The Seven O'Clock Club - Amelia Ireland
I'm reading so many great debut books these last few months, it's really doing wonders for my mental health lmao I picked this up as a new arrival on Libby on a whim and certainly did not regret it. I have a soft spot for anything that focuses on the human condition (see Table For One above for more evidence of this).
This was an engrossing and emotional debut with a unique mix of heart-warming energy with a laid-back, positive vibe. It's a surprisingly pleasant tale about the healing process that anyone who has dealt with loss can find space here to ruminate with. What really sold me is how the the author dealt with it with sensitivity and depth without using the strandard kind of characters that you would expect in this. I loved how it was an entire group going through the grief process, and each one was different. It set up the various stages of grief in a unique way both for the character's journey and the plot- even the pacing is based on the stages. This group needed each other, and it just proves that connection, community and shared experience can mean a lot and can make a big difference when facing the daunting reality of going through grief.
Genevieve Dempsey has, through various means, advertised an experimental grief therapy group that promises a “different approach” to healing based on her unique theory. Four participants are selected. Their job? Show up at 7 o’clock every Wednesday night for four weeks.
Who are they?
52 year-old Victoria: a no-nonsense, tell-it-like-it-is, emotionally charged lawyer who takes a more sceptical stance on things.
31 year-old Freya: a kind, sensitive wife and interior designer struggling in her marriage and given to panic attacks.
20 year-old Mischa: a quiet girl prone to occasional outbursts who’s lost her sense of self after giving up so much of her own life to care for her ailing mother.
29 year-old Callum: an arrogant once-successful rock star who’s fallen from grace with his record label after spiralling from drug and alcohol abuse.
The character development was easy to see as the book progressed; they were richly drawn and relatable; great, believable dialogue that really draws clear differences between the cast - no same voice to be found here! I found myself completely invested in their journeys of self-discovery and healing mixing with the relationships between the group members as they slowly develop unique individual relationships between them. There's mention of a hidden agenda in the synopsis but I absolutely refuse to spoil anything - suffice to say I spent a huge amount of time trying to work out what it was, I didn't quite manage to guess it exactly but the last act is a ton of fun when everything is revealed. I mean it when I say that the author did a really fantastic job with plotting this and setting up this reveal even if it's farfetched and out of left-field, I still vibed with it massively!