About the Book
Title: The Real World (Stancester #2)
Author: Kathleen Jowitt
Publication Date: 2 Nov., 2020
Length: 350 pages
Category: Literary fiction
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Synopsis
Colette is trying to finish her PhD and trying not to think about what happens next. Her girlfriend wants to get married – but she also wants to become a vicar, and she can’t do both. Her ex-girlfriend never wanted to get married, but apparently she does now. Her supervisor is more interested in his TV career than in what Colette’s up to, and, of her two best friends, one’s two hundred miles away, and the other one’s dead.
Welcome to…
The Real World.
Review
I’ve been excited to read this because I absolutely loved the first book in the series, Speak Its Name. When an author can work spirituality into a book with skill and grace, and without feeling heavy-handed or preachy, I’m right there. In that regard, The Real World delivers.
For a book in which religion and church politics play a big part, it has a surprisingly light touch. There’s definitely a healthy dose of criticism for how the church handles matters of human sexuality, including limitations on same-gender marriage for Church of England clergy. But it never thumps readers on the head with dogma.
As the title suggests, this is about Colette and Lydia navigating the adult world and their relationship. It’s not a romance. Their couplehood is firmly established, though it’s tested through their struggles to finish their education and find their footing in life. They go through a lot in a short span of time, between family issues and challenges with their respective future careers.
What I love is how realistic it feels. There’s not a whole lot of unexplained or over-the-top drama, just ordinary situations any one of us could face along the way. Colette and Lydia wrestle with communication, but no more than any couple might, and it never feels forced for the sake of creating tension.
It was interesting to see Lydia through Colette’s eyes this time, as the last book was the reverse. I also appreciated having Colette’s perspective on a number of things, from her (warm and loving) family to her relationships with the same people we met in the previous story.
Naturally, I love that Colette is fiercely and unapologetically bisexual. There’s a scene where bisexuality is erased in a sadly common way. Much as I’d have loved to read about Colette giving the person a piece of her mind, I’ll admit I enjoyed what actually happened just as much (no spoilers).
I think the only drawback is that it’s quit slow-paced. This does make sense to a degree, as it’s not a “wild ride” kind of story. But I think I wanted a bit more of a hook, something that would spur me on to find out what was going to happen the way the last book played out. It’s not a deal-breaker for me; I enjoyed the story. It just wasn’t quite as compelling as the first one. I also don’t know that it would stand alone very well. A person who hadn’t read Speak Its Name would likely be a bit lost. Which is fair, given that it’s a sequel. I highly recommend reading them in order.
In any case, it’s a good story, and I very much liked catching back up with the characters. The ending was both surprising and yet somehow not, and I felt it fit perfectly with the rest of the book.
For meeting old friends again, examining social and spiritual issues with a critical eye, and a gentle narrative style, this gets 8/10 fountain pens.
About the Author
Kathleen Jowitt was born in Winchester and grew up deep in the Welsh Marches and, subsequently, on the Isle of Wight. After completing her undergraduate degree in English Literature at the University of Exeter she moved to Guildford and found herself working for a major trade union.
She now lives in Cambridge, works in London, and writes on the train. Her stories are about people who sort their own heads out and learn that they are, on the whole, not nearly such terrible human beings as they thought they were. Speak Its Name (2016) explores Christianity and sexual identity in the context of student life and politics, and was the first self-published novel ever shortlisted for the Betty Trask Prize. Her new book, A Spoke in the Wheel, was published in May 2018 and looks at physical capacity, the social model of disability, acceptance, redemption, and integrity.
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