Book Review: Never Greener, Ruth Jones
Seeing as it’s #BookLoversDay, today seemed like the perfect opportunity to put up a review. I usually talk about self-help type books, but today I wanted to write about a novel I really enjoyed; Never Greener by Ruth Jones.
I love Ruth Jones, I think her script writing is nothing short of genius. When I heard she was writing her first novel, I put it straight on my list. I was surprised to see the likes of The Guardian gave it a bad review. I won’t link the review because The Guardian doesn’t deserve the link-back. The reason that paper isn’t as well read anymore is that they are so anti-change. Anyway, that’s a different topic altogether.
What’s It About?
Never Greener is about a love affair that splits up two marriages. The two main characters, Kate and Callum are part of a split-narrative throughout the book. When Kate is 22, she has an intense affair with an older married man (Callum). Seventeen years later, their paths cross again. Kate is a well-known actress, living in London with her husband and daughter. Callum is still with his wife, Belinda and two kids.
When they meet again, they’re faced with a decision to reignite the flame from before or walk away from each other. I was completely gripped from the get-go.
The ‘tagline’ for the book is; second chances are rare in life, but that doesn’t mean they should always be taken. Oooh, ominous.
Ruth’s Writing
I personally think she’s one of the most talented writers I’ve ever come across, and that talent splurges onto the pages of Never Greener. Her character development is so strong. I mean, she created Smithy and Nessa’s love story, so we shouldn’t even doubt her abilities!
From a writer’s point of view, I found it a joy to read. There are some books that just don’t sit well, or I can’t get into, but this wasn’t one of them. Within the first minutes I knew I was going to love it and sure enough, I was hooked up until the end. The end, by the way, is also a fantastic ending to a book. Well done for that, Ruth! Most endings of books leave me utterly disappointed!
Will You Enjoy It?
I think this appeals to a huge age range of people. Ruth Jones is 51 and yet she appeals to an age range much younger and much older than herself. I think it’s because she comes across as very warm as a person.
At points in the book, Callum is in his sixties, so it’s not necessarily a part of life that I’m able to relate to yet. That’s a large part of the reason why picking a defined audience for this book is quite a challenge.
Where Should I Read It?
This is the dream holiday read. I wish I’d saved it for my holiday now. It’ll get you involved but it’s not too heavy, meaning you can still dip in and out to do a bit of people-watching around the pool.
If you’ve not got a holiday planned, I really enjoyed listening to this in my car. I was so into the characters that my journeys just flew by. Equally, this would be great for a commute, because it’s a story you can really zone out to.
