You Are Here by David Nicholls #YouAreHere @DavidNWriter @SceptreBooks #BookReview

 

Marnie is stuck.

Stuck working alone in her London flat, stuck battling the long afternoons and a life that often feels like it's passing her by.

Michael is coming undone.

Reeling from his wife's departure, increasingly reclusive, taking himself on long, solitary walks across the moors and fells.

When a persistent mutual friend and some very English weather conspire to bring them together, Marnie and Michael suddenly find themselves alone on the most epic of walks and on the precipice of a new friendship.

But can they survive the journey?

A new love story by beloved bestseller David Nicholls, You Are Here is a novel of first encounters, second chances and finding the way home.

You Are Here by David Nicholls was published in hardback on 23 April 2024 by Sceptre. My thanks to the publisher who sent my copy for review.


You Are Here was my second book of my recent Greek holiday, and I really think that having the time to read for longer periods, with no distractions whatsoever is the very best way to enjoy this one. David Nicholls is a much loved author, probably best know for his 2008 novel One Day, recently adapted for Netflix. His book, Us, published in 2014 was long-listed for the Booker Prize. 

What Nicholls does best is create characters who are so real, so familiar, they could live on your street, in fact, they could be you. Marnie and Michael are not youngsters, and nor are they past their sell by dates. They are both damaged, a little raw and very sore. Reeling from the effects of their broken down relationships, they accept mutual friend Cleo's offer (or instruction, to be truthful) to join her group who intend to walk from the west coast to the east coast of England. A walk of almost two hundred miles and not to be taken lightly. Marnie is extremely good at appearing to take things lightly. On the outside, she's funny, in fact she's often hilarious, but inside she's a worrier, not really sure of what's coming next for her. 

Michael's experience as a geography teacher gives him something of an advantage on the walk. He's far more prepared and very knowledgeable, in fact he knows so many random facts about rocks and plants that he does wind Marnie up quite a lot. 

This is a slow and steady walk through rain, hail, storms and wind. During the trek, the reader learns as much about the two characters as they learn about each other, and it really is so beautifully done. There is no doubt that this is a love story, but it is complex and multi woven. There are times that I wanted to shout at both of them, tell them to stop right there and listen to their hearts! 

This is a beautifully told story, filled with warm wit and lots of wisdom. The reader will urge these two unlikely characters along the way. Laughing with them, holding back some tears but always wanting the best for them. The sense of place is perfectly done, with the changing English landscape, the wild moors and the small towns.  A joy to read. Recommended. 

David Nicholls is the bestselling author of Starter for Ten, The Understudy, One Day, Us, Sweet Sorrow and now You Are Here. One Day was published in 2009 to extraordinary critical acclaim: translated into 40 languages, it became a global bestseller, selling millions of copies worldwide. His fourth novel, Us, was longlisted for the Booker Prize for Fiction. 

On screen, David has written adaptations of Far from the Madding Crowd, When Did You Last See Your Father? and Great Expectations, as well as of his own novels, Starter for Ten, One Day and Us. His adaptation of Edward St Aubyn's Patrick Melrose, starring Benedict Cumberbatch, was nominated for an Emmy and won him a BAFTA for best writer.

He is also the Executive Producer and a contributing screenwriter on a new Netflix adaptation of One Day. His latest novel, You Are Here, was published in spring 2024.

X @DavidNWriter

Instagram @davidnichollswriter