Nothing is Heavy
Synopsis
Nothing is Heavy follows these three characters over the course of one intense Saturday night.
Unaware that their lives are already intimately connected by a previous tragedy, their fates collide again with completely unpredictable results. What ensues is a hilarious, surreal, furiously-paced adventure involving sex, drugs, chips and angels which hovers masterfully between tragedy and farce.
Unaware that their lives are already intimately connected by a previous tragedy, their fates collide again with completely unpredictable results. What ensues is a hilarious, surreal, furiously-paced adventure involving sex, drugs, chips and angels which hovers masterfully between tragedy and farce.
Author's Biography
Vicki Jarrett lives in Edinburgh with her husband and twelve year old twins.
Three years ago when the parts of her brain Missing in Action gradually reappeared, she started writing again. A few more stories published and a shortlisting for the Manchester Fiction Prize 2009 convinced her to tackle a novel. Nothing is Heavy is the result. The first five chapters were shortlisted for the Lucy Cavendish Fiction Prize 2011.
Three years ago when the parts of her brain Missing in Action gradually reappeared, she started writing again. A few more stories published and a shortlisting for the Manchester Fiction Prize 2009 convinced her to tackle a novel. Nothing is Heavy is the result. The first five chapters were shortlisted for the Lucy Cavendish Fiction Prize 2011.
Reviews
"Here be angels and monkeys, falling to earth and living by one’s wits, dark places and beautiful tricks of radiant light. Vicki Jarrett is more than budding talent: this book full of visual delight and moral questions, in a voice entirely Edinburgh and entirely her own, is in mettlesome bloom. Surprise yourself – read it."
Janice Galloway
"A unique authorial voice and a captivating account of the lives of three unforgettable characters, all of whom have secrets and challenges to face. Totally unpredictable, hilarious in places, unforgettable."
Sophie Hannah
"[Jarrett's] dynamic and often comical storytelling ensures we keep turning the pages."
Alastair Mabbott, The Herald
"Jarrett’s novel for all its onslaught of events, isn’t heavy. Its dialogue is fresh and its women characters display a feisty, Thelma-and-Louise-ish survivors’ charm. Despite its overload of life-crushing disasters and shorthand assessment of parenting, this is an exuberant and salty book. And that’s even before the chips."
Elsbeth Lindner, BookOxygen
"Nothing Is Heavy was brilliant fun to read. A fast-paced novel, with moments of clever writing. Realistic and likeable characters, a great setting, a crazy plot; Jarrett has offered a very enjoyable read."
Bethany Anderson, Subtle Melodrama
“A unique authorial voice and a captivating account of the lives of three unforgettable characters, all of whom have secrets and challenges to face. Totally unpredictable, hilarious in places, unforgettable.â€
Lucy Cavendish
Price: £9.99
Janice Galloway
"A unique authorial voice and a captivating account of the lives of three unforgettable characters, all of whom have secrets and challenges to face. Totally unpredictable, hilarious in places, unforgettable."
Sophie Hannah
"[Jarrett's] dynamic and often comical storytelling ensures we keep turning the pages."
Alastair Mabbott, The Herald
"Jarrett’s novel for all its onslaught of events, isn’t heavy. Its dialogue is fresh and its women characters display a feisty, Thelma-and-Louise-ish survivors’ charm. Despite its overload of life-crushing disasters and shorthand assessment of parenting, this is an exuberant and salty book. And that’s even before the chips."
Elsbeth Lindner, BookOxygen
"Nothing Is Heavy was brilliant fun to read. A fast-paced novel, with moments of clever writing. Realistic and likeable characters, a great setting, a crazy plot; Jarrett has offered a very enjoyable read."
Bethany Anderson, Subtle Melodrama
“A unique authorial voice and a captivating account of the lives of three unforgettable characters, all of whom have secrets and challenges to face. Totally unpredictable, hilarious in places, unforgettable.â€
Lucy Cavendish
Price: £9.99
Reader Comments
Brilliant, everything comes together and relates smothly and perfectly.
Gosh, this was so much better than I expected! I'm now unsure what to do with it next (re-release at the next meetup, or try and get it a wider audience via a bookray?).
Set in Edinburgh, although there's not much recognisable to hang onto, it centres around 3 main characters: Amber (an exotic dancer), Beth (works in a chip shop) and George (on a stag night, dressed as a monkey). They all co-incide one night and a series of events spiral them together. As we read about the events of the night, we find out more about each individual, their backgrounds & how they all interelate even though they don't realise it.
I don't want to say too much about it, as you need to read it! I'll just say that I loved the characters and how they are drawn. I loved some of the incidental characters: shark boy, the Elvis style chip shop owner. I loved the way the author pulls all the strings together and how she made me care about what happens to everybody.
Well worth reading!