This week, I wanted to share a book with you that I absolutely loved reading. I didn’t want it to end.
That book is Ghosts by Dolly Alderton.
Let me first say that I absolutely love anything Dolly Alderton has a hand in. I lapped up her first book, Everything I Know About Love (non-fiction) and am a huge fan of The High Low podcast, which Dolly presents with Pandora Sykes.
Ghosts is Dolly’s first novel (released in Oct 2020) and I was over the moon to receive a preview copy from NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review. So, let’s get into it.
Who wrote it?
Dolly Alderton <3.
How long is it?
336 pages. To be honest, I could have finished it much more quickly had I not been distracted by so many other things at the time!
So, what happens?
Nina is a food writer in her early 30’s, looking for love. When she matches with Max on a dating app, she thinks she has found the one. But is he really the right guy for her? Although I’d say the book has romance at its heart, it’s about a whole lot more than that. Family relationships, friendships, identity and the idea of home all come into the mix and make it a fully-rounded, captivating novel.
What are my thoughts?
Like Olive by Emma Gannon, this book also really resonated with me. I saw a lot of my friends and myself in Nina, even though she’s a bit older than me. I could hugely sympathise with her frustration of using dating apps & trying to make real connections with people. A few of my friends are actually dating app success stories but I most definitely was not!
For me, the romance between Nina and Max was sexy and exciting, without being really cringy. I enjoyed reading about the ups and downs of their relationship but the parts of the book I enjoyed the most were the moments Nina spent with her parents – (her father is suffering from dementia which is portrayed exquisitely by Dolly) – and her friends.
There are scenes that stay with me from this book. In particular, the time that Nina goes back to her childhood home and reflects on the difficulties that she’s now facing with her father’s deteriorating condition. I had to share this quote which just absolutely broke my heart:
‘I would make a strong case for the argument that every adult on this earth is sitting on a bench waiting for their parents to pick them up, whether they know it or not. I think we wait until the day we die.’
Dolly Alderton, Ghosts
I mean…
Maybe it’s because I lost my dad when I was 20 but it just made me weep when I read it. Luckily, I was in the bath at the time, with only some gin to keep me company.
While I was reading the book, there were times I found myself urging Nina not to do certain things, as if she was my pal asking for advice. She became like a friend & I would certainly give the book a re-read. I would also love to read a sequel with the same characters – I just loved being a part of their world.
Allie Morgan - Writer & Cancer Survivor 
I’m so glad you loved this. I have an arc too I absolutely need to read. I also liked Olive by Emma Gannon too!
Yaaaay! Let me know what you think when you’re finished 😀