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A review by bookshelfbybee
Loner by Georgina Young
4.0
It took me a little while to get through this one - not because it was boring or slow, but because I was in an apparent reading slump and it didn’t necessarily latch onto me. I didn’t LOVE this novel, but I did enjoy it. I also adored the short, sharp chapters.
In the beginning, I loved that everything was non-descriptive; there’s that favourite band, that pub, the TV show on ABC about this... just enough to keep you interested, and not quite enough to stop you from thinking Lona’s life might be yours too. Then, as the story progressed and as Lona opened up more to herself and those around her, things became more specific; Ryan Reynolds in the movie about aliens, the two-bedroom unit in Carnegie, the train station at South Yarra. I don’t know if that was intentional by Young, but it was clever.
I’m not entirely sure how I feel about Lona’s attitude. Does she not care for the things other people like and looks down on them for it, or does she just not care for them? I wonder about Lona a lot; she’s written in a way that makes her seem simultaneously pretentious and judgemental, self-aware and empathetic. She is very complex, and I enjoyed that. Similarly, Young materialised in Lona’s emotions so many things that I feel myself, but sometimes can’t make sense of.
This book doesn’t end in a neat bow, but it’s not supposed to; Lona’s life, like ours, is messy and incomplete and constantly changing. Neat bows are rare and it’s important to remember that.
When to Read - If you’re looking for an atypical read with an interesting protagonist.
In the beginning, I loved that everything was non-descriptive; there’s that favourite band, that pub, the TV show on ABC about this... just enough to keep you interested, and not quite enough to stop you from thinking Lona’s life might be yours too. Then, as the story progressed and as Lona opened up more to herself and those around her, things became more specific; Ryan Reynolds in the movie about aliens, the two-bedroom unit in Carnegie, the train station at South Yarra. I don’t know if that was intentional by Young, but it was clever.
I’m not entirely sure how I feel about Lona’s attitude. Does she not care for the things other people like and looks down on them for it, or does she just not care for them? I wonder about Lona a lot; she’s written in a way that makes her seem simultaneously pretentious and judgemental, self-aware and empathetic. She is very complex, and I enjoyed that. Similarly, Young materialised in Lona’s emotions so many things that I feel myself, but sometimes can’t make sense of.
This book doesn’t end in a neat bow, but it’s not supposed to; Lona’s life, like ours, is messy and incomplete and constantly changing. Neat bows are rare and it’s important to remember that.
When to Read - If you’re looking for an atypical read with an interesting protagonist.