Naoise Dolan has hit the nail on the head with her quirky illustration of modern relationships. It sounds like a simple thing to do- narrate the ups and downs of modern interaction but I haven’t found this much clarity in all of the lunches and brunches and girls nights and dinners.

Add almost-casual sex with your landlord who refuses rent and its a bit of a mess. I am not sure if you’ve ever been there, but trying to decide if someone is just straight up and exactly what they say on the tin or if they hate you, well its exhausting. There were times when I gasped (almost out loud, not quite but almost) because the words on the page were thoughts I had been plagued with in casual relationships, situationships and beyond. Their conversations are sometimes awkward, with reading between the lines and second guessing becoming part of Ava’s every day. But how do you combat that when in a situation with a man who doesn’t rely on you for much? Julian likes Ava’s company sure, and he enjoys splashing the cash but there’s rarely anything more. It is a common human quirk, the feeling of wanting to be desired more than you desire, or needed more than you need. In what is potentially the meanest book I have ever had the pleasure of reviewing, Ava struggles with her need to be wanted more that she wants. She allows him to buy her fancy dinners and clothes and eventually she finds herself living in his swanky apartment. Enter Julian: a quirky British banker who lavishes time and money on our girl Ava.

She teaches the grammar class because she lacks warmth and calls an AirBnB home. She left Ireland so soon after her graduation she was almost still wearing her cap and gown and hasn’t really fit into TEFL life. Ava seems distant, likeable enough but a bit lost. When we first meet Ava, a 22 year old Dublin girl living in Hong Kong, who describes herself as “good at men”, she is teaching English by day and living in a cramped house share by night.

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