Review: Crushing

Title: Crushing

Author: Genevieve Novak

Publisher: 5th April 2023 by HarperCollins Publishers Australia

Pages: 360 pages

Genre: romance, women’s fiction, contemporary

Rating: 4 cups

Synopsis:

When do you stop starting over? The sparkling new novel from the author of No Hard Feelings.

Getting over someone is not that difficult. All you have to do is focus on every negative thing about them for the rest of your life until you forget to stop actively hoping for their slow and painful death, then get a haircut ...

Serial monogamist Marnie is running late to her own identity crisis. After a decade of twisting herself into different versions of the ideal girlfriend, she's swearing off relationships for good. Forever. Done. No more, no thank you.

Pretty inconvenient time to meet Isaac: certified dreamboat and the only man who has ever truly got her. It's cool, though, they're just friends, he's got someone else, and she has more important things to worry about. Like who she is, what she wants, and what the hell she ever saw in the love(s) of her life in the first place.

Flanked by overwhelmed new mum Nicola, terminally single Claud, and eternal pessimist Kit, Marnie reckons with the question: who are we when we're on our own?

My Thoughts

I read and adored Genevieve’s first book, ‘No Hard Feelings’, therefore it was with great anticipation that I came to read her latest offering. The last book followed a theme of where are you going with your life, on this occasion Crushing follows along a similar winning formula except this time around the question is, who are we when we’re on our own? 

‘I was running late to my own identity crisis. Usually reserved for people on the cusp of adulthood, I had only just realised on the edge of my thirties that I had no idea who I was, what I liked, or what I wanted.’

Once again Genevieve hits you with her wit, humour and upfront honesty that people will relate to the rawness of emotion presented at times. Once more the uncertainties and insecurities can be felt by all people at any age of their life when they don’t know how to be by themselves. We can personally relate or know of someone who this would clearly speak to.

‘I had to know all of my options before making a choice, no matter its significance. I was paralysed by indecision, idling for years. I let myself be led by stronger personalities to absolve myself if — when — things went wrong.’

Genevieve takes her readers on an adventure from flat sharing, to family occasions, to looking for yourself and much, much more. I loved cruising the streets of my hometown Melbourne once more, with a particular nod to the Fairfield boathouse.

There will be many laugh out loud moments, there will be many tantrums and tears but I had faith in Genevieve’s writing. Marnie is a hard character to like at times, I mean in all honesty, she doesn’t even really like herself. But I trusted Genevieve and boy! Did she come through for me. When all the avoidance and anger was swept away, she leaves her readers with raw emotion, like new clay ready to be sculptured into something new and better. Remarkable.

Why do you do it?’ he asked. ‘What’s wrong with how you are? I might like her better.’ I paused, holding my breath in my lungs while I decided how honest to be.

‘I’ve let her down too many times,’ I said.

Crushing is polarising in that it can be hard to read yet is equally heart-assuring being full of lessons on loss and strength, hope and discovery all bound together with loads of ludicrous laughter. 

‘How clearheaded we become when we come to terms with ourselves; our ugly and our redeemable. The weight hadn’t eased but it was easier to carry now. I was a person in progress, and there was much work left to do.’

This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. The quoted material may have changed in the final release.

Time for tea with Genevieve Novak - author of No Hard Feelings

Time to sit and share a cuppa with Genevieve Novak, author of No Hard Feelings published by HarperCollins and available at all good bookstores and online now. 

Welcome Genevieve to Great Reads & Tea Leaves. I was so thrilled to read your debut novel. 

 

Normally I would ask if you are a coffee or tea drinker and if the latter, what is your preferred brew. However, I would also be interested in your favourite cocktail. In your book I had a good laugh about the amount you spent on one bad date in consuming cocktails and was wondering if, all in the name of research of course, you had any recommendations in that department as well?

I actually don’t drink much anymore; maybe four or five times a year. When I do, it’s usually on dates to temper my nerves and relax a bit. I’ve probably wasted several months’ salary on cocktails on bad dates over the years, so I’ve got plenty of research to call on. When I know a date is going badly, I order a house white because they’re cheap and sweet, so I can drink really fast and get out of there! If it’s a good date, I’ll get a Negroni. They’re sharp and a little bitter so I can sip it verrrry slowly, keep my head and enjoy myself.

 

 Just a bit on your writing background. After studying creative writing at university, I see you have undertaken a number of roles that involve writing. How did these (if at all) help make you into the author that you are today?

I think writing is more of a skill than a talent, so it can’t have hurt. While writing for work kept my tools sharp, it also drained a lot of my energy and made it difficult to work on any personal projects for a long time. Once I moved into a job that was more structured and less creatively demanding, I was able to rediscover my interest in my own ideas and voice.

 

Was this the book you always wanted to write? Did you have some cathartic feelings - I know I did - as you so eloquently captured aspects of what many women go through in their life?

No Hard Feelings wasn’t the book I intended to write! I set out to write a standard romcom, but the more Penny developed as a character, the more I felt the need to introduce a stronger emotional arc. There were times in the writing process when I wasn’t sure if it resembled a romcom at all anymore, if it was too serious to be any fun, too fluffy to be substantial, or if it fit into any genre neatly. The whole thing was led by Penny’s emotional journey, a lot of which I could really relate to, and it was so gratifying and so cathartic to watch her succeed.

 

 Genevieve, you provide some absolute pearls of wisdom - my highlighter worked overtime -  that could be appreciated at any age. What is one of your favourite things about the journey Penny went on and where she ends up by the conclusion of this story?

I love that Penny saved herself. As much as she wanted to be rescued — and a certain character did try — ultimately it wouldn’t have stuck if she wasn’t the one to do the work; she just would have sabotaged it and hit rock bottom again. She had to learn to genuinely want good things for herself. Her happy ending was well-earned, but I fully believe she would have been okay no matter where the story ended, or how.

 

 I believe there are a number of themes and issues - growth and self discovery as examples - in this book. Could you give us a couple of your top ones please. How would you sum up the main takeaway for those reading No Hard Feelings?

Self-reliance, definitely. Self-care is a term that has come to be associated with bubble baths and sheet masks, but real self-care isn’t always so cosy. Sometimes it’s arduously rewriting your internal narrative. Sometimes it’s ending relationships with people you love because they’re no longer healthy or safe. It can be ugly and uncomfortable and really hard. 

Early in the story, Penny attempts to outsource all of her emotional support to other people, and can’t understand why it’s so unsatisfying and painful. As she learns from her mistakes, she understands that she has to be her own biggest supporter. That’s a really difficult lesson to learn, and no one can teach it to you but yourself.

 

I would like to congratulate you on perfectly combining heartfelt, even raw, emotions at times with humour and real laugh out loud moments. No easy feat one would imagine. Was it a challenge to exact such opposites?

There have been times where I’ve found myself having a breakdown on the shower floor — hyperventilating, sobbing, the works — and a voice in the back of my head says, ‘You are being such a drama queen.’ I think a bit of humour and detachment is a deeply unhealthy and totally necessary coping mechanism. Plus, a highly anxious romcom with no comic relief would be pretty tedious to read!

 

I love that it takes place in my home town of Melbourne. Two things:

1.     It would have been hard to walk the streets during our strict lockdown - did you have to rely on memory for some locations?

I got up to all sorts of mischief in Richmond in my twenties, so I already knew the area well! The house I imagined for Penny and Leo was based on one I lived in when I first moved to Melbourne, too. I couldn’t visit the neighbourhood during lockdown, though, so Google Maps and streetview was vital.

 

2.     Also, what are some of your recommended places to visit for those who want to enjoy our great city?

Melbourne feels more like a hundred small towns crammed together rather than one big city, and every neighbourhood has a different identity. The perfect Melbourne day would include a croissant from Lune for breakfast, followed by shopping at all the teeny boutiques in Fitzroy, lunch at Queen Vic Market, a wander through Heide or the NGV or the botanic gardens in the afternoon, a palate cleanser at Lui Bar, Goldilocks or Cookie, then dinner at the Windsor end of Chapel Street (Red Door Yum Cha, Maha East, or Lover if it’s gnocchi night), and finally, a late movie at Sun Theatre.

 When you are not writing Genevieve, how do you enjoy passing the time?

Between full-time work and writing a second book, there’s not much time left! Mostly I hang out with my dog, Viktor, see movies (preferably at the cinema, on my own in the middle of the day, without having seen or heard anything about it beforehand — the best film-watching experience), and selflessly search for the best croissant in Melbourne.

 

Can you tell us some of your favourite authors or recommended reading?

Books I couldn’t get out of my head for weeks include Promising Young Women by Caroline O’Donoghue, Adults by Emma Jane Unsworth, and Expectation by Anna Hope. I love a complicated female protagonist!

 

Congratulations on such a wonderful debut - what’s next and where can your readers find you?

I’m currently procrastinating writing my second novel by fantasising about the plot of my third, but I hope to have at least one finished in the next couple of months. 

You can hear me complain about the writing process and obsessively document Viktor’s every move on Instagram: @genevieve.nvk

Thank you for the lovely tea break and chat Genevieve. Congratulations on the release of your new book and I can’t wait to see what you offer your readers next. 

No Hard Feelings by Genevieve Novak was published on 30th March 2022 by HarperCollins Australia. Details on how to purchase the book can be found HERE

My review of the book can be found HERE

Review: No Hard Feelings

Title: No Hard Feelings

Author: Genevieve Novak

Publisher: 30th March 2022 by HarperCollins Australia

Pages: 320 pages

How I Read It: ARC book

Genre: women’s fiction, contemporary

My Rating: 4.5 cups

Synopsis:

Hungover, underpaid and overwhelmed, this isn't where Penny expected to be as she reached her late twenties. A sharp, smart and witty look at adulting - Fleabag meets Sorrow and Bliss with a splash of Dolly Alderton.

I exist on validation from emotionally unavailable men, biscuits, and cheap wine, and it's easier to get off with Max than a Tiny Teddy.

Penny can't help but compare herself to her friends. Annie is about to become a senior associate at her law firm, Bec has just got engaged, Leo is dating everyone this side of the Yarra, and Penny is just ... waiting. Waiting for Max, her on-again, off-again boyfriend, to allow her to spend the night, waiting for the promotion she was promised, waiting for her Valium to kick in. Waiting for her real life to start.

Out of excuses and sick of falling behind, Penny is determined to turn things around. She's going to make it work with Max, impress her tyrannical boss, quit seeing her useless therapist, remember to water her plants, and stop having panic attacks in the work toilets.

But soon she's back to doomscrolling on Instagram, necking bottles of Aldi's finest sauvignon blanc, and criticising herself with renewed vigour and loathing. As her goals seem further away than ever, she has to wonder: when bad habits feel so good, how do you trust what's right for you?

My Thoughts

‘Can anyone ever really be self-aware? I used to think so, but now I’m not so sure. I liked to think that so much time listening to the voice in my head had taught me who I am and why I think and feel like I do, but it turns out I have no idea’

What direction is your life moving in? I adore books that place you front and centre, holding hands with a lead character as you navigate side by side the ups and downs of daily living. It begs the question whether anyone truly knows where they are going - in this book in your late 20s - but this is so well written it could be applied to the many stages of one’s life. 

‘The rear-view mirror is for learning lessons, and everything I want is on the road ahead.’

This book is so refreshingly honest and so incredibly raw at times that I challenge anyone not to sigh and say “… ahhh, I can relate to that”. If you are getting older -  and let’s face it, we all are …. 30s, 40s, even the reflective 50s - you are sure to find something in this story as you read of Penny's dilemmas. It’s just so relatable as uncertainties and insecurities can be felt by all people at any age of their life. 

‘I’m always happier in my memory than I am in real life.’

So clever is Genevieve’s writing, however, that it is not solely an introspective inquiry. As much heartfelt and yearning as this story contains, it is equally bursting with laugh out loud humour. Best of all No Hard Feelings takes place  in my home town of Melbourne. I am getting off the tram with Penny or walking down Collins Street in the CBD. So some pages I am laughing, others I am crying and others still shaking my head in frustration at some of the decisions Penny makes. Yet I know in all honesty I cannot be too harsh because we have all made such mistakes.

‘Mostly I’m angry at myself for falling into this again. There’s surely nothing worse than watching yourself make predictable mistakes.’

This book was such an unexpected surprise. It was such a great read that I highly recommend it no matter what your age, with relatable characters that will engage you on many levels. You are sure to laugh, sure to cry but walk away the richer knowingly appreciative of how expertly Genevieve captured and conveyed such relatable human emotions.

‘Am I really being my best self? Is this self-compassion? Is this healthy adult behaviour?’

Big thanks to fellow blogger, tesssmithwrites for her review which had me go back to take another look at this book and would have missed out on if not for her amazing review. Thanks T. Be sure to check out her review also over at Instagram.

‘It’s not the end of bad habits and the constant buzz of anxiety in my ear. That might never come. But maybe I’ll try to stop thinking about endings all together, and just enjoy these belated new beginnings instead.’

This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. The quoted material may have changed in the final release.