The author, Josie Long, is an award-winning British comedian who was unfamiliar to me. I regret that short stories rarely appeal to me. I was expecting a humourous book, whereas this consisted of sixteen sensitively written short stories. I skipped around in the order presented but failed to finish many. It was a case of 'I don't know what you mean and what you don't.'

The tales were dark, unsettling slices of life. They were well-written but lacked the humourous flair I expected. They were narrated through the rambling, emotional narratives and viewpoints of the characters involved. They were a heartfelt, uncomfortable look at unsettling aspects of life, such as doubts, insecurities, low self-esteem, anxiety, anger, class and politics. They include social commentary with themes of confusion, frustration and relationships. I felt some stories could be expanded into short novels while others were forgettable.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review. It is recommended for readers who enjoy dark, emotional shot stories and for fans of Josie Long. Publication is due on February 13th.

This short story collections was a diverse and intricate look into different individual's minds. It was very provocative and unnerving at times how the one's presentation is manipulation or a defense mechanism and how one's thoughts do not equal what they expose to the world. The intimacy of the inner dialogue throughout each story was very interesting and how it was written gave the feeling that you were really seeing something you weren't supposed to. Like with most collection there were some stories that I enjoyed more than others but as a whole I really enjoyed and was captivated by this one.

Highly recommend reading. It will definitely make you think.

I read the first few stories but they didn’t speak to me, and I wasn’t that interested. I won’t be finishing this one.