REVIEW: The Burnout by Sophie Kinsella

Sasha is well and truly over it all: work (all-consuming), friendships (on the back burner), sex-life (non-existent). Sasha has hit a brick wall (literally).

Armed with good intentions to drink kale smoothies, try yoga and find solitude, she heads to the Devon resort she loved as a child. But it's off-season, the hotel is falling apart and now she has to share the beach with someone else: a grumpy, stressed-out guy called Finn. How can she commune with nature when he's sitting on a rock, watching her? Especially when they don't agree on burnout cures. (Sasha: manifesting, wild swimming, secret Mars bars; Finn: drinking whisky.)

But when curious messages start appearing on the beach, Sasha and Finn are forced to begin talking - about everything. What's the mystery? Why are they both burned out? What exactly is 'manifesting', anyway?

They might discover that they have more in common than they think...

"I'm wondering almost detachedly how long a human can cry for. What if I can't stop? Freak woman sobs for a year; doctors mystified; Kleenex makes compassionate donation. But no one cries forever."

I’ve read Kinsella novels for a very long time, and usually I think they’re a lot of fun — lighthearted, entertaining and fluffy so they’re always a great time. But this is absolutely fabulous and it’s clear that her stories have grown and evolved with her — capturing the voice of our tired generation and creating something so relatable you’re not sure whether to laugh or cry. From workplace stress, aggravating mothers, and unrealistic expectations; the burnout was such a cathartic read.

Sasha and Finn were so charming. Sasha was painfully relatable and I found so much understanding in her and her deep conviction that the next app she downloads or planner she fills out will be the one to finally get her life on track. And as we see her and Finn in the town they used to visit as kids the relationship between them feels so natural and beautiful as it sneaks up. There were tiny moments where they annoyed me at times, but I always found myself warming up to them and their ridiculous antics again in no time, as things consistently go from weird to worse in a hilariously chaotic mess that can only happen in a book and a little mystery that unfolds in between the pages.

From the first line I connected right away and started giggling to myself about how absurd it is to be a adult today acting like we know what on earth is going on and as we get to know the zany cast of characters in the small sleepy town of Rilston, everything becomes comedic gold but as always there’s that real streak of heart that we know and love.

The Burnout is available from 12th October with Random House UK. I received an advanced reviewers copy of this title.

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