Green Dot
A Novel
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3.8 • 12 Ratings
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- $11.99
Publisher Description
“Madeleine Gray takes a scalpel to millennial malaise, office romance, and infidelity, and the result is a brainy, gutsy, nervy—and hilarious—wonder of a novel.”
—Meg Howrey, author of They're Going to Love You
An irresistible and messy love story about the terrible allure of wanting something that promises nothing
At twenty-four, Hera is a clump of unmet potential. To her, the future is nothing but an exhausting thought exercise, one depressing hypothetical after another. She’s sharp in more ways than one, adrift in her own smug malaise, until her new job moderating the comments section of an online news outlet—a role even more mind-numbing than it sounds—introduces her to Arthur, a middle-aged journalist. Though she's preferred women to men for years now, she soon finds herself falling into an all-consuming affair with him. She is coming apart with want and loving every second of it! Well, except for the tiny hiccup that Arthur has a wife—and that she has no idea Hera exists.
With its daringly specific and intimate voice, Green Dot is a darkly hilarious and deeply felt examination of the joys and indignities of coming into adulthood against the pitfalls of the twenty-first century and the winding, tortuous, and often very funny journey we take in deciding who we are and who we want to be.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Australian writer Gray debuts with the canny story of a 24-year-old woman struggling to be an adult. Throughout her life, Hera never believed in getting a job. In high school, she was a good student but not well liked, and since college she has been living with her father in Sydney, biding her time until she is forced to support herself. Eventually, she's hired as a "community monitor" for a digital news outlet. During her first week, she's ignored by the office's journalists and counts down the hours as she moderates online comments. Hera's dull routine brightens after an encounter with a manager named Arthur in the elevator, where she decides to "cannonball into conversation." Hoping to make an impression, she asks him, "Who do you hate most in the office?" Arthur responds later via DM, their chatting leads to drinks, and they begin an affair. Hera falls for him and develops an obsession, which only grows stronger as Arthur refuses to leave his wife. Hera is vibrantly written, and Gray thankfully provides her narration with enough distance for self-clarity ("It is possible that my dedication to this relationship was in fact a dedication to my belief in myself"). Gray's unflinching bildungsroman is great fun.
Customer Reviews
Romantic, funny, depressing, and realistic
This book was a great read. I finished in about 3 days and was so sad when it came to an end. It provided a very realistic representation of navigating a complicated relationship in your mid to late 20s. I also think Madeline Gray depicts casual depression perfectly. This book was relatable and hilarious with an excellent plot, and the ending is empowering and satisfying. Anybody who has ever felt like they weren’t prioritized in a relationship will enjoy.