Where did I get it? I requested it on Netgalley, so thank you very much to Abrams Kids Books for kindly granting it to me.
What's it about? Apparently, there is a comic called Giant Days and this is a spin off of it. I don't know the first thing about comics in any way, shape, or form, but the premise of this book appealed to me and now, having read it, I would read the comics. I may have to seek them out!
Anyway, the novel takes place, as does the comic, at the University of Sheffield, and concerns three girls - Esther, Susan, and Daisy. Having met in the first few weeks of their first year due to the fact that they're in the same halls, we meet them just before Halloween. Daisy goes to an activities fair and ends up signing up for like a million clubs, and starts getting in a tizz over them. But then she joins a strange yoga group called Brethren of Zoise and it's up to Susan and Esther to rescue her.
Meanwhile, Esther meets a goth girl like herself and is determined that they should become friends, so she runs around Sheffield trying to make that happen. Susan, a medical student who smokes too much, is trying to avoid someone she knows from home, McGraw, but we're not sure why.
I really liked this book. It's an easy read and it's really funny in parts. There's an element of farce to it, and I really liked each girl and how they were really true friends at the end of the day. I would like to read more about these girls for sure. Plus it's set in Sheffield - a city I really love - which added a dimension of enjoyment for me. If anything, I wanted more background on each of the girls, because they all had interesting back stories that I didn't feel were explored fully.
Great book though. I never think that Non Pratt is one of my favourite authors, but I've enjoyed every book I've read by her so far!
What age range is it for? 15+
Are any main characters LGBTQ+? Not in this book, but I've read elsewhere that one of the girls realises she likes girls in the comics
Are any main characters people of colour? No
Are any main characters disabled either mentally or physically? No
Is there any sex stuff? No
Are drugs mentioned or used? Yes, but it's spoilery so I won't say anything else. It's not very in depth though
Is there any talk of death? Only a little bit
Are there swear words? A couple?
What criticisms do I have? Honestly almost none! It's a fun book, sometimes that's all I need
Would I recommend the book? Yes absolutely
Why did I choose to read it at this point in life? I was just really intrigued by the premise so decided to pick it up
What other books is it like? I think it has a similar feel to Non's other books, and I also think it's got a lot in common with Freshers as it's set in that time at uni and it's also a bit chaotic
How many stars? Four out of five
Giant Days will be published on 21st August 2018