There were glimpses of brilliance in this but unfortunately I just found it too much of a slog to read for such small rewards. I appreciated the portrayal of youth and the backdrop of the UK in the 80s, but there was no connection to the characters for me. I empathised with Jimmy to some extent but I've seen comments from other reviewers that mention how much we are *told* about Tully rather than being shown, and I completely agree.