On We Go by Mike Gayle

 

After her mother died, teenager Zoe was persuaded to go and live with her father, Dean. Eighteen months later, a university in Zurich wants to recognise the work her mother Nikki did by presenting a posthumous award. Cal, Zoe's step-father hopes that this will be a way for him to reconnect with his step-daughter.

Mike Gayle writes such wonderfully uplifting stories that I never hesitate to pick one up or recommend them to others. While On We Go definitely fits the uplifting genre, I found it a very emotional read; this is possibly down to personal circumstance.

The actions of both main characters, Zoe and Cal, can easily be attributed to grief. Despite nursing Nikki through her illness, neither was completely prepared for her death. At a time when both were numb, simply struggling to survive, Zoe was persuaded that it would be better if she moved to live with her father. Cal was in no fit state to argue. This whole situation was quite a shock as we discovered the close bond the pair had shared, a bond that was strengthened further as they looked after Nikki. Even more shocking though, is what followed: Zoe cut off all contact with Cal, and Cal stopped trying. This is obviously a consequence of the grief they are both still trying to deal with.

Using the posthumous award as a means of reconnecting seems ideal, with Cal suggesting they turn it into a trip the family had hoped to do before Nikki died. What Cal didn't expect was that the rest of Zoe's family would be in attendance. The wider family offers some light relief as we meet aging grandparents, a wide-boy uncle, and an influencer aunt. Cal deserved a medal for the way he handled everyone. I'm not sure I would have had his patience.

Disasters befall the group at every turn, and we see that a lack of communication is at the root of everything. There is a glimmer of hope, however, in the form of Sam, a boy whom Zoe begins to receive messages from. This tentative romance gives Zoe's self-esteem a boost and highlights the value of communication.

There are ups and downs throughout the trip. Personally, I felt that there were too many problems and would have preferred a little more light relief. Regardless of this, I did enjoy the book and wouldn't hesitate to recommend it, and others by Mike Gayle, to anyone looking for a comfort read.

Author Details

Mike Gayle was born and raised in Birmingham. After graduating from Salford University with a degree in Sociology, he moved to London to pursue a career in journalism and worked as a Features Editor and agony uncle. He has written for a variety of publications including The Sunday Times, the Guardian and Cosmopolitan.

Mike became a full time novelist in 1997 following the publication of his Sunday Times top ten bestseller My Legendary Girlfriend, which was hailed by the Independent as 'Full of belly laughs and painfully acute observations,' and by The Times as 'A funny, frank account of a hopeless romantic'. Since then he has written thirteen novels including Mr Commitment, Turning Thirty and The Man I Think I Know. His books have been translated into more than thirty languages.