4.5/5

As a long time fan of Weir's recaps and articles, I was both very excited and a little nervous to read his first novel. Luckily I thoroughly enjoyed this.

36 year old Aimee has lived in Byron Bay her whole life. But as the small coastal town becomes increasingly "Hemsworthified" (i.e. essentially gentrified by yuppies who wanna be hippies and celebrities who wanna drink detox teas), Aimee finds herself cast in the role of "grumpy local"... quite literally, as she's roped into appearing in a reality TV show in town. Her life is falling down around her - her shop is being sold out from under her, her fiance wants "a break"... Can Byron Karen claw her life back - or is it time to let go?

A fellow bookstagrammer described this book as "coming of age in your 30s" and that's so absolutely perfect that I'm stealing it (shoutout to Fabee). Oh, Weir's trademark wry wit is definitely there. I mean, this is a book that uses the phrase "penis de resistance" in a conversation about a huge dick (*chefs kiss* btw). There are lots of madcap situations and often almost slapstick kind of humour to entertain. But this book is more than that.

As a 39 year old woman, I found Aimee super relatable. I was sad when I read a review that said they didn't like the main character, because I'm pretty sure Aimee is *exactly* who I'd be if I hadn't had kids. She's reached that point of adulthood where other people your age seem to be adults and you're just like - is... is that what I'm meant to be doing? Like, adulting n shit? I honestly still feel like that a lot of the time.

In amongst all the sex, drugs and Byron Brats of this story, the core of it really is the fact that Aimee has been living on autopilot, and it takes her life falling to pieces for her to realise that she actually needs to face herself and figure out what she actually *wants*.

Clocking in at 419 pages, I do think the plot was a little *meandering* at times. But I enjoyed the characters and story enough that I didn't care at all. I always felt engaged and happy to pick it back up again come reading time.

This is not a romance, just to be clear. There are dalliances and casual sex (off page) but romance isn't the focus of the story. Although I did have a favourite dude for her from very early on and the slightly ambiguous ending lets me headcanon that they totally end up together.

There is also a storyline featuring drugs, FYI.

One thing I loved about this book is how unapologetically Australian it is. With lines like:
"In their jeans, the three of them did not look like they belonged in a Donna Hay cookbook. At best, they looked like they belonged in one of those free recipe catalogues you pick up at the Woolworths checkout."
And:
"Aimee caught herself making a face again - the same face she usually reserved for green flavoured Clinkers."
- this is a book that's unabashedly for an Australian audience and I love that.

Overall this book was not only a lot of fun but also really resonated with me. It felt very real while also being hilarious and entertaining. Raising my takeaway cup in solidarity with all the other apparently grown up hot messes just trying to figure themselves out.

To be honest, I had heard the hype and was keen to read this. Unfortunately the main character was really unlikeable (in my opinion only) and I struggled to get into the novel due to this.

OMG this book was soooo good!
I absolutely devoured it in a single day!

It got me out of a reading slump and into a binge-read of romance books.

Would definitely recommend

4/5 stars

Thank you Netgalley for the arc

Aimee has always lived in Byron Bay but with the arrival of the super rich Hollywood set, such as the Hemsworth brothers, it’s got to the point were locals can no longer afford to buy or rent their homes, or their businesses. Aimee is not interested in celebrities, social media, influencers and reality TV - until such a show comes to town and she ends up being a Karen - ‘Byron Karen’ - as she speaks out about the harm they are doing.

Aimee is at a turning point in her life - her fiancé has asked for time out to date other people before committing to marriage, her bookshop contract is up for renewal and the new contract is way more than she can afford, and her niece Freya, who is going to appear in a reality show, arrives in town to stay with her.

I’m not sure I really liked Aimee, she seems quite immature for a women in her 30s and if my fiancé of many years asked for a break, then took up with a 20 year old bimbo, I’d kick him out so fast his head would spin. But there is a potential new love interest for her if only Aimee can survive the story.

There is an element of truth in the story - there were recent reports of a reality show being filmed in Byron Bay with a load of ‘influencers’ and the locals were up in arms. Not sure if the show has gone into production yet but certainly made the Australian news.

There were moments were I chuckled while reading the book, but overall it did not really appeal to me, although was enjoyable in parts. The book certainly succeeded in being a social commentary on how farcical the influencers are and how much harm they do.

The Hemsworth Effect is a good beach read in that it is light with serious undertones and allows you to feel superior to people who worship at the feet of celebrities and influencers. And that is why this is a powerful read.

I absolutely adore the James Weir recaps of trashy reality tv. When I was scrolling through Netgalley and saw he has written a book, I couldn’t request a copy fast enough.

Hot off the back of the Byron Baes reality car crash on Netflix, this book explores how the Byron locals have responded to The Hemsworth Effect - the influx of celebrities and influencers to a once quiet, beachside town.

I won’t give anything away, but if you’re a fan of poking fun at the trashy reality tv genre, I highly recommend you grab a copy.

If you’re familiar with James Weir reality recaps, you’ll be well aware of his writing style and humour. I was a little worried that would be hard to sustain through a whole book, but he absolutely nailed it.

I loved every second of it and will shove this book onto anyone who is after a light, fun read. I can’t wait to see what he comes up with for his next book. Whatever it is, I’ll be picking up a copy!

Thanks to Netgalley for a free copy of the ebook in exchange for an honest review.

If you are looking for a light-hearted rom-comm(ish) dig at Byron Bay and all its trimmings, this is the book for you. The plot is unbelievably believable (only in Byron Bay) and the characters a perfect mix of the new Byron and the old Byron. I found myself cheering for Aimee and her friends as they tackled and battled the Nuovo Riche (just what IS cottagecore anyway?) in an attempt to cling on to the town they knew and loved. Introduce a reality show and wayward niece to the equation, and you have a book that entertains on all levels.

The Hemsworth Effect by James Weir
3⭐️
———
I really struggled through this novel. Overall it was a great idea, especially for a satire novel and I normally love James Weir’s writing, but something about this one just didn’t hit the mark for me. Whether it was the plot, the writing style or the characters it just fell flat. I definitely think there are people that would enjoy this novel, it just wasn’t the one for me this time and that’s okay!

A great read, funny and well written. A light hearted romcom set in Byron Bay. Not usually my thing but it was less romance and more comedy.

The Hemsworth Effect is a novel that's very focused on a particular time and place. It's set firmly in Byron Bay with commentary on the town's quirks, and the timeframe is defined by current slang/memes.

It's a comedy about Aimee, a 36-year-old bookstore owner who has to deal with a serious of challenges that lead her into some quirky and funny situations. The real stars of the book are Aimee's friends, who are hilarious. This is not a romance, thought the book does have romantic elements.

The Hemsworth Effect will be most enjoyed by Australians who've been to/know about Byron, especially those around Aimee's age who can relate to the pop culture references. I enjoyed this book, though as a more recent arrival to Australia I did vaguely feel on occasion that I may be missing the joke. I love that the book is so Australian, though, and it's wonderful to read a novel that's set locally.

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster for providing me with an ARC of this book.

I will usually plough through every book. However 25% into thus book it just felt like it was going no-where. I didn’t find the language usage particularly good and the writing style wasn’t of the standard I enjoy. Perhaps, I fairness this particular book would appeal to a younger reader.

The Hemsworth Effect was interesting, entertaining and funny at times, though I suspect much of the humour washed over my head. I’m not an Instagram fan and don’t watch reality TV. Influencers have no influence on me. In other words, I’m not the target audience. That said, the story is well developed and flows nicely. While I might not wan5 to dive back in for a second read I think there are plenty of others who definitely would.

This was a fun, light read that followed Aimee (or Byron Karen) through the twists and turns of life.
I enjoyed the drama the reality TV show featured but I am still struggling to work out how it was going to air. Things felt super disjointed and like they were only there to make the story of Aimee seem more interesting rather than to develop a plot for the show.
I was rooting for Heath and feel like there should have been more of a conversation and resolution between those two. Also Jules following her to the pub and then just up and running? Seems unlikely.
Overall it was a fun read but nothing that gripped me and invested me in the story.

Thanks so much to NetGalley for providing this arc!

Aimee is dismayed to find out that the landlord of her bookstore premises is selling up. It is all part of the ‘celebrification’ of Byron Bay, with locals being pushed out by the wealthier newcomers and high-profile holidaymakers, all attracted to the area because stars such as Chris Hemsworth live there.
When the executive producer of a reality TV show witnesses her rant against the unwelcome changes to her laidback beach town, Aimee is dubbed ‘Byron Karen’ and is enticed by her growing financial need to be cast on the show.
Aimee is also having a time-out from her relationship with fiance and childhood sweetheart Tim, and his new squeeze is an influencer who is also appearing on The Brats of Byron Bay.
Written by a newspaper journalist known for his witty recaps of reality TV shows such as The Bachelor, this story skewers the inflood of newcomers flaunting their cash, hipsters gripping their keep cups, and influencers living their best lives in an iconic Australian location. It’s an entertaining and amusing read but perhaps too many elements were squeezed in.

HAPPY PUBLICATION DAY!!

You know those hilarious recaps of the reality shows we love to hate and hate to love? Well the bloke that writes those has written a book!

Aimee is losing her shit! Having been born and bred in Byron Bay, she has seen the town go downhill since celebrities have stumbled upon it and now they want to film another reality TV show over the summer - Byron Karen will not stand for it! On top of this is the fact that Aimee's life is literally falling apart - her and her fiance are on a time out, she is broke and the building that is home to her beloved book store is being sold. All because of The Hemsworth Effect.

With James Weirs' witty and dry sense of humour you just can't go wrong. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and want to thank Netgalley and Simon Schuster Australia for my copy. However, the ending seemed a bit flat, or maybe that was just me not wanting it to end. This book will be the perfect summer read. It will make you laugh, cry and maybe even shit the bed! "I'll have that, with cheese" oh, and #dontforgetyourkeepcup

Is it possible to be too popular?

You wouldn’t normally think so since who doesn’t want to be universally loved and adored – surely there can be no downside? – but in The Hemsworth Effect by debut author James Weir, the who, and for that matter, the what, of Byron Bay is finding itself just a little but in demand for its own taste.

Or, more accurately, the taste of local Aimee Maguire who has lived in the most easterly town in Australia, surviving some significant personal tragedy to build up a life of full of bookshop-running, apartment living, rich, quirky friendship, and beach swimming which calms her down when gets too demanding or perplexing, all in the heart of downtown with her fiancé Tim, with whom she’s been since high school.

Aimee is swimming a lot of late by the way because life is getting perplexing to an alarming degree with property prices going sky high, tourists outnumbering the locals much of the time – good for the bookshop maybe but not so much for Aimee’s quality of life which is in danger of disappearing altogether along with the shop she rents, fiancé she has (he wants, and has got, a time-out) and the place she calls home with bay band member and food truck operator housemate Charlie – and life in all its goldfish bowl glory given over to a reality TV show, with which Aimee vows she will have nothing to do.

Until, of course, necessity or circumstances dictates that she does and then life, already suffering from proximity to too much geographical popularity, becomes even more challenging that it is already.

The Hemsworth Effect is a deliciously clever novel.

It takes a hard, close look at the effect of popularity on a town, and really region-wide level, exploring how one urban centre’s enamoured embrace by the influencer, turmeric-latte sipping set can make life difficult in so many ways for those who have always called the place home.

Far from being some damning polemic against investment and change, The Hemsworth Effect is far more nuanced, accepting the presence of change on a massive level but noting with a wry grin and not a little damning knowingness, that all that stirring up of the established order is not always a good thing.

Unless, of course, like Aimee, you’ve become just a little too stuck in life.

Aimee’s journey is at the heart of this funny and incisively clever novel, which looks like societally-critical rom-com until it morphs into something altogether more personal and transformative, speaking of how change, though it might with a host of constituently unwelcome parts, can be the making of someone who has let grief and pain anchor her to a highly limiting degree, stymieing the ability of her life to go to the kinds of places she unwittingly needs for it to go.

The thing is, Aimee, who is beautiful, thoughtful and very funny – not that she’d accept any of that is true; well, not to the extent that others do – doesn’t think she has anywhere else to go, not just geographically but existentially, and it’s her sense of surety that life is just fine as it is that gets a long over due shaking up when not one but two reality TV show comes to town.

Hired by the show after a rant she unleashes accidentally on camera about change in Byron Bay goes viral – they love the “Karen” energy she brings to proceedings, not realising, nor caring to, that Aimee’s premature curmudgeonly approach to everything, something a person in their early thirties shouldn’t have normally, is the product of great loss in years past – Aimee, and her bestie, hairdresser Roberta aka Rob, and Aimee’s niece Freya who comes up from Sydney to find herself at the centre of the show’s bevy of beautiful influencers, find themselves wholly changed by the newness of just about everything in the beachside town.

While Aimee is busy rejecting the celebrification of Byron Bay – hence the title which captures everything that is wrong or just plain neutral but seismically change-inducing about the town – and all the change it brings, her life is busy changing anyway, something she fails to notice in her unwitting quest to keep things As They Are.

What’s most endearing about this furiously witty novel which bristles happily and with much verve and pithy insight about the human condition, the effect of pain and grief and the power of the known to leach the life out of us, and some truly snappy, fun dialogue, is that it is, at heart, a story about one person’s much-delayed move from being damagingly stuck in place to discovering that change, of the personal kind anyway (as opposed to redeveloping everything including heritage-listed dairy sheds) may not be so bad, after all.

For all its winning ability to intelligently skewer the pretensions of both the moneyed, tanned and linen-clothed set, and those who oppose anything that could upset their decades-old way of life, The Hemsworth Effect is at its best when it goes deep and with great empathy, and not a little sizzling good humour, into how grief-led stuckness can remake someone’s life to such an enervating degree that they forget how to live.

Aimee’s life looks full – business, besties and a (timed-out) fiancé all in place, not to mention a town she loves – even if it doesn’t always love her, especially when some unfortunate incidents during films put the cats very much among the societal pigeons – but in reality, it’s ground to a soul-sucking halt, and while she may not like many of the things that happen to her in The Hemsworth Effect, they are, in the end, the making of her.

Weir beautifully gets how grief can slow you down until you stop, and how you don’t even notice that’s happening, and it’s this compassionate insightfulness, woven through the reality TV show mania and sometimes hilarious, sometimes fury-inducing relational upheavals, that is the making of The Hemsworth Effect.

It’s a rich, funny, cleverly thoughtful and satirically-smart novel that knows that however stupid much of the superficiality of modern online-driven culture might be, that it can stir things up sufficiently that while towns may suffer and not be the better for it, people like Aimee might be, with The Hemsworth Effect emerging as an affecting treatise on how change can be the enemy but it can be for good too, taking us from where we are stuck to somewhere else entirely, both locationally and existentially, leaving us all the better for it, even if we don’t know it at the time.

⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

There’s always something about reading a book set in Australia that I love. When you understand and relate to all the little references and Aussie jokes. Plus, I love a rom-com.

The Hemsworth Effect is set in Byron Bay, New South Wales. During the summer the town is filled with out of towners and the locals are getting run out of business by reality TV stars.
I like to read characters that feel real, and Aimee is that she is flawed and full of self-doubt. Roberta is an awesome and I really liked a lot of secondary characters. I really enjoyed Weir's witty writing style and there a few times I’d find myself laughing. I do wish we got a cameo of Chris Hemsworth though!

There were a couple places where I felt the story lagged a bit but overall, a perfect light-hearted summer read! ☀️


Thank you to netgalley for this ARC of The Hemsworth Effect.

It started with the Hemsworth. Now Byron Bay local, Aimee Maguire, is about to lose everything because she can't afford to pay the rent. Her engagement is also on an official "time out" as her fiance doesn't know what he wants - and the last thing she needs is a visit from her micro-influencer niece... This visit, however, sets off a hilarious chain of events.

Firstly, this book is a hoot! Aimee is my kind of person - she's cranky and not afraid to show it! She's also a little stuck in a rut, which is why all the events that happen to, and around, her seem to impact her so profoundly - she's scared of any change in her world.

The Brats of Byron bay, the reality show being filmed that Aimee gets involved in, was also a great critique on modern society and reality TV shows in particular. The Brats are tolerable, but you can understand how Aimee feels when she has to interact with them.

I also didn't like Aimee's fiance from the get-go and it wasn't because he suggested they take a relationship hiatus. He just didn't seem to value Aimee or their relationship and, after over a decade together, you really hope he would've wised up and seen how unpleasant his mother was to her.

I REALLY enjoyed the ending. I loved that Aimee drove off into the sunset with a friend and not with her "one true love". It gave me all the Thelma and Louise feels without, you know, the cliff. It also was a great reflection on Aimee's growth as a character that the future wasn't all mapped out.

Even though I enjoyed this book, and had to keep reading it, the story is the epitome of everything that’s wrong in the world! Self gratification and self absorption are the themes, and whilst parts of the story are amusing and over the top, I found myself more annoyed with the characters and plot than entertained. Having said that, I enjoyed the setting of the book. It’s nice when you know exactly where they’re referring to, and the strange vibe taking over our coastal tourist towns.

I loved that this was set in Australia and there were many pop culture references. I do have mixed feelings on this book and it was a bit too slow paced for me.

Is it bad that I loved the side characters more than the MC. I especially loved Rob as she was so funny and witty. If the best friends of Charlie and Rob weren't there and Aimee was soloing this story, I probably would have DNF. I wanted so hard to relate to Aimee, though I felt like she was making poor choices and didn't really accept responsibility in making good changes in her life. From her situation with Tim, then her bookstore's building being sold, to making money on the reality TV show with the type of people she hated, not letting people in when they were trying to help... yes, it was one thing after another in her life, but was I meant to be frustrated with her the whole time? Was that the point? Also felt like the ending left some parts unresolved... especially with Tim - I wanted a deep and meaningful conversation. Should Aimee have fixed her trauma over her sister's death? Could she have confronted Rozzie? I wanted more of a conversation with Heath.

What I did enjoy was how over the top Brooke was. She made me laugh with all the cringe worthy moments she created and it was like how I imagine some influencers to be - creating drama for the sake of the camera. I thought what happened on the reality show was funny and Addie and Luna with their outgoing personalities, especially on the podcast was hilarious. I thought the relationship with her niece Fleur was sweet and how she had to mum her because she loved her. The moments with Tim and his fedora made me cringe a lot but in a funny way. the time spent with Jules and Heath really did spark some change in Aimee and it definitely opened her up to trying new things.

Thanks to Netgalley, the publisher and author for having this available as an ARC.

This book is a light read with serious aspects, it has amusing moments and you’ll want to keep reading, due to The Hemsworth Effect!

The main character Aimee doesn’t particularly appear happy with the growth of Byron Bay, she’s not impressed when she can’t afford the rent on her bookshop, then to top it off, her fiancée Tim wants “a break”. The storyline deals with real issues whilst trying to keep a lighthearted undertone, it doesn’t quite work for me. Aimee’s emotional roller coaster life leaves me feeling that she lacks depth, the main characters with their lack of responsibility feels unrealistic.

Thanks to the publisher, NetGalley and the author for the opportunity to read this book.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.