If I had to define the style of this book to me it would be like this: Eleanor Oliphant and Normal People got together and had a baby. Nine months later, out popped their new child known as Exciting Times.

Ava has left her life in Ireland behind to teach English to rich children in Hong Kong. While Ava struggles to make ends meet she meets Julian, a rich banker from London, who invites her to move into his home. When Julian returns to London for six months for work, Ava meets Edith, a smart and beautiful Hong Kong lawyer. When the two begin a romance, Ava pretends Julian is only a roommate. When Julian plans to return to Hong Kong, Ava must come clean to Edith and decide for herself which life she wants to live: one with romance and adventure or money and comfort.

This book is a tough one for me to rate and review. For one, the writing style is not my cup of tea which makes me a more biased reviewer (this is where the Normal People reference comes in). The quotations felt strangely placed to me at times and the dialogue felt choppy which made it hard for me to follow at times. Secondly, Ava was the epitome of an unreliable narrator (enter Eleanor Olipahnt reference). I am learning that I don’t love books with an unreliable narrator, so once again it probably makes me a biased reviewer. The last thing I was totally lost on were several political and cultural references. I don’t know much about Irish or Hong Kong politics, and if I had maybe reading the 10+ in depth conversations about them would help things make a little more sense to me as I read and not be “skim over” portions instead.

While there were three glaring issues that made it hard for me to fall in love, I did enjoy the plot of the story. I liked that Ava left all she knew to figure out what she wanted to be thousands of miles from her family. As the story progressed, we learned more about why Ava made this choice and more about her romantic history which made her much more likable in my opinion (but not enough to sell me another star…). I also liked the issue of class with Julian being quite wealthy and Ava being looked down upon by all his friends for being Irish. I also appreciated how well Dolan approached this issue of sexuality. While Ava has a sexual awakening of sorts in the novel, I appreciated that there was MORE to the story than just that an how tastefully it was done.

Other things I enjoyed included: The variety of coworkers and how Ava viewed them, the fact that Ava is a text writer and deleter (those three dots kill me man…) and how we were able to learn a little about Hong Kong culture.

While this style is definitely not for me, if you were a fan of Normal People and Eleanor Oliphant I can see you really enjoying this read and encourage you to try. It reads fairly quickly and isn’t long so would make a great summer poolside story!

Thank you to Netgalley and Ecco for a copy of this book in return for my honest review.

This book was an extremely enjoyable read. Salley Rooney fans will especially like this one since it’s written in a very similar tone. Dolan's writing feels normal, like real life. Rooney even appeared to have some role in the making of this book as evidenced by her mention in the acknowledgments. Dolan’s main character is witty, pessimistic, and lacks the warmth of a typical likable protagonist, very similar to Rooney’s or even Ottessa Moshfegh’s characters.

The novel follows Ava, an early-twenties recent college graduate who takes a job as an English language grammar teacher in Hong Kong. She’s living with Julian, in an unconventional friends-with-benefits relationship. When Edith enters her life, everything changes, and she digs deep within herself to analyze her feelings about love and heteronormative expectations.

The novel is separated into three parts, the first of which I found quite boring, but which was necessary to fully grasp the dynamics between Ava and Julian. My interest in the novel really picked up in the second section, and the third was by far my favorite.

I really enjoyed the connection of Ava’s job as a second-language grammar teacher and her constant obsession with words and their implications. Her character is constantly talking and thinking about her words, and whether they’ll have the effect that she intended.

Overall, I enjoyed this book more than I expected, and will continue to read anything Dolan publishes in the future!

A really compelling and lovely coming of age love story. All of the protagonists are really complicated and believable. This will definitely appeal to fans of Sally Rooney.

There was something about this book that didn't quite do it for me... Exciting Times is told from the perspective of Ava, a 22-year-old Irish expat living in Hong Kong and teaching English as a second language to young students. Throughout the book, Ava explores relationships (if you can truly call them that) with both an English expat banker, Julian, and local lawyer, Edith.

I certainly see the parallels between Sally Rooney's Normal People and Kevin Kwan's Crazy Rich Asians, but Exciting Times is almost something else entirely. While I enjoyed the overall premise, I think the biggest thing that was missing was any real chemistry between any of the characters. Additionally, out of all three, I admired Edith the most as she seemed the most sensible, but Ava and Julian are both downright unlikeable characters in my opinion. The dialogue was realistic but lacked the wit I had hoped for.

If you're a millennial and/or also find yourself with detachment issues like Ava, you'd probably like this book, but at the same time, it just left me feeling kind of bored. Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review!

Much like Normal People by Sally Rooney, I expect there will be polarizing opinions on Exciting Times. If you’re looking for likable and well-rounded characters, a happy love story, and everything packaged up in a neat box- this isn’t it.

If you love prose sprinkled with sarcasm, characters who could use some serious self-improvement, and complicated love stories, then Exciting Times will likely appeal to you. Given my absolutely adoration of Rooney, it’s no surprise I loved this debut by a writer who counts Rooney as an inspiration and mentor.

Have I compared this book to Sally Rooney enough times yet?? Because truly, if you love her books, don’t sleep on this one. Naoise Dolan will be an auto-buy for me in the future.

Unfortunately I decided to put this book aside at 20%. I should have known when it was compared to Sally Rooney that it may not be the book for me. In the amount I read I didn't like the main character Ava at all and her relationship with Julian was extremely terrible. All conversations she had were awkward and stilted. This book just seems like a combination of random words and thoughts that just don't make sense.

I didn't realize this book was about a love triangle. The writing was decent but the overall story left no lasting impression on me. Easily forgettable. Some of the dialogue was snappy and fun, that was the best part of my reading experience. This is a good book if you're looking for something lightweight and romantic.

This is an interesting one – I can definitely see why Sally Rooney blurbed it, and I think her endorsement alone (with the buzz of Hulu's adaptation of Normal People especially) will be able to move some copies. It felt a little dreary at times for my taste, but I loved that the characters were very flawed, but relatable.

"Plenty of people are willing to offer you intimacy. That terrifies you. You prefer feeling like no one will ever love you.

3.5
It took me longer than expected to get through this one, and while I think I really liked it, I'm also not sure how I feel about it as a whole. There are many relatable passages throughout this book about loving yourself, how to love other people, letting other people love you, etc. But I was frustrated as hell by Ava and how she kept going back to Julian and their weird co-dependent love/hate relationship when she could've had a much nicer life with Edith. I was really intrigued by her relationship with Edith since it came a bit out of the blue, but I loved every bit of it. It made Ava make more sense, as to why she didn't let anyone love her (especially Julian, who even though he sucked on many levels, was a man at the end of the day and not what Ava really wanted). It was hard to watch Ava make these decisions to not speak her real feelings to everyone around her and live with the consequences of that. I think that that is the reason this book is likened to Sally Rooney's work - our main characters rarely speak about what they're truly thinking or feeling and it is absolutely maddening. If you enjoy that kind of detached style of writing, this will definitely be something that you like, and I think I did too, but I'll have to sit with my thoughts for a little bit longer.

I preface this review by saying that I am generally drawn to what others consider unlikable characters with flaws that are often pessimistic by nature.

That being said, here you’re given exactly that; an apathetic protagonist torn between two lovers where she has a crucial decision to make. Does Ava choose the man who offers her an easy out life or the woman who is showing her she’s capable of being loved and happiness is in fact, tangible.

“The truth is, you like Julian because he enables this perception you have of yourself as a detached person. Plenty of people are willing to offer you intimacy. That terrifies you. You prefer feeling like no one will ever love you.”

While the ending actually surprised me and I overall enjoyed this novel, what was missing for me was character development. I was hopeful in seeing the evolution of Ava, but her demeanor remained stagnant throughout. I did love Edith and her character made up for the lack of depth missing from everyone else. Keep in mind, you aren’t introduced to her until about forty percent in.

It was a fairly quick read, so if the synopsis interests you, definitely pick it up. I looked forward to seeing how this love triangle ended.

This book is unfortunately not very exciting. I suppose that I am the ideal audience for this book, being both a communist and a millennial, and smarter than thou in the precise ways that Ava is--but the failure to have Ava be anything more than self-involved, the failure to have Edith be an engaging character who transforms over the course of the book, and finally, the failure to seriously engage with what it means to set the book in Hong Kong leave me soured on this book's premises.

This book was quite different. I liked the characters, but I think there should have been more interaction earlier in the book to make it interesting. Really enjoyed the last part of the book.

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC of Exciting Times by Naoise Dolan.

Ava has left Dublin in hopes for a new experience teaching English in Hong Kong. But happiness isn't finding her as quickly as she hoped. She's prickly, doesn't like her roommates, and lacks satisfaction in her job. But then she meets a wealthy banker, Julian, and her life turns around quickly.

Despite her feminist leanings, she enjoys the financial benefits of dating someone with money. However, the cost is constantly feeling insecure, and a bit "kept." But while Julian is away on a long trip, Edith comes along, and Ava begins to question everything.

The more I think about this novel now that I've read it, the more annoyed I become. What was the point? Ava was so fair weather, Julian was a cad, and I just felt bad for Edith. I was happy with the ending, but I don't know if it was worth all of the privileged boo-hooing I had to witness to get there.

Absolutely a book for fans of Sally Rooney’s Normal People. Except I would venture to say this book is better. Excellently written. I loved Ava. Very dry, so if you require an intense plot to get through a book, this may not be the one for you. Poignant, observant, and practical, this book was witty and memorable.

Naoise Dolan's debut EXCITING TIMES is razor-sharp, exhilarating, and has automatically made her a must-read author for me. Her voice is singular and hilarious, and it felt like cozying up to a friend who was telling me a witty story full of secrets. The novel is about Ava, an Irish expat in Hong Kong who gets by teaching English to fourth graders, and shacks up with a rich London banker to get out of having to live in an AirB&B. Things get complicated when Julian, the banker, leaves her the apartment while he's back in London for months, and she meets (and falls hard for) Edith, a beautiful Hong Kong local. The story is modern and fresh, and I especially loved the expat in an Asian country storyline (as I was one, once!)

Dolan has, of course, been compared to Sally Rooney (being she's also a young Irish writer), but I don't find Rooney's writing as cutting and laugh out loud funny as Dolan's. Her main character is also much more complex and hard to put a finger on. She's a puzzle to figure out, and though there isn't a huge plot, the story unfolds in a thrilling and relatable way that makes the book hard to put down. Ava is a typical 22 year old, and you know that she has so much more life to live and this is merely a short chapter in the full story of her life, but Dolan makes this chapter exhilarating and unique, and my only complaint is that this book could have been double it's size. Keep your eyes peeled for this book and Dolan in the future -- EXCITING TIMES is released June 2nd!

It was a solid 2.5 stars.

Nothing wows me about this book. Ava, who is from Ireland, arrives in Hong Kong to teach English. She has a couple of different relationships.

Ava is not a strong character and very indecisive. She kind of goes through the motions of life.

I found the book very boring and lacking in content. Chapters are short and thoughts and experiences aren't fully played out. I was left guessing at what happened at times. It definitely not my favorite read of the year.

It does give you good insight of being an English teacher in Hong Kong though.

"An intimate, bracingly intelligent debut novel about a millennial Irish expat who becomes entangled in a love triangle with a male banker and a female lawyer"

Exciting Times is a phenomenal, thought provoking read and kept me reading right from the very beginning. I highly recommend checking Dolan's book out!

This was compared to Crazy Rich Asians but it reminded me a lot more of Normal People aside from being set in Hong Kong. If you like a lot of internal monologue versus a lot of action, you may really like this book. I liked it a lot and was surprised by it but it was slow at times and frustrating at times because so many things involving a lack a communication. There are a lot of interesting conversations, which feel very real and flow nicely but there could have been just a bit more action.

Exciting Times comes out next month on June 2, 2020, and you can purchase HERE. If you love Sally Rooney (like me!!), I would definitely try this one but I also HIGHLY recommend Writers & Lovers by Lily King (the best book I've read this year)!!

I'd been a pliable child and I wondered if it was obvious, even then, that I would never be an artist. If a teacher had told me to put in line-breaks, I'd have sliced up my words like ham in order to please them.

Instagram Review:

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i’m full of feelings: oh BOY!! my first ever ARC, so thanks @netgalley and @eccobooks for giving this lil gal a shot!!! definitely agree with those who say that this is for Rooney lovers: similar prose and stream of consciousness, but with quotation marks!!! i wasn’t super into this one really until the “edith” section, and then i died three times over for the strange lovable gayness that flourished. i struggled sometimes with the dialects (just legit not knowing what words meant), but that also felt intentional given the really fascinating focus on language dolan weaves (i mean “i agree i am the most indefinite article” is a wild line). really looking forward to chatting with people about this one!! ⁣
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random but applicable emoji: 🎟⁣
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2 quotes that gave me giggles: “you were twisted individuals mated, like noah’s ark for sociopaths” & “we wondered about the straights”⁣
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surprising gays score: 💃🏻💃🏻💃🏻💃🏻💃🏻/5⁣
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wiggled into heart score: 💕💕💕/5⁣
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star rating: 🌟🌟🌟✨ (3.75)/5 (rounded up to 4 on GR)⁣
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goes well with: forgetting to floss, secretly wanting to be an angsty grammar corrector, surprisingly deep convos about what it means to realize you’re ~super gay~, panicky googling if you can undo watching someone’s instagram story ⁣


Good Reads Review:

I really enjoyed reading this one!! I understand why the writing/storytelling is being compared to Rooney: they do have a similar vibe. At first I wasn’t really sold on Ava as a main character (whilst appreciating her extreme self-detrimental attitude). Once the Edith section started, however, I couldn’t put it down. I don’t think this will be everyone’s cup of tea, but I certainly enjoyed it!! Thanks to net galley and harper collins for ARC!! (4 stars)

Ava has left Dublin to spend time working as an English teacher in Hong Kong. She doesn't quite connect with her students or peers but meets a rich English banker with whom she has a relationship. While he is working overseas, she meets a young woman and also has a relationship. A lot of the story involves what is going on in Ava's head, who she is texting, who she sends imaginary texts to, as she tries to decide which of the two she'd rather be with.

The book was not really "exciting", but it was readable. During this time of quarantine and COVID, and as a middle-aged woman with real-life issues, it's hard to relate to or empathize with millennials who have more money than they need (beau #1 in the story), can't decide what to do with their lives, and can't connect with their parents! I did appreciate the LGBTQ part of the story and feel that is important for mainstream reading and reliability to young people who may struggle with these issues.