The time has come to review our first book, Ghosts!
One Sentence Summary:
A woman in her early thirties braves the online dating world while navigating her father’s dementia, evolving friendships, writing career, and a breakup.
My Thoughts:
jlindsey23 on StoryGraph wrote that this is “the best boring book ever,” and I am inclined to agree.
While filled with witty observations and beautiful lines, I found Ghosts to be largely forgettable. Most of the book is Nina criticizing the world around her. No group, type of person or 30-something-ism got away unscathed. At some points this cynicism was entertaining, at others, I found it exhausting.
In terms of plot, this book shined in the major dramatic moments with her father, Katherine, and Max. It was a gut punch the first time her father forgot her name. I held my breath when Nina finally confronted Katherine. When Max came back, I was unreasonably angry.
Dolly, being a master of observation, is great at creating tension and believable relationships between characters. I really felt the NRE with Lola and Jethro, it was heartwarming to be a fly on the wall for the parenting between Katherine and Mark, and the texting chapter was real enough to remind me how much I hated Tinder.
That said, I don’t think I was ever really rooting for Nina. The underlying theme/lesson of this book comes out in the climax when she ambushes Jethro on pg 294: “Don’t date until you’ve sorted your shit out.“ As bad as it was for Max to ghost her (twice!), Nina hadn’t figured any of her shit out either. I hated the way she was dealing with her mother’s grief, how hard she was on her so-called “best” friend, and the strange dynamic between her, her ex, and her ex’s fiance.
By the end, Nina knows she’s not ready for a relationship (hence the very brief fling with the neighbour), and we’re left feeling half hopeful/half doubtful about what comes next for her. I personally loved that we started and ended with her birthday. Knowing that not a lot (but also a lot) had changed in the year helped ground the story for me. That said, I always find bookend structures satisfying.
My biggest note - and the reason I have to be so harsh on this book - is that I hated that Lola ended up alone. That was just cruel!!!
Fave Quote:
The entire section about the Picasso painting on pg 175 is so so so good:
What would it be like, I wondered, to be seen through such adoring eyes, that they could not only capture you in a painting, but rearrange you to further exhibit who you were? I stroked the rounded right angle where my neck met my shoulder like it was the hand of a lover and thought about being put in the Rubik’s Cube of someone’s gaze. I couldn’t imagine ever being studied and known like that.
Rating:
While not my fave book, Ghosts sold me on Dolly’s writing! This was an easy read with a lot of punchy, witty, and memorable lines. I’d recommend it to:
Anyone looking for an easy - but also kind of literary? - read
Fans of Sally Rooney who want something funny
Women who have recently been ghosted
Men who are actively dating
People who love sitting on park benches and judging strangers
Our Next Chapter:
My Side Plot is a democracy! Help me choose which book we should read next:
Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, Gabrielle Zevin
This book was on so many “Best of 2022” lists, but I never got around to reading it. According to the back cover copy: In this exhilarating novel, two friends--often in love, but never lovers--come together as creative partners in the world of video game design
Shut Up You’re Pretty, Téa Mutonji
A debut collection of short stories by a Canadian author from 2019. The cover caught me in the bestseller sale section of Indigo, and it felt like the right choice for Galentine’s Day.
Stay tuned for the winner's announcement on Fable, Instagram, and your Hump Day Quickie.
Also on My Shelves
Dolly’s most recent book, Good Material!
Us Against You, Fredrik Backman
To know me is to know I love Fredrik Backman. This is the sequel to Beartown series (a book that made me cry 11 times), and - in light of everything happening with Hockey Canada - it feels like a great time to jump back into the complex world of hockey culture.
House of Flame and Shadow, Sarah J. Maas
I’m on page 314 and am really struggling to focus on anything but this book. Please do not disturb!
Old Enough, Haley Jakobson
I finished this book last week! It was an honest depiction of how messy it can be to heal from trauma, grow apart from a friend, and evolve into a new version of yourself. At times, it was a bit preachy, but the characters felt believable and sweet. All in all, this was a solid debut, and I’m a sucker for any story about intense female friendships. 3/5 stars.
Not a book but… Having fun isn’t hard when you have this gold library card 😍
A Quick Book Report:
How I’m pacing in 2024. Hmu with your stats!
Epilogue:
What did you think!?!?
Are you following along on fable??
How are you tracking for your 2024 goal?