Mumsnet Book Club review – Fallout by Sadie Jones

Disclosure.  This post is a review of a book I was sent for free.  All opinions are my own.

It has been about 6 months since I had a book from the Mumsnet Book Club but I’ve just received a free copy of “Fallout” by Sadie Jones to review.

This is what it says on the back cover.

London 1972. Luke is dazzled by the city. It seems a world away from the provincial town he has fled along with his own troubled past, and his new life is unrecognisable – one of friendships forged in pubs, candlelit power cuts, and smoky late-night parties.

When Nina, a fragile and damaged actress, strays into his path, Luke is immediately drawn to her and the delicate balance of his new life is threatened. Unable to stay away from her, Luke is torn between loyalty, desire and his own painful past, until everything he values, even the promise of the future, is in danger…

The majority of the book is set in 1972/73, but the first seventy pages or so introduce the main characters at earlier periods in their lives, including events where their paths unwittingly cross. Plus a final chapter of what happens afterwards in 1975. I had mixed feelings reading this book as the 1970s is not an era I can particularly relate to. Although very well written, I wasn’t gripped  by the story. To me it was all smoking, pubs and parties and I couldn’t focus on the relationships. Although I did enjoy the pub theatre aspects of the story, I suppose because of both my own amdram background and my love of the Edinburgh fringe where I have seen several productions in pubs. Even when I reached the end of the book, I didn’t really feel anything for what I had just read, but that may just be me, as it has great press reviews.

“Fallout” is by Sadie Jones, the number one bestselling author of The Outcast. It is published by Vintage, a division of Penguin. The paperback edition is currently on sale on Amazon for £3.99 compared to an RRP of £7.99. It is also available in hardback, kindle format and audio. I found it very well written, but not a book for me.

I’ve previously read the following books from the Mumsnet Book Club, both of which I enjoyed a lot more than this one.
Falling by Emma Kavanagh
The Girl Who Just Appeared by Jonathan Harvey

and I will be blogging shortly about my next read “Coming Home” by Annabel Kantaria.

I’d love to hear what you’ve been reading lately?

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