The Seven O’Clock Club by Amelia Ireland

The Seven O’Clock Club from debut author Amelia Ireland presents a new, unique voice in fiction.

Favourite Quote:

I want you to open yourself up to something a bit different. Those were the precise words she’d said to me on the phone a week ago.
It’s based on a theory I’ve been working on. A different approach to group therapy.
Ha ha, don’t worry, it’s nothing illegal!
Oh God. Why the hell had I said yes? 

Book Synopsis:

In a perfectly ordinary building, four strangers who couldn’t be more different meet for the first time. Their skepticism of this new kind of grief therapy—and the unnervingly perceptive group leader—means they’re all wary, but as the weeks go by, they find themselves returning again and again, pulled to work toward healing, even if it means first facing the pain head-on.

A sharp-tongued lawyer who has no intention of letting down her walls, a fragile young woman looking for a place to belong, a musician at the top of his game who’s one drink away from losing it all, and an interior designer facing the crumbling of her picture-perfect life—this unlikely group slowly opens up, not only to the possibility of a happier future but to friendship, change, and even romance.

When a shocking revelation reveals the real reason they were chosen for this group, it shakes the very foundation of what they thought they knew. What began as a journey designed to heal turns out to be a much greater test of friendship, strength, and love as they realize happiness is just outside the door…if they’re brave enough to seek it.

Review:

I was intrigued by the premise of this book. And I do actually love reading debut books. I’m happy to say that if I didn’t know this was a debut, I wouldn’t have been able to tell. It’s very well done.

Amelia deftly captures each character, each of them nuanced and well-developed. Genevieve is the harried but perceptive group leader who brings all the other characters together for an experimental group therapy surrounding grief. It is clear from the outset that each of the characters is grieving someone they have lost, but we don’t know the specifics until much later in the book. The group members come from very different walks of life. We have Victoria, a battle axe lawyer who believes showing her feelings makes her weak; Callum, a rock star with a substance abuse problem; Freya, a middle-aged woman who hasn’t left her house in half a year; and Misha, a young and shy.

The structure is really interesting too. The book is divided into eight parts, seven of them to represent the different stages of grief: denial, anger, acceptance, etc. Within each part we get chapters from the perspective of each character except Genevieve, the group leader. I was amazed at the unique voice that Amelia gave each character. Even if you didn’t read the name at the beginning of the chapter, you knew which character you were following because each character was that distinct.

There is a big twist about two-thirds of the way through the book, and unfortunately, that is where this story lost me. I did not like the twist or the last bit of the book as a result. I can’t really tell you more without revealing any spoilers. That being said, I think this is a lovely story that many readers will enjoy; it just wasn’t my cup of tea.

If you are looking for a heartwarming story with excellent character development, try this one.

Thank you, Berkeley, for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.