THE WOMAN ON THE RECEPTION DESK KNEW | FLOORED BLOG TOUR

Floored
Rating: 4/5
Buy/Borrow: Buy
Source: Review copy courtesy of Macmillan (out now)

The Breakfast Club meets One Day in Floored, a unique collaborative novel by seven bestselling and award-winning YA authors: Sara Barnard, Holly Bourne, Tanya Byrne, Non Pratt, Melinda Salisbury, Lisa Williamson and Eleanor Wood.

When they got in the lift that morning, they were strangers. Sasha, who is at the UK's biggest TV centre desperately trying to deliver a parcel; Hugo, who knows he's by far the richest – and best-looking – guy in the lift; Velvet, who regrets wearing the world's least comfortable shoes to work experience; Dawson, who isn't the good-looking teen star he was and desperate not to be recognized; Kaitlyn, who's slowly losing her sight but won't admit it, and Joe, who shouldn't be there at all, but who wants to be there the most.

And one more person, who will bring them together again on the same day every year . . .


If you're a fan of UK YA, you'll know that this book has been on everyone's radar since early last year. Samplers were dropped at YALC 2017 and I remember sitting on the floor devouring every word. A book that combines 7 of the best YA authors - what could go wrong? Actually, I was worried. If you've been following my blog for a while, you'll know how much I struggle with more than one perspective. And this had 6. 7, if you include the narrator.

I had nothing to fear. I went from someone who struggled with 2, to a person who could cope with 7. I really loved the narrator's voice; it felt like a friend in the book who popped up every few chapters to ensure you were keeping up with the story and handing out reminders if you weren't.

I was terrified to write this review. Mainly because the plot is so intricate, and there's so many moments that seem insignificant and okay to tell you, but in reality, could potentially spoil the book.

In a turn of events that screams, "FATE", 7 strangers enter a lift. Only 6 come out alive...

The 6 unlikely friends remaining all cope with what's happened in their own way: alcohol, sex, worry, anxiety etc. - I think this book really highlighted the fact how differently each person deals with a situation, and the effects it can have on their lives; not just after the ordeal, but years down the line.

I really don't want to say much more about the plot - but can a group of strangers put their differences aside and support each other through situations life throws at them? This book explores that question massively.

When I got asked to be part of this blog tour and saw we could choose an opening line from one of the characters and explore them in more detail, I instantly chose Kaitlyn. Her opening line is:

"The woman on the reception desk knew." 

From her opening chapter, Kaitlyn became my favourite.

Kaitlyn is blind; kind of. Her sight is deteriorating and she's sick to death of being treated differently for it. As someone who's used to being treated differently as soon I speak about my chronic illnesses, I related massively. 

Her opening chapter, she speaks about how she's made to feel like she can't go down certain career paths now and how angry she is that decisions about her life are being made for her now, and she's just a box that needs to be ticked for her school. These moments gave me a connection with Kaitlyn instantly, and why she fast became my favourite character.

YA - can we please have more characters like Kaitlyn? Characters that talk honestly about how fucked-up society treats people like us? Characters that say things that don't particularly make them likeable - but say things that are true. I think Holly Bourne may be Kaitlyn's creator; but that's just a guess.

That's another point, guys. We still don't know who's written each character. It's driving me slightly round the twist. I'm assuming we'll find out at some point, and won't be waiting in this author limbo for the rest of our lives.

The book is fantastic; one of the best YA contemporaries of the year.



Check out the other stops on the Floored blog tour here:

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