Common Ground
- Downloads：7649
- Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
- Create Date：2021-04-12 14:51:15
- Update Date：2025-09-06
- Status：finish
- Author：Naomi Ishiguro
- ISBN：147227329X
- Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
- Download
Summary
Did you ever have a friend who made you see the world differently？
From the acclaimed author of the story collection Escape Routes comes a timely， bittersweet and beautifully observed coming of age story about a friendship that defines two lives， and about the value of loyalty in a divided world。
It’s a lonely life for Stan， at a new school that feels more ordeal than fresh start， and at home where he and his mother struggle to break the silence after his father’s death。 When he encounters fearless， clever Charlie on the local common， all of that begins to change。 Charlie’s curiosity is infectious， and it is Charlie who teaches Stan， for the first time， to stand on his own two feet。 But will their unit of two be strong enough to endure in a world that offers these boys such different prospects？
The pair part ways， until their paths cross once again， as adults at a London party。 Now Stan is revelling in all that the city has to offer， while Charlie seems to have hit a brick wall。 He needs Stan’s help， and above all his friendship， but is Stan really there for the man who once showed him the meaning of loyalty？
From the acclaimed author of the story collection Escape Routes comes a timely， bittersweet and beautifully observed coming of age story about a friendship that defines two lives， and about the value of loyalty in a divided world。
It’s a lonely life for Stan， at a new school that feels more ordeal than fresh start， and at home where he and his mother struggle to break the silence after his father’s death。 When he encounters fearless， clever Charlie on the local common， all of that begins to change。 Charlie’s curiosity is infectious， and it is Charlie who teaches Stan， for the first time， to stand on his own two feet。 But will their unit of two be strong enough to endure in a world that offers these boys such different prospects？
The pair part ways， until their paths cross once again， as adults at a London party。 Now Stan is revelling in all that the city has to offer， while Charlie seems to have hit a brick wall。 He needs Stan’s help， and above all his friendship， but is Stan really there for the man who once showed him the meaning of loyalty？
Reviews
Andrew Francis Edgar
，
It was hard not to find so many parallels with my own life in this novel， from bullying to self confidence; and a sense of otherness。 The story is a mixture of coming of age， how to deal with racial discrimination， and the differences but ultimately， similarities that we all share， regardless of culture， race or socioeconomic backgroundThe most exciting thing I discovered while reading this book was about my own family。 My grandmother was a Romani Gypsy woman who essentially married out of the It was hard not to find so many parallels with my own life in this novel， from bullying to self confidence; and a sense of otherness。 The story is a mixture of coming of age， how to deal with racial discrimination， and the differences but ultimately， similarities that we all share， regardless of culture， race or socioeconomic backgroundThe most exciting thing I discovered while reading this book was about my own family。 My grandmother was a Romani Gypsy woman who essentially married out of the life。 Some of the characters' struggles in the book， such as illiteracy， she dealt with in her life。 Some of my dad's side of the family still has ties to the Gypsy community， and until reading this book， I didn't even realise that many of the words I use day to day （dordi， cushty， cosh and togs） are Romani slang I picked up from my dad。 I just assumed everyone used these words！ I really enjoyed the rhythm and pace of the story and especially liked the wittiness and humour we got to hear from the narrative。 The latter half of the novel and exploring Stan and Charlie's lives in their 20s life was my favourite part of the book。 As I am also at that stage of my life， it's interesting to see through those eyes in a novel as well。 Besides the theme of racism， one of the parts that I loved was the importance of loyalty and friendship that this book incorporates。 Seeing two very different people bound together， even after everything in their lives， is very heartwarming。 I had a certain amount of knowledge of the Romani community from my own ties to it， but this book taught me a lot， and if I， someone with Romani blood， was taught things， I'm sure your average gorja could learn a thing or two。 。。。more
Laun
，
Stan and Charlie meet on a small town Common。 Thirteen year old Stan is sitting on the Common， frustrated， lonely and navigating grief and a new school when Charlie offers him help fixing his bike。 This small gesture gives Stan hope and a chance at friendship。 Stan is judged in his new school for being new and bookish， and this makes him an easy target。 Charlie knows what it is like to be an outsider too - within and outside his own community。 Charlie is having none of this and shows Stan how to Stan and Charlie meet on a small town Common。 Thirteen year old Stan is sitting on the Common， frustrated， lonely and navigating grief and a new school when Charlie offers him help fixing his bike。 This small gesture gives Stan hope and a chance at friendship。 Stan is judged in his new school for being new and bookish， and this makes him an easy target。 Charlie knows what it is like to be an outsider too - within and outside his own community。 Charlie is having none of this and shows Stan how to believe in and stand up for himself。They lose touch when Charlie and his family move on。 They bump into each other 10 years later and Stan has really grown into himself and is thrilled to see Charlie。 No it is his turn to support Charlie in finding his way again。I enjoyed the poignant moments in this story。 We are given insight into the internal struggles of the main characters and how they support each other to manage life's ups and downs。 。。。more
Karen Huxtable
，
Common Ground – Naomi IshiguroAn sensitive and moving story of two young boys who have an unlikely friendship。 Stan， 13， who has recently lost his Dad and moved to a new home with his Mum。 Charlie is 16 and lives on a traveller site with his family。 The two meet when Stan has an issue with his bike and they begin their friendship。Stan has had a very sheltered life in contrast to Charlie who is a very street wise 16 year old。 The story explores how they help each other but also looks at the preju Common Ground – Naomi IshiguroAn sensitive and moving story of two young boys who have an unlikely friendship。 Stan， 13， who has recently lost his Dad and moved to a new home with his Mum。 Charlie is 16 and lives on a traveller site with his family。 The two meet when Stan has an issue with his bike and they begin their friendship。Stan has had a very sheltered life in contrast to Charlie who is a very street wise 16 year old。 The story explores how they help each other but also looks at the prejudice that Charlie and his family have to endure。It is a very detailed look at two characters who have had very different backgrounds but still have a strong and loyal friendship。The book is in three parts and Part one is told from Stan’s perspective when he meets Charlie in 2003。Part 2 is in 2012 year’s later when they are both living in London。 Stan doing his MA at University and Charlie is married。 Stan has very idealistic views and wants to help Charlie but he finds out that this is not as straightforward as he thinks。This is a wonderful book which is very hard to read in places with the bigotry and hate that Charlie endures， but a really moving and hopeful debut novel from Naomi Ishiguro，which left me thinking about what can be done to help this intolerance that many communities see today。 You can find out more about Common Ground by Naomi herself below。https://www。facebook。com/ExeterLibrar。。。 。。。more
Rosie
，
Firstly， a huge thank you to Tinder Press and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review。CW: RacismSince the death of Stan’s father， his mother buries herself in work and barely mentions her late husband。 Struggling to fit into his new school which he earned a scholarship for， he regularly cycles around his local common to clear his head。 On one of these cycles his day goes from bad to worse when his bike breaks and he careens to the ground， or so he th Firstly， a huge thank you to Tinder Press and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review。CW: RacismSince the death of Stan’s father， his mother buries herself in work and barely mentions her late husband。 Struggling to fit into his new school which he earned a scholarship for， he regularly cycles around his local common to clear his head。 On one of these cycles his day goes from bad to worse when his bike breaks and he careens to the ground， or so he thought until fearless and talkative Charlie helps him back up。 Confident Charlie could not be more different from socially awkward Stan， but despite this they begin to form an unlikely friendship。 But， are they too different？ Are the worlds they live in too far apart for their friendship to survive as teenagers and adults？ The entire novel centres around the lives of Stan and Charlie who I completely adored and felt fiercely protective of。 Common Ground opens up with 13-year-old Stan who is cycling around after school。 Straight away Ishiguro demonstrates her excellent ability of revealing aspects about the characters without explicitly telling the reader。 Something that occurs throughout the novel but is particularly effective in the opening chapters。 I loved socially awkward teenage Stan and really felt for him from the off being an outsider in a private school。 His initial suspicion of Charlie， who seemed to have no problem at all with just talking to strangers and helping someone without a second thought， just reinforces how Stan has been treated by people up until this point。 In the beginning 16-year-old Charlie seems like the complete opposite of Stan and much wiser and much more knowledgeable above his years， despite the fact he doesn’t go to school。 I don’t want to give too much away in regards to Charlie’s background as whilst it isn’t a major spoiler， going in not knowing much about either boy made certain reveals and scenes hit me much harder。 Although， even knowing what I do now I know that reading this novel again would mean I would pick up on so much more from the start which excites me。 I really loved the way that Stan would look up to Charlie， and how much Charlie truly impacted him which we see more of in the second half of the novel。 Seeing both boys all grown up （well， 22 and 25 respectively） was such a stark contrast to the characters we are initially introduced to。 The fundamental foundations of both Stan and Charlie are still there but they have grown into men。 Charlie has gone from being infectiously curious and questioning everyone （especially authority and those who blindly follow）， to trying to numb himself from the world seemingly stuck in a sort of limbo。 Whereas Stan is much more confident and seems to have inherited Charlie’s political curiosity and a hunger for defeating societal injustice。 For me， it was incredibly heartwarming whenever Stan would say something and then follow it up with “you taught me that” when speaking to Charlie。 Not only is this novel a beautiful depiction of an unlikely friendship of two boys， turned young men， learning who they are and their places in the world there is a political narrative that runs alongside， slowly building and building until the climax of the novel。 Ishiguro has cleverly depicted the different forms of racism that is felt all over the UK from Stan not understanding certain words when he was a teenager， to the violence and secret meetings of grown adults looking to force their country into the shape they want it to be。 In addition to the boys growing and changing over time， so does the injustice and racism Charlie faces in this book。 Through these depictions from when they were teenagers to when they are older， also illustrates the impact of parental prejudices on children。Overall， this novel was a touching and beautiful read with characters that I’m still thinking about long after I finished the book。 Ishiguro’s descriptions of the places and the characters are completely absorbing and they feel so real that you are almost standing alongside Charlie and Stan in the novel。 This delightful debut novel is a must read！ I already have a copy of Escape Routes sitting on my shelf and I can’t wait to devour it like I did with Common Ground。 。。。more
Rebecca Rouillard
，
Surrey， 2003: Thirteen-year-old Stan goes to Goshawk Common to escape the expectations of those around him。 But when his bike breaks， and Charlie stops to help him fix it， it is the beginning of a friendship that will have a lasting impact on both boys。 Charlie is sixteen， more confident and experienced—he encourages Stan to stand up for himself against the bullies at school and opens Stan’s eyes to the prejudice against his Traveller community。London， 2012: Stan and Charlie reconnect at a party Surrey， 2003: Thirteen-year-old Stan goes to Goshawk Common to escape the expectations of those around him。 But when his bike breaks， and Charlie stops to help him fix it， it is the beginning of a friendship that will have a lasting impact on both boys。 Charlie is sixteen， more confident and experienced—he encourages Stan to stand up for himself against the bullies at school and opens Stan’s eyes to the prejudice against his Traveller community。London， 2012: Stan and Charlie reconnect at a party， but the power has shifted: Stan is completing his masters’ degree， has a job at a newspaper and a settled life， while Charlie has a badly-paid job， a struggling marriage and is trapped between the expectations of his boss， his landlord and his family。 Will Stan stand up for his old friend against racial tensions and anti-Traveller rhetoric？I don’t know much about the Traveller community and they are not very well represented in contemporary fiction， so it was great to learn a bit more about this group。 I particularly loved the overarching theme of common ground。 “How can you say a man’s born free when the whole of the world he’s born into is already owned by someone else？” Charlie entreats his friend。 “…what does that mean， Stan， when there’s nowhere he can go， nowhere he can just simply exist that isn’t governed already， that isn’t trying to shut him out， move him on， or tell him what he should and shouldn’t think…” This is something we should all be concerned about， whether it’s the fight for the right of access to footpaths rivers and beaches through private land， the eroding of our parks and natural spaces to private construction， or the restriction of freedom of movement as a result of Brexit。 'Common Ground' is a poignant coming-of-age story and a heartfelt call for action against intolerance and bigotry。 。。。more
Millie
，
**Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for providing me with a free e-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review**This book is not what I would normally be drawn to， but it was recommended to me and one of my reading goals this year is to branch out a little more， and so I thought I’d give it a go。 Common Ground explores social justice issues faced by the Traveller community， and the discrimination faced on a day to day basis。 I’m not going to try and comment on the issues raised in **Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for providing me with a free e-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review**This book is not what I would normally be drawn to， but it was recommended to me and one of my reading goals this year is to branch out a little more， and so I thought I’d give it a go。 Common Ground explores social justice issues faced by the Traveller community， and the discrimination faced on a day to day basis。 I’m not going to try and comment on the issues raised in this book， as I am not in any position to do so and don’t know how/what to say in the face of this。 The way that Naomi Ishiguro explores the issues in such a subtle way highlights the injustice faced by minority communities in the world today。 The book isn’t all pizzazz and intense clashes - everything is realistic and mirrors day to day life and this adds to the shock factor。 The author successfully highlights that these are social justice issues faced daily in real life， not some fictional tale dramaticised for the shock factor。 I normally go for more plot-driven books - I find myself more easily hooked/gripped by an intense read that has me needing to know what happens asap， and this book wasn’t that。 However， I wouldn’t change anything about this book simply because if it was dramaticised it wouldn’t have the same impact。 The aim was to highlight the injustice faced by minorities in everyday life in the world today， this was well achieved by maintaining a quiet prose style rather than exploring more tense dramatic writing that could suggest that ‘things aren’t that bad - they were just dramaticised for the book’。I can’t fault this book and the only reason I am going for a 4-star review is because of my own personal preference for faster-paced books。 This book is poignant， emotional and reflective， and I would recommend it for sure。 。。。more
Kerri
，
What a talented writer！Part one of ‘Common Ground’ is written from thirteen-year-old Stan’s point of view， he is struggling to fit in and bullied at his new school following the death of his father。 Weighed down by grief at home， he often escapes to his safe space up on the common。 Here he meets Charlie， a slightly older boy from a travelling family。 Charlie is bright and cheeky and， from his own experiences， teaches Stan to stand up for himself and for his place in the world。 The pair form a wo What a talented writer！Part one of ‘Common Ground’ is written from thirteen-year-old Stan’s point of view， he is struggling to fit in and bullied at his new school following the death of his father。 Weighed down by grief at home， he often escapes to his safe space up on the common。 Here he meets Charlie， a slightly older boy from a travelling family。 Charlie is bright and cheeky and， from his own experiences， teaches Stan to stand up for himself and for his place in the world。 The pair form a wonderful friendship， and Stan is finally starting to come out of his shell when something happens that makes the friends lose touch for nearly ten years。Part Two is written from Charlie’s point of view， and as the friends are reacquainted in their twenties， this time it is Charlie who has lost his way。 Faced with grief and prejudice because of his ethnicity， life has taken its toll on him， and he needs Stan to remind him of who he used to be， but it’s not easy when their lives have taken them on such different paths。I really enjoy character driven novels and I thought Charlie was fascinating， he’s clever and curious and his thought processes and opinions were incredibly thought provoking。 I really liked the switch in point of view because we get to see right inside the minds and personalities of both Stan and Charlie and they were both so engaging and endearing。I thought this story was brilliantly observed; a beautifully and empathetically written tale of friendship， loyalty， grief， belonging， and the prejudice faced by the travelling community。 Although there is a lot of sadness within these pages the ending was wonderfully uplifting and heartwarming。If you enjoyed the friendship between Theo and Boris in ‘The Goldfinch’ then you’ll love this！ 。。。more
Rebecca Phillips
，
Oh this book is just wonderful。It is a slow paced， character driven novel split into three parts。In Part One we meet 13 year old Stan Gower from Newford， Surrey。 He strikes up an unlikely friendship with 16 year old Charlie Wells。 Stan is intrigued by this mysterious boy。 Stan is reserved and conscientious and is being bullied at school as he is unlike the others。 He doesn't "come from money" and is at the school on a scholarship。 Confident Charlie helps him to realise that he is just as worthy Oh this book is just wonderful。It is a slow paced， character driven novel split into three parts。In Part One we meet 13 year old Stan Gower from Newford， Surrey。 He strikes up an unlikely friendship with 16 year old Charlie Wells。 Stan is intrigued by this mysterious boy。 Stan is reserved and conscientious and is being bullied at school as he is unlike the others。 He doesn't "come from money" and is at the school on a scholarship。 Confident Charlie helps him to realise that he is just as worthy as anybody else and helps him stand up for himself。The relationship between them changes when it becomes common knowledge that Charlie is from the Traveller community （I am using this term as it is the one that is used in the book）。 His bullies use this as another target for Stan and his mother isn't happy with their friendship。 They lose contact。I really like the polarities between the two boys; Stan only has his mum after his father's death the year before and Charlie with his huge family。 But they do have this "common ground" where they aren't accepted。Part Two is set in 2012 and this time， the story is told from Charlie's point of view。 He is now 25 years old and married to Kate。 He seems like a shell of his former self， in an unhappy marriage， living in a rented flat in London and disliking his warehouse job。 Your heart really does go out to him。Charlie accidentally reconnects with Stan who is now a journalist。 Stan realises that Charlie is the one who needs help now， just like Charlie helped him when he was a teen。There is a political tone that runs throughout the book， touching on classism， fascism and nationalism and it is very well developed。 I have never read a story like this one and I just loved every bit of it。 。。。more
Caroline Barrett
，
13 year old nerdy， NHS glasses wearing， Stan does not fit in at school and is an easy target for bullies。 At home， it's just Stan and his Mum， who is struggling after the death of Stan's father a year earlier。 When Stan meets older， cooler Charlie one day after school on the Common they quickly bond and a friendship develops。 Initially set in 2003 when the boys first meet， the story then time hops to 2012 where their paths cross for a second time。 The book explores racism and discrimination face 13 year old nerdy， NHS glasses wearing， Stan does not fit in at school and is an easy target for bullies。 At home， it's just Stan and his Mum， who is struggling after the death of Stan's father a year earlier。 When Stan meets older， cooler Charlie one day after school on the Common they quickly bond and a friendship develops。 Initially set in 2003 when the boys first meet， the story then time hops to 2012 where their paths cross for a second time。 The book explores racism and discrimination faced by Roma travelling communities within the UK and Ireland - a minority that is often overlooked。 Although I know little of the Travelling community， I felt Charlie's and story was written with sensitivity and compassion。 I loved this book， so much。 It illustrated how things you say and ways you treat friends， that may not mean a great deal to you at the time， can literally be life-changing for the other person。 Such a great tale of the positive impact of enduring friendship and love。 。。。more
Violet
，
To be completely honest I mostly picked this book because I was intrigued by the fact it was written by Kazuo Ishiguro's daughter， Naomi Ishiguro。 It's a terrible reason to pick a book， but I am so glad I did - I ended up really enjoying it。 I found the start of the book a bit slow and it took me a while to get interested， but I did once Charlie is introduced as he meets 13 year old Stan， alone with a bike he doesn't know how to fix， on the common。 Charlie is 16 and is part of the Travellers com To be completely honest I mostly picked this book because I was intrigued by the fact it was written by Kazuo Ishiguro's daughter， Naomi Ishiguro。 It's a terrible reason to pick a book， but I am so glad I did - I ended up really enjoying it。 I found the start of the book a bit slow and it took me a while to get interested， but I did once Charlie is introduced as he meets 13 year old Stan， alone with a bike he doesn't know how to fix， on the common。 Charlie is 16 and is part of the Travellers community， and they become friends - Charlie acting like a big brother to Stan who lives a lonely life， bullied at school， and not having much of a relationship with his mother， having lost his father a year prior。 The first part of the book is about this friendship; and the second and third parts of the novel take place 9 years later。 Charlie is the character that makes the book in my opinion - I didn't care much for Stanley，neither as a child nor a grown up， but he was a useful tool to hook readers not familiar with the Travellers community， I suppose - which is also my case。 I found that the way the Travellers lives is described was kind， even joyful in a way， despite depicting clearly the discrimination they are victims of - Stanley's mum forbidding Charlie to stay in touch with him， Charlie finding out he was being paid less than his colleagues， the group having to move regularly despite enjoying where they are because the council keeps evicting them。。。 I enjoyed the writing， and I enjoyed its warm and hopeful tone。 Definitely recommend。Free ARC from Netgalley。 。。。more
Verity Halliday
，
Common Ground is a sensitive and emotional read， dealing with the friendship between two boys as they grow into men。 There were strong themes of loyalty and freedom， with interesting explorations of what these two concepts mean within different communities in the UK。 I found Charlie's struggles against discrimination to be particularly compelling and loved his changing relationship with himself and with Stan。A recommended read for fans of character-driven narrative。Thanks to the author， publishe Common Ground is a sensitive and emotional read， dealing with the friendship between two boys as they grow into men。 There were strong themes of loyalty and freedom， with interesting explorations of what these two concepts mean within different communities in the UK。 I found Charlie's struggles against discrimination to be particularly compelling and loved his changing relationship with himself and with Stan。A recommended read for fans of character-driven narrative。Thanks to the author， publisher and NetGalley for providing a review copy in exchange for honest feedback。 。。。more
Jodie McPherson
，
🌿BOOK REVIEW🌿Common Ground by Naomi IshiguroTW// racism， bigotry， mental illness “Never just rely on what people tell you。 You’ve got to go out and investigate。 Ask questions。 Go to the library。 Read books。”Stan has recently started at a new school where he is bullied by the wealthier kids in his year。 He doesn’t have any friends and avoids going home because of a strained relationship with his mum。 One day he meets Charlie at the local common， and these two polar opposite boys strike an instant 🌿BOOK REVIEW🌿Common Ground by Naomi IshiguroTW// racism， bigotry， mental illness “Never just rely on what people tell you。 You’ve got to go out and investigate。 Ask questions。 Go to the library。 Read books。”Stan has recently started at a new school where he is bullied by the wealthier kids in his year。 He doesn’t have any friends and avoids going home because of a strained relationship with his mum。 One day he meets Charlie at the local common， and these two polar opposite boys strike an instant bond。 A few years later the pair go their separate ways and leave the small village where they met， only to reunite a decade later at a party in london。 This was such a powerful book about what it is like to be an outsider and the beauty of friendship in making you feel less alone。 Charlie is part of the traveller community and through their relationship Stan’s eyes are opened to the blatant discrimination that this community faces。This is the first book I’ve ever read that discusses bigotry perpetuated towards the traveller community and I must say， the author did this with such compassion and empathy。 I think it’s extremely important that this community isn’t forgotten about as we strive to be a more inclusive society！ Such a gorgeous coming of age story that tackles prejudice that is ingrained in modern society。 🌼🌼🌼🌼/5 。。。more
Jesika
，
* I think it is important to note to start that I am not an own voices reviewer for this book *This is a lovely， heartfelt tale of growing up， friendship and choosing to build connections rather than fuel discrimination。The book centres around Stan， a lonely boy with a depressed mother who is being bullied at school， and his friend Charlie， a slightly older boy from a Traveller family who has a very different take on what it means to belong to a place， to people and to stick up for yourself than * I think it is important to note to start that I am not an own voices reviewer for this book *This is a lovely， heartfelt tale of growing up， friendship and choosing to build connections rather than fuel discrimination。The book centres around Stan， a lonely boy with a depressed mother who is being bullied at school， and his friend Charlie， a slightly older boy from a Traveller family who has a very different take on what it means to belong to a place， to people and to stick up for yourself than Stan has。Over the course of the book their friendship changes， grows and ultimately comes to stand for a hope of societal change。 They don't so much save each other as they do remind each other how to be strong and resilient when needed。 The best parts of their back and forth reminded me of the give and take of some of my most treasured friendships。It is also a book about how important friendships actually are。 The people we choose to surround ourselves with can in many ways define us。 When the people we choose to have as our closest friends throw the rest of our lives under a difficult spotlight， it can be hard to balance the conflicting demands of the individual your family needs you to be and the the person you project to your friends。 The book explores this tension wonderfully。I felt for Charlie much more than I felt for Stan - in the first half of the book they are teenagers and I think you develop a soft spot for them both， bit in the second half when they are in their twenties Stan is so idealistic that I found it hard to think he really saw a friendship with Charlie more than he did an opportunity for a journalistic opportunity。 He brings it back though， by the end。 Charlie I just wanted to hug the whole way through。 He is a lost boy， a lost man and somehow， underneath， he has a desperate desire to make things better in the world in a way that feels more tangible than Stan's principles do。I think for me I would have liked to have read about these characters more at the late teenage stage and then 30s stage rather than early-mid teen and then twenties that the book centres on， and I couldn't quite get past student for the middle third。 Overall though， this is a beautifully written book。 It seemed to me to be trying to tell an important story about the people we overlook or choose not to befriend and to be doing it very well。 If anyone knows of any own voices reviews， please let me know！ 。。。more
Laura
，
Naomi Ishiguro’s debut novel， Common Ground， starts in a very familiar place。 It’s 2003， but it might as well be 1950; thirteen-year-old Stan is the school outcast， teased for his NHS glasses and old clothes， and struggling after his father’s death。 When he meets cool sixteen-year-old Charlie， who doesn’t go to school but works at the local gym instead， an unlikely friendship results。 Stan – who， speaking as someone who was also a pretty unworldly teenager in 2003， seems almost impossibly naive Naomi Ishiguro’s debut novel， Common Ground， starts in a very familiar place。 It’s 2003， but it might as well be 1950; thirteen-year-old Stan is the school outcast， teased for his NHS glasses and old clothes， and struggling after his father’s death。 When he meets cool sixteen-year-old Charlie， who doesn’t go to school but works at the local gym instead， an unlikely friendship results。 Stan – who， speaking as someone who was also a pretty unworldly teenager in 2003， seems almost impossibly naive – is fascinated by Charlie’s Traveller* family and shocked at the abuse they receive。 Almost ten years later， in 2012， Stan and Charlie meet again at a party in London。 Both are now very different people， and struggle to connect across class， education and racial divides。 Charlie’s life has been marked by the social exclusion and discrimination he’s experienced， while Stan seems to have lightly shrugged off his earlier suffering。 Will their previous closeness be enough to bring them together？Common Ground has very worthy intentions， and draws attention to a form of racism that is often forgotten， despite recent headlines about discrimination against Traveller communities in both Britain and Ireland。 However， as a novel， I found it plodding and simplistic， and much too long。 I was a little puzzled about what it was trying to do。 A number of reviews describe it as ‘feelgood’ or ‘heartwarming’， but I found it rightly， relentlessly grim。 If you’re looking for something that cheerfully explores community in the vein of Libby Page’s The Lido or Joanna Cannon’s Three Things About Elsie， this is not the book for you。 However， by itself， that isn’t a problem – there’s no reason why a book that explores this kind of entrenched racism should be uplifting。 The trouble is that Common Ground doesn’t bring much more to the table。 The prose is competent， but both Charlie and Stan remain within the boundaries of their respective archetypes。 When they meet again in London in 2012， Charlie slips straight into the salt-of-the-earth working-class observer role， mocking middle-class students’ pretentious views on art （why is this always the way protagonists demonstrate emotional authenticity？） while Stan can’t speak without lapsing into journalistic jargon about austerity politics。 People are more complicated than this。I was sorry not to like Common Ground more， because I really admire its focus on the experiences of Traveller communities。 I would actually be keen to try Ishiguro’s collection of short stories， Escape Routes， to see how her writing works in a very different form。 DNF @ 62%。 I received a free proof copy of this novel from the publisher for review。 *There are a range of terms that these communities use to refer to themselves， as the linked article describes。 I’m using ‘Traveller’ in this review because it’s the word Charlie seems to prefer。 。。。more
Emma Smith
，
Stan is 13 and struggling at a new school when he meets Charlie。 Complete opposites， they click and become good friends despite their differences。 Stan is struggling with bullies whereas Charlie knows exactly how to stand up for himself and helps to show Stan how to gain confidence。 Both know what it means to be an outsider， and it’s that common ground that pulls them towards each other even more。10 years later and the book changes to be written from Charlie’s perspective。 Both the boys have mov Stan is 13 and struggling at a new school when he meets Charlie。 Complete opposites， they click and become good friends despite their differences。 Stan is struggling with bullies whereas Charlie knows exactly how to stand up for himself and helps to show Stan how to gain confidence。 Both know what it means to be an outsider， and it’s that common ground that pulls them towards each other even more。10 years later and the book changes to be written from Charlie’s perspective。 Both the boys have moved on from Newford and found their own ways in life as young adults。 The tone of the book really changes at this point and there is a feeling of despair as the reality of the differences in their situations unfolds。 There are no longer any high school bullies， but full grown adults and the systemic biases they carry。 The focus turns to discrimination， the sense of belonging， and of what home really means。Naomi Ishiguro brings characters to life that I’ve not really come across in other books。 Charlie’s background is something that many authors would shy away from and I found it to be refreshing to have a view into his lifestyle without judgement。 She brings empathy to his situation， an understanding of what family means to him， and shows the impossible situation he is in when dealing with discrimination。 Charlie often feels conflict between how he was raised and what society wants from him， and Noami helps the reader to experience this right alongside him。 This is a powerful coming of age story of friendship， family and loyalty in the face of awful discrimination。 。。。more
Jthbooks
，
You know， this book just wasn’t for me。 I found it dull， and I never wanted to pick it up。 Also， the whole point if this book is the friendship between the main characters and I didn’t believe。 I felt absolutely no connection between them， so for me the book ultimately failed。 But who knows， you might love this one。 It’s out now。 Thanks to the publishers for my copy。
Lisa of Hopewell
，
I learned of this book here: https://alifeinbooks。co。uk/2021/02/bo。。。 I learned of this book here: https://alifeinbooks。co。uk/2021/02/bo。。。 。。。more
Martin Osman
，
An extraordinary， sophisticated novel which holds a lens to the social fabric and unconscious and conscious biases prevalent in England， while exploring the importance of friendship and expectations of masculinity。 The writing was fluid and compelling - at times will leave you breathless。
Alan O'Keeffe
，
A book with a sense of hope and community。
Molly
，
Joyous， tender， and gripping， Common Ground is a perfectly drawn portrait of a friendship about the freedom and innocence of childhood and the social pressures of adulthood。 Long after finishing Charlie and Stan refuse to be forgotten。 I couldn't put this one down。The story deals with the social issues around the traveller community in the UK and the wider issues around racism and nationalism。 It's done with an emotional and informative touch。 At its heart the story is about two friends from ver Joyous， tender， and gripping， Common Ground is a perfectly drawn portrait of a friendship about the freedom and innocence of childhood and the social pressures of adulthood。 Long after finishing Charlie and Stan refuse to be forgotten。 I couldn't put this one down。The story deals with the social issues around the traveller community in the UK and the wider issues around racism and nationalism。 It's done with an emotional and informative touch。 At its heart the story is about two friends from very different backgrounds growing together and supporting each other through tough times。 I would recommend this book to anyone。 It's universal themes and uplifting and inspiring story will make anyone feel good about the world。 。。。more
Mandy Huggins
，
I really enjoyed Escape Routes and have been looking forward to Common Ground for some time。 it certainly didn’t disappoint。 An evocative and compelling coming-of-age novel， beautifully written， about the complexities of friendship and two teenagers’ struggle against injustice and discrimination。 It explores the difficulties of being an outsider and the fight to be accepted， to form connections， without sacrificing who you are。 Stan and Charlie are both wonderful characters， and Common Ground is I really enjoyed Escape Routes and have been looking forward to Common Ground for some time。 it certainly didn’t disappoint。 An evocative and compelling coming-of-age novel， beautifully written， about the complexities of friendship and two teenagers’ struggle against injustice and discrimination。 It explores the difficulties of being an outsider and the fight to be accepted， to form connections， without sacrificing who you are。 Stan and Charlie are both wonderful characters， and Common Ground is as uplifting as it is poignant。 。。。more
Nicky Neko
，
This book is special。 I loved it。
Reference
google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=Common Ground
hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=Common Ground&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft
The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,Common Ground&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0