Scan barcode
anastasia_beaverhsn's review against another edition
2.0
I hate to say it but I was pretty bored reading this book. The writing style wasn't my favorite either. Lona just seems to be feeling sorry for herself the entire book, and at the end, she's still feeling sorry for herself. I also didn't like when: the book did this. It did this: a lot. Why?
Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and the author for an Advanced Copy of this book. I greatly appreciate it.
Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and the author for an Advanced Copy of this book. I greatly appreciate it.
cathylpowell's review
4.0
Loner is all about Lona and how she goes through her life. She works part-time in a skate centre but also works part-time at a supermarket too. It details her experiences with her personal relationships. These include with George, who becomes her boyfriend; her best friend Tab as well as her family members.
It's set out in an interesting format with headings peppered throughout.
I found it a highly enjoyable read.
It's set out in an interesting format with headings peppered throughout.
I found it a highly enjoyable read.
cec_loves_to_read_books's review against another edition
4.0
Not what I was expecting but I think I liked it! A very different type of YA novel to what I usually read. Thought-provoking and entertaining in equal measure and a realistic exploration of life in your early twenties when you are trying to figure out who you are and want to be. A book that questions if living up to society's expectations is all it's cracked up to be with pop culture references and musings on the usefulness of Art to keep things interesting. The unique writing style and honesty of the main character Lona kept me intrigued.
thatweirdbookgirlie's review against another edition
2.0
(I received this book for free in return for an honest review.)
This is the story about Lona, a loner in Melbourne.
For me, I was just bored reading this book. There was nothing special about Lona or her story, or at least I didn't feel like there was. Nothing in the book made me want to care about her as a character. Even by the conclusion, I just could not care what she had done with her life.
I do like the writing style, it flowed really well and made the story easy to read. There were also a few really cute moments in the book, which I would rather not share so they can stay special for fellow readers.
Maybe this story will work for you. But as someone who lives this kind of life as a loner, I just couldn't be entertained by her story.
This is the story about Lona, a loner in Melbourne.
For me, I was just bored reading this book. There was nothing special about Lona or her story, or at least I didn't feel like there was. Nothing in the book made me want to care about her as a character. Even by the conclusion, I just could not care what she had done with her life.
I do like the writing style, it flowed really well and made the story easy to read. There were also a few really cute moments in the book, which I would rather not share so they can stay special for fellow readers.
Maybe this story will work for you. But as someone who lives this kind of life as a loner, I just couldn't be entertained by her story.
discoveryof_char1otte's review
3.25
I understood what the author was aiming for, personally it was not for me. Lona felt too exaggerated, more to make a point that to reflect the feelings of the reader.
kirstenellang's review against another edition
5.0
I... loved this book. I don't know why. Maybe it was because it offered a break from the dreary monotony of quarantine life to give me dreary monotony of not-in-uni life. As someone the age of Lona it made me feel just so seen and realised. Life is messy, life is sad, this book made me not feel in the way that it feels like an empty gape in my chest that so many people know. The ending made me happy it felt almost a bit rushed but at the same time, everything had been building for so long that it was a rush that felt real. I'm obsessed with this book.
mandyist's review against another edition
3.0
I'm trying to work out why I chose to read Loner. It was partly the hype; the first I heard of Georgina Young's Loner was that it was winner of the 2019 Text Prize for Young Adult and Children’s Writing. The description sounded enticing, with mention of roller DJs, Harry Potter fans and old school photography. I suspect I was also riding high on the Normal People wave and may have seen an article comparing Loner to Sally Rooney's exceptionally popular book.
Whatever lead me to Loner was not what I found in the book and that is little surprise.
Had I properly read the blurb, I would have realised that a book about a university dropout aimlessly navigating social isolation, unrequited love and a perpetual sense of failure was never going to be exciting reading. In fact, it was all rather bland.
Perhaps it was that my own memories of university were of an identical inertia, an inability to function that slowly marched its way to a bone-grinding depression? Whatever the case, Loner was not the quirky, uplifting book I was in the market for and perhaps the hint was in the title?
Despite my reservations and lukewarm reception, I strongly suspect that this will somehow become a television series. The critical hype is immense - hence the Text Prize - but for those of us seeking a bit of escape during the worst year ever? Not so much. Ultimately, Loner reminded me of why I don't read New Adult fiction.
I give Loner an okay three out of five stars. Recommended if you're looking for the post-millennial version of Douglas Coupland's Generation X.
I received an electronic copy of this book from Netgalley. In my search for superior young adult fiction, I will always provide an honest review, whether books are provided to me or purchased by me.
Blog | Instagram | Twitter | Facebook
Whatever lead me to Loner was not what I found in the book and that is little surprise.
Had I properly read the blurb, I would have realised that a book about a university dropout aimlessly navigating social isolation, unrequited love and a perpetual sense of failure was never going to be exciting reading. In fact, it was all rather bland.
Perhaps it was that my own memories of university were of an identical inertia, an inability to function that slowly marched its way to a bone-grinding depression? Whatever the case, Loner was not the quirky, uplifting book I was in the market for and perhaps the hint was in the title?
Despite my reservations and lukewarm reception, I strongly suspect that this will somehow become a television series. The critical hype is immense - hence the Text Prize - but for those of us seeking a bit of escape during the worst year ever? Not so much. Ultimately, Loner reminded me of why I don't read New Adult fiction.
I give Loner an okay three out of five stars. Recommended if you're looking for the post-millennial version of Douglas Coupland's Generation X.
I received an electronic copy of this book from Netgalley. In my search for superior young adult fiction, I will always provide an honest review, whether books are provided to me or purchased by me.
Blog | Instagram | Twitter | Facebook
bookswithbre's review against another edition
I really enjoyed this one! It is a short and punchy story following our protagonist, Lona, a young, university drop-out who really has no idea who she is or where she wants to be. As a young person who did not do the typical graduate high school and go straight into University, I found this to be such a relatable read. Feeling lost is such an isolating, yet common, feeling among people, particularly after finishing high school, when the world you've known your entire life changes and there are no directions anymore!
Loner is a great book and I can absolutely see why it has gotten such brilliant reception from readers.
I'll be leaving this without a star rating as I'm not too sure how I would rate it. It definitely was an emotional read at times with Lona experiencing things that I too have experienced not long ago.
P.S, I love Tab!!
Loner is a great book and I can absolutely see why it has gotten such brilliant reception from readers.
I'll be leaving this without a star rating as I'm not too sure how I would rate it. It definitely was an emotional read at times with Lona experiencing things that I too have experienced not long ago.
P.S, I love Tab!!
jomoone's review against another edition
3.0
** Received a free ARC copy of this for an honest review from NetGalley **
Firstly, thank you to the publisher for allowing me to read this ARC. As this is an ARC, many things can change from the version I’ve received, and so I can only base my review on that and not the published book due out in February 2021.
I’ve rated this book three stars, as I enjoyed reading it—but only for the most part. I feel the story primarily being told from Lona’s point of view is good, but due to her inner thoughts we get a clunky idea of her friends and family dynamic.
She seems to have anxiety, (that at least is mentioned) but we see no one in her life bringing it up except fleetingly by George who acknowledges it. It would have been nice for Lona to act upon her own admission of her anxiety as she even realises she often cannot cope with emotions and things.
There was a real interesting development between Tab and Lona that I feel ultimately went nowhere other than Tab leaving university, but her ‘disappearance’ and odd behaviour isn’t mentioned other than that. I understand this is from Lona’s POV, but it would have at least felt like the plot had come full circle, like the ending did.
I did love that Lona started at the skate and ended there. I loved that she herself was constantly, mind the pun, skating around it all the time, never really wanting to give it up as it was, in some ways, the centre of her. Her beginning to paint and turn the books into her own art was beautiful, but I wish this had been more fleshed out, understanding what her future intentions are.
Overall, I enjoyed the writing style of this author. I liked their tone and the voicing for Lona, but there were times I wasn’t sure what the purpose of the story was, not knowing why I’m following Lona and what will be gained from it. I found myself feeling the same at the end, especially with the phone ringing and not knowing whether it would be good news or bad at the other end. I also think whilst I enjoyed the tone and character of Lona, I’m not sure what path she was in to begin with, as it’s hard to tell if she’s lost or just purposefully deviating from a plan she made when she was younger.
If that is the point of the entire thing, it isn’t as clear as it could be.
Firstly, thank you to the publisher for allowing me to read this ARC. As this is an ARC, many things can change from the version I’ve received, and so I can only base my review on that and not the published book due out in February 2021.
I’ve rated this book three stars, as I enjoyed reading it—but only for the most part. I feel the story primarily being told from Lona’s point of view is good, but due to her inner thoughts we get a clunky idea of her friends and family dynamic.
She seems to have anxiety, (that at least is mentioned) but we see no one in her life bringing it up except fleetingly by George who acknowledges it. It would have been nice for Lona to act upon her own admission of her anxiety as she even realises she often cannot cope with emotions and things.
There was a real interesting development between Tab and Lona that I feel ultimately went nowhere other than Tab leaving university, but her ‘disappearance’ and odd behaviour isn’t mentioned other than that. I understand this is from Lona’s POV, but it would have at least felt like the plot had come full circle, like the ending did.
I did love that Lona started at the skate and ended there. I loved that she herself was constantly, mind the pun, skating around it all the time, never really wanting to give it up as it was, in some ways, the centre of her. Her beginning to paint and turn the books into her own art was beautiful, but I wish this had been more fleshed out, understanding what her future intentions are.
Overall, I enjoyed the writing style of this author. I liked their tone and the voicing for Lona, but there were times I wasn’t sure what the purpose of the story was, not knowing why I’m following Lona and what will be gained from it. I found myself feeling the same at the end, especially with the phone ringing and not knowing whether it would be good news or bad at the other end. I also think whilst I enjoyed the tone and character of Lona, I’m not sure what path she was in to begin with, as it’s hard to tell if she’s lost or just purposefully deviating from a plan she made when she was younger.
If that is the point of the entire thing, it isn’t as clear as it could be.
michhellongrace's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
I was not expecting to love this as much as I did. I think perhaps it's because of how much I could relate to Lona and how she thought/acted when I was her age. Whilst not strictly mentioned, I feel Lona is an Autistic woman which really upped my enjoyment. So many highlighted moments. Would recommend if you are after a quick, character based read set in Melbourne about not a whole lot but also life.