Welcome bookworms, to this month’s glowing review! 

​

It is October, the month that keeps on giving before the nightmarish stress of the holidays sets in and while there is much to partake in (flower festivals, ghost tours, Bavarian cuisine, oh my!), our October pick is certainly a highlight. 

​

I was very excited to get stuck into a book I’d been shamelessly eyeballing for a while, and I am pleased to report that my high expectations were met and then some! 

​

Very Impressive for Your Age by Eleanor Kirk is a brilliant and riveting debut that explores the quarter-life crisis of a young woman in realistic detail when her career is suddenly cut short. 

​

Opera star on the rise, 26-year-old Evelyn experiences a professional singer’s worst fear (nope, not Justin Timberlake) of losing her voice mid-performance. With medical experts stumped and no cure in place, Evelyn has little choice other than to move back in with her parents in her hometown (my mother’s dream, personally).  

​

With nothing but time on her hands, Evelyn falls into a self-pity fueled slump, struggling to re-connect with old friends, binging reality TV (been there, still there) and fixating on a reunion with her ex-boyfriend worthy of a Nancy Meyers flick. 

When the opportunity to make some easy money as a stand-in-debate teacher at her former high school pops up, she takes it but finds herself at odds with teenagers full of the similar potential she once had. 

​

Very Impressive for Your Age is an insightful and darkly funny unpacking of ambition that examines the ways it can shape us for the worst when we capitalize on one talent, or joy, for a whole career instead of taking pleasure in it. 

​

Praised and burdened with expectations since childhood, Evelyn is a multi-layered character entirely believable (and recognizable) in her self-absorption. With more time to reflect on her past behavior from a different perspective, she begins a psychological peeling of layers to discover who she is without her competitive drive for success. 

​

Evelyn’s uncertainties about her sense of self and future are deftly felt and relatable for anyone who has ever been pigeon-holed into a career or had their dreams dashed, or simply dulled, by reality.  

​

Written with nuance, wit and empathy, it is hard to believe that this is Eleanor Kirk’s first novel, and it is a superb testament to her skills. She balances the book’s darker themes with a clear message of finding joy wherever you can, especially in the mediocrity. 

​

I give Very Impressive for Your Age a standing ovation and five out of five arias. 

​

​

SIMILAR TITLES

 

Green Dot by Madeleine Gray 

A witty, profound and painfully relatable debut novel exploring solitude, desire, and the allure of chasing something that promises nothing. 

​

A Lonely Girl is a Dangerous Thing by Jessie Tu 

Growing up is always hard, but especially when so many think you're a washed-up has-been at twenty-two. 

​

Search History by Amy Taylor 

Rebecca meets Fleabag in a sharp and funny debut novel about dating in the internet age. 

​

Better Days by Claire Zorn 

Grace had it all, but couldn't hold it all ... A story of love, chaos and the music in-between, perfect for fans of Taylor Jenkins Reid.