Wednesday, March 4, 2020

Sweet Sorrow by David Nicholls

A special thank you to Edelweiss, NetGalley, and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

High school student Charlie Lewis is unremarkable. He has just finished exams and is waiting on the results. To pass the time, Charlie works part-time, rides his bicycle around, and looks after his depressive father post divorce.

Everything changes when he meets Fran. But, if he wants to be with her, the price to pay is Shakespeare—Charlie must join the Company even though it could cost him the respect of his friends. He commits to playing Benvolio in the Company's production of Romeo and Juliet.

Sweet Sorrow is about how the path to becoming an adult is often rocky, the power of friendship, and how confusing relationships can be.

One Day wrecked me—and I mean that as a compliment—so you can imagine how thrilled I was to get an advanced copy of Sweet Sorrow. But I have to be honest...at first I was skimming, mostly interested in the bits with Charlie and his clinically depressed father and then Nicholls hooked me and didn't let go until the last word. 

1997's Britain is the setting for most of the novel. Grown up Charlie, on the verge of getting married,  is looking back to the summer he fell in love. Exploring first loves is something that Nicholls does best—he captures the innocence and nostalgia like nobody else.

Infused with humour, this coming of age novel is relatable and poignant. It too reads like both a Shakespearian tragedy and comedy.


DAVID NICHOLLS is the New York Times bestselling author of One Day which has sold more than two million copies and has been translated into thirty-seven languages; the film adaptation starred Jim Sturgess and Anne Hathaway. Nicholls's previous novels include Starter for Ten and The Understudy.

Nicholls trained as an actor before making the switch to writing and has twice been nominated for BAFTA awards.

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