Holier Than Thou

Sep 21, 2012 Nataliya rated it 4 of 5 stars

Recommended to Nataliya by: Catie

Shelves: catie-knows-best, 2012-reads

Does literature need to be the mirror of our own selves in order for us to enjoy it? This is what kept running through my mind during the few hours I spent curled up on my couch, having finished an unbelievably draining month of Inpatient Medicine, with this book as my celebratory companion.

"A nurse and a social worker took fifteen minutes out of their shitty thankless job in the roughest corner of town, sat on a couple of milk crates drinking coffee, flopped their real selves out of the cement

...more

Does literature need to be the mirror of our own selves in order for us to enjoy it? This is what kept running through my mind during the few hours I spent curled up on my couch, having finished an unbelievably draining month of Inpatient Medicine, with this book as my celebratory companion.

"A nurse and a social worker took fifteen minutes out of their shitty thankless job in the roughest corner of town, sat on a couple of milk crates drinking coffee, flopped their real selves out of the cement and both liked what they saw."

It seems that the whole point of young adult literature now is writing a protagonist that the reader should be able to relate to. Actually, scratch that. It may be the point of most literature. As I look through reviews of so many books that I've read, I keep seeing the sentiments expressed over and over again - 'I SO could relate to the protagonist!', 'The heroine reminded me of myself during this time of my life!', and 'I could easily see myself in the character!'

Perhaps this is why young adult literature is becoming so increasingly popular. After all, almost all of us have been through high school, have met wonderful friends, have fallen in love feeling that this is "it", had our heart broken a few times, felt young and invincible and idealistic. So many of us got the round two of this experience in college - sheltering us for few more precious years from what is waiting 'out there'. These are the experiences most of us can easily look back on, remember, rehash, sometimes see through glasses rose-tinted by the distance of a few years or sometimes a few decades. The point is - most of us had these, and so most of us can RELATE. (*)

(*) (On this note, is this why so many YA heroines are the talentless idiots who magically turn into Mary Sues and are secretly the absolute BEST without even realizing that? Is that the only thing that the writers/publishers think we can relate to? Sadly, I think we readers may have been patronized and underestimated. But this is the conversation for another time and place).

Now, this book is what is apparently called the New Adult genre (as opposed to the *Young* Adult and not *Old* Adult, despite the unfortunate implications of this name). Apparently these kinds of books are for the new young college grads who have been removed from the safety of high school and college and now are expected to sort their lives out in the 'outside' world. And it can be big and scary and uncertain and hostile and overall not exactly what you hoped for. It's no longer sufficient to just have potential; it is time to live up to that potential now. That's the idea, from what I understand.

But from reading the reviews of this book before I even got my hands on it (Thanks, Catie!) I saw the pattern - the lack of relatability, so to say, for many readers. Apparently, Holly's experience is not universal. And what more, many of the people reading this book are not even at this stage of life yet. They lack the distance and rosy-tinted glasses of been-there-done-it-and-survived that allow you to read this book with the level of enjoyability that it can carry. If you haven't lived it yet, can you actually understand it and see its flaws and non-flaws? Maybe you need to be a slightly 'older' adult to enjoy it? It seems that Catie thought that, in the lovely review that made me want to read this book, and I think this, too, from the overwhelming life experience of my twenty-eight years of life (that was sarcastically tinged, by the way).

"I my fug I had walked right past a police cordon, erected because of a suicidal woman on the roof of the hospital. [...]
I generally kidded myself that so much separates me from these people. That's how I managed to come to work every day. But one of these fine days it could be me. These strong core muscles of mine, the shiny steel... it could all come crashing down."

What is this book about? Well, it's about the experiences of Holly Yarkov, an Australian brand-spankin'-new social worker who, like an adult she's supposed to be, has a real job (but also IMPORTANT AND IDEALISTIC!), an apartment of her own(crappy as it may be), a perfect live-in boyfriend, and a circle of high school and college friends.

"I had been calm, strong and compassionate for all the fractured souls and grieving families that were my daily bread at Elizabethtown. I could feel my compassion seeping out, my cynicism and hopelessness hardening, baking themselves onto the pan."

And then Holly gets to learn, like all of us eventually do, that even the most idealistic job can be a burden, that perfect boyfriend has very human flaws, that friends drift away, family may not need you to be their pillar of strength any longer, and that, basically, you are not as much of a center of the universe as you have been thinking. You may be the hero of YOUR story, but in the grand scheme of life you just may be a peripheral character, an extra, a face in the crowd. And how do you make your peace with it? How do you fit in this new mean world?

"There was no script to follow for a friend who had gone MIA. If you get dumped by a lover there is a script. You grieve intensely, you cry, you don't eat for a few weeks, you take a deep breath and you move on. But the whole left by an absent friend never really closes over. You never stop missing them or wondering what the fuck happened."

In terms of relating to Holly as a reason to like this book - I do a bit, actually - but not entirely. I stopped depending on my parents at a rather young age, I tasted real life before heading off to college and so post-college life was not a surprise. But on the other hand, having been to college and grad school for 8 years straight does give you a perpetual student mentality, a way to remain, at least partially, in a somewhat protective bubble.

And having gone to the medical school where I did, I was taught to absorb idealism and altruism with every fiber of my body, to be proud of the changes I can make in the world - but having experienced medicine now as an actual MD, in a busy county hospital, no less, I can easily see what Holly refers to when describing her less-than-glamorous moments of a life as a social worker for mental health services. The frustration, the understaffing, the underfunding, the lack of understanding, the long draining days - it's all there, all taking your idealistic view and desire to help others and turning it onto its head. It was making Holly lose her compassion. It was trying to turn me into a tired and callousy person. It was reminding me of trying to not break under pressure, to preserve a bit of self that you like. This much I can relate to. This was what made this book feel real for me.

"By then the paramedics were well and truly over it, and I didn't blame them. I'd had nothing to eat since the honey toast Tim had made for me at 7 a.m. and now it was 3 p.m. Neither had I peed in that time. (*)"

(*) Dear Holly, I will share a life-saving advice that I received from one of the surgeons on how to survive residency - 'Sleep whenever you can. Eat whenever you can. Pee whenever you can. Follow these three rules - and you're golden.' This has been my mantra since.

And this was also reminding me of what it was like being younger and less experienced and making mistakes and choices that may seem like too much compromises at the moment - because life demands that. It reminded me of how many of my friends have moved into their post-college careers that included things I could not bring myself to care about - all while I continued to keep trudging on the road to change the world, in my rosy-tinted view of the universe, while my friends were dismissing medicine saying that it's not where the money is any more and me looking at them incomprehensibly and going - 'what money? I don't care!' and feel at those moments - wait for it... wait for it... Holier than thou! I guess that was the relatability factor that I found in this book, and it worked for me, and did not work for others, and it's all okay since the New Adult experience does not have to be the same for everyone. Most things are not there for everyone to relate to, and that's quite alright.

This book is one of those that do not have a real ending. It's interrupted halfway through, and we are not sure exactly what are the decisions that Holly will make. And that's also was fine by me - after all, New Adults have quite a few choices to make once they figure out how to cope with this world, and Holly leaves this story with quite a few of them open to her, and I trust her to make the best choices for herself, or else fail and start over, because that is all a part of growing into the Old Adulthood, after all. 4 stars and recommend - especially if you are a bit closer to 30 than 20 and have been down some of these roads before.(less)

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May 26, 2012 Shirley Marr rated it 4 of 5 stars

Recommended to Shirley by: Reynje

Shelves: aussie-new-adult

I believe that Holier Than Thou is the first "New Adult" novel I have read. And I am going to use the term "first" even though I've read a few books recently that tackle the "upper YA" bracket - that being Something in the World Called Love by Sue Saliba and Black Painted Fingernails by Steven Herrick.

Although both these mentioned novels involved characters that are in the process of moving and/or have just moved out of home, they were either plot/story driven or highly metaphoric pieces focused...more

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Jun 05, 2012 Catie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Recommended to Catie by: Reynje

Shelves: read-in-2012, ya

4 1/2 stars

It’s only rarely that I’ve encountered a writer like this, who so skillfully encourages the reader to participate. Laura Buzo’s writing in this book may appear simple and straightforward, but it’s deceptively so. Not only does she seamlessly weave together three different timelines, she achieves the perfect balance between what is stated and what isn’t. She gives us just enough. Instead of spelling out exactly how Holly feels, she leads us directly to our own emotions and memories. As...more

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Jun 04, 2012 Emily May rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: ya-na, 2012, boring, contemporary

Well... this is disappointing. I was so certain I would love Holier Than Thou after enjoying Buzo's first novel, but I found myself thinking it was neither as funny or as sad as the blurb would have you think. It's basically the story of a young woman's day-to-day life, from moving into a new home, to being in love, to dealing with her father's death. When you write the kind of book that is about a normal person with a fairly normal life, I just need to see a little drama, some humour, a touch...more

Well... this is disappointing. I was so certain I would love Holier Than Thou after enjoying Buzo's first novel, but I found myself thinking it was neither as funny or as sad as the blurb would have you think. It's basically the story of a young woman's day-to-day life, from moving into a new home, to being in love, to dealing with her father's death. When you write the kind of book that is about a normal person with a fairly normal life, I just need to see a little drama, some humour, a touch of sadness, something to stir things up a bit. Holier Than Thou - its story, characters, etc. - they all seemed to massively lack charisma.

Buzo's debut - Good Oil - is a fantastic book, both heartwarming and sad. There's a bittersweetness to it, and that's long been something I can't resist, bittersweetness can break my heart so much more easily than tragedy when it's done right - I'm just like that. Plus, it would be hard to find someone who can't relate to Good Oil, and perhaps this is my ultimate problem with Holier Than Thou. Buzo's first book is about a teenage girl who develops a huge crush on her older co-worker, and honestly, how many ladies here don't know how this painful story goes?

In Good Oil, I was Amelia, I had been her before so many times, I'd obsessed over a number of Chris-like characters, and her story was my life a few years ago. I think this is the book's strength, that relatability which takes you back to all those fond but slightly cringy memories. Holier Than Thou isn't my life, the protagonist is unfamiliar and boring to me. I thought I would be ready for this "New Adult" genre, being twenty years old and hitting the top end of "Young Adult", but perhaps I am actually a little too young for Holly's story. I am not yet dealing with a "proper" job, or considering settling down with a long-term partner, or thinking about babies - I'm still just hoping I get at least a 2:1 in my degree. Would this story have spoken to me if it had been more familiar? Shirley's review and Catie's status make me think that it might have done.

I think Buzo might have a talent for writing stories that bring back the readers' memories, that remind them of first crushes, first jobs, first homes... she certainly did in Good Oil. This book fell a little short of the mark for me - whether that's because of my age or because of the story itself, it's hard to tell. But this just didn't give me those warm and slightly sad fuzzies that Buzo's first work did.(less)

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Sep 22, 2012 Reynje rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: australian, contemp-or-realistic, favourites, it-s-complicated, read-2012, young-adult, books-that-linger

4.5 stars

Perhaps it’s stating the obvious but I think there’s a direct correlation between a reader’s engagement with Holier Than Thou and the reader’s own experiences of life in their early 20s.

Maybe I felt an affinity for this book because I was 22 when my mother first – gently, cautiously – suggested to me that I consider looking for another job because my current one was making me bitter, angry and generally distrustful of people. (It was.) Maybe I felt it because, while I am a bridge-burne...more

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May 23, 2012 Emily rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: aussie-ya, awesome-title, books-i-own, books-that-linger, characters-i-love, favourites, funny-stuff, lost-sleep-over-this, lovely-covers, need-to-reread, prose-envy, read-in-2012, swoon, fave-author

I'm afraid I could never write a review that would do this book any sort of justice. To me, it's perfect. (Hands up if you thought of that sweet guy from Love, Actually. I would totally hold that sign up for Laura Buzo*). And, to be blunt, I don't particularly want to write one. This book has a special place in my heart and it doesn't feel right to break it down into "I liked this because" or whatever.

BUT.

I do want to post a quote by author Kristan Hoffman about the new adult genre. Which is e...more

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May 02, 2012 Mandee rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: allen-unwin, may2012release, ya-lit, aussie, aussieya2012, aww2012, contemporary-fiction, i-have-a-copy, realistic-fiction, new-adult, favourites

Holier Than Thou is Laura Buzo's second novel. Set in Sydney, we follow the story of Holly Yarkov, a twenty-four year old who has just moved out of home and into an apartment with her boyfriend, Tim. Holly has a core group of friends that she has known since primary and high school. They've all finished uni and are now working, but not all in fields that they'd originally chosen. Holly is a social worker, Dan works for a consultancy firm, Lara is a lawyer and Abigail is a doctor. One of their fr...more

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Dec 14, 2012 Keertana rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: aussie, books-that-linger, beautiful-prose

Rating: 4.5 Stars

If I'm to be perfectly honest, I still don't know what to say about this novel. While I didn'tloveit the way I did Buzo's debut,Good Oil(now published in America under the titleLove and Other Perishable Items),I feel as if I've come out of this book with a new-found respect for Laura Buzo and a wiser, more contemplative, and almostwholefeeling. In so many ways,Holier Than Thoucompletes me. It's hard to say why, but it just does.

Holier Than Thouis one of those novels that you ei...more

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Jun 15, 2012 Tatiana rated it 2 of 5 stars Recommends it for: chick lit readers

Shelves: 2012, chick-lit, aus-nz, b

As seen on The Readventurer

2.5 stars

If I am being honest, the most fun I had while reading Holier Than Thou was when I was contemplating if this new emerging genre of "New Adult" fiction would be for me. If you are not familiar with the idea of "New Adult" (as opposed to "Young Adult" or "Adult") fiction, this term seems to have been coined by the St. Martin's Press' publishing team back in 2009 when they announced a writing contest seeking fiction similar to YA that can be published and markete ...more

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Aug 07, 2012 Arlene rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: aussie-books, read-2012, reviews-with-music, adult

Another Aussie Hit! Are you surprised? =]

My first experience with Laura Buzo’s writing was when I read her debut novel Good Oil. I fell hard for that book, so I was all sorts of excited when I heard she was coming out with another contemporary.

When I was done reading Holier Than Thou what I was left with was a ton of notes written down that included scattered thoughts, music choices, character details and all sorts of musings. It’s something I find I do quite often for books that have an impact...more Another Aussie Hit! Are you surprised? =]

My first experience with Laura Buzo’s writing was when I read her debut novel Good Oil. I fell hard for that book, so I was all sorts of excited when I heard she was coming out with another contemporary.

When I was done reading Holier Than Thou what I was left with was a ton of notes written down that included scattered thoughts, music choices, character details and all sorts of musings. It’s something I find I do quite often for books that have an impact on me. The notes are all over the place, but one thing is for certain… it was nothing short of a profound and fulfilling journey having traveled with these characters for a small moment of time.

There were parts of the narration that I struggled with a bit because it would jump from time frame to time frame, and I’d be left not knowing where I was to go next with Holly. However, I soon realized that was the whole point. She was a bit lost herself and had so much on her mind and in her heart to share through her narration that the only way she could achieve telling her story with the truest sense of honesty was to give the reader a VIP pass into her organized chaos in the most revealing way possible.

I find that’s a signature move with Aussie contemporaries. The characters hold nothing back and you learn about every aspect of their lives and to not feel a connection or some sort of sympathy is to miss the magic of these stories.

Nicholarse and Holier Than Thou left me with a small pang regret, and there was a part of me that wanted these characters to achieve their own sort of happy ending, but in the end… Holly did the right thing. She made a choice that spoke volumes to her integrity, and she earned a ton of respect from me as a character.

Holly was fierce, strong and worthy of her title Woman of Steel. She goes down in my book as a character I won’t soon forget and would drop my afternoon responsibilities for a chat and cup of tea with her. She shared her struggle and pain of losing her father and later her fear of losing her close friendships as they grow older and have to deal with real life. This story felt honest and oh so very real.

It was very character driven with constant shifts in time frames, which made it hard at times to gain my bearings, but in the end it’s earned a spot in my heart for its realism and impact. Overall, another Aussie contemporary that shouldn’t be missed.

Song Choice: With Me - Sum 41

This review is featured on:

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May 29, 2012 Brodie rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012

Having fallen in love with Laura's debut novel, Good Oil, I've been eagerly anticipating word on another book (or sequel!!!). So when I first heard of Holier Than Thou, I was bouncing. in. delight. And I'm so excited to say, Laura once again does NOT disappoint! While our main character, Holly Yarkov, is a 24 year old social worker, Holier Than Thou can easily slip into the older YA market, while still firmly securing a spot amongst New Adult titles. I think older teens can relate to Holly becau...more Having fallen in love with Laura's debut novel, Good Oil, I've been eagerly anticipating word on another book (or sequel!!!). So when I first heard of Holier Than Thou, I was bouncing. in. delight. And I'm so excited to say, Laura once again does NOT disappoint! While our main character, Holly Yarkov, is a 24 year old social worker, Holier Than Thou can easily slip into the older YA market, while still firmly securing a spot amongst New Adult titles. I think older teens can relate to Holly because she's still trying to find where she fits into the vast jigsaw of life. She clings onto the past, onto the familiar, in fear of losing it. She's afraid of change, afraid of becoming something outside of her own firm idea of who she thinks she should be. But no matter how strong her grip, she can't keep things in perfect alignment. I think that's something we can all relate to, all struggle with at some point in our lives. It's hard to look at Holly and not find a part of yourself staring back at you. Whether it's her empathy, her humour, her strength or in the people and relationships she's encountered. Laura Buzo excels at crafting an amazingly flawed, lovable, believable protagonist.

Each turn of the page is a beautiful thing to witness, because the changes in Holly are so distinct as she evolves. She's growing up and so is everyone else around her. Her once inseparable group of High School friends are becoming increasingly more difficult to bring together, each branching off into a new direction. New jobs, new friends, new schedules. I think everyone over high school age can relate to that, and all those nearing that life-changing moment, fear it. As the past rears it's head, we see how the tragic death of Holly's father has shaped her into woman she is today and how the boy from her teens - who never was, who might have been, who could have been, who just disappeared from her life and never returned - still plays heavily on her mind and heart. Each thread of Holly's life is weaved, snipped and retied with such a caring hand, it's impossible to remain untouched by her journey.

More often that not, what I see explored in the books I read is the beginning of love, all bright and sparkly with new-couple shine. Holly's been with Tim for a few years now and some of that shine has faded. It's still strong with love and affection, but their life is settling into a monotony. They're not always as open with one another, nor are they sharing the same deep and exciting conversations. You see how it weighs on Holly, how it subconsciously pushes her to pay more attention to other areas in her life. Or other people. Nick. Funny, inspiring, charming Nick. Her constant companion at work, who understands the daily demands and emotional impact of their job. Nick, who may not be perfect, with his own messed up life hiding behind closed doors. Nick, who Holly is realising she'd be lost without. I loved how their relationship was so easy - the banter, the affection, how they knew what to say and when. You grow to suspect that Nick has feelings for her, but she's either oblivious or just not willing to acknowledge them at first. What they have is a strong friendship and it was both beautiful and heartbreaking to see potential for something more, given everything that stands between them. Realisations are made, as are choices, some frustratingly stupid, others more admirable, but each I felt to be a true reflection of the characters.

Holier Than Thou is a messy web of beautiful chaos. It's life. Perfect in it's ability to frustrate the hell out of you, make you smile, make you cry and twist your heart in pain and pleasure. Life is a constant state of motion, nobody has a 'happily ever after' because tomorrow is never certain, only in it's promise of eternal change. That's why I love how Laura ends this book. Was I left shaking my head in denial? Yes. Was I left frantically checking to see if my copy was missing pages? YES. But it felt real, it left me wondering. There is never a final dot point in life, not until you die, and I thought this was demonstrated really well. Even if I do still feel an ache in my heart, a desperate need to know MORE.

Holier Than Thou is a hilarious, poignant, inspiring snapshot of life, written by a rising Australian talent that everyone ought to clear a space for in their bookshelves!(less)

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May 09, 2012 Nomes rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: aussie-ya, crushing-on-the-writing, books-that-linger, covers-i-love, 2012, favourites, lived-up-to-the-hype, faves-of-2012, i-own, dual-timeline, quietly-awesome, rainy-day-comfort-reads, older-ya-protag, read-it-in-a-page-flipping-frenzy, my-kind-of-awesome, themes-i-love, riding-the-older-ya-vibe, absolute-favourite-favourites

Absolutely my kind of brilliance. Loved this and then some. Please, Laura Buzo, write more books, I could read your stuff forever xo

So incredibly, crazily excited for this. It's my fave bracket to read in, as well, new adult.

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May 02, 2012 Trisha rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: australian-ya, humour, ozya2012, romance, ya-literature

Sensitive, insightful, funny, clever, poetic but also authentic language of young people. These are just the first words that come to mind about 'Holier Than Thou'. But there are so many more.

Almost the best book I have read all year. (Apparently that doesn't mean much. People say that I claim that about every book I read. *shrug* whatever).

More words, specifically about Holly, who is an excellent character. She is alive and real. Full of longing and grief and wanting and loving. She fairly crac...more

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May 03, 2012 Trinity rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: contempo-casual, new-adult, aussie-ya-challenge, covers-i-love, favourite, hearts-a-mess, home-grown-aussie, lets-hear-it-for-the-boys, poetic-prose, sawoon, swim-fan, read-in-2012

THIS BOOK.

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May 24, 2012 Lenni rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012-must-have, avaliable-in-aus, must-have-aussie, favourites, i-ll-buy-anything-they-write, you-re-funny, above-5

So unbelievably real. And wonderful. So so wonderful.

______________________________________

Holier than thou is one of those books.
You know the ones, the books that change you in some way.
One of those books that linger's and makes you contemplate your life and all the choices you've made.
One of those books that makes you laugh and cry and everything in between.
One of those books that you feel depicts your culture with utter perfection.
One of those books with character's that you just want to...more

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Feb 10, 2013 ✌ Kaye ♡ rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult, older-ya-and-new-adult, real-life-issues, art-artist, college-post, family, slowmo, wet-pages

3.5

At first I didn't like this book. I'm not even sure I do now. It didn't pick up for me until it was almost over. What I realized late in the game: Holly was speaking my thoughts and reading this was depressing. Thoughts of humanity and life were flowing with negativity due to Holly being swamped in death and hopelessness. It probably hit me because I am in the same age range and life experiences as her at the moment.

Summary...

1. Holly had no guts in relation to Liam and I'm mad they even mad...more

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Aug 10, 2012 Alexa rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: aussie, new-adult, borrowed, 2012-reads, tour, contemp-challenge

My review can also be found on my blog Collections.

3.5 stars

...Huh? I don't know about that ending. And what the hell was wrong with Liam? I'm not sure I really liked Holly either, tbh. Feel sorry for Tim ~~and Nick (oh who am I kidding? Nick was wrong for that!)~~. Geez. :\

I didn't hate the story. It was intriguing. In fact, it was a 4 star read the whole time until the thing with Nick... Then I was willing to let it slide, but then that went nowhere...? What was the point?? The last few chapters...more

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Mar 10, 2013 Jocelyn rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: australian, young-adult

Holly is in many ways a typical young Australian adult. She did well in school so she could get into Uni, and she has a job she really believes in even though it’s sometimes hard to feel like she’s making a difference. Her main group of friends are busier than ever but will always be there for each other. She shares her very own flat with her very own perfect boyfriend, Tim. And Holly has a painful history, one that’s inevitably shaped who she is today.

In Holier Than Thou, we see snapshots of Ho...more Holly is in many ways a typical young Australian adult. She did well in school so she could get into Uni, and she has a job she really believes in even though it’s sometimes hard to feel like she’s making a difference. Her main group of friends are busier than ever but will always be there for each other. She shares her very own flat with her very own perfect boyfriend, Tim. And Holly has a painful history, one that’s inevitably shaped who she is today.

In Holier Than Thou, we see snapshots of Holly’s life that have informed who she is today: what’s hurt her, what’s overjoyed her, and what’s stayed with her through the years. Her Dad’s slow decline and death when she was in high school is the basis of Holly becoming a social worker, someone who helps those in impossibly bleak situations. Her friends’ steadfast companionship, which has remained constant through high school, University and beyond means security, understanding and support for Holly no matter what. Her non-relationship with the boy she pined over for too many years is a constant source of introspection, regret and second-guessing. And her current relationships with both Tim and Holly’s work partner Nick continue to provide warmth, comfort and optimism about the future.

Lauren Buzo’s characters are dynamic, with sharp corners and soft underbellies – none more so than Holly. Holly is satisfyingly elaborate, with good intentions, strong viewpoints, inbuilt prejudices and blind spots galore (like all the twenty-somethings I’ve ever met, including myself). Her friends are a wonderful vehicle: calling Holly on her pretensions about herself or others, while always being on her side. Tim, the boyfriend, was a bit flat but the ‘work spouse’ Nick (or “Nicholarse”) helps make up for this with his deep and original character.

The pace was languid, introspective and at times felt a little directionless, but not fatally so. I found the ending slightly abrupt, with not enough resolution; but I actually think that was a deliberate and relevant choice, because Holly’s story doesn’t end. She has years of triumph, heartache, joy and pain ahead of her, we’ve just let her go and get on with it. I'd like to think that it all turned out okay in the end, when Holly’s eighty, looking back over everything.

A really interesting novel about what we take with us from our early lives, with a realistic, completely identifiable main character, and a lovely insight.(less)

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Sep 18, 2012 LadyDisdain rated it 3 of 5 stars

There were two reasons why I picked up this novel.

Reason #1: I'd read Laura Buzo's debut novel "Good Oil" and loved the fresh, crisp writing style, as well as her construction of the characters.

Reason #2: This novel centered on a protagonist who is at that point in life where school and university life are over, and 'real life' is on the brink of beginning. As someone who is currently at university, and who reads countless YA and Adult novels I'd been hoping a long time to find something that...more

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Aug 18, 2012 Steve lovell rated it 4 of 5 stars

If she noticed me she gave no indication, but I certainly espied her as our paths crossed in the main street of my home town. She was the love of my life for about twelve months when I was in Year 11. Then a voluptuous, dark eyed raven haired beauty, in those few seconds three score and something years on, as she passed, it seemed that life had weighed heavily on her. After so many years we all lose our sheen, but to me, in those fleeting moments, it seemed more than that – but undeniably the be...more
If she noticed me she gave no indication, but I certainly espied her as our paths crossed in the main street of my home town. She was the love of my life for about twelve months when I was in Year 11. Then a voluptuous, dark eyed raven haired beauty, in those few seconds three score and something years on, as she passed, it seemed that life had weighed heavily on her. After so many years we all lose our sheen, but to me, in those fleeting moments, it seemed more than that – but undeniably the beauty was still there – it wouldn’t take much for the olive skinned vibrancy of her youth to re-emerge. An attack of the ‘what-ifs’ then duly flows, but only temporarily, as life is blissful these days. Way back when, of course, I blew it. Being the callow teenster that I was, after my love moved away to another city the following year we sputtered on for a while, but eventually I decided that another attractive young lady closer to home was interested in me. She wasn’t, but by then I’d burnt my bridges.
Reading certain YA novels does that to you – makes you cast your mind back to another time, another place, and the ‘world seemed so much simpler then’ in the golden hue of reminiscence. Laura Buzo follows up on her charming debut effort ‘Good Oil’ with a sophomore tome that lives up to its back cover praise. Perhaps aimed at a slightly older demographic than her previous work – I can imagine many a savvy bookseller shelver ruminating on where to place it – Buzo, after a tad clunky start, soon gets into the groove of tracing Holier-than-thou’s course through life. The Holly Yarkov story dances back and forth between her twenty-something years in an unrelentingly draining job as a social worker, to her upper-secondary school escapades. In the former her depressing duties are lightened by her growing closeness to quirky, dreadlocked co-worker Nick, who obviously has lost his heart to her. She is tempted, but then there’s her partner Tim back in the flat with the gum tree. Tim is underdone as a character, deliberately so I suspect to keep our sympathies with the alluring Nick. Parallel to this are Holly’s earlier relationships at school, and part of her still yearns for the ‘boy who never was’, Liam.
Like Nick, we are drawn into the main protagonist’s life and grow to care for her and the decision she has to make. Buzo’s love of her leading hand is clearly palpable, but the book’s ending is deeply unsatisfactory – and a spoiler may follow. This is not at all down to any ineptitude on the author’s part. It is just, as with ‘Good Oil’ this reader wanted the journey to continue. These guys are so young I needed to know how life would continue to pan out for them. Does Holly succumb to safe Tim and travel, does she reconnect with Nick, or perhaps even Liam down the track? Any chance of a sequel Ms Buzo? What a bugger it is to be left so unfulfilled – in itself a sign of writerly excellence!
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May 18, 2012 Jess rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: aussie-love, favourites

I don't normally write reviews on here, but I had to write something for this one because it affected me so much. What an amazing book. I enjoyed 'Good Oil' by Laura Buzo, so I knew this one would be just as good. But 'Holier Than Thou' wasn't just as good - it was BETTER. Hence why I've given it five stars.

I won't lie - I bawled my eyes out. A lot. It was towards the ending that I just couldn't stop crying, I'm not even sure what possessed me. In fact, just writing this is making me upset!!! I...more I don't normally write reviews on here, but I had to write something for this one because it affected me so much. What an amazing book. I enjoyed 'Good Oil' by Laura Buzo, so I knew this one would be just as good. But 'Holier Than Thou' wasn't just as good - it was BETTER. Hence why I've given it five stars.

I won't lie - I bawled my eyes out. A lot. It was towards the ending that I just couldn't stop crying, I'm not even sure what possessed me. In fact, just writing this is making me upset!!! I even DREAMT about the characters last night (after I finished it), so that tells you something about how this book connected with me. I'm a young adult myself (23) and Australian, so I could occasionally relate to the characters and their situations.

Holly is 24, a mental health social worker, who lives with her boyfriend Tim in Dulwich Hill, Sydney. Whilst on the job with a co-worker, they visit a client in his fibro home in a poor suburb and find he has hung himself. Holly then delves into her past that leads up to this moment: through her high school years and her father's ailing health and eventual death; her loyal friends (Daniel, Abigail, Lara), and in particular one special friend who is no longer in her life (Liam)... The text intermingles her past with her current situation, working in the Mental Health Department of the fictional Elizabethtown Hospital; moving in with her boyfriend Tim and watching the lives of their neighbours (and the beautiful eucalypt tree she loves); and connecting on a deeper level with her co-worker Nick, who is addicted to marijuana but is one of the most genuine people Holly knows.

I won't spoil anything for you, but the book was incredibly bittersweet, and as the blurb states, 'achingly sad' - very accurate. There is a song I had in my head whilst reading this book. "Thirteen" by aKido. If you listen to this song and then read this book, you might bawl just like I did. You have been warned! Thank you Laura Buzo, for this highly realistic portrayal of life as a young adult, venturing into the real world and all it's craziness, and coming to terms with certain relationships with her friends, family, lovers and work colleagues, and most importantly - her future, and moving forward with her life.(less)

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Dec 26, 2012 Anne Weaver rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: modern-life

This would be 3.5 stars if I could give part stars. It is a growing into adulthood story and the impact of the girl's father's death. The book explores love and friendships and choices. It appears to deliberately leave much for the reader to work out, but maybe as I read this during holidays, it was too much for my tired brain...It would be a good book to read with someone to discuss what is going on. It is not that it is a complex story, but rather that the writer leaves much that is unresolved...more

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May 16, 2012 Penni Russon rated it 4 of 5 stars

Fascinating in terms of genre alone, this is a YA novel with a distinctly YA arc about twenty-somethings who are all done with uni and are now out in the big bad world, but it's not everything they hoped it would be. I think it's really hard to write novels about twenty year olds because they don't have the same imposed restrictions on them as teenagers which makes them a little less interesting and it's a bit harder to end on a note of hope and optimism about the future, because the future is r...more

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Apr 25, 2013 Shaheen rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: library

Holier Than Thou explores our early twenties: a unique time in our lives where we're just out of high school and tertiary education, working the first job, living out of home, perhaps for the first time, maybe exploring our first 'serious' relationships. It's about Holly, who has ticked all those boxes, but is rapidly finding out the idealism we learn in high school and uni just doesn't apply in the real world.

What happens when you have everything you have ever wanted, but still find yourself un...more Holier Than Thou explores our early twenties: a unique time in our lives where we're just out of high school and tertiary education, working the first job, living out of home, perhaps for the first time, maybe exploring our first 'serious' relationships. It's about Holly, who has ticked all those boxes, but is rapidly finding out the idealism we learn in high school and uni just doesn't apply in the real world.

What happens when you have everything you have ever wanted, but still find yourself unhappy, wanting something new, something extra? Holly has created an identity for herself as the girl who always does right - she's taken the high moral ground and is prone to judging others for not doing the same - her work-mate Nick gives her the apt nickname Holier Than Thou. She could have easily come across as selfish, perhaps even aloof, but she, and the rest of the cast, are astonishingly realistic and relatable. Of her friends, I really liked Nick, and possibly could have loved Liam if it wasn't for the way he left. I didn't like Tim, I thought it was clear he was taking Holly for granted, and with the exception of Dan, the rest of Holly's friends weren't as supportive as I would have wanted to be. But this is the point of the book - a realisation that close friends will not always remain so.

The blurb made it sound as though Holly hadn't been plagued by the death of her father and absence of a close friend for a while, but from the very first page it's clear that she has been dealing with these issues non-stop for years. She's obviously never gotten over Liam, the best friend who left for mysterious reasons, and understandably has a complicated emotional history when it comes to the death of her father. Her past is filled out for us slowly, flashbacks interleaved cleverly with the present action of the life she envisioned for herself gradually falling apart. Holly's close friends expand their social circles, her thankless job as a social worker is sucking the joy out of her and she works long, hard hours without pay and under constant threat of being fired, her relationship with Tim is changing now that they live together and both work full-time, and Nick keeps entering her thoughts in inappropriate ways.

I have to note that I do not like the ending. Holier Than Thou ends abruptly, without really concluding the story arc and leaving me perplexed. I understand the author is probably tying to make a statement about the uncertainty of life, and how Holly has many years ahead of her to figure everything out, but it's very unsatisfying as a reader.

Holier than Thou will make you laugh, and will possibly have you reaching for tissues! It's a perfect story about the expectations we have of living as adults in the 'real world', with an Australian tang, and will resonate with readers who, like me, are at this special place in their lives.

You can read more of my reviews at Speculating on SpecFic .(less)

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Jul 29, 2012 Kelly rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-in-2012

2.5.

Holly suppresses every feeling. Despite having recently dealt with losing her first true love/best male friend and less-recently, the death of her father after a long and painful illness, Holly hasn't allowed herself the opportunity to grieve, to get angry, to feel anything about either situation. It's through her time living with new boyfriend Tim and her time bonding with her charming co-worker Nick that Holly beings to see and understand how important it is to not only open up to other pe...more 2.5.

Holly suppresses every feeling. Despite having recently dealt with losing her first true love/best male friend and less-recently, the death of her father after a long and painful illness, Holly hasn't allowed herself the opportunity to grieve, to get angry, to feel anything about either situation. It's through her time living with new boyfriend Tim and her time bonding with her charming co-worker Nick that Holly beings to see and understand how important it is to not only open up to other people, but to open up to herself.

Buzo's writing moves fluidly from the present to the past -- the present being Holly in her early 20s and her past starting in her mid-teens forward -- but because Holly is so disconnected from herself and the events that have brought her to this place, I had a very hard time connecting to her. She's so far removed from herself that I found my reading experience feeling like she was herself telling me a story of herself, rather than telling me about herself without the safety of a story. It wasn't raw or painful but somewhat dull and, at least for me, easy to dismiss. It was sad, no doubt, but that was about all I could press into it.

That said, there's something effective in this writing style because it gets directly to the heart of who and what Holly is. She IS this removed and distanced from her past. We get this immediately and we follow it through to the end when she has the realization that (view spoiler) This was further amplified through the relationships Holly made in her post-loss life: her romance with Tim is very quiet and not really explored in the story and she keeps Nick at an arm's distance until the very end. It is, of course, Nick who ends up helping Holly tap into those unexplored feelings.

Of all the characters, Nick was my favorite. He was quirky and charming but also level-headed and offered an ear before he offered a mouth to Holly. In other words, he was a real and honest friend, and I loved when Holly had that moment of realization. It was about this point -- maybe 2/3 of the way through the story -- where I finally figured Holly out and was eager to see her get through this.

This would be a neat book to pair with CK Kelly Martin's COME SEE ABOUT ME since they tackle grief and figuring out what lies ahead for those who are young but not teenagers. I didn't think Buzo's book was as strong, but it was still enjoyable.

*Thanks to Catie for passing this one along to me!(less)

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Jun 18, 2012 Lauren added it

Shelves: 2012, ya, library

Despite my best intentions (research, trips to the library, and lovely literary/non-fiction stacks toppling over under the bed) when I am sleepy and just want to read a few pages before bed, I pick up the 'light' choice. And last night, this was it.

I actually almost finished it in one go, maybe 50 pages left (but I can probably tell you what will happen in those pages). I like it because it is very Australian - I don't realise how American most of the books I read are until I read a distinct Aus...more

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Jul 03, 2012 Jo rated it 2 of 5 stars

Recommended to Jo by: About a million of my favourite ladies.

Shelves: 2012, ya, down-under, own

So normally when I dislike a book that is obviously a well-written, unique and great book, I normally say something along the lines of “Oh well, this book obviously wasn’t written for me.’
I can’t really say that for this one, because… well, this book was written for me.
Well, not literally.
Ms Buzo didn’t sneakily e-mail me and say ‘HEY JO! I’ve written a book AND IT’S FOR YOU’. But I’m the same age as the heroine and this is kind of a big deal for me. There are tons of books written about childre...more

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Apr 30, 2012 ALPHAreader rated it 5 of 5 stars

All roads lead back to Jindarra Street . . . or at least, they do for Holly Yarkov.

Holly is a social worker in the toughest town of Sydney, Elizabethtown (affectionately called ‘Befftown’). She works closely with registered nurse, Nick (affectionately called ‘Nicholarse’), and together they work the town’s toughest hood, Jindarra Street.

After Holly and Nick make a gruesome discovery at the home of one of their clients, Holly starts backtracking through her life leading up to a potential crossr...more

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Jul 05, 2012 Sarah (That Teenage Feeling) rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: contemporary-ya, aussie-ya, read-in-2012, must-reads

Holier Than Thou embodies everything that I love about Australian YA fiction; it is startling real, honest and utterly relatable. The people and places are palpable and the emotions evoked are breathtakingly raw. Laura Buzo has once again demonstrated her talent in writing insightful and complex characters, while also weaving an gripping and unforgettable story.

Gathering my thoughts about this novel has been hard, partly because I devoured it all in one night - breathlessly finishing it off at...more Holier Than Thou embodies everything that I love about Australian YA fiction; it is startling real, honest and utterly relatable. The people and places are palpable and the emotions evoked are breathtakingly raw. Laura Buzo has once again demonstrated her talent in writing insightful and complex characters, while also weaving an gripping and unforgettable story.

Gathering my thoughts about this novel has been hard, partly because I devoured it all in one night - breathlessly finishing it off at 2am in the morning and partly because I feel like I need to re-read it to savour the depth and complexity of the story. While I enjoy reading YA about the dramas of high school I really love it when I come across a story that is for the older YA readers and I wish that there were more books out there that write about characters in this age bracket.

Holier Than Thou is a story that starts not with a whimper, but with a bang as we are introduced to Holly, a 24 year old social worker, who discovers something shocking when visiting a patient. From that point on the story is beautiful study of characters, flawlessly interweaving moments from Holly's past - her father's battle with cancer in High-School, her friendship with Liam - a boy who she was once close with but has now disappeared from her life, and her current relationship with her friends from high-school who are slowly drifting apart. There were some lighter moments in the novel, and in particular I loved the banter between Holly and her dread-locked co-worker, Nicholarse- as she so fondly calls him.

This is not a light read, nor does it offer any sort of happy-all strings-tied-up kind of ending. The ending was left WIDE open, something which normally annoys me because I'm the Queen of Happily-Ever-Afters and unambiguous endings. However in this instance I can't but help but agree with how the novel played out as it representative of the characters in this book and where they are at this stage of their lives. Nobody has everything sorted at this age - or at least that's what I keep on telling myself - and the uncertainty is what makes the novel that much more realistic and bittersweet. Holier Than Thou is a standout read that tackles grief, friendship, work, love, family and the joys of growing up and surviving in the 'real world'.

Sarah @ That Teenage Feeling (less)

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Mar 30, 2013 Joseph rated it 2 of 5 stars

Something I couldn't relate to that killed this novel for me is the complete differences in what is important for the character and me. She's sad because of her friends drifting away from her. I had two really good friends, we drifted apart, I didn't care much, every now and then I would wonder what they were up to, but I wasn't sad. She notices how her perfect boyfriend isn't. No one's perfect.
I grew up realizing early what the game of life was going to be like and having to worry of about my s...more

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