Olive - Emma Gannon - 3.5 Stars

Olive focuses on Olive, a 33 year old journalist who writes for a feminist magazine and has decided she doesn't want children. The book explores friendship, womanhood, mental health, being child-free by choice, motherhood and relationships. It's very femimist and very relatable. The four main women are nuanced, complex and realistic in their dramas, emotions and range of life complexities. They are not always necessarily likeable or rationale but they offer real insight into the trials and tribulations of women going through various problems in their life.

Initially I really struggled with this book and I think it was because of the emotions and thoughts around the idea of being a child free woman as I think it's an emotionally complex area. I do think it's really fantastic that Emma Gannon wrote this book on a subject that's so often see as taboo. It's also a really affirming book for women who have that viewpoint or for women who haven't yet decided. And I think the way Gannon handled the subject was with real care and sensitivity to the range of viewpoints on the subject.

I also really came to love Emma Gannon's subtle focus on mental health and how she showcased the grass is not always greener on the other side. She did this by exploring how friendships can splinter apart at times and our own insecurities can fuel the gaps that come between friends. This is as we consider our friends more accomplished, more put together or further along in their lives. We too often compare ourselves to others when what we see on the surface is not necessarily what is happening in people's everyday lives. I loved the focus on female friendship in this book and although it was pretty tumultuous at times, the strength that came through across the book and the realness really sold me.

I didn't expect to enjoy this one as much as I did by the end. The second half was definitely stronger, and I did feel that in places some of the dialogue and relationships felt a bit rushed. Overall though I enjoyed this really feminist debut.

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins for the arc.