The Hemsworth Effect by James Weir

This is Weir’s long-form version of the Netflix car-crash reality series, Byron Baes. Yeah, I watched it – screaming with laughter the whole way. Alas, Weir fails to capture the same so-bad-it’s-good vibe in this light (but relatively long) novel. The story focuses on what happens for Byron Bay* locals when influencers and the filming of a reality-TV series descend on the town.

I picked up the novel on the strength of Weir’s reality TV recaps – he’s funny. But column-length recaps don’t stretch to a 4oo+ page novel, and the jokes about Byron culture and fame-hungry reality ‘stars’ were stretched very thin. Equally, plot lines relying on fidget spinners and cassette tapes were not plausible.

2/5 Not for me.

*I think the fact that the township brands itself as ‘one of Australia’s most iconic lifestyle destinations’ says a lot!

Daffodils by Louise Beech

Beech tells two stories in parallel – her mother’s recovery after a failed suicide attempt (she jumped off a bridge, miraculously survived but was left with shattered legs), and her traumatic childhood, one where Beech and her three siblings lived with their mother’s drinking and her various (abusive) boyfriends, intermittenly spending time in care while their mother was in a psychiatric hospital.

Beech draws on her siblings’ memories in some parts and although the various voices made the memoir a little disjointed as an audio, much was redeemed by the the final chapter, which recounts a letter Louise and her siblings wrote to their mother naming the times when she had chosen alcohol over her children. It’s a powerful and blunt piece of writing and provides a stark contrast to the humour the children had used to get through managing their relationship with their mother. This is not a ‘happy ending’ memoir but you get the sense that Beech has found a sense of peace within her family.

3.5/5

Before Dementia by Dr Kate Gregorevic

It’s rare that I recommend books to clients (you never know what their reading style is) and I’m conscious that my clients are generally time-poor. But this book will make the list of those I suggest when someone asks for reading on dementia. The format is straight forward (questions and answers), making it easy to dip in and out, or find something specific. Importantly, Gregorevic covers everything from the physiology of dementia to things in the ethical and moral realm – for example end-of-life planning and consent to sex.

She also sensitively tackles issues that come up frequently for carers (usually causing distress), and explains things in a way that had me making notes. For example, what to do when the person with dementia is continually asking for a person who has died (you don’t keep telling them about a loss) –

While the person may not remember the correct information they are being told, they can still experience the emotion associated with it. As we all know, a strong emotion doesn’t subside straight away.

4/5

Becky by Sarah May

In an author’s note, May states that she drew on Thackeray’s Vanity Fair for the character of Becky. May’s Becky is a tabloid journalist who works her way to becoming editor, and on the way steps over (and on) many people. We learn about Becky’s difficult childhood, which ultimately plays out in her adult relationships, and impacts her career. Although the Vanity Fair parallels are there, the character of Becky seemed to be drawn heavily from the real-life story of Rebekah Brooks and the News International phone hacking scandal, right down to the detail about a murdered school girl.

I found it difficult to believe that the people in Becky’s life remained present (and loyal) when she was clearly only concerned for herself, and given that the story spans decades, it became tiresome.

2/5