Joined in 2023 
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Very touching descriptions of lonely older generation Irish, both women and men who left Ireland and stayed in London. I enjoyed all the characters, it kind of gave me a YA feel, in a good way. It reminded me a lot of How To Build A Girl by Caitlin Moran. The flaws of Orla kind of added to this as well, and I liked Annie's perspective on this at the end. Set in Kilburn, The Mess We’re In is the story of a young Irish woman, Orla Quinn, as she embarks on her London odyssey with hope and expectation. Orla moves into a room in a house-share with her friend Neema and Neema’s brother, who is part of a band called Shiva. All the other band-mates live in the house also. Neema is a law student with a clear career path ahead of her, with Orla’s sights set on the music industry. Orla writes music, plays guitar and has studied music production. She understands the music but she has no direct experience of the music industry. Living with a band has possibilities for Orla but she needs to bide her time and put in some hard and dirty work. The ending felt rushed, the best part of a book is the feeling of catharsis you get at the end. Which this book didn’t provide. I would’ve like to feel more a build towards the end, even if things still don’t end up wrapped up neatly with a bow (which is not what i expect of every book i read).
A book about finding home in a strange new place, and finding yourself when your life is a mess. The hotly anticipated second novel by the Sunday Times bestselling author of Mother Mother . But as the hype around the band intensifies, so does the hedonism, and relationships in the house are growing strained. This is the story of a young woman thrashing through life, trying to find home in a strange new place. The much-anticipated second novel from author Annie Macmanus, The Mess We’re In is a vibrant, unforgettable tale of a chaotic young woman finding her feet and her sound at such a memorable point in London’s cultural and musical history. Orla wants to make music, but juggling two jobs and partying every night isn’t helping. And while Orla’s own dreams seem to be going nowhere, Shiva are on the brink of something big. Yet as the hype around the band intensifies, so does the hedonism, and relationships in the house are growing strained.I try to stop grinning, to fix my face to look more casual at this scene – this pub in Camden, this band that I live with now – as if this is just a typical evening for me instead of the first night out of the rest of my life. Then the barman catches my eye. I lean forwards. I am a Londoner now. I’m a voice in the noise. I’m ready”
Men are unfortunately the undoing of Neema and Orla’s close friendship. As Orla experiences and experiments with sexual freedom (Moses, Vinnie etc) Neema struggles with watching her friend be so free when she is having to live under such conservative boundaries depicted by her Indian family. And also, Orla is really really messy, which drives Neema crazy. Published May 2023, The Mess We're In is the second book from Sunday Times Bestselling author Annie Macmanus.I could barely read this one fast enough. It absolutely fizzes with the energy of youth as Orla navigates her new life in the city. Living with a band on the brink of stardom and trying to find her own feet in the music business, her new life is full of opportunity and excitement. What [Macmanus has] managed to do with London, and what London means to different generations of Irish people, is terrific, and deeply moving' RODDY DOYLE
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