Yesteryear

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Is anyone reading Yesteryear? I have just finished and need to talk about it. I loved it and did not see the ‘twist’ coming at all!

I read it after a recommendation on here. It was OK, wouldn't say I loved it.

I've just finished the Audible version. What I found difficult was that I just couldn't warm to any of the characters. I thought the premise was interesting - I have often wondered how Youtubers run their lives and how much they really do themselves. I also liked the interesting observations about the lies women are sold about having it all or being a trad wife. I thought it didnt really come to any conclusions though, just seemed shit for women whatever they do. I was not surprised about the ending, I kind of guessed where it was going. I thought it was well written though. I zipped through it in a few days which is most unlike me.

I’ve just finished it! The twist was… interesting. I sort of liked it and sort of felt a bit flat about it all at once… I wasn’t wowed by it (the twist) like I thought and hoped I’d be.

I feel like I have a lot of questions, especially how old Caleb was able to get an erection.

I thought he was able to get an erection because he felt he was now in charge, whereas previously she was very much the dominant partner. I thought the ending was a bit of a shocker. I didn’t see it coming, and thought it was very rushed and left some things unexplained, like Caleb’s fate. The book as a whole was flawed but I really enjoyed it and look forward to the movie.

I’ve just finished it, following its recommendation as Fearne Cotton’s Happy Place Book Club choice for May.
I enjoyed it, but while the blurb on the back of the book promised an astonishing twist at the end, I felt it was a bit rushed and disappointing.
I sound like one of the Angry Women.

I found it disappointing. But maybe that's the fault of the surrounding hype rather than the book itself. Still, the hype served its purpose; I bought it, after all.

I recently read it, having picked it up at the airport... on the basis that it had cows on the front cover! (Think: rural country bumpkin who had never flown alone before, and feeling very out of place at a ginormous city airport!).

I don't tend to read much fiction these days, but I liked it, even though Natalie didn't come across as a particularly likeable person, before or afterwards. She was very much the dominant force in the beginning, and very confused and lost towards the end (though that can happen with medications). I'm glad that Clementine put her foot down about not wanting to be filmed, though, and that Mary got out of a life of domestic servitude!

I was underwhelmed. I found it quite dull and what twist? If there was one I missed it.

A 3 out of 5.

You’re really not supposed to warm to them I don’t think? Maybe the children.

At best. Wasn’t for me this one.

I feel similar to a lot of the replies. I liked it, wouldn't read it again though. Didn't warm to any of the characters. The twist was good and unexpected but I did feel the whole way through like I had no idea what was going on. I had to persevere through

God, I'm hating this book. I don't know why everybody hopes it up so much.

I liked it. I think my DDs should read it. I didn’t see the twist and that even that was yet more deception. The bits about the politician (Caleb’s dad) were interesting and up to date. It was an easy read. A 3/5 from me too.

Same for me. It’s the most I’ve ever paid for a kindle book because I fell for the hype and while it wasn’t a struggle to read it just didn’t live up to what I’d been sold by the reviews.

I listened to the Audible version too. I didn't see the twist coming, but to be honest I was quite relieved as I was afraid it was going gto have some supernatural weirdness going on to tie it all off.

I agree with the majority of posters - unlikeable characters just don’t appeal to me, but the premise was intriguing. I wouldn’t recommend.

Agree with the disappointed posters. It felt lazy to me - and apparently there’s a film deal so I suspect the book was written mainly to build and audience for a forthcoming film as I otherwise really don’t understand the (seemingly manufactured) hype

I am reviving this thread as I have just finished and also need to share.

I actually liked the twist. I hadn't read any blurb or even the cover as I did Audible, so had no idea to expect a twist which probably helped (although there clearly had to be some explanation for the two timelines).

For me, it was really layered and I keep thinking about different parts of it. I loved the unravelling of Natalie's mind and the fact that she was such an unreliable narrator that I had to start questioning things she had said early on when I had no idea how deluded she was.

I really enjoyed her inner monologue gradually escaping into the outside world and her complete break from reality was built in a way that made it believable for me.

I didn't like anyone very much - but that was ok for me. I thought Caleb was really interesting and his ability to satisfy her sexually once he was no longer being scrutinized or emancipated was a really clever way to make me believe that it really was someone different to OG Caleb. And the brothers being the neighbours.... yeah, I really liked it.

I liked it. It was very thought provoking. Natalie was a horror wasn’t she. I was confused about why she suddenly ‘woke up’ in that world though? What made her forget everything? The part about Maeve was upsetting and quite shocking.

I think she had been taking a lot of medication and possibly had some sort of psychotic break, so waking up in that world was really her being mentally 'present' after not being so for a long time. The way it read, nobody was very surprised by her insisting this wasn't her home or her children, so it's quite likely that this was something that had happened before.

Yes it was upsetting to find out that Maeve was harmed by her home childbirth. She was a sweetie.

Just finished it. I didn’t love it but wanted to get through it and ever since there’s bits that keep popping back into my mind. I don’t think we were supposed to like any of the characters much tbh.

I’m finding it more thought provoking now, so actually, I think it’s been quite a clever book. The themes are important - the rise of content creators and the implications of social media portraying impossibly perfect lives, the individualism of society these days, the unspoken assumptions about women’s roles/opportunity, the typecasting, the chasms between different generations…

I could not be arsed to re-read it but would be very interesting to read again knowing the twist.

I felt this was a book of many layers. Women's roles, male manipulation, politics, male roles in a marriage, and mental health and the effect modern living is having. And that despite her psychosis Natalie paid the price . . .