Loner

by Georgina Young

Overview

Set in Melbourne, Loner is a humorous and heartfelt exploration of new adulthood. Lona kills her days by sneaking into the dark room at her old art school to develop photographs. She kills her nights DJ-ing the roller disco at Planet Skate. She is in inexplicably, debilitatingly love with a bespectacled Doctor Who-obsessed former classmate, and in comfortable, platonic love with her best friend Tab. Lona works hard to portray a permanent attitude of cynicism and ennui but will her carefully constructed persona be enough to protect her from the inevitable sorrows and unexpected joys of adult life? Loner re-examines notions of social isolation experienced by young people, suggesting sometimes our own company can be a choice and not a failing.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781922330130
Publisher:	Text Publishing Company
Publication date:	02/09/2021
Pages:	304
Sales rank:	1,027,621
Product dimensions:	5.00(w) x 7.75(h) x (d)
Age Range:	16 - 18 Years

About the Author

Georgina Young is a writer and designer from Melbourne.  Her work has been published in Voiceworks magazine and Branches, an anthology published by the Bowen Street Press. Loner won the 2018 Text Prize for Young Adult Literature. It is Georgina's first novel. 

Editorial Reviews

"I loved this razor-sharp, whip-smart, exquisitely funny debut."-Nina Kenwood, author of It Sounded Better in My Head

"Loner is a very clever, unconventional and hilarious coming-of-age story. I loved it!"—Eliza Henry-Jones, author of In the Quiet

"This is a book to push into the hands of everyone you know, especially those who ever had trouble knowing themselves."—Kate Mildenhall, author of Skylarking

"A compassionate and clever story for dropouts and screw-ups. Georgina Young has bottled the fears and feelings of every young woman who has had to learn to stop hiding inside herself."—Brodie Lancaster, author of No Way! Okay, Fine

"Reminiscent of Greta Gerwig’s 2017 film Lady Bird, Loner articulates the fatigue and fear of trying to work out what kind of person you want to be…Young’s care for her protagonist shines through, and it is this affection that is the heart of the novel."—Kill Your Darlings

"This funny, deadpan and sweet adult/YA crossover novel perfectly depicts the itchy, awkward space between the teenage years and adulthood, when everything is changing against your will, and absolutely nothing feels right."—Leanne Hall, author of Iris and the Tiger

"Lona is a relatable and engaging character, socially maladroit but funny and spirited...Loner canvasses the various dramas of friendship, romance, and family with insight and wry humour."—Australian Book Review

"Wry, funny and witty…A grown-up version of Daria."—The Big Issue

From the Publisher

01/01/2021

Gr 9 Up—Library shelves are filled with YA books about ambitious high school students and adult books about 20-somethings making their way in the world. But what about all the unambitious or uninspired young people? This book fills that gap with brilliantly funny, incisive observations about the awkwardness of youth. As the book begins, Lona, a "classic white girl," has dropped out of college and lives with her parents. She works at a skating rink and grocery store. She is awkward and unsure what she wants out of life. She is passive about dating a boy she basically likes and who clearly likes her. Lona muddles through friendships and poignant relationships with family, including her aging grandfather. The book is very Australian. Some slang and references will be unfamiliar to some American readers and alcohol is treated more casually than it is in the U.S., such as champagne at a school event and 19- and 20-year-olds allowed in bars. Most readers will be able to gloss over unfamiliar references with no loss to the story. The book doesn't end with all threads tied into a neat bow, but rather with Lona easing into a sense of responsibility for her own life. VERDICT Many readers will relate to Lona's meandering journey and be delighted to find company for their own.—Amelia Jenkins, Juneau P.L., AK

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