I found this really difficult to get into. I don’t understand why because I usually like thIs writer.
I think the content, the characters, the social niceties in the story were so out with my own experience that I struggled to empathise with the characters.
I liked Jospeh but could not understand what a 22 year old would see in a 40 year old mother. The relationships were just too strange. Joseph tales Hana to stay in Lucy’s house and expects Hana to be okay with it?

This is well written and as I skimmed through, thee were scenes that really came to life and others which went right over my head. Perhaps the sexual mores of millennials are beyond me - or I am simply old fashioned.
Sorry this is not for me.

JUST LIKE YOU

by

Nick Hornby

A slightly whimsical book about relationships, formal and informal, strong and weak, and the machinations of some to form a close bond with a willing victim.
Lucy is a head teacher and lives with her two chatty sons after ditching her alcoholic husband. Harassed by friends trying to fix her up with a man she forms a most unexpected bond with the baby sitter who bears no resemblance to her former husband or her usual dates. How permanent can this be?
It stuns both their families and friends but do they care? Not at all. The scenes between Lucy and Joseph are tender and affectionate and most heartwarming in contrast to the supposedly strong marriages of some of her friends who from their conversations are missing out bedroom wise.
I suppose this book would fall into the category of romance but it is told in a very lighthearted way with unique conversations peppered with humour. Joseph’s mother is a terrific character while Lucy’s friend Emma’s loud explicit conversations on the subject of sex, while standing in a shop queue are a hoot. Emma is one of these so called friends, a cling on, that refused to be shaken off.
I think the author had his tongue firmly in his cheek when writing but it is the ideal book to cheer the spirits after the prolonged lockdown and I did enjoy it despite it not being my usual genre. Nothing wrong with a feel good book.
The finale was unexpectedly heartwarming so what more can a reader ask for in a happy go lucky book.

Lucy is in her forties, divorced and bringing up two boys.
This novel set in Brexit Britain, tracks her as she embarks on an unlikely affair.
Hornby has a deft comedic touch and I found parts of the novel very funny.
I found the discussion of Brexit a bit more contrived and it felt a little like an adjunct to the real story.
But this is a sweet novel that treats important themes such a racism and class with assurance and humanity.
It flows well and has a good pace, and I read it in one day.
A little different from Hornby’s previous novels but recommended as a compelling story with a little more heft than you might think.

My rating: 3.5/5

While on the surface Nick Hornby’s ‘Just Like You’ is a romance, it’s far more complicated book than a premise may suggest.

The romance between Lucy, 41-year old (almost) divorcee with two sons, and Joseph, a 22-year old, working multiple different jobs is set nicely against the political and economic climate of Britain on the verge of Brexit referendum. Their different backgrounds as well as their age difference is what drives the story and causes complications between them.

I liked how the setting made the story more complex, with people views and beliefs, often misguided by the lies and agendas spread by various politicians, coming into play and influencing the unfolding relationship between Lucy and Jonathan. For a person like me, essentially immigrant living in London, it brings a lot of painful memories with the attitudes of many people suddenly becoming so much worse and aggressive towards you. Despite that, I have enjoyed following Lucy and Jonathan’s story as they struggle to defeat their differences and figure out what really is between them.

‘Just Like You” has been slow-paced read, not unnecessary underlying any drama, and as a result making the story more down-to-earth and more believable.

Without spoiling the ending, I absolutely loved it. it was very real, and underlined the importance of now, and not trying to focus on what the future may bring. Overall, ‘Just Like You’ has surprised me positively, bringing more complex issues on the table than expected.

I normally do not read this type of novel, however I like to give some a go every so often, and I still love Nick Hornby’s High Fidelity all these years later. I have enjoyed much of his previous work but wasn’t completely enamoured with this book.

Lucy and Joseph's story was relatable albeit repetitive at times. I could sympathise with the characters and would enjoy picking up where my reading had left off. The ending was good, and I feel that I should ensure I read all of Hornby’s work that I may have missed over the years.

I was captivated by the first part of Just Like You. Lucy was spunky. Joseph was handsome and thoughtful . Their burgeoning relationship felt vivid. As I continued to read, my feelings shifted. it felt as though the colour was slowly fading from the story. The tension between Joseph and Lucy just wasn’t there. I wanted to like this. I wanted to feel something powerful. Anger, disgust, giddiness, joy... Instead, I was left with a beige feeling of blah.

This might be a good book for when the world feels too intense. Interesting enough to read but not poignant enough to make me force it upon all who I encounter.

Just Like You by Nick Hornby is about an age gap relationship complicated by racial differences and differing political opinions.

I loved Just Like You by Nick Hornby. It is warm, funny and insightful. It is the story of Lucy and Joseph who, despite having nothing in common, find a way to connect. It is set against the backdrop of London during the Brexit referendum and its aftermath and is so sharply observed – I recognised so many of the characters and their relationships and interactions were so realistic. Issues of race, class, education, difference in political beliefs, middle class privilege and the danger of echo chambers are all touched on in the story.

There seems to be a trend at the moment (in the books I have been reading recently) to make the main characters quite unlikeable. I am happy to say that this is not the case here. Lucy and Joseph are completely different characters but I really liked both of them. Irrespective of whether the story was dealing with them together or separately, I was rooting for each of them throughout. It is easy to see why Nick Hornby is such an accomplished screenwriter when you read this book because during scenes where the characters are conversing, it feels like you are watching them having a conversation rather than reading it. I could easily imagine this story adapted for the screen. At several points in the story, I found myself smiling while reading it. Needless to say, I loved it and would highly recommend it.

Thank you to Netgalley and Penguin UK for an advance copy in return for an honest review.

I found this book really quite shallow. None of the characters came to life, neither those in the story's central relationship, nor those surrounding them.

There were some interesting topics lurking: race, politics, alcoholism,. drugs, parenting, but from every point of view I felt that Hornby only just scratched the surface.

Quite often in the dialogue I lost track of who was speaking so had to count back 'him, her, him, her' to make sense of it.

Given how respected this author is, this novel is a big disappointment.

I have got to say i found this book hard work! Not half as enjoyable as Nick Hornby other books, and i agree with others this would make a great TV Drama i just didn't enjoy it that much in book form, It will not however put me off reading Nick Hornby in the future.
Was given an advanced copy for an honest review by netgalley.co.uk

I have enjoyed Nick Hornby's previous fiction but this one left me wanting more. Or less (about BREXIT). It is very much a novel of its time and I don't think it will be one that is still being read in years to come like High Fidelity and Fever Pitch. Lucy and Joseph's story was well related but a bit to repetitious for me. I liked the ending. But it really did leave me wanting more from this author. With thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read an e-ARC of this title in exchange for an honest review.

Really good read. Would recommend to friends and family. I could sympathise with characters (important for any fiction novel!) and looked forward to picking it up and reading the next few chapters! Interesting plot line and a good ending. Will look out for more novels by the author. Thank you.

I really like Nick Hornby's work but this wasnt my favourite of his book, but that is my personal opinion.

Lucy is in her early 40's, other of two boys and the Head of English and Hornby navigates her story along Joseph (not Joe) black, early 20's and who works a multitude of part time jobs including babysitting for Lucy.

Although the love story was lovely - everyone loves a love story.
BUT my main reason for not 'loving' Just Like You is the constant references to Brexit and politics.

Great writing from Nick.

Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin for an early review copy in exchange for a fair assessment of the title.

I've been reading Nick Hornby for about two decades now, so when I saw that he had a new title coming out I jumped at the chance to review it.

On the surface, this is a book about Lucy, a white middle-aged divorced mum of two boys, and Joseph, a working-class black man in his early twenties who has opted out of the uni-to-desk job existence. Both are thoughtful, wary of other people's emotions, and a bit distanced from life. Despite not really being like each other (hence the rather obvious title), something sparks between them and they start a relationship.

But this is not a romance; it's not even a novel about the pains of growing up. This is a Brexit novel, about getting older and less certain in a world that seems progressively more divided and divisive. Hornby has structured the novel in three parts (pre-, during, post-Brexit) to show a kind of layering of this massive political change on the lives of his ordinary characters. It's an ambitious and sprawling attempt, using two generations to reveal layers of class, race, age, and political perspectives while still trying to get Lucy and Joseph together.

It's an interesting story: the ending felt messy, but possibly more honest for being that way. Some of the characters were delightful. Lucy's two boys were probably the strongest characters in the novel, tactlessly honest and clear sighted about their parents, and permanently connected to a game of some sort. I enjoyed Lucy's liberal friends constantly tripping over their own internalised racism when introduced to Joseph.

In the end, although it was interesting enough to keep me reading into the night, I wasn't convinced the novel had much to say about any of the layers it had unwrapped. Joseph's response to Trump's presidential win was possibly the most interesting part of the book, but it was slight. There was nothing in the novel about Grenfell Tower, even though the book ends in 2018, nor was there anything about the Windrush scandal. Lucy's angst about age and acceptance of age/change never develops, and her concerns were all about her body changing while Joseph was still young; nothing about her changing abilities or desires as she ages. I'm not sure Lucy ever felt fully developed and, as the book went on, she read less as a female and more like a male character who had minimal charge of his own children rather the enormous and exhausting emotional labour of a mother and a head of department in an inner-city school.

I found myself more skim reading this book as I just couldn't get into it. It might be more suited to being a film/TV adaptation so you can invest more in the characters and the emotions behind the text you are reading.

Joseph is twenty-two and works part time in a local butchers. One of his many jobs in an attempt not to have a full time job that would mean selecting a career. One Saturday, whilst attempting to defeat a loud and flirty customers comments he notices that she has a quiet and good looking friend.

Lucy is a forty-two, mum of two, who is going through a divorce after her husband drank too much as well as taking drugs. She starts chatting to Joseph in the butchers and mentions that she is looking for a babysitter. Which Joseph offers his services.

A friendship forms between them but they both want more. However, is the age gap too big, would their respective friends approve of an interracial relationship? Along the way they have hurdles to get over, not to mention Brexit voting and the Trump election.

I persevered through the book but didn't feel that there was much chemistry between Joseph and Lucy. I feel it might come across more on screen than it does in the pages of the book.