A rounded 4. This book is cerebral and heady but somehow still engaging and emotional. The characters are frustrating but real. As a lesbian coming of age story it doesn't fall into some of the feminist tropes you see present in the genre, but it is a bit tough if you're distractble.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Natalie, moves from rural, Northern Ontario on the shores of Lake Temagami to Toronto for university. While looking for inspiration for her poetry class, she’s approached by Nora, an older, mysterious woman who Natalie feels inexplicably drawn to.

Over the next 300 or so pages, Natalie and Nora have a relationship that’s messy & complicated, while Natalie tries to make sense of her identity, the age difference, while juggling fitting in and meeting deadlines as a first year university student.

Fischer does a wonderful job crafting the whirlwind of emotions and addictive behaviour you feel during infatuation and the beginning of a relationship. The writing shows Natalie being pulled in a dozen directions and at times overwhelmed with emotions and the unknowns of being a young adult in their first romance.

Absolutely wonderful read, definitely recommend. Thanks to @netgalley and @penguinrandomca for the Advance Reader’s Copy for review.

Introvert Natalie is starting her first year of University in Toronto when she starts a romantic relationship with a mysterious older woman- Nora.
Keeping her relationship a secret Natalie tries to navigate this confusing relationship alone and perhaps misses some significant red flags.
Eventually it becomes clear that Nora is hiding a secret.

This book left me torn, at times I loved, was obsessed with the writing, and other times it felt a little forced. I thought Natalie was such a "meh" character, but then we would see flashes of what her character could have been. The "twist" was predictable and I would be shocked if readers did not see it coming from the very beginning.

In the end the story was enjoyable but the meandering journey to get to the end left a little to be desired.

Thank you NetGalley. Libro.fm and Penguin Random House for this advanced copy

I'm having a hard time reviewing this book even though I was mesmerized by the unfolding story. Natalie is an immature teenager who constantly worries about saying the right thing and about how she appears to others, particularly Nora with whom she's having a relationship. As other reviewers have pointed out, I don't think we're ever told how old Nora is but I picture her as being in her mid-thirties. Even though Natalie is considered an adult in Ontario and is over the age of consent for sexual activity, she doesn't appear to be mature enough to handle a romantic relationship with anyone, let alone an older woman. I felt some empathy for Natalie, especially when she would rehearse things to say in order to appear more interesting. I wanted to reach out and tell her to stop. The encounters between Natalie and Nora aren't blatantly sexual but may be offensive to some.

This is Bronwyn Fisher's debut novel and I'll definitely be on the watch for whatever she writes next. Another promising Canadian writer. I worked with a woman years ago who named her daughter Bronwyn and I've loved the name ever since.

My thanks to Penguin Random House Canada via Netgalley for the opportunity to read an advance copy of this novel. All opinions expressed are my own.
Published May 23, 2023

I wanted to post this review on Tuesday to celebrate this book’s publication date but I needed to collect my thoughts and find a way to express everything Bronwyn Fischer made me feel with her words in a proper manner.

The Adult is such a beautiful and emotional book. The story follows Natalie, a first year university student, and her tumultuous relationship with Nora, a mystery older woman whom she meets during her first days in Toronto. Natalie knows little about her but she’s certain she’s in love with her and that’s all that matters until it doesn’t.

Let me tell you, I felt everything and I wanted to comfort Natalie as much as I could. Natalie’s feelings are so strong and relatable, we’ve all experienced the sweetness of first love and the bitterness of our first heartbreak. The awe, the identity, the doubts, the passion, the confusion. It was all so vivid.

I wish I could tell you more about The Adult but I’m afraid I’ll spoil it and, if you get to read it (please do, it’s THE book!), I want you to gasp as much as I did when all the twists and turns started to connect.

Overall, Bronwyn Fischer wrote one of my favourite books this year and I’m so glad I got to read it.

Final rate: Infinite stars. I mean it!

Thank you Random House for the ARC! And happy publication week to the talented Bronwyn Fischer.

The Adult was beautifully written and had such a captivating main character that made this book hard to put down. The uncertainty and trepidation of the character was familiar and made me feel nostalgic for my first year of college; it perfectly captured the essence of being 18 in a big city and in college for the first time.

I felt that some of the plot was familiar and, at times, a bit predictable but the strength of the writing, particularly that of the main character's inner monologue, was compelling enough for me to want to continue reading.

A beautiful and thoughtful debut novel, I am really looking forward to what Fischer writes next.

The Adult is a well-written, coming-of-age novel that is sure to resonate with many readers on some level. There was something special about the writing that drew me in and kept me captivated throughout.

At eighteen years old, Natalie has left her rural home to begin her freshman year at the University of Toronto. Natalie was an introvert who felt out of her element and was trying to fit in and find her way in this new, big city. Unlike many of her friends, classmates, and dormmates, she was unsure of what she wanted her future to look like. I did feel for Natalie. I remember leaving home to pursue my post-secondary education and I remember being scared, excited, and filled with so many expectations.

When Natalie meets Nora, an older woman, she feels drawn to her. There is not only an attraction, but she also feels a sense of belonging and calm when she is with Nora. While Nora gives every impression of being interested in Natalie, Natalie’s insecurities make her question why a professional, older woman would be attracted to her.

I’m not going to lie, there were times when I felt a bit uncomfortable with Natalie and Nora’s relationship. It wasn’t about their age difference; they were both adults after all. There was just an awkwardness to their interactions and relationship as a whole. It didn’t feel genuine to me, or at least I had my share of doubts about it, but perhaps that was the author’s intention all along. While I always wanted the best for Natalie, I wasn’t confident that she was on the right path. Sometimes I felt as though she needed a big hug, some good advice, and a push in the right direction.

The Adult was a riveting read. It deals with many different issues in a thought-provoking and intimate manner. I will definitely be on the lookout for the next book by Bronwyn Fischer.

*4 Stars

A beautifully written novel about coming of age for a young girl embarking on her new life as a uoft student. The uncertainty is palpable through the story and really brought home how overwrought teenagers can feel at times. Loved the local setting as someone who lives in Toronto.
Overall an excellent, emotional and fast paced adventure.

Thank you Netgalley for this arc

I felt like The Adult really captured what it feels like to be an 18 young adult woman: uncertain, naïve, hopeful, and fumbling through life. I loved that this book had a Canadian setting and really felt for Natalie, the main character, as she came into her own. I really enjoyed Bronwyn Fisher's writing and was very intrigued to see where the story ended up going.

I'm honestly not sure what it was that drew me towards this story, but whatever it was, I'm grateful.
This novel is an lgbtq coming of age story and it is raw and it is beautiful. Our MC Natalie has just moved to Toronto to attend university and meets an unlikely stranger, a woman named Nora who is not like anyone Natalie has ever met. As their relationship develops, Natalie quickly learns the complexity of adult relationships, and the more involved she gets, the more she questions. Is Nora hiding something? Is she really who she says she is?

This book was excellent - well written, well paced, interesting… but the thing I loved the most was Natalie's inner dialogue. It was presented in a way I've never read before. We're all used to reading a character's day to day thoughts, but Bronwyn does an excellent job at pulling a bit deeper, and expressing these weird, nerve driven thoughts that make you think "oh, everyone's brain works like that? I'm not weird for thinking like this?"... It was incredibly genuine and helped create a lovable, relatable MC that you care about deeply.

Pick this one up if you're looking for a great coming of age story, to have your heart slightly broken and mended, and to see the world through the eyes of an 18 year old again - innocent, curious and cautious. So beautiful ❤️

Thank you NetGalley, Bronwyn Fischer and Penguin Random House Canada for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

this book touched me.

i enjoyed the way the narrator Natalie perceives the world. i liked reading her descriptions, her thoughts, and her interpersonal relationships. there was a child-like innocence that permeated every thought and feeling and it felt so heartbreaking to read about it. it wasn't so long ago that i observed the same things and thought the same things, naïve as i was, and i was touched by the simplicity and innocence of the words. i also liked the sharp writing that made the story so intimate and engrossing. there was softness in the words that brought both power and tenderness to the narrative voice. it lent so much to the atmosphere and my own enjoyment.

Fischer paints a beautiful coming-of-age that is reminiscent of Sally Rooney and Sarah Jackson. i look forward to reading more books from Fischer! i would've given this 5 stars had i read it 5 years ago <3

This fell a bit flat for me. Weirdly, probably because of the author's skill? Natalie is a pitch perfect depiction of a new student at a big city university having come from a small town. The distractions, short-comings, crap rationale, and bad decisions made by her and her peers are so precisely reminiscent of really being at that age that it becomes hard to read.

I do really appreciate a "been there, done that" trope (young naïve student, older lover who has all the power in the relationship) being reinvented by examining it through the light of a same sex couple. For example, when Natalie Googles "how to date an older woman" and all the resources are aimed at young men, the tips just felt flat and have no application -- which suggests something interesting about the inherent gender dynamics of power and age.

Another thing I like is the title, which I'm still thinking about. Who is the adult? It is referring to Natalie, who is now technically a legal adult (an important distinction in a relationship with an age gap)? Is it Nora, who is the Adult with a capital A, so different from a first year uni student as to be a different species of human altogether?

This debut novel was so beautifully written; devastating and complex all at once. The author perfectly captured the insecurities, self-doubts, naive hope and struggles of becoming an adult. The story was told in an intimate prose, and my heart was breaking for Nathalie page after page because I could recognize so much of my younger self in her. A young woman, alone, confused and too trusting. Not sure of who she is, where she belongs and how the world surrounding her truly works. Natalie’s story is one of intimacy, of all-consuming relationships and of growth, and it will stay with me for a long time.

I would like to thank Bronwyn Fischer, Penguin Random House Canada and Netgalley for granting me an advanced reading copy of this book in exchange of an honest review. I can’t wait to read more of Fischer’s work in the years to come.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Random House Canada for the eARC!

Fischer adequately captures what it's like to be 18. The main character is naive, unsure of herself, and fumbling through her first year of school at UofT. Not only is Natalie navigating leaving her small town for Toronto, but an all-consuming relationship with an older woman begins to shape the decisions she makes. Natalie tells her university friends that she is dating an older man named "Paul," but the lies begin to unravel.

I thought The Adult was a solid read. Unfortunately, the writing made the relationship feel a bit removed, so it wasn't clear why Natalie was so enraptured with Nora. I also wish that the plot had a bit more to it.

3.5 stars
Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Canada for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Adult follows our main character Natalie as she moves to Toronto from a small town in northern Ontario for her first year of university. As the novel starts Natalie is struggling, she's overwhelmed with her classes and struggling to fit in socially. Then she meets an older woman, Nora, who she is immediately infatuated by. As Natalie and Nora begin a secret relationship, Natalie gets caught up in lying to her peers at school about the relationship as well as lying to herself about what it really means to her.

If you're someone who likes literary fiction novels that are a bit meandering and sort of no plot just vibes I think you'll really like this book. For me though I wish there was a bit more to the plot, which is stopping me from giving it a higher rating. But that's definitely a case of my personal taste, because the writing in this book really is gorgeous. Bronwyn Fischer writes so evocatively it was easy to feel what Natalie was going through along with her. Parts of it really took me back to the feeling of being out of place in first year university. Also as a Canadian, and specifically someone who did their Masters at U of T it was fun to read a book very clearly set in Toronto. It was like finding little easter eggs when they author wrote about somewhere I recognised.

I love debuts, there is always something fresh they have to offer in the world of literary fiction, Bronwyn Fishchers, The Adult has a distinct clear voice in this coming of age, sexuality exploration.

Natalie has left her small home town for university, she finds her self lost, drawn to her enigmatic poetry professor, listless and introverted amongst her peers, she is approached by older woman in the park one day and from there a slow awakening sparks in Natalie, but the naiveties of youth leave her open for heartbreak.

I would of loved this story more if Natalie wasn’t such a wet blanket, her character was flat, and unbelievable, she is so crippled by her own shyness that I couldn’t quite believe she could start an affair with an older woman. I think had she felt more developed and or had some redeeming qualities I could have really got into this journey because the story itself is strong. But instead she was just boring, inarticulate, emotionally immature, I saw one reviewer say she had crippling anxiety, and maybe, but this was never mentioned, which is a shame because maybe if it had been opening written it would of been easier to empathize with.

With all that said I do think the writing was thoughtful, and the plot was structured well, I just needed more from the characters in this character driven novel.

Thank you NetGalley and Penguin Random House for the advanced reading copy, all opinions are my own.

This ones out May 22.

This one got me. I immediately related to Natalie and was thrown back to my first year away at university. Fischer captures that sense of angst and isolation contrasted with possibility and newness. The plot unfolds at a slow burn, the narration at times almost stream of consciousness and other times poetic without being fluffy or flowery. One of Natalie’s courses is nature poetry and this underscores the entire text both in style and substance. The writing is spare but in a way that pulls you in close to Natalie without ever leaning toward overwrought or precious. Very well constructed and absolutely lovely, this one needs to be seen and heard and talked about and recommended. Hope for good things to come of it for Bronwyn Fischer.

Natalie is an 18-year-old who is starting university in Toronto, leaving her hometown for the first time. She struggles to find her identity and purpose, but finds solace in an older woman named Nora who takes an interest in her. Natalie spends more and more time with Nora, creating a private and intimate world for herself, but soon discovers that Nora is hiding something alarming.

It took me a little time to get into the story because I felt like Natalie's character was very detached however midway through I was so invested in her journey that I couldn't put the book down. You can't help but find pieces of yourself in Natalie - the confusion of growing up and the feeling of everyone else "adulting" better than you. Fisher's prose were quiet, beautiful and engrossing. She is able to skillfully portray the yearning, bewilderment, and vulnerability that often permeate first relationships and the initial steps into adulthood, resulting in a compassionate and empathetic story. If you liked reading "The Idiot" by Elif Batuman I highly recommend this book!

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for providing me with a digital arc in return for an honest review.
The Adult comes out May 23rd!

The Adult by Bronwyn Fischer is a literary masterpiece, which highlights the basic sustenance most of us require but lack.

In this privately intimate novel, First Year U of T student Natalie finds herself tangled up in the affairs of several people. Her quirky anxiousness makes her an interesting character to read about. The most random of thoughts elude her and usually she finds herself questioning whatever she'd just narrated. It's always a surprise to read the next sentence, which is partially what makes this a most intriguing read.

There is much to be said about the reasons why Natalie gravitates towards Nora, but without spoiling anythings, it is most importantly noted that their relationship is one of utmost simplicity with an underlying complexity written beneath the surface.

Depictions of monotonous figments of Toronto are written so eloquently that it makes you view the city differently than you did before.

Bronwyn Fischer has turned the ordinary into the extraordinary in The Adult.

Thanks NetGalley for the ARC!

I initially read the book because NetGalley advertised this for "fans of Salley Rooney" and Rooney is top notch.

The main (and possibly only) similarity between the two is mis-communications and messy love stories and new college students figuring themselves out. Other than that I didn't really see it?

The first part of the book kinda irked me. The main character seemed really naive and just unemotional? But I kept picking this up because I was interested in where the story would take me. I think I didn't rate this book higher because of my frustrations with the main character and her lack of introspection. Also, I saw one of the main twists before it happened....