Having really enjoyed You Are Here and Us by David Nicholls, I thought I’d read One Day, his much earlier and much loved novel published in 2009.

There are lots of positives: DN writes excellent characters and interesting, often funny dialogue. (He probably couldn’t write a bad novel.) The novel is well structured as it switches between the two main characters, Dexter and Emma, for two decades or so from when they first meet in 1988. There are interesting additional characters too. He captures the different years very well by reference to events, music, technology etc. and shows how the characters develop and change over time.

However, the one thing that spoilt the novel for me was that I loathed Dexter. I just couldn't get over the fact! However, I will continue to work through all DN's other novels because I love his writing.