Urgh!

There’s something seriously wrong with my reading habits. I got an advance copy of Such a Fun Age. I started reading a book that my Kindle said was Such a Fun Age. About 10% of the way in, I thought the story has nothing to do with the description, and I went back to the title page, only to discover I was reading a completely different book — The Supper Club. By that point, I really wasn’t enjoying it much. Most human beings in this situation would stop reading and find the book they meant to read. But not me. Once I’ve started reading a book, even if I don’t much like it, I have trouble putting on the brakes...

And I wish my accidental reading of The Supper Club had led me to discover a book I loved. But, alas, no such luck. The Supper Club is primarily about Roberta, a young woman living in contemporary England. The story focuses on two alternating times in her life — when she was a young university student and a few years later when she is in her late 20s. Roberta is deeply lonely and socially awkward. Her relationships with men and friends are fractious and difficult. But she and her friend Stevie land on a liberating idea — a small club of young women who have supper together every now and then where they break through many conventional norms — food comes from dumpsters, they drink a lot and take drugs, they vomit, they wear weird costumes, and they dance late into the night. I get it. I also recognize that Roberta’s troubles are borne out of legitimate trauma. But I just couldn’t get into her sad anxious headspace. It was all a bit too claustrophobic for me. This is probably better suited to a younger audience. There was some great information about food and cooking, but otherwise this was not for me.

The good news is that I finished The Supper Club quickly because it’s quite short, and then moved on to Such a Fun Age, which I really liked...

Thanks to the publisher for the inadvertent advance copy. I also happened to have advertent — not a word, I know — copies from Netgalley and Edelweiss that I had not yet got around to reading...

I adored this book! Lara Williams created a wonderful protagonist in Roberta. Imperfect and seemingly adrift in her life she concisely sums up what it means to be turning 30 and to be lost in your own life. I felt so much empathy for Roberta because I am there. I just hit 30, this magical number where you feel like you need to have it all together, but really who does? Williams portrays women going against social norms, being loud, and existing in space that historically has not been ours. This is exciting and thrilling and shows that we can be happy in our own skin, existing in the life that we create for ourselves.

I have so many feelings about the book that I still struggle to put into words. This is a complex story, that pushes the boundaries of what we're used to from women. It challenged me to deal with the discomfort I felt in many parts. That is not to say it did not enjoy it! No, it is definitely a book that one should read, as so many parts were so grotesque I couldn't peel my eyes from the page or words.

I loved the premise of this book -- about women taking up space, finding out what they really want, not changing themselves for someone else, growing into who they want to be.

And there is this in Supper Club. Still, the execution did not work for me. I did not like this book much. The characters mostly annoyed me. I found the female friendships OK. The eating, drinking, doing drugs, etc to excess was difficult to read, but maybe that was the point. The men tended to be terrible, but maybe that was the point too.

Roberta was a shy character, she was drifting through life. She put up with terrible things from men. The Supper Club was a way for her to grow, but I felt like she didn't grow all that much until the very end. Even after the Supper Club started, she got together with a man who didn't want her to be herself.

Maybe that's what is bugging me about this book. The women took all of this freedom and indulged in the Supper Club so they could grow but I didn't really see them grow. Then there was massive change right at the end.

Overall, the premise was great, but the execution didn't work for me.


Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a review copy of this book.

It was an okay read. Characters felt too much like reality TV show personalities. Which, unfortunately, I'm not atoned to. Writing was good. Fast read. May take a second chance at re-reading.

Please tell me where I can sign up to be a member of the Supper Club?
This is a beautifully written story about how a shy and awkward young woman navigates through life in search of love, friendships, and ultimately, her own space in this world (physically and emotionally).
It is a story that is at times heartbreaking, enlightening, and most of all, made me very hungry!

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC in return for an honest review.