I actually really enjoyed this new young adult read. I found myself connecting with the main character, Lona, on multiple levels. Young did a great job of writing realistically and Loner will be very relatable to anyone who has ever felt lost or confused by what they want in life. Diving into adulthood is difficult when you have no clear direction, and maintaining relationships is hard when you cannot even fully explain to yourself your desire to be social without having to be social. I found the style of Young's writing to work well with Lona's personality, almost like a collection of vignettes rather than chapters. Since this is an Australian book, there were a few terms that confused me, but nothing a quick Google couldn't fix--they did not take away from my understanding of the story. I only knocked down a star because I personally prefer clear endings. The ending did, however, fit the overall feel of the book

I hate to say it but I was pretty bored reading this book. The writing style wasn't my favorite either. Lona just seems to be feeling sorry for herself the entire book, and at the end, she's still feeling sorry for herself. I also didn't like when: the book did this. It did this: a lot. Why?

Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and the author for an Advanced Copy of this book. I greatly appreciate it.

This book was difficult for me to get through. It focuses on the main protagonist Lona and the existential crisis that she tends to face. She dropped out of school, work odd-end jobs, and has a social life that's not AS social. I love the premise of the book and its idea of combating social isolation and adult decision making. It was just difficult for me to follow. I did not really relate to the characters, so I found myself very detached from the text. The bones and the structure are good, but I'm not sure that I follow the path of the book.

*Thank you to Net Galley and Text Publishing Company for the advance copy*

Lona prefers to be by herself. After dropping out of college, where she was pursuing an art degree, Lona spends her nights and weekends working at a roller skating rink and her days developing photos in the dark room at her college. She's in her early 20's and trying to figure her life out, but comes across as absolutely insufferable. Lona is at an exciting time in her life, but her life is anything by exciting. Her relationships are half-assed and her behavior is maddening. You don't want to root for her, because it is hard to even care about her. It's hard to care about anyone in this story.

Her friends, family members, and love interests aren't really a part of Lona's story; they're more just present in her life. I feel as though there were multiple missed opportunities for stronger relationships with supporting characters that would've made this book interesting and it was disappointing to see them never come to fruition.

This is the story about Lona, a loner in Melbourne.
For me, I was just bored reading this book. There was nothing special about Lona or her story, or at least I didn't feel like there was. Nothing in the book made me want to care about her as a character. Even by the conclusion, I just could not care what she had done with her life.
I do like the writing style, it flowed really well and made the story easy to read. There were also a few really cute moments in the book, which I would rather not share so they can stay special for fellow readers.
Maybe this story will work for you. But as someone who lives this kind of life as a loner, I just couldn't be entertained by her story.

This book tells the story of a young woman named Lona, who has only just discovered everything she believed she wanted is not really what she wants. Like many women at this age of ending high school and deciding what to do now. She has lost all hope that the after part holds any meaning to her life or the world. Thus, she is now roaming through her life with constant indecision, partial self-reflection, and no exact goal to guide her.

To describe Lona would be like requesting me to explain why the sky is blue. Lona is a unique personality, an acquired taste if I am to be honest. She doesn't care about anyone except her best friend and then some of her family who comes next. Therefore, she spends little time getting to know those around her. Not even the boy or boy(s) she likes. However, she constantly finds herself in this place between wanting to be herself, but also want to be what others expect her to be. The sad thing is, Lona doesn't know what she desires to be but she knows what she doesn't want to be. Which already propels her further than me when I first left high school. This places her a few less than pleasant situations that while hard, she needs experience in. This entire book is an insight into things that happens with young women every day.

I don't want to give too much away, but this is such an extraordinary book. I will admit that at the start of the story I was very hesitant about the writing style. I will not spoil it for those considering this book, but the writing is not like any I have ever read. Frequently I feel like I am missing pieces of the story due to the chosen form of writing. However, the more I read I feel like the format was precisely chosen to reflect on Lona and how she perceives the world. Thankfully, the formatting does not take away from the story. It instead, just makes me wish I had more to read. The leading character feels so realistic that my kindle has over 50 highlights of things that I loved or agreed with. I related so much to Lona that I almost felt like this book was exclusively written about me a few times. That's what makes this book so much fun to read. I feel like I'm apart of her world and comprehend why she does the things she does. I believe anyone will identify parts of themselves in Lona because in my mind she's not a fictional character. I'm merely reading the diary of the typical everyday young woman. The book depicts situations and thoughts we have all had at one point or another and I love the insight on how Lona specially deals with this.

The humor is the second reason I enjoy this book. It has been so long since I have laughed out loud at something I read in a book. I wish I could provide an example here to give you an idea, but I don't want to ruin it. I highly encourage you all to give this book a chance and I guarantee you won't regret it. Lona is hilarious, selfish, honest, blunt, creative, and just an extremely fascinating person. Someone I'd appreciate getting to know even if she doesn't want to get to know me!

A new adult fiction about a young woman dealing with anxiety, loss of confidence, and existential angst. I was at odds with this book because I was frustrated with Lona yet I could completely relate to her. The writing is great and the flow of emotions is so relatable. Lona is struggling to find herself and struggling with her art, all the while trying to juggle navigating relationships and family issues.