What an Astonishing Waste of Everyone's Time is (hopefully) a warm, whimsical and hilarious (big word) coming-of-age story about a young, working class northern man (Rob) trying to find his place in the world whilst being helped, and ultimately saved, by the women (unsurprisingly) around him. You'll be glad to know that the book itself contains significantly less parentheses (thank god).

Rob has spent the past four years climbing the career ladder at his local greyhound track, from lowly glass collector to barman extraordinaire, picking up the slack his co-worker and best friend Tom leaves in his wake. When it's time for Rob to leave his hometown of Sheffield to attend university in the rather intimidating London, his imposter syndrome results in an unlikely friendship with fellow wallflower Jasper; a well meaning, if slightly detached from reality, upper middle class student and alongside him his adopted Eastern European sister, Exít, who soon has an eye for the boy from up north. Rob tries his best to stop his oldest and newest friends from meeting, but when they inevitably do, a botched robbery results in an unplanned road trip to a caravan site in Skegness.

What the readers are saying...
"This pick me up again book provided the most enjoyable read in a long time. Humour and subtly created suspense make for an immersive experience throughout as we follow the antics of wonderfully diverse characters. Sensitive, richly detailed observation creates individuals who are interesting, engaging and believable as they encounter relatable situations and some very out of the ordinary challenges. A story of growth, love, grief, sadness and laughter leaves the reader wanting more." *****

"I thoroughly enjoyed this well-observed, genuinely hilarious & at times melancholic rollercoaster ride from the cosy confines of home-town adolescence, to the bright lights of London society, and then back to the earth (or should that be the turf) with an almighty bump. A story about who you think you are, who you want to be and then, who you actually are." *****

"Fantastic writing from a new author. Laugh out loud funny. Vivid, fall-in-lovable characters. A story that immediately sucks you in. A book you will not regret picking up." *****

"A wonderfully written, properly Northern tale. Full to the brim with sharp and witty word play; this book had me giggling, gasping, and even shedding a few tears." *****

"A wonderful debut novel from this talented author. Has a uniquely British feel to it. Full of likeable characters, a great story, and some very memorable turns of phrase and one-liners. Lots of enjoyable action in the final 3rd, lots of laugh out loud moments but it's the depth of characters and their personal journeys through love, friendship and death that will keep you hooked. Highly recommended." *****

• We started tracking this book on February 28, 2024.
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• This book has been FREE 2 times since we started tracking it.
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• Literature & FictionHumor & SatireGeneral Humor

• Text-to-Speech: Disabled
• Lending: Disabled
• Print Length: 277 Pages
• File Size: 411 KB