Starting with apologies, as always, this is my review of Parkllife by Lucy Nichol on behalf of the amazing Random Things Tours. Thanks to both Anne Cater and Lark for the copy of the book to take part.
Dumped, drunk and desperate – will a job serving ice-cream at the park save Emma from herself?
It’s 1996. Emma’s been rejected by the man she loves and sacked from the job she hates but desperately needs. Feeling like she’s hit a new low, she finds herself serving ice-cream and phoney smiles at the local park.
Best mate Dave’s loved up, and her dad’s finally emerging from years of unemployment and a deep depression. Everyone’s life is on the up while Emma’s plummeting towards rock bottom.
Every day she gives a free ‘99 to the lonely old man who sits on the park bench and reminds herself that life could be much worse.
But soon, even sprinkles and monkey’s blood can’t hide the truth. She’s in deep trouble and losing sight of the edge. Who will help her up when she falls?
Park Life is the second book by Lucy Nichol I have had the pleasure of reading. The first is The Twenty Seven Club, which this book is the follow-up. I loved The Twenty Seven Club, so jumped at the chance to read Parklife.
We are reunited with Emma, Dave and the rest of the characters from the previous book. It’s two years later and everyone but Emma is doing well. Dumped by John, her boyfriend and sacked from her job, sees herself living in her surrogate Nan’s spare room. She gets a job, working in an ice-cream hut in a park.
Emma is well known for liking a drink but, lately, it’s turning into something much more. Are her nearest and dearest going to be able to make her see the danger before she tips over the edge?
The Twenty Seven Club was one of my favourites reads last year. Parklife takes us back to the ’90s, with the characters from the first book, but this time it is a darker and more on-the-edge read, that is still lightened by Lucy Nichol’s perfectly placed funny conversations and even observations.
These do help to make this easier for the reader to digest the serious subject of what Emma is going through. She is still her funny self but as the story unfolds we see the side to her that is growing more ‘normal’. The blackouts, not being able to make her way through one day without reaching for the crutch that is alcohol. Emma is sliding into oblivion, along with the character the readers know and love. She becomes more destructive and selfish. This was quite an emotional read. To see a character who you think you know, change into one you haven’t seen before, well, it broke my heart to see the damage alcohol can do.
Lucy Nichol doesn’t just bring the sadness, she has made sure there are light moments and glimpses of hope along the way. Even though Emma’s going through this terrible time and acting so bad, we see her dad, her surrogate nan, and Dave all refuse to give up on her. They know this is not Emma and she is lost. They know too, that if Emma isn’t willing to help herself, they can only go so far.
A book that I found touched me more than I thought it would, but then when there has been an alcoholic in the family and he stayed lost, this story is bound to hit in the right places. Lucy Nichol has again skilfully woven a tale that breaks your heart one minute and the next gives you that heartwarming feeling that friendship and total acceptance gives every time.
Author Bio
Lucy is a writer with a passion for mental health awareness, music, comedy and nostalgia. Her upcoming novel, Parklife, delves into addiction, recovery, friendship and hope, and is set against a backdrop of Northern life and 90s Brit Pop. Her first work of fiction, a dark comedy called The Twenty Seven Club, is the prequel to Parklife, exploring music fandom, mental health and media sensationalism. In March 2022, The Twenty Seven Club was adapted for the stage by Lucy’s husband, actor and director Chris Connel, for Live Theatre’s Elevator Festival. Her first non-fiction book, A Series of Unfortunate Stereotypes – Naming and Shaming Mental Health Stigmas, was published in 2018, and she is currently working on a second.
Lucy has written extensively in the media, her words appearing in The Independent, The I Paper, NME, Red Magazine, Metro, Den of Geek, Huff Post and many more. She is also a former columnist with Sarah Millican’s Standard Issue magazine. She is passionate about challenging mental health stigma – particularly addiction stigma – and has worked with a wide range of mental health charities including: Recovery Connections, Mind, Time to Change, Student Minds, Action on Postpartum Psychosis, Road to Recovery Trust, St Andrew’s Healthcare and Newcastle United Foundation.
She is, unfortunately, a bit of an expert when it comes to living with anxiety, and speaks openly about growing up with panic attacks and health anxiety. Lucy has also worked on behalf of Mind and Recovery Connections providing script advice for TV soaps and dramas regarding mental health (including addiction) portrayals.
Media Links
Twitter https://twitter.com/lucyenichol
Instagram https://Instagram.com/lucyenichol
Facebook https://Facebook.com/ Lucy Nichol Author
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