The Shelf: Review

Blurb:

Ever feel like you're losing a race you never signed up for?

Everyone in Amy's life seems to be getting married, having children and settling down (or so Instagram tells her), and she feels like she's falling behind.

So, when her long-term boyfriend surprises her with a dream holiday, she thinks he's going to finally pop the Big Question. But the dream turns into a nightmare when, instead, she finds herself on the set of a Big Brother-style reality television show, The Shelf.

Along with five other women, Amy is brutally dumped live on TV and must compete in a series of humiliating and obnoxious tasks in the hope of being crowned 'The Keeper'.

While inside the house, will Amy learn that there are worse things than being 'left on the shelf'?

 

My thoughts:

Quality of Writing  ♥♥♥♥

Originality  ♥♥♥♥♥

Plot  ♥♥♥♥♥

Setting  ♥♥♥♥♥

Character ♥♥♥♥♥

Overall  ♥♥♥♥♥

 

The way this book started I thought it was just another ‘woe me unmarried after 30’ plot (which has been done a lot recently) – but this quickly took a surprising twist. I ended up finding it hard to put this book down – I was gripped.

For me, this is truly meaningful escapism – I loved the themes exploring everyday sexism and modern feminism. I loved the overall message of this book – about how you should put your needs first and not allow yourself to be pressurised by society to fit into the mould of a perfect woman. That every woman’s story and purpose is unique – and to accept that.

I loved each and every main (female) character – and kind of enjoyed the barbaric portrayal of most of the men. The whole story is character-driven – which is exactly the kind of book I like to read.

Overall, I can’t fault it – so 5 stars from me.