The Two Gentlemen of Altona by Lisa Henry

It is often laugh-out-loud funny, because it allows the characters to be stupid, goofy, angry, flawed, confused, happy, horny, real. Many of the author’s books are very dark, but this one is more along the line of ‘Mark Cooper versus America’. ‘Adulting 101’ is a book about growing up and learning how to deal with the responsibilities, expectations and choices that come with being an adult, even if one does not feel like one yet. Some of them were married, had a job and a child when they were 18. I’ve lived a very sheltered life and even at 25 I’m still discovering how to do some of those ‘adult’ things some of my peers seemed to know how to do from the get go. I never imagined that on my 18th birthday I would feel exactly like the day before, just with new responsibilities and expectations that were hard to meet. Suddenly a switch would be turned and I would feel like an adult, act like an adult and be treated like an adult.

Wouldn’t it be nice if there were some easy to follow lessons that would suddenly turn us into ‘real’ adults? As kid I always thought as soon as I turned 18 everything would change. ‘Adulting 101’ sounds like a college course about growing up. Not only is she an auto-buy author for me after books like ‘The Island’, ‘Bliss’, ‘Dark Space’, ‘The Two Gentlemen of Altona’ and ‘Mark Cooper versus America’, but the title of this one spoke to me, even before reading the blurb. However, I have loved the author’s unique style in the past and all of her books are very well-written. When I signed up to host Lisa Henry for her ‘Adulting 101’ Blog Tour and decided to review the book, I had no idea what the book was even about. You can find out more about Adulting 101 at Riptide. It’s got pizza with disgusting toppings, Netflix and chill, and accidental exhibitionism. This is a summer friendship-with-benefits. Meeting Nick doesn’t fit in with Jai’s plans at all, but, as Jai soon learns, you don’t have to travel halfway around the world to have the adventure of a lifetime. His long-term goal of seeing more of the world is worth the short-term pain of living in his mother’s basement, but only barely. Twenty-five-year-old Jai is back in his hometown of Franklin, Ohio, just long enough to earn the money to get the hell out again. That’s probably not what Dad meant when he said Nick should act more like an adult. Except how do you know that your coworker’s unattainable unless you ask to blow him in the porta-potty? He has a summer job, a case of existential panic, and a hopeless crush on the unattainable Jai Hazenbrook. Nick Stahlnecker is eighteen and not ready to grow up yet. I’m visiting some of my favourite blogs around the place to talk about writing Adulting 101, some of my influences and inspiration, and even sharing an excerpt or two! Don’t forget to leave a comment for your chance to win a prize! Hi, and welcome to the blog tour to celebrate the release of Adulting 101 by Lisa Henry.

The Two Gentlemen of Altona by Lisa Henry