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readwithkapz's review
4.0
‘Underbelly’ by Anna Whitehouse.
Book review:
(TW - This review contains references to domestic abuse, miscarriages and suicide)
The book centres around the lives of two women: Lois Knox and Dylan Rayne, with the chapters going back and forth between each character.
Lois (Lo) Knox is a middle class mother living in North London, with a daughter called Scout and a partner called Johnno.
The one thing that we learn from the onset of Lo’s chapters is that although she is somewhat of a social activist, she is also very transparent on her instagram and social media channels, sharing parts of her life which most people would feel apprehensive in doing so.
Dylan Rayne is a single, working class mother, who also lives in North London and has a son called Noah (who was surprisingly born a week apart from Scout at the same hospital in Haringey).
Dylan works in a zero hour contract telemarketing role from home, struggling to make ends meet financially. We also learn early on that her father committed suicide when she was young and that she was subjected to emotional and domestic abuse by her partner JD.
The lives of both Lo and Dylan are brought together through their children Scout and Noah, who both happen to be in the same class in school and form a blossoming friendship.
My general thoughts on this book are that it’s a very smooth, easy going read. It fees like one of those books you can fly through during a flight (no pun intended) or a lengthy train journey.
That being said, I really enjoyed reading this. The way the author talks about motherhood from both the middle class and working class perspectives was really interesting, particularly the shared experiences of the two as well as the more common differences.
I also enjoyed how the books delves into the impact of social media and privacy on both women and how this influenced their perception of their respective lives. Lo is very open. Almost too open at times. Whereas Dylan is more conservative with what she shows of her life.
Without giving too much away, the development of the plot was really moving.
I would highly recommend this book !!
Book review:
(TW - This review contains references to domestic abuse, miscarriages and suicide)
The book centres around the lives of two women: Lois Knox and Dylan Rayne, with the chapters going back and forth between each character.
Lois (Lo) Knox is a middle class mother living in North London, with a daughter called Scout and a partner called Johnno.
The one thing that we learn from the onset of Lo’s chapters is that although she is somewhat of a social activist, she is also very transparent on her instagram and social media channels, sharing parts of her life which most people would feel apprehensive in doing so.
Dylan Rayne is a single, working class mother, who also lives in North London and has a son called Noah (who was surprisingly born a week apart from Scout at the same hospital in Haringey).
Dylan works in a zero hour contract telemarketing role from home, struggling to make ends meet financially. We also learn early on that her father committed suicide when she was young and that she was subjected to emotional and domestic abuse by her partner JD.
The lives of both Lo and Dylan are brought together through their children Scout and Noah, who both happen to be in the same class in school and form a blossoming friendship.
My general thoughts on this book are that it’s a very smooth, easy going read. It fees like one of those books you can fly through during a flight (no pun intended) or a lengthy train journey.
That being said, I really enjoyed reading this. The way the author talks about motherhood from both the middle class and working class perspectives was really interesting, particularly the shared experiences of the two as well as the more common differences.
I also enjoyed how the books delves into the impact of social media and privacy on both women and how this influenced their perception of their respective lives. Lo is very open. Almost too open at times. Whereas Dylan is more conservative with what she shows of her life.
Without giving too much away, the development of the plot was really moving.
I would highly recommend this book !!
tikkinaylor's review against another edition
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
clodaghmeaney's review
3.0
Nothing interesting happens in this book. Absolutely nothing. I’d hardly say the women are “catapulted” into each others lives with “devastating consequences”. The description sounds exciting, promising even - but this book completely misses the mark.
bookswithbecs_'s review
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
andintothetrees's review
4.0
I read in less than 2 days whilst stuck inside with the 'rona. It's very readable with a good pace and I enjoyed the interactions of the two main characters (especially seeing how they often misunderstood each other).
lailat's review
3.0
Website || Instagram
Underbelly is the story of Lo and Dylan, who meet in the school playground. Lo is middle class and makes her living as an influencer on Instagram. Dylan works a zero-hours job and struggles to make ends meet. The friendship between their children forces them to spend time together, which leads to a devastating event.
This is not the sort of book I would typically pick up, but I requested it from the library on a whim, unsure if it would be for me. I think I started reading it at the perfect time - on a bad day where my brain wouldn’t process anything too complicated - I just wanted to lose myself in a book I didn’t have to think too much about. Underbelly ticked that box and I sped through it.
The story shines a light on the underbelly of the internet, focussing on how we often only show the highlights of our lives online, and no one really ever knows what’s going on behind the phone screen. There is also discussion on the difficulty of balancing working and parenting.
The book is written by the co-founders of Mother Pukka, a website “for people who happen to be parents”, who also founded the Flex Appeal campaign to have flexible working enshrined as a legal right for all. Anna Whitehouse has an Instagram account with 323k followers, and it is clear that the novel is written by someone who understands the way social media works - both the highs and the lows.
Underbelly was an entertaining read. Although ultimately it’s not a story that will stick with me for very long, it was a nice, easy pick-me-up, and sometimes that’s all I want from a book!
Underbelly is the story of Lo and Dylan, who meet in the school playground. Lo is middle class and makes her living as an influencer on Instagram. Dylan works a zero-hours job and struggles to make ends meet. The friendship between their children forces them to spend time together, which leads to a devastating event.
This is not the sort of book I would typically pick up, but I requested it from the library on a whim, unsure if it would be for me. I think I started reading it at the perfect time - on a bad day where my brain wouldn’t process anything too complicated - I just wanted to lose myself in a book I didn’t have to think too much about. Underbelly ticked that box and I sped through it.
The story shines a light on the underbelly of the internet, focussing on how we often only show the highlights of our lives online, and no one really ever knows what’s going on behind the phone screen. There is also discussion on the difficulty of balancing working and parenting.
The book is written by the co-founders of Mother Pukka, a website “for people who happen to be parents”, who also founded the Flex Appeal campaign to have flexible working enshrined as a legal right for all. Anna Whitehouse has an Instagram account with 323k followers, and it is clear that the novel is written by someone who understands the way social media works - both the highs and the lows.
Underbelly was an entertaining read. Although ultimately it’s not a story that will stick with me for very long, it was a nice, easy pick-me-up, and sometimes that’s all I want from a book!
aagyaprdhn's review
dark
funny
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
katiewells's review
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
veeiow's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? No
3.5
fictionalsarah's review
challenging
dark
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Miscarriage, Self harm, and Suicide attempt
Minor: Death of parent