{"id":2515,"date":"2025-04-10T13:49:42","date_gmt":"2025-04-10T13:49:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bookloves.com\/?p=2515"},"modified":"2025-04-10T13:49:42","modified_gmt":"2025-04-10T13:49:42","slug":"ghosts-by-dolly-alderton","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bookloves.com\/?p=2515","title":{"rendered":"Ghosts by Dolly Alderton"},"content":{"rendered":"

Dolly Alderton\u2019s debut novel \u201cGhosts\u201d arrived with considerable expectations. Known for her memoir \u201cEverything I Know About Love<\/a>\u201d and her popular podcast \u201cThe High Low,\u201d Alderton has established herself as a keen observer of millennial relationships. In \u201cGhosts,\u201d she navigates the treacherous waters of modern dating with unflinching honesty and acerbic wit, delivering a story that is equal parts heartwarming and heartbreaking.<\/p>\n

The novel follows Nina Dean, a 32-year-old food writer who seems to have everything sorted\u2014a successful career, a newly purchased flat in London, and supportive (if occasionally dysfunctional) friends and family. When she meets Max on a dating app, their connection is intense and immediate. By the end of their first date, he boldly declares that he\u2019s going to marry her. What follows is a whirlwind romance that seems too good to be true\u2014because, of course, it is.<\/p>\n

Alderton captures the peculiar anxieties of dating in one\u2019s thirties with painful accuracy. Dating apps, ghosting, the biological clock ticking in the background\u2014all the contemporary dating phenomena are presented with sharp insights and darkly comic observations.<\/p>\n

Disappearing Acts and Modern Hauntings<\/h2>\n

The \u2018ghosts\u2019 of the title operate on multiple levels. Most obviously, there\u2019s Max, who simply vanishes after telling Nina he loves her. His ghosting is merciless and unexplained\u2014a commonplace but devastating phenomenon of modern dating<\/a>. But other ghosts pervade the narrative as well: Nina\u2019s father is slowly disappearing into dementia, her childhood friends are vanishing into suburbia, and her sense of youth and possibility is fading with each passing year.<\/p>\n

Alderton writes about ghosting not just as a contemporary dating nuisance but as a metaphor for all kinds of abandonment and loss:<\/p>\n

\u201cEvery time you \u2018change your mind\u2019 in such an extreme way, it takes something from a woman. It\u2019s an act of theft. It\u2019s not just a theft of her trust, it\u2019s a theft of her time. You\u2019ve taken things from her, so you could have a fun few months.\u201d<\/h4>\n

The novel excels in its depiction of the emotional labor women perform in relationships\u2014both romantic and platonic\u2014and the mental health toll of being \u201cdeleted\u201d by someone you\u2019ve invested in emotionally.<\/p>\n

Intergenerational Bonds and Breaking Points<\/h2>\n

Beyond the central romance, \u201cGhosts\u201d by Dolly Alderton shines in its portrayal of intergenerational relationships. Nina\u2019s relationship with her father, who is suffering from dementia, provides some of the most touching moments in the book. As his memories begin to slip away, Nina becomes the keeper of their shared history:<\/p>\n

\u201cSo much of the love you feel for a person is dependent on the vast archive of shared memories you can access just by seeing their face or hearing their voice. When I saw Dad, I didn\u2019t just see a seventy-seven-year-old man with black-and-grey hair, I saw him in a swimming pool in Spain teaching me how to front crawl and I saw him waving at me in a crowd on graduation day.\u201d<\/h4>\n

Meanwhile, Nina\u2019s mother\u2019s midlife crisis\u2014including her insistence on being called \u201cMandy\u201d instead of \u201cNancy\u201d\u2014provides comic relief, though it also reveals deeper truths about aging and identity. Their difficult relationship evolves touchingly throughout the novel as they navigate the challenges of caring for Nina\u2019s father.<\/p>\n

Friendships in Flux<\/h2>\n

The novel also offers a nuanced exploration of female friendship<\/a>, particularly through Nina\u2019s relationship with her oldest friend Katherine. As Katherine moves to the suburbs and builds her family, their friendship faces new strains. The dynamics of their relationship feel authentic\u2014both supportive and competitive, warm and resentful.<\/p>\n

Lola, Nina\u2019s perpetually single friend, provides a counterpoint to Nina\u2019s emotional journey. Her unwavering optimism about finding love\u2014despite years of disappointment\u2014contrasts with Nina\u2019s growing cynicism. The friendship between the women is a highlight of the novel, demonstrating Alderton\u2019s talent for capturing the unique language and rituals that develop between close friends.<\/p>\n

Strengths and Weaknesses<\/h2>\n

What Shines:<\/h3>\n

Authentic Voice<\/strong>: Alderton\u2019s prose is conversational, witty, and instantly recognizable to fans of her memoir. Her knack for dialogue brings her characters vividly to life.
\nCultural Observations<\/strong>: The novel cleverly dissects millennial anxieties, from the pressure to achieve certain milestones by specific ages to the peculiar social dynamics of hen parties and baby showers.
\nEmotional Depth<\/strong>: Despite the humorous tone, Alderton doesn\u2019t shy away from exploring profound themes like grief, abandonment, and the fear of running out of time.
\nRelatable Characters<\/strong>: Even at their most frustrating, the characters feel real. Nina\u2019s flaws make her more relatable, not less.<\/p>\n

Areas of Critique:<\/h3>\n

Predictable Plot Elements<\/strong>: Some narrative developments feel slightly formulaic for the genre, particularly in the romance department.
\nOccasional Tonal Unevenness<\/strong>: The novel sometimes struggles to balance its comedic elements with its more serious themes, particularly around dementia.
\nSupporting Characters<\/strong>: While the female friendships are well-developed, some male characters (particularly Max) could benefit from more nuance.
\nPacing Issues<\/strong>: The middle section of the novel occasionally drags, before picking up momentum again for the final act.<\/p>\n

A Literary Voice for the Millennial Generation<\/h2>\n

What sets \u201cGhosts\u201d apart from other contemporary romance novels is Dolly Alderton\u2019s literary sensibility. Her writing is peppered with cultural references and literary allusions that elevate the text. From musings on Picasso\u2019s portraits of Marie-Th\u00e9r\u00e8se Walter to reflections on Shakespeare\u2019s \u201cA Midsummer Night\u2019s Dream,\u201d Alderton weaves intellectual threads throughout her narrative without sacrificing accessibility.<\/p>\n

Her descriptions are economical yet evocative:<\/p>\n

\u201cHe glowed like an ember \u2013 his eyes shining, his beard golden brown, his skin burnished from sunbeams. His tousled hair looked like it had been washed in the sea and dishevelled by the windy afternoon.\u201d<\/h4>\n

And her observations about modern life are often both funny and profound:<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was then I knew that there are a handful of situations that, regardless of how happy you are without a partner, loot your single status of all its splendour. One of them is dealing with a nightmare neighbour on your own.\u201d<\/h4>\n

Final Verdict<\/h2>\n

\u201cGhosts\u201d by Dolly Alderton is ultimately a book about the bittersweet reality of growing older. It\u2019s about watching the people you love change\u2014sometimes for better, sometimes for worse, sometimes disappearing altogether. It\u2019s about watching yourself change too, and learning to embrace the person you\u2019re becoming even when it\u2019s not who you expected to be.<\/p>\n

For readers who loved Alderton\u2019s memoir, her novel delivers the same sharp observations and emotional honesty, now filtered through fiction. For those new to her work, \u201cGhosts\u201d offers a perceptive, entertaining, and occasionally devastating portrait of modern love and friendship.<\/p>\n

Fans of authors like Marian Keyes, Sally Rooney, and Nora Ephron will find much to appreciate in Alderton\u2019s fiction debut. Like these writers, she excels at finding the profound in the mundane and the universal in the specific.<\/p>\n

While not without its flaws, \u201cGhosts\u201d announces Dolly Alderton as a fiction writer to watch\u2014someone with a distinctive voice and an acute understanding of contemporary relationships. It\u2019s a novel that will make you laugh, wince in recognition, and perhaps shed a tear or two. Most importantly, it will make you reflect on the various ways we haunt each other\u2019s lives\u2014whether we stay or whether we go.<\/p>\n

Perfect for:<\/h3>\n

Readers navigating the dating landscape in their thirties
\nFans of smart, female-centered fiction
\nAnyone who has ever been ghosted or feared being left behind
\nThose dealing with changing family dynamics or aging parents<\/p>\n

Not for:<\/h3>\n

Readers seeking a straightforward happily-ever-after romance
\nThose looking for escapist fiction without real-world complications
\nPeople who prefer plot-driven rather than character-driven narratives<\/p>\n

Like the best contemporary fiction, \u201cGhosts\u201d by Dolly Alderton holds up a mirror to modern life\u2014showing us not just who we are, but who we might become, and reminding us that sometimes the most important relationships are with the people who stick around, even when it would be easier to disappear.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Dolly Alderton\u2019s debut novel \u201cGhosts\u201d arrived with considerable expectations. Known for her memoir \u201cEverything I Know About Love\u201d and her popular podcast \u201cThe High Low,\u201d Alderton has established herself as a keen observer of millennial relationships. In \u201cGhosts,\u201d she navigates the treacherous waters of modern dating with unflinching honesty and acerbic wit, delivering a story […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2515","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-bookreviews"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/bookloves.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2515"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/bookloves.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/bookloves.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bookloves.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2515"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/bookloves.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2515\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/bookloves.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2515"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bookloves.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2515"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bookloves.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2515"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}