No One Is Talking About This by Patricia Lockwood

WOMENS PRIZE LONG LIST

I guarantee you have read nothing like this. A clever exploration of the addictive damage the Internet can do, uniquely styled like a stream of consciousness. In a world communicating via emojis, where a persons self esteem is inextricably linked to their reception on social media, Lockwood sharply looks at the impact this has. The fragmented prose feels like you are reading an elongated meme or Reddit thread, the focus always on trends. When challenges arise for the protagonist, her perspective entirely changes and the style of writing does reflecting this in such a clever way. It won’t appeal to everyone, but there are moments of such acerbic wit and others of poignant, heart wrenching grief that I found this book utterly compelling. The author holds a mirror up to the many ironies we live with daily and makes the reader question the value of the overwhelming power of living a life predominantly online. We are more connected than ever and yet we are more isolated and alienated, polarised and divided. An astounding debut well deserving of the applause. Many thanks to @__momentsofmine and @bloomsburypublishing for our copy.

~ Chaya. 

Wow. Where to start. Longlisted for the @womensprizeyesterday, this book is quite unlike anything I’ve *ever* read. This is the story of a writer who has gone viral, celebrated all over the world for a very simple post asking the question ‘can a dog be twins?’ The internet here is ‘the portal’ and this is a life led very much online. What is the impact of this on us? What is reality and what isn’t? Where, ultimately, is the line and does that line even exist? Boundaries are merged and Lockwood’s observations and views of a potential future will make you shudder at times. The form is intriguing and impactful, almost dislocated in its presentation, which made me feel as if I was scrolling (we’re all guilty!) — it was almost an uncomfortable feeling which was incredibly effective. There are moments of hilarity, times you will genuinely question *everything* and parts, particularly in the second half, where your heart will actually break.

~ Sophie