Ellis’ partner, Adrian, has fallen in love with a colleague so asks her to move out of his place. Struggling to focus at work, Ellis returns to her childhood home but finds her mum is not only consulting realtors over selling the house but is also dating a younger guy, Trevor, a dentist.
This was a darkly funny and somewhat depressing read about a woman spiralling out of control. I nearly gave up a few times but somehow Ellis’ tale of woe reeled me back in.
What you really need to know about this book is that Ellis is obsessed with teeth. Her family are renowned for their weak teeth and she’s a regular at the dentist for recurring toothache. Every chapter begins with an anecdote, metaphor or fact about teeth. It was all a bit much for me, even though the cover and title gave ample warning. But I’d definitely give this author another go – unless the next one is about haemorrhoids or pimple-popping.
