Oh Honey

A black humored checkerboard with ivory tiles of compassion.

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A "post it" with a phone number and hearts is affixed to a cubicle. She will make this call at least eleven times a day. This number is the man who vehemently hates her. She is the telemarketer named Jane. Or is she?

WOW!

Oh, Honey is a laugh out loud at times albeit dark short story. Recounted in the present day Jane, a drug popping telemarketer narrates her story. She is on probation for possession and has regular meetings with her officer. And Jane knows how to push people's buttons. Especially, one client's phone number. But suddenly, the roles are reversed, and someone is playing her at her own game. The author takes us down a twisty path that has no good outcome.

The characters in Oh Honey evoke many emotional reactions for the reader. They are three-dimensional and cringeworthy. Jane is witty and sarcastic and a spin master. She is also an unreliable story teller. Each time she makes a phone call, she is someone else. Belle. Ariel. Pocahontas. Or the ladies in Jane Austin's Emma. She is on lithium, a cutter, and living life on the edge. She is in constant suicidal rumination about her death. About midway in the narrative, we get a deeper insight into a child's life in poverty buttressed with a mother's abuse and neglect.

Central to Jane's life are her three friends. The conspiracist and roommate Keats. Ivy, Keat's loquacious girlfriend. And Frank, the pen coveting, and thieving artist. All these characters are so insanely simple and yet unpredictable. Except they may be her only salvation.

Oh, Honey gives you a glimpse into an unmotivated young adult's struggle with bipolar disorder and drug abuse. It is dark and frightening as Jane always seems to find the edge of the cliff.

The brief description of the book is vague and perhaps on purpose. It was not what I expected. I started reading this book in the morning and finished it by the afternoon. Gritty and awesome. In this well-written narrative, I laughed and felt morose all on the same page over and over.

For a quick, powerful and unconventional novel that will make you sit there and wonder what you just read, Oh Honey is your book! Highly recommend. Eh?

Thank you, NetGalley and Holland House for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Wow! This was a highly readable, surprising story. What started out quirky and darkly funny took a sharp turn. I couldn't put this down. I am anxious to read more of this author.

An absolutely provoking, unhinged and uncompromising story on mental illness.

It is loosely centred around the main character's soul-crushing (verified through my own personal experience) job in a call centre and the unapologetic 'fun' she tries to derive from it. It also highlights the callous treatment of those with mental illness by the professionals apparently set to 'fix' them which I feel is often missing from books of this nature.

The MC is gripping, impossibly flawed yet in utter self-denial that I couldn't help falling under her spell and having a reluctant affinity with some of her actions and thoughts.

I loved this strange book and because of this it had me (halfheartedly) questioning my decency as a human. There is nothing funny about another being's self-destruction YET their were numerous times I found myself unable to hold back a chuckle. This is a testament to the electric writing which is dark, sardonic and witty. I could visualise everything so clearly in this book that it was as though I were watching a movie. In fact Rooney Mara was whom I cast as the MC!

Great book but not for the light/sensitive hearted.

Maybe it helps that I have a friend who is somewhat of a drug addict who works in market research in Ottawa, but throughout reading this entire story I just pictured every scene so vividly. I absolutely loved everything about it. I think because it was short it was even better, because it really...packed a punch. I could feel exactly what the character feels when she is so down/hating herself, and all she can do is bring on more hate, it's a hard habit to break, and very real for me.

An intriguing, succinct and melancholic concoction of a read - loved it!

This was a strange read in which we learn about the MC, Jane, and how she works for a telemarketing company, and is constantly calling one specific customer over and over again. Pretending to be someone else each time she calls, but still effectively driving the man on the other side of the phone to become increasingly agitated as the story goes on.

Jane does not have a great POV to read from. Her life generally sucks. She’s a compulsive liar who has no friends, a drug issue that presents its own sub-list of issues, and a past that doesn’t really come to light till later in the book. I really just felt like she ruined the lives of everyone around her, and honestly didn’t really feel like the story was funny at all. Just really sad because it feels like such a common thread for so many people. There is a slight twist with regards to why she continues to call the same “customer” over and over again, but the knightly reasons that started it were not justified by the despicable person she was herself. And in the end, she ends up hurting the people she was half-assedly fighting for anyway. The ending was only slightly surprising, but even after learning what the “customer” did to gain Jane’s wrath, his comeuppance was way more than what he deserved, and I actually felt like the whole world would’ve benefited from a reversal of the roles we see at the very tale end of the story.

I’m still glad I read the story, and did enjoy it for the darkness that it was, but probably wouldn’t recommend it because I don’t know many people that would truly enjoy reading about this girl’s dumpster dive of a life.

I received this story from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I raced through this in a morning, which I shouldn't have because it is BRUTAL. I felt genuinely upset and indignant about the protagonist's life, and it's not often I have such an emotional reaction to a book. I don't usually like realism, and I definitely don't like books about call centres (I worked in a call centre, selling PPI – I apologise if I ever sold you PPI, which is unlikely as I was rubbish at that job). But there's something about this book. The narrator's voice, the repetition, the wry pop-culture jokes in how she cold-calls (Hello my name is Hilda, Hello my name is Zelda, Hello my name is Sabrina). It's hard to say I love it because by its nature it's such a cold and harsh book. But I thought about it for a long time, and I'm still thinking about it.

This book was dark. We meet a telemarketer with mental issues. Maybe a call center is not the best place for employment. Jane does not have a great life. She is a liar, has not many friends and makes people's lives around her Hell. During her time at the call center, she calls one customer repeatedly and as the story goes on, we find out why. The ending was not one I was expecting. I am not sure this book is for everyone. It has some funny points, but, it is very dark. Jane, the main character has lots of issues. Thanks to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for the ARC of this book in return for my honest review.

Jane is a telemarketer. Although sometimes she's Sabrina. Other times she's Nancy. But she's almost always phoning the same person. And with each call he becomes angrier and more threatening. But she persists. And the more she phones this man, the more she reveals about her reasons, her past and why it may not be all she says it is.

Emily Austen's debut novel, Oh Honey, is an interesting portrayal of mental illness. Jane is a bipolar pill-popper, on probation for drug possession, attending regular meetings with her probation officer, to varying degrees of success. I liked her as a character. She's witty and sarcastic (definitely my kind of person), and she's the kind of person who says out loud what everyone else is afraid to.

In saying that, she's not a particularly likable character. But you feel for her. She's a product of the problematic system she's in. Oh Honey shows the problems that come with the rehabilitation process and how it's not always helpful to the people it's trying to rehabilitate. Jane's probation officer doesn't even notice when she turns up to a meeting completely off her face on 'ladybugs', a drug given to her by a co worker. Of course, Jane isn't completely without blame, she doesn't help herself in a lot of situations. But she's not helped by the system she's a part of.

I read Oh Honey in a couple of hours. It's definitely a strange book, but I couldn't help enjoying it. It's got a bit of everything in it; sometimes funny, sometimes sad, sometimes makes you think. I felt bad about laughing at times, it's a dark book and laughing seems like an insult to the subject matter. But it's a funny book, and it adds to the realism of it. Even when life isn't going well funny stuff still happens, and it's still okay to laugh. It might even be necessary to get through the bad stuff.

This book won't be for everyone. I know a lot of people weren't happy with the lack of resolution in the ending. I can see how that can be annoying, but I do think it works for Oh Honey. I see this book as a snippet of Jane's life, it's not her full story so there's no reason for it to have a proper resolution. Even the reason behind why she phones the same man every day is given in a blink-and-you'll-miss-it kind of thought. I enjoyed it and I know a lot of other readers will as well, so why not give it a go?

A zippy novel that packs an unexpected punch, Oh Honey by Emily R. Austin took me a day to read, but I don’t think it will leave my brain anytime soon.

The intriguing story pulls you in immediately, led by Jane, a mysterious telemarketer who takes us on a journey through her brain via prank phone calls, drug trips, and terrible walks down memory lane. Austin’s prose is beautiful, and perfectly fits Jane’s erratic way of speaking, and behavior.

The plot weaves through time, but since the writing reads like poetry, it was easy to follow and I enjoyed how Austin did that. It is a heartbreaking story, and perfect for someone who loves a good twist at the end. It’s not an “out of nowhere” twist, but it brings a shocking end to the book. It is one that truly made me sorry that book was already finished, because in a way, it could have also been the start of the story. And maybe it was!

Seems like Canadian author Austin is one to keep an eye one. Would love to see a longer novel from her in the future, and her other unique character creations.

Well written and interesting, but a little too dark for me right now. I will read another of Austin's books.

Written by: Emily R Austin

Release Date: July 1, 2017

Genre: Contemporary Fiction

Rating: 4 hostile hangups

Recommended for: telemarketers, people who hate telemarketers, people who have lived with strange roommates

NOT recommended for: people who are triggered by depictions of excessive drug use or self harm

Jane works in the soulless field of telemarketing, surveying people about feline diabetes. She shares an apartment with a man named Keats who she constantly lies to. Jane is also on probation. As Jane drifts along at work, she frequently calls one number over and over, using a different name each time and progressively angering the man at the other end of the line. What could possibly be her motive?

Sometimes funny, often dark, the story of Jane begins to emerge from behind the compulsive lies and incessant drug use. Austin’s debut novel is edgy, well crafted, engrossing and disturbing. It might make you think about being a little nicer to the person at the other end of the line, or it might make you really grateful for caller ID.

First, I love the cover. It easily attracts my attention and the blurb, though vague looks interesting. At first, it was so hard to connect to Jane. She seemed to be a difficult person to deal with. But as the story progresses and Jane's past started to unfold and reveal a distressing life she leads, I can't help but feel an utmost sympathy towards her.

The writing style is good but I find myself skipping the repetitions and there's a handful of it. I can't say I like the ending, either. It happens so fast, so abrupt. It's such a dismay knowing how short the novel is and to end in a cliff-hanger just when you're starting to enjoy the story. Despite it being dark and disturbing, I still find it a solid read. Though clearly, this is not the type for everyone's liking, if you don't mind reading about such theme, you should give this one a shot.

Wacky and dark, Oh Honey left me seriously considering my mental state after reading this. It's humorous but gives you the chills at certain parts and leaves fear and disgust rattling in your bones in a good way. Intriguing and award-worthy is the least I can say for this book. I love Jane, an unreliable storyteller with a drug addiction and her two friends, Keat and Ivy. The stories Jane told of her life and her interactions made this short read wanting more. Emily Austen is an author that needs to be published tenfold. I went into Oh Honey without knowing much and came out with a new favorite book!

Oh Honey. Brilliant title for Emily Austin's in-equal-parts-hilarious-and-deeply-disturbing novella.

Jane is mentally-ill and as unreliable as it gets as a narrator. She is also witty, sarcastic, reckless, caring and totally endearing. She works a soul-sucking job in a call center making outbound calls to gather data on cats. She changes her name with every call. For kicks, she repeatedly calls the same man every day. Sometimes up to eleven times a day. We can only assume she takes pleasure in his apoplectic responses to her calls, but she remains composed and sticks to her script despite his insults and threats. When revealed, Jane's motivations provide a glimpse of yet another dimension to her psyche.

Jane got under my skin, in a good way. I'll admit … I wanted to save her. I wanted someone to save her. I prayed it would be the nurse who murmured those two words that speak volumes … "Oh honey." For me, the ending came to a screeching halt and left me reeling.

Oh Honey is a solid quick read, made even quicker by frequent repetition of phrases and scenes. Bravo to author Emily Austin, and thank you to NetGalley and Holland House publishing for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Loved it, utterly loved it. It's funny, it's gritty, it's smart. it's unapologetic.

As someone who struggles with mental health, I love that this wasn't the classic "feel-good, watch me conquer my demons" story. Life isn't like that and mental health isn't like that. Often, you are self destructive and often that is amusing to those around you who don't recognise the struggle.

It's an authentic broken character, rather than a caricature of one.

In the vein of 'Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine, this is a darkly comedic look at the results of dysfunctional childhood, mental health and mundane work. Surprise in store.

Aw, this is good and pitch-black. Jane is pretty much terrible but she’s had a terrible life (childhood neglect resulting in a maelstrom of mental health issues) so lying and taking drugs to get through the days doesn’t seem like the worst idea. Plus her friends - Keats and Ivy - are terrible too. She does have a heart the only problem is she uses it torment a man who has been cruel to her co-worker. Needless to say it doesn’t end well for any of them.

Funny, heartbreaking and weirdly relatable (call centre, shitty jobs, making mistakes, terrible friends…).

It’s also short but not too sweet. Loved it, loved it, loved it. More please.

“Hello, my name is Esther. I am calling on behalf of Krippler Incorporated, a market research institute. Today we are conducting a survey on feline diabetes. Do you, or any member of your household, own a cat?”

They hang up.

“Hello. My name is Joan. I am calling on behalf of—”

They hang up.”

Dark, satirical novel, «Oh Honey» is definitely not a book for weak-hearted. Jane is a telemarketer. And she calls one man every single day. But it’s not random at all. She has a purpose.
This novel made me laugh at the darkest situations, which in turn made me question myself. Witty and deep, clever and profound, «Oh Honey» was a binge-read from the beginning till the end.