couple of days, adds to its intensity – we are utterly immersed in this small slice of Thomas’ life, in a way that makes us as readers prepared to follow the unexpected turns the story takes. I liked that the book went beyond stark realism into another mode – but I won’t say too much for, because the surprises are best discovered fresh. The prose is similarly restrained and elegant, reminding me, as Carr’s novel did too, of Claire Keegan’s writing. If you like your novels tightly packed with meaning, substantial in matter if not in page length, then this is the book for you.

I am surprised I haven’t come across Benjamin Wood’s work before, and I suspect he ought to be much better known. I’m pleased to discover he has a backlist of four more novels, which I am definitely going to be checking out. This is a skilful exploration of a very specific life that nevertheless opens out to bigger questions of how to live, a book that is utterly entrenched in its setting but with wider applications of its hefty themes. Seascraper is a very fine novel indeed, and I highly recommend it.

Seascraper by Benjamin Wood is published by Viking and is available to purchase here.

Blurb

Was it pure chance that he had run into her so soon? Philip had never believed in destiny, and his father had believed in nothing but his own genius. And yet…

From the moment recent Oxford graduate Philip takes the helm of a new marine life institute in Palm Beach, his presence revives old feuds and sparks rivalries among the wealthy resident snowbirds, many of whom have invested heavily in a biotech company soon to be exposed for insider trading. It quickly becomes clear that Philip’s quest for atonement on the behalf of his father will embroil many of the community’s most prominent members.

Interwoven with snippets of real-life drama from an insider-trading scandal, Where Snowbirds Play paints a compelling portrait of the lives of the privileged, and what happens when their world is turned upside down.

Review

I am always intrigued by the new offerings from Renard Press and its imprint Hay Press – they’re an independent publisher that never fails to disappoint, pushing the boundaries and offering readers something out of the ordinary. I was delighted to be offered a chance to read and review this book, receiving an advance copy in exchange for my honest opinion. I apologise for the lateness of this review – life has been life-ing recently, as indeed it does for the characters in Gina Goldhammer’s brilliant novel!

The novel follows a group of wealthy residents in Palm Beach, with the new arrival, Philip, providing an outsider’s perspective that helps the reader orientate themselves amongst this extraordinary cast of characters. It is a world of luxury and privilege, but there is so much more going on beneath the surface, and one of the things I loved about this book is how many different aspects are at play. We’ve got the voyeuristic thrill of seeing how the very rich spend their days, with elaborate parties and eccentric pursuits, but also the secrets and griefs of the inhabitants, from Hannah Caulfield’s struggle to improve the life of her terminally ill son, to Sunny Sloan’s tragic past, and against these personal trials and tribulations, we also get a sense of the environmental crises lurching ever closer. Philip’s role at the Marine Institute and the ominously worsening weather both provide opportunities to reflect on wider issues that go beyond the tightly-knit lives of the characters. It takes a very talented writer to weave all of these elements together, and Gina Goldhammer pulls it off with panache.

This really is an original book, with a flavour all of its own. There’s a dash of The Great Gatsby in the luxurious setting and Philip’s admiration for Hannah; a concern with the natural world that reminded me of some of Barbara Kingsolver’s work; and some wonderfully nineteenth century melodrama from the lovesick Philip, particularly when combined with the incoming storms – he’s like a 1990s Heathcliff brooding among the palm trees! It’s a heady mix, and Goldhammer’s skill with natural description and character development make this a very rewarding book to spend time with. I highly recommend Where Snowbirds Play to anyone looking for a book that’ll push them outside their usual comfort zone and provide a rich, fascinating reading experience.

Where Snowbirds Play by Gina Goldhammer is published by Renard Press and is available to purchase here.

Blurb

* A Harper’s Bazaar ‘Best New Short-Story Collection’ for 2025 *

A stunning collection of short stories capturing the lives of nine Nigerian women, each very different, each determined to fight for themselves.

Meet Ifeoma. She’s been ready to leave her violent husband for some time, but her plans for a quiet departure take an unexpectedly gruesome turn…

Nkechi, a housemaid for a rich Lagos family, bears the weight of her Madam’s wrath when she discovers her husband’s dark secret.

In London, Riliwa meets Mary, a guardian angel full of advice, wisdom and practical support as she navigates her unfamiliar new home. But it soon becomes clear that Mary’s kindness comes at a price.

Passionate, raw, full of heart and humour, these are stories about women who will not be broken by the challenges life puts in their way.

Review

I have been falling back in love with short stories this year, so I was thrilled to get the chance to read this debut collection from Vogue Style Editor Funmi Fetto. Huge thanks to the publisher and the Squadpod for my beautiful finished copy, which I received in exchange for an honest review.

This collection of stories presents a series of portraits of Nigerian women, taking us back and forth between Nigeria and the UK. From Ifeoma in 2 Samuel 6:14, planning her escape from her abusive, religiously zealous husband, to young Lara arriving in London for the first time in Trip, from Nkechi negotiating the perilous whims of her Madam and master in House Girl, to Riliwa in the eponymous story Hail Mary seeking advice from a ‘fixer’ for immigrants like herself, there is such a wide range of experiences in these raw, emotionally charged stories, and it’s impossible not to be as captivated by them as the narrator of Wait is to the irresistible magnetism of Ngozi.

I loved all of the nine tales in Hail Mary, but my standout favourites are: Unspoken, an incredibly powerful story of trauma and how it is buried; Dodo is Yoruba for Fried Plantain, in which a widow rediscovers her love of Nigerian food and cooks up a storm (mouth-watering descriptions that will make you hungry as you read!); and Underneath the Mango Tree, Kemi’s story of her battle with infertility. These are brave, resilient, complex characters making their way through a world that throws obstacles at them at every turn, and there is such a tender mix of fierceness and vulnerability in these women – it’s both moving and inspiring to read their stories, to hear their voices lifting off the page.

Funmi Fetto excels at one of the trickiest aspects of the short story form: the sting in the (lizard’s!) tail. One of the signs of an excellent short story for me is when I do a sharp intake of breath after reading the last lines, and with this collection, that happened several times. It never feels contrived or forced, but it lends such an elegant shape to the carefully wrought, emotionally rich stories that are woven across the pages of this outstanding debut collection. I will be eagerly looking out for more from this author in the future, and I highly recommend getting your hands on this wonderful book.

Hail Mary by Funmi Fetto is published by Oneworld and is available to purchase here.

Blurb

OLWEN. NELL. MAEVE. RHONA. MEET THE FLATTERY SISTERS.

Olwen, Nell, Maeve and Rhona were plunged prematurely into adulthood when their parents died in a tragic twist of fate. Now in their thirties, the sisters barely speak, each too busy carving out impressive careers. But when Olwen – reluctant matriarch, lodestar and, of late, zealous consumer of gin – abruptly disappears, her sisters are cast back together to find her, whether she likes it or not.

When they eventually track Olwen down, she is holed up in a remote bungalow in rural Ireland, with little electricity and a patchy connection to the outside world. Together for the first time in years, the sisters vie to confront old wounds and diagnose new ills – most urgently, Olwen’s.

Fiercely witty and unexpectedly hopeful, The Alternatives is an unforgettable portrait of a family perched on a precipice, told by one of Ireland’s most gifted storytellers. 

Review

Many thanks to the publisher and the Squadpod for my copy, which I received in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed the opening chapters of this book, as we’re introduced to each of the Flattery sisters in the context of their lives. There’s an immediate sense that we’re in the hands of a consummate storyteller, weaving together the sisters’ past and present lives with a skill that seems effortless. Each of the four women is compelling, fascinating, complex – and I would have read a whole novel in their alternating point of views and been a very satisfied reader.

But Hughes does something even more clever – as the stories converge and the sisters come together to ‘rescue’ Olwen from her self-imposed exile, we flick into script format, with brief descriptive lines like stage directions and dialogue so sharp you can hear it. At first, I found this slightly jarring, but when I started to relax into it and get used to the style, I could see how it allows the narration to swirl in and out of the different characters’ consciousnesses in an incredibly effective way (reminding me a little of Damon Galgut’s The Promise, which drifts through different points of view without any of the dreaded ‘head-hopping’ awkwardness). It is a bold technique that fits very well with the intellectually challenging material presented in the novel – as well as moving from character to character, the story grapples with weighty topics of philosophy, history, politics: this is a book that wears its academic credentials as proudly as the four fiercely intelligent Flattery women.

It is not a quick read, and I found it a book I needed to be in the right mood for – it demands engagement, thought, concentration – but the rewards for careful consideration are a rich and varied flow of ideas that provoke new ways of looking at things. And there is humour, it isn’t all doom and seriousness – there are lines and scenes of wonderful comic delight, as well as emotional moments that strike to the core of what it means to be ‘family.’ It reminded me in some ways of Anne Enright’s The Green Road, another brilliant novel that hinges on a family reunion. The Alternatives was my first book by Caoilinn Hughes, but I will definitely be seeking out more of her work.

The Alternatives by Caoilinn Hughes is published by OneWorld and is out in paperback now.

Blurb

It matters not who you are born to but where you are made.

It is 1597 and Kit Skevy and Mariner Elgin have just robbed the wrong grave.

The two are unusual criminals in the pocket of a gang Lord named Will Twentyman, the Grave Eorl of Southwark. Mariner is the best cutpurse around, a strange Calvinist girl who dresses like a boy and is partner in crime to Kit Skevy, Southwark’s best brawler who carries a secret: he cannot feel pain.

When caught out in their unfortunate larceny, Kit is kidnapped by the threatening alchemist Lord Isherwood (a man who will stop at nothing to achieve his hopes for the Red Lion elixir) and his studious son, Lazarus Isherwood, with whom Kit develops a complicated intrigue. When Mariner enlists the help of a competing French alchemist, Lady Elody Blackwater, Mariner and Kit are thrust into the shadowed, political world of Tudor alchemy.

Review

Many thanks to the publisher and to my lovely Squadpod for arranging a proof copy of this book to make its way to me in exchange for an honest review.

This was my first read of 2025, and what a way to kick off the year with a bang! This is exactly the sort of immersive historical fiction I love best, flirting with magical realism and dark fantasy but also full of historical detail and context that makes the storyworld feel so rich and real. There’s such a potent mix of elements, if you’ll excuse the alchemical pun, in this novel: from the poverty-stricken streets of Southwark to the political wranglings at court; from the laboratories of renowned alchemists to the stagecraft of the Rose theatre – there’s so much to enjoy, so many moving parts that make up the explosive, dramatic story.

The real strength of this book lies in the two protagonists, Kit and Mariner. Each of them is such an engaging character that they could sustain an entire novel as the point of view character – to have both of them feels like an extra special treat. With a lightness of touch and a real sense of respect for the characters, the author explores themes of identity, gender, sexuality, belonging in a way that complements the plot and adds a depth to the writing. I utterly believed in both characters, despite Kit, in particular, having some fantastical traits. The fact that he can’t feel pain (it’s in the blurb, so I don’t think I’m spoiling anything!) is presented in such a clever way – it makes him both less and more vulnerable to those around him. Both characters embark on queer love affairs, and again, rather than diluting the story, this doubling up makes it feel all the more rich.

The climax of the novel, which I WILL keep to myself, is brilliantly done – I certainly couldn’t have predicted the events that unfold towards the end of the novel, and I was absolutely gripped. I think this book has everything – drama, humour, a decent splash of gore and violence, sexual tension, and of course, a dollop of magic and alchemy. What’s not to love?! I haven’t read Emma Hinds’ debut novel, The Knowing, yet, but after reading The Quick and the Dead, you’d best believe it’s going on my TBR, as is anything else she writes in the future. I’m a fan!

The Quick and the Dead by Emma Hinds is published by Bedford Square and is available to purchase here.