*I received an ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Thanks for the free book.*

Lona is a 20-something drop out from Art School, who is desperately trying to answer the question what the point in life is. Her grandpa is slowly losing his will to live, she doesn't have the best relationship to her parents or herself, and even falling in love doesn't seem to fix her.

The chapters are very short, with on point descriptions and dialogues, and Lona's private and very cynical persona make this an entertaining read about coming of age, navigating adulthood, life and other catastrophes as well as social isolation. I could relate to loads of feelings in this book, even though the ending is both good and unsatisfying. I also liked the popculatural references.

This book will give you no answers but you will feel seen when you've asked the same questions from life. What is the point?

4 Stars

I really wanted to like this one but I just could not get into it. I did like to fact that the main character was an introvert and I also enjoyed the writing style but did not feel any connection with any of the characters. I just don't think this one was for me, but thank you so much to NetGalley and Publishers for giving it a go.

When I first picked this one up I was looking for a heartfelt easy and quick read, that I could relate to in some way and it proved to be exactly that. This is a New Adult novel that perfectly shows the struggles of growing up, university, and trying to balance work, relationships and a social life.

Lona, a cynical, introverted artist and part-time roller-DJ, supermarket worker and event photographer, experiences life’s sorrows and joys in this heartfelt look at new adulthood and she is Gen Z down to a tee. It’s written how Lona thinks, which is why the sentences and chapters are extremely short making it quick to read. I’d say it’s quite a realistic perspective of a 20-year-old finding her foot in adult life, and Lona makes a unique and interesting character. This aspect definitely made it easier for me to relate to her. Oh and did I mention she is a total bookworm! She always has an opinion and isn’t afraid to let you know what it is – especially if it relates to the patriarchy. She is in love with a nerdy former classmate, and has one very close friend called Tab. Young does a great job of showing a refreshing perspective of modern relationships and how complex they actually are.

The reason I rated this book down was to do with the ending – the book felt slightly rushed in the last chapter which made it feel like it wasn’t finished? There wasn’t really closure (which I like at the end). This could be because Young’s point is that life goes on, it’s your choice how you live it.

I’ve always enjoyed a good coming of age story and Loner did not disappoint! If you are a fan of this genre I would really recommend picking up a copy.

Written in short, descriptive chapters Loner explores the fragility of growing up and the complexity of making life decisions. I found main character Lona endearing and at times slightly frustrating but the author captured the fragility of young adulthood perfectly. I often reflected on my own experiences when reading some of the relatable chapters.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy in exchange for an honest review.

Lona is a main character we have all been waiting for - an introvert who loves a night in on the sofa? I can 100% relate. Young has written a story that captures the narrative of a young woman who is content to wade through life at a slow pace, this awkwardness is what gives the book charm. It is a relatable coming of age story especially for myself as a young person not quite sure about what my future holds.

I loved this. I feel that there aren't enough introverts in fiction, and I welcome any portrayals of such. I could identify so much with this sometimes uncomfortably. Would recommend.

Young's "Loner" is for sure one of the hardest book to get into; I wasn't feeling the writing style or the characters, Lona is severely under-developed and her behaviour absolutely maddening.

Loner is about a young woman, Lona. She feels lost in the world - she's dropped out of her university course and works two part-time jobs. This book navigates friendships, crushes, love and finding your way.

I loved that this book had very short chapters (if you'd even call them chapters). They're bite-sized, making for quite an enjoyable read. However, there were times where I wish they were a bit longer because some sections seemed a little incomplete.

I also really liked Georgina Young's writing style. It did take a me little while to get used to it, but I learned to appreciate it. I think it complemented the book perfectly.

To best describe this book is to describe it as a book that explores the reality of life. There isn't an overarching plot, but this doesn't diminish the impact of the story as a whole. The ending is not perfect. It is not tied with a bow. But the ending is hopeful. There are lows in life. There are tough moments, especially as a young person trying to figure out what to do with their lives. This book was real and it was relatable. I saw parts of myself in Lona (extremely introverted, would rather watch a good TV show than go out, and not wanting to socialise without having that one friend by your side). I saw parts of my friends in Lona. I have a friend who is like Tab.

I also really connected with this book because of its setting in Melbourne, my home. Unlike Lona, I am from the western suburbs, but similar to her, I rarely travel to the other side unless forced to for friends or family gatherings. I also loved all the Aussie references, like Harold the Giraffe.

A negative about this book was that, at times, I found Lona to be quite irritating, stubborn and moody. Although, this may have been intentional. It also probably incites this reaction from me because it is somewhat relatable. And even so, I love that she doesn't change herself for anyone. She thrives by staying true to who she is.

I would definitely recommend this book to young adults - people are have just finished high school, those who are in their early twenties trying to figure out who they are.

I would like to thank NetGalley for sending me an ARC of Loner in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks NetGalley for the preview!

I really struggled with this book. It was choppy, hard to stay focused on and took me way longer to read. Interesting concept but not my favorite execution.

Loner includes some really vivid characters and paints a moving picture of a young women going through crisis. It was oddly uplifting, but certainly heartfelt.

Georgina Young is very good with turns of phrase and the writing style of Loner is really stellar but the plotting and some of the characterization was just not my cup of tea. At the end of the day I unfortunately never felt like I connected with the main character of Lona and she comes off as a bit whiny throughout. The story is incredibly slow moving, anticlimactic, and repetitive in some of its points. I admire Georgina's attempt to bring feminism to the forefront but some points like having good taste being equivalent to internalized misogyny felt a bit forced.

Again I did enjoy Georgina's style of writing so I really look forward to her future work. I highlighted multiple passages throughout as the book is quite witty.

Mega thanks to Netgalley and Text Publishing for the Advanced Reader's Copy.

Not really my thing, thought I would enjoy this more than I did, it sounded right up my street. It’s interesting , but was hard to get into, I’m sure others will enjoy far more, but not for me sorry

I have never read a story like this before, but the front cover really appealed to me so wanted to give it a go.
Loner is about a girl, who is just starting through adulthood who really has no idea of who she really is, or where she wants to go.
It was an interesting read and I enjoyed It, despite it being completely different to what I would normally read.

I didn't end up liking this as much as I wanted to. It's an interesting concept and story but unfortunately just not for me!

I found this book hard to get into. The blurb really spoke to me as a shy Doctor Who fan but the actual story didn’t really make an impression. Maybe I am not the target audience but I found the story slow paced and not very captivating

I'm trying to work out why I chose to read Loner. It was partly the hype; the first I heard of Georgina Young's Loner was that it was winner of the 2019 Text Prize for Young Adult and Children’s Writing. The description sounded enticing, with mention of roller DJs, Harry Potter fans and old school photography. I suspect I was also riding high on the Normal People wave and may have seen an article comparing Loner to Sally Rooney's exceptionally popular book.
Whatever lead me to Loner was not what I found in the book and that is little surprise.

Had I properly read the blurb, I would have realised that a book about a university dropout aimlessly navigating social isolation, unrequited love and a perpetual sense of failure was never going to be exciting reading. In fact, it was all rather bland.

Perhaps it was that my own memories of university were of an identical inertia, an inability to function that slowly marched its way to a bone-grinding depression? Whatever the case, Loner was not the quirky, uplifting book I was in the market for and perhaps the hint was in the title?

Despite my reservations and lukewarm reception, I strongly suspect that this will somehow become a television series. The critical hype is immense - hence the Text Prize - but for those of us seeking a bit of escape during the worst year ever? Not so much. Ultimately, Loner reminded me of why I don't read New Adult fiction.

I give Loner an okay three out of five stars. Recommended if you're looking for the post-millennial version of Douglas Coupland's Generation X.

Lona is a little bit lost. She has finished high school and done what is socially expected and went to university but she found herself a little lost there too. She has dropped out and is now working a dead end job normally reserved for a teenager and she doesn’t know how to get herself out of this hole. What she is starting to realise is that being a grown up kind of sucks.

I really enjoyed reading Georgina Young’s Loner. I feel like she really captured that un-tethered feeling. You aren’t a kid any more but you still aren’t really feeling like an adult yet all of the decisions you make are now your responsibility. It is a fascinating look at the awkward period in your life and Young perfectly captures the discombobulated feeling.

My favourite thing about Loner came at the end of the book. The whole story was great but the ending gave me an overwhelming feeling of hope. It reminds you that life I long and there are plenty of ways to screw up but also to fix the screw ups. It is very optimistic.

Overall, Loner by Georgina Young is a very good read.

Loner by Georgina Young is available now.

For more information regarding Text Publishing (@text_publishing) please visit www.textpublishing.com.au.

Loner follows Lona - a twenty year old art school dropout unsure of her place in the world. As she travels the murky waters of adulthood we are privy to different parts of her life: her romantic feelings, her familial problems and also her never ending anxiety, fuelled by the fear and doubt of the future. This novel is a highly relatable coming of age novel for twenty somethings that explores the complexities of what we want to do versus what we feel we need to do in this modern world. I believe that this book was quite enjoyable and the writing style of short snappy third person sentences was also easy to read and get lost in. It was also scarily relatable to me, as a twenty something who is also in a liminal state similar to Lona’s. Her feelings were described well and her anxieties didn’t seem to far fetched from real life.

However, I refrained from giving it five stars as I am unsure of the overall longevity of the impact of this book. Though I enjoyed it, the ending wasn’t quite settled for me as I felt there was more to unpack, and I wasn't fully sated though I enjoyed it. That being said, Georgina Young is a fantastic writer and Loner is a stunning debut.

What a nice find. This was the first book I've read from this author and I really enjoyed it. The story was different from anything I've read recently and really captured my attention. It was so well written and the characters were fantastic.

Unfortunately I didn't enjoy this as much as I thought I would. The story is a bit boring. There were parts where nothing really happens and the main character, Lona, is at times quite frustrating to read about. Even though Lona is a very relatable character, her actions can be very frustrating.

I do admire Young's ability to honestly capture the struggles of coming of age and going into adulthood and the anxiety that comes with it. It felt truly natural and very recognizable.

Loner reads like it's being recited. The pacing felt off in the beginning but got a lot better throughout the rest of the story. The ending is very satisfying since you have been rooting for Lona and you feel content when you realize she's beginning to find her way.