Due to a sudden, unexpected passing in the family a few years ago and another more recently and my subsequent (mental) health issues stemming from that, I was unable to download this book in time to review it before it was archived as I did not visit this site for several years after the bereavements. This meant I didn't read or venture onto netgalley for years as not only did it remind me of that person as they shared my passion for reading, but I also struggled to maintain interest in anything due to overwhelming depression. I was therefore unable to download this title in time and so I couldn't give a review as it wasn't successfully acquired before it was archived. The second issue that has happened with some of my other books is that I had them downloaded to one particular device and said device is now defunct, so I have no access to those books anymore, sadly.

This means I can't leave an accurate reflection of my feelings towards the book as I am unable to read it now and so I am leaving a message of explanation instead. I am now back to reading and reviewing full time as once considerable time had passed I have found that books have been helping me significantly in terms of my mindset and mental health - this was after having no interest in anything for quite a number of years after the passings. Anything requested and approved will be read and a review written and posted to Amazon (where I am a Hall of Famer & Top Reviewer), Goodreads (where I have several thousand friends and the same amount who follow my reviews) and Waterstones (or Barnes & Noble if the publisher is American based). Thank you for the opportunity and apologies for the inconvenience.

Darren McGavery gives an insight into poverty in the UK unlike anything seen before. He writes with experience, not just from a birds eye view. Not only is this book political but emotional. He uncovers, and gives voice, to issues which all politicans, and those with compassion, should stop and listen to. But most importantly, this book is accessible and should be read by all,.

I deeply appreciated the opportunity to read and review this book. I'll be using it's contents in my teaching and will make sure to keep an eye out for more works from this author and publisher.

I wasn't a fan. Ended up DNFing at 25%. I expected it to be more statistic based (and maybe it is further on) but it was like a memoir and I didn't find it particularly interesting.

So I have some mixed feelings on this book.

On the one hand as someone who grew up in poverty I could relate to a lot of his stories. I can say for sure that the first half of the book, the 'misery memoir' as its referred to will definitely strike a chord with many who had similar childhoods. The writing itself is solid and I found the author to be very relatable.

However the book frustrated me, there was no clear structure and the book was primarily anecdotal. Things went on tangents and it took a while for McGarvt to get the the point he's trying to make. I also disliked that each time we get the opportunity to hear from someone who's interesting the chapter changed and they're cut off too soon. It's a shame because I'd really have enjoyed more of those stories of other people and I think it would have enriched the book.
After all, it's called Poverty Safari. This leads to expectation that we'll be traveling around Britain, hearing from different people and learning about their experiences. Something we got very little of. And people in poverty experience it differently, so it would have been nice if those people were also given a voice (I'd particularly have liked to hear from women, as this is for the most part only focusing on a mans experience)
Regardless of this I still very much enjoyed reading about the authors own experiences and enjoyed hearing about how he believes we can create change.

I don't think this book is bad, in fact I quite liked it. I just don't think it delivers on what it promises, or at least for me it didn't deliver what I expected. There are some valuable lessons to be found within its pages but please be aware that you will mostly be hearing about one man's experiences and his opinions are very much influenced by them to, at some times, the point of bias.