Jenny's Bookshelf: The New Me- Halle Butler

I was given this book by my sister as a Christmas present, when I read the back of it, I could see why she picked it for me but  I thought it was going to give me an existential crisis.

In a windowless office, a woman explains something from her real, non-work life- about her frustration and indignity of returning her online shopping- to her colleagues. One wears a top knot. Another checks her pedometer. 

Watching them all is Millie.

This book is incredibly funny, and very easy to read. I felt as though I had picked up someone’s personal journal and I shouldn't have been reading it. 

We follow Millie as she goes about her job as a temp in a furniture showroom. The pages are filled with clever observations and things we all wish we could say to bad bosses, rude co-workers or fair weather friends. At first I could not decide if I found Millie very likeable but the more I read I found her relatable and hilarious.

This is delightfully weird and slightly unnerving but the perfect book to get you out of a reading slump. I managed to finish it in 2 days. 

one of the quotes on the cover says:

‘Dark comedy of female rage’ 

I agree I was left with the feeling there could have been more rage from the main character Millie. I would have loved her to have snapped. However, I understand having Millie articulate her rage without ever acting on it makes more of a point about the very nature of female anger and the societal expectation to keep a lid on it. 

This was one of those books that I thought might be too painfully relatable for me to enjoy. It was indeed painfully relatable but I thoroughly enjoyed it. It was over in a flash because I was hooked from the start. I would rate this a 4 out of five stars. Brilliant.

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