Love Objects
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- Create Date：2021-05-01 06:51:42
- Update Date：2025-09-06
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- Author：Emily Maguire
- ISBN：1760878332
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Summary
A stunning， simply told story of great compassion and insight， from the author of the Stella Prize-shortlisted An Isolated Incident。 Nic is a forty-five-year-old trivia buff， amateur nail artist and fairy godmother to the neighbourhood's stray cats。 She's also the owner of a decade's worth of daily newspapers， enough clothes and shoes to fill Big W three times over and a pen collection which， if laid end-to-end， would probably circle her house twice。 She'd put her theory to the test， if only the pen buckets weren't currently blocked in by the crates of Happy Meal toys and the towers of Vegemite jars， take-away containers and cat food tins。
Nic's closest relationship is with her niece Lena。 The two of them meet for lunch every Sunday to gossip about the rest of the family and bitch about work （they're both checkout chicks: Lena just for now， Nic until they prise her staff discount card from her cold， dead hands）。
One Sunday， Nic fails to turn up to lunch and when Lena calls she gets a disconnection message。 Arriving at the house she hasn't visited in years （'Too far for you to come， hon。 Let's meet in the middle。'） she finds her aunt unconscious under an avalanche of stuff。
Lena is devastated that her beloved aunt has been living in such squalor all this time。 While Nic is in hospital， she gets to work cleaning things up for her。 Her first impulse is to call in the bulldozers and start searching Gumtree for a roomy caravan。 But with the help of her reluctantly recruited brother， Will， she gets the job done。
This heroic effort is not appreciated by the plastered up， crutch-wielding Nic。 She returns to an empty， alien place unrecognisable as her home and the unbearable pity of her family who have no idea what they've destroyed。 How can she live in this place without safety and peace？ And how can she ever forgive the niece who has betrayed her？
Nic's closest relationship is with her niece Lena。 The two of them meet for lunch every Sunday to gossip about the rest of the family and bitch about work （they're both checkout chicks: Lena just for now， Nic until they prise her staff discount card from her cold， dead hands）。
One Sunday， Nic fails to turn up to lunch and when Lena calls she gets a disconnection message。 Arriving at the house she hasn't visited in years （'Too far for you to come， hon。 Let's meet in the middle。'） she finds her aunt unconscious under an avalanche of stuff。
Lena is devastated that her beloved aunt has been living in such squalor all this time。 While Nic is in hospital， she gets to work cleaning things up for her。 Her first impulse is to call in the bulldozers and start searching Gumtree for a roomy caravan。 But with the help of her reluctantly recruited brother， Will， she gets the job done。
This heroic effort is not appreciated by the plastered up， crutch-wielding Nic。 She returns to an empty， alien place unrecognisable as her home and the unbearable pity of her family who have no idea what they've destroyed。 How can she live in this place without safety and peace？ And how can she ever forgive the niece who has betrayed her？
Reviews
Patricia
，
Nic is a hoarder。 She is funny， good company， feisty and with a quick wit。 She is only in her forties and is the beloved Aunt of Lena and Will。 This is such a sensitive and affection portrait of someone with hoarding obsession。 We can see she is heading for trouble but we like her and admire her。 When she falls in her overcrowded house the authorities ask Lena and Will to make her house safe before she can come home。 But Lena has her own problems when a male friend cruelly humiliates her and Wil Nic is a hoarder。 She is funny， good company， feisty and with a quick wit。 She is only in her forties and is the beloved Aunt of Lena and Will。 This is such a sensitive and affection portrait of someone with hoarding obsession。 We can see she is heading for trouble but we like her and admire her。 When she falls in her overcrowded house the authorities ask Lena and Will to make her house safe before she can come home。 But Lena has her own problems when a male friend cruelly humiliates her and Will is just out of prison with no money and a toothache。 Nic and Lena and Will and their extended family are battlers。 Will’s prison sentence has put paid to his dreams of working with children and Lena is being suspended from her university and supported accommodation after her shame and public humiliation has led to her missing classes and hiding away。 We follow this through to see that they will all sort these problems out and they do up to a point but not totally satisfactorily。 The spiral downhill takes too long。 The sorting out is too brief and delivered as a sort of summary after the event。 The character of Nic holds the story all together just as she holds the family together and provides solutions of a sort。 。。。more
Debra
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3。5*
Belinda
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Love Objects tells the story of three members of the same family， each of whom has their own issues。 Nic is discovered to be a hoarder after being dangerously injured in her own home。 Her niece， Lena， is dealing with the fall-out of a sex tape being distributed online without her consent， while Will is struggling to find work as an ex-con。This book is well written and I'm sure excellently researched but I just found its depiction of poverty， mental illness and intergenerational trauma almost unb Love Objects tells the story of three members of the same family， each of whom has their own issues。 Nic is discovered to be a hoarder after being dangerously injured in her own home。 Her niece， Lena， is dealing with the fall-out of a sex tape being distributed online without her consent， while Will is struggling to find work as an ex-con。This book is well written and I'm sure excellently researched but I just found its depiction of poverty， mental illness and intergenerational trauma almost unbearably bleak。 I also found it frustrating that many of the burdens experienced by the characters could have been eased if they just spoke to each other about their problems。Also， dental care should be on Medicare。 It's ridiculous that we pretend that dental care is different and separate from health care。 。。。more
Chantel
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3。7 ⭐️ stars。 A exploration of hoarding and some very timely contemporary issues。 I loved the Aussieness of this family drama featuring colourful and believable characters。
Jaclyn
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I expected a book about hoarding and consumerism – and I got it with compassion and insight。 I did not expect such a close consideration of class and its intergenerational implications and inherited traumas。 Or the love between aunts and nephews and nieces。 Or the eviscerating look at revenge porn and what it means to use a woman’s desire against her。 I love when books are not what they seem and while there were moments when the bleakness of the subject matter was too much for me Maguire rose to I expected a book about hoarding and consumerism – and I got it with compassion and insight。 I did not expect such a close consideration of class and its intergenerational implications and inherited traumas。 Or the love between aunts and nephews and nieces。 Or the eviscerating look at revenge porn and what it means to use a woman’s desire against her。 I love when books are not what they seem and while there were moments when the bleakness of the subject matter was too much for me Maguire rose to my constant wish that Australian fiction interrogate class in meaningful and complex ways and I am so grateful。 。。。more
Kristy 施玮
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What I enjoyed about this book- Beliefs about family challenged and reaffirmed - The awesome relationship between an aunty （Nic） and her niece （Lena） - The "never give up on your family" mentality was heart-warming and very relatable- Brutal reality about social media and the unforgiving world women live in - A lot of relatable experience of Australian cultural context and landscape What I didn't like about this book- I spotted quite a few spelling mistakes。 - The resolution did not give me the What I enjoyed about this book- Beliefs about family challenged and reaffirmed - The awesome relationship between an aunty （Nic） and her niece （Lena） - The "never give up on your family" mentality was heart-warming and very relatable- Brutal reality about social media and the unforgiving world women live in - A lot of relatable experience of Australian cultural context and landscape What I didn't like about this book- I spotted quite a few spelling mistakes。 - The resolution did not give me the closure I needed， it was too sudden - The Australian colloquial （I personally couldn't stand the bogan language and the swearings） and the victim mentalities Lena and Nic had for 95% of the book was really unmotivating and uninspiring， although it did illustrate the brutal truths the author aimed to show - The major themes in the novel suggested a feminist theme， but some of the languages used by the author to described women were quite degrading。 。。。more
Shannon
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Sooooo amazing！ Beautifully written， compelling， timely （notably， what happens to Lena） and so rich。 Hope to return and write a proper review but just want to recommend this far and wide in the meantime！
Jennifer （JC-S）
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‘Nic’s shoes had always worn unevenly。’Forty-three-year-old Nicole （Nic） Miller lives on her own in Leichhardt， Sydney。 She collects stuff: some because it needs a home， some because it might be useful and newspapers because they will increase her trivia-related knowledge。 Nic cares for the local stray cats （which makes some of her neighbours angry） and works in a local store。Nic’s niece， twenty-year-old Lena Harris， has moved to Sydney to attend university。 She and Nic catch up over lunch each ‘Nic’s shoes had always worn unevenly。’Forty-three-year-old Nicole （Nic） Miller lives on her own in Leichhardt， Sydney。 She collects stuff: some because it needs a home， some because it might be useful and newspapers because they will increase her trivia-related knowledge。 Nic cares for the local stray cats （which makes some of her neighbours angry） and works in a local store。Nic’s niece， twenty-year-old Lena Harris， has moved to Sydney to attend university。 She and Nic catch up over lunch each Sunday。 Lena works shifts in a shop and lives in university accommodation。 Lena’s had her eye on Josh for two months and looks forward to getting to know him more intimately。 And she does。On Sunday， when Lena goes to meet Nic for lunch， Nic doesn’t turn up。 Nor does she answer her phone。 Lena goes to her house。 Lena is devastated to find Nic injured and unconscious under a mountain of stuff。 She and the police manage to clear enough of a passage into Nic’s house for the paramedics to retrieve Nic， who is taken to hospital。But clearing Nic’s house so that she can return to it is only one of the problems Lena has to deal with。 Her encounter with Josh was filmed without her knowledge and has gone viral。 Her phone keeps pinging with lewd photographs and comments。 And then her brother Will turns up。The story unfolds through chapters by Nic， Lena and Will。 In Nic’s chapters， it is easy to see how （and why） she has become a hoarder。 Nic is collecting memories and she does not see the objects she collects as inanimate。 Each object has a story， a history。 While Lena and Will are trying to clear Nic’s home to make it safe for her to return， Nc will be devastated。 Through Lena’s chapters we see how dehumanising and devastating the video of her encounter with Josh is。 She can keep herself occupied by clearing Nic’s home， but other aspects of her life are crumbling。 And Will， who has lost his job and is coping with a relationship breakdown as well as physical pain from an infected tooth helps Lena but is caught up in his own issues。Nic returns home， angry and upset about the amount of her precious stuff that Lena and Will have discarded。 How can each of them move forward？I found this a thought provoking read， with touches of humour and heartbreak。 Each of the three characters was well developed， each of them came alive for me。 Three people， caught up in family history， each needing to find a way ahead。 Highly recommended。Jennifer Cameron-Smith 。。。more
Amanda
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This is a well crafted story。 It’s absorbing and compassionate。 There is so much love in this book。
Gloria Arthur
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⭐️4 Stars⭐️The cover on this book is absolutely stunning！ Love Objects by Emily Maguire was really， really good！ A totally thought-provoking read！Love Objects is a brutal character focused family drama and a psychological portrayal of a hoarder， it slaps you in the face with the rawness of it’s harsh truths。Our first of the three protagonists is Nic a single forty-five year old trivia buff who feeds the local stray cats and collects trinkets and random pieces of junk， imagine a discarded doll’s ⭐️4 Stars⭐️The cover on this book is absolutely stunning！ Love Objects by Emily Maguire was really， really good！ A totally thought-provoking read！Love Objects is a brutal character focused family drama and a psychological portrayal of a hoarder， it slaps you in the face with the rawness of it’s harsh truths。Our first of the three protagonists is Nic a single forty-five year old trivia buff who feeds the local stray cats and collects trinkets and random pieces of junk， imagine a discarded doll’s bonnet， ‘lost dog’ posters， VHS tapes， trophies， stacks of newspapers， pamphlets， empty jars， mountains of clothes and shoes， the objects are endless！When Nic has a fall at home， her shocking living conditions and emotional attachment to objects are revealed and her vulnerability exposed。Lena is a twenty year old student and is Nic’s niece and her closet relative， they usually meet up for lunch every Sunday。 Lena’s trust in her latest love interest ‘rich boy’ Josh finds herself unwittingly and shockingly entangled in a sex scandal and star of a low budget porn video that has gone viral。Nic’s nephew Will （Lena’s brother） has served a short stint in prison， it seems to run in his blood and all the men in his mother’s bloodline。 Will returns to Sydney from North Queensland to help Lena with the family crisis while he is battling one of his own。An insightful and startling read about a woman with a hoarding disorder and a close and loving connection with her sister’s children。 Written both vividly and tenderly with depth and compassion and a touch of humour。 Very un-Marie Kondo！Published March 30th 2021Thank you to Allen & Unwin for an advanced copy of the book to review。 。。。more
Carol Sieveking
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I won't repeat the spoilers and summary of the book and express why I loved it。We start with Nic's story to understand how she sees her objects as human beings， she puts one object staring at the other and let them talk because they look good together， and so on， she needs to match them the way it works in her mind。 After Lena is introduced and their relationship is exposed， not only as a family but as besties after years apart。 I started to see Nic as a lonely person， she started to get attache I won't repeat the spoilers and summary of the book and express why I loved it。We start with Nic's story to understand how she sees her objects as human beings， she puts one object staring at the other and let them talk because they look good together， and so on， she needs to match them the way it works in her mind。 After Lena is introduced and their relationship is exposed， not only as a family but as besties after years apart。 I started to see Nic as a lonely person， she started to get attached to things from her past because it had a story behind and being apart from her family broke her heart。 That's how it started （in my point of view， she replaced people with objects until it got out of her control。）Now， Lena has a crush on this guy and the sex scene is raw with a purpose， because the way you read it is the way people are seeing it on the internet， as porn， also the way it is inside Lena's head。 The consequences Lena has to face are hard as it is in real life， it talks about how women are mistreated in our modern society， she ended as the whore on people's eyes and the guy？ Nothing， they don't care about the guy。 That's the point。And Will with his past， like his auntie Nic he got attached to kids that weren't his， he is having a bad time not only with a broken heart but with a toothache， it came to me， how expensive is to go to a dentist， and even though he was a drug addict and nothing would help him with the pain， the biggest issue was that he had no money， and this felt so wrong putting into real life and how people needs to get in debt to extract a tooth that aches。 Things happens in the book， stress， fight， pain， obsession， angst， all to come to an end as a family who still has a journey ahead， Nic will need psychological treatment forever as Lena will carry another open scar for the rest of her life。 Will who at some point came at me as the "extra guy" ended as the one to put the family together when he was trying to put himself together to begin with。 Emily nailed every subject in this book， I absolutely loved it。 And the cover， absolutely beautiful。 。。。more
Rebecca Bailey
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Amazing story about a topic not often tackled - hoarding and the psychology behind it。 I couldn't put it down。 Strong emotional characters and contemporary issues carried it almost right to the end - which is where I struggled。 The story felt half finished。。。honestly like it ended in the middle of a sentence。 If it was supposed to be a poignant moment it didn't quite hit the mark。。I wanted this to be THE read on 2021。 But unfortunately it's ending "ended" that notion for me。It did however， make Amazing story about a topic not often tackled - hoarding and the psychology behind it。 I couldn't put it down。 Strong emotional characters and contemporary issues carried it almost right to the end - which is where I struggled。 The story felt half finished。。。honestly like it ended in the middle of a sentence。 If it was supposed to be a poignant moment it didn't quite hit the mark。。I wanted this to be THE read on 2021。 But unfortunately it's ending "ended" that notion for me。It did however， make me want to read emily's back catalogue。 。。。more
Maya Linnell
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I raced through the pages of this gritty， darkly funny and immersive story。 Full review and author interview to come。
Romany
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I freaking LOVED this book！ As you can tell from my reviews， I am obsessed with hoarding and clutter and associated issues。 This is fiction， but I think it captured one part of hoarding - the personification/anthropomorphism of objects。 I think I must have a touch of anthropomorphobia though， because those attachments really horrify me。 The relationships were fascinating but the material-person relations were the stand-out。 The character isn’t an extreme hoarder but still has a disorder。
Elisha
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This was a good book， I just found it a bit depressing。。。 that said the ending was realistic and left me feeling hopeful。
Marianne
，
Love Objects is the sixth novel by Australian author， Emily Maguire。 While twenty-year-old uni student， Lena Harris is getting hot and sweaty with her crush， a wealthy country jock， in the borrowed college bedroom of one of his mates， her aunt， Nicole Miller is precariously balanced on her bedroom dresser。 When， some forty-eight hours later， Lena is discovering just how truly despicable a male can be， Nic is drifting in and out of consciousness， not replying to texts about her late arrival for a Love Objects is the sixth novel by Australian author， Emily Maguire。 While twenty-year-old uni student， Lena Harris is getting hot and sweaty with her crush， a wealthy country jock， in the borrowed college bedroom of one of his mates， her aunt， Nicole Miller is precariously balanced on her bedroom dresser。 When， some forty-eight hours later， Lena is discovering just how truly despicable a male can be， Nic is drifting in and out of consciousness， not replying to texts about her late arrival for a regular lunch date with her niece。After the police have broken down the door to Nic’s house in Leichhardt， and Nic is taken away in an ambulance， Lena absorbs the extent of her aunt’s hoarding。 Visits to the hospital provide a minor distraction from the avalanche of messages， dick-pics and foul comments that the online video of Lena’s single encounter in that bedroom generates。 Against Nic’s clear objection， Lena occupies herself with getting the house into the state that the hospital’s social worker will deem acceptable for Nic’s return home。In far north Queensland， Lena’s older brother， Will Harris is nursing pain both physical and emotional: sacked from his job， one ill-considered bender triggers his girlfriend’s marching orders （he’s so going to miss being a family， and her two sweet kids）， he’s virtually skint， and he’s got a massively painful tooth abscess that he can’t afford to have treated。 The flood of texts and photos of artefacts his sister is unearthing at the Miller Family Home conjures up memories of his childhood， and draws him back to Sydney for the first time since he was released from prison。 Both siblings are distracted by their ongoing problems， but the process of sorting through the house does not fail to stir up unresolved issues， even as Nic’s life is being thrown into a skip。On her return， Nic’s overwhelming reaction is anger at the betrayal her niece and nephew have wrought。 How could they callously discard items that mean so much to her？ The story is told from three perspectives （Nic， Lena and Will） without ambiguity， and the somewhat fraught history that these three have with each other is gradually revealed。 Her characters easily draw the reader’s empathy; Maguire’s descriptive prose is often wonderfully evocative; and the story ends on an optimistic note: not Hollywood， but rather realistic and believable。 Some readers may appreciate a trigger warning for expletives （including the c-word） and explicit sexual description。 With Nic’s chapters， Maguire easily puts the reader inside the mind of the person afflicted by hoarding behaviour， illustrating the rationale and the thought process that leads to collection， storage and the inability to discard。 Nic’s connection to the inanimate objects she keeps， endowing them feelings and emotions， recalling their history or imagining a story for them， gives readers insight into this insidious and often-debilitating condition。 With humour and heartache， this is a moving and thought-provoking read。This unbiased review is from an uncorrected proof copy provided by Allen & Unwin。 。。。more
Cara
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The characters in this book are so real and written with such compassion。 Fascinating on hoarding and sex。
Bianca
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Three main characters inhabit this novel: Nic， a forty-five-year-old woman， single， working as a cashier in a shop; her niece， Lena， a twenty-year-old teaching student， and Lena's brother， Will， twenty-four， a kind person， who is lost and down on his luck。Nic and Lena meet on Sundays for lunch。 When Nic suffers a fall inside her own home， the truth about her living conditions shocks Lena and her brother。 Self-incrimination， guilt， accusations and a whole gamut of emotions come to the surface。 Bo Three main characters inhabit this novel: Nic， a forty-five-year-old woman， single， working as a cashier in a shop; her niece， Lena， a twenty-year-old teaching student， and Lena's brother， Will， twenty-four， a kind person， who is lost and down on his luck。Nic and Lena meet on Sundays for lunch。 When Nic suffers a fall inside her own home， the truth about her living conditions shocks Lena and her brother。 Self-incrimination， guilt， accusations and a whole gamut of emotions come to the surface。 Both Lena and Will have their own personal battles and stresses。How easy is it to lose sight of those we claim we care about？ Sometimes， it's easy to love someone from a distance， although， we all need someone to be a witness to our lives。 Written in an accessible way， Love Objects deals with issues regarding mental illness， loneliness， class， grief， and consent。 。。。more
Angela
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This was middle of the road for me。 I also feel misled about what the book was going to be about， and felt it touched on a few topics， which resulted in it feeling bogged down with too much going on。 I felt zero connection to any of the characters and felt it wasn't well executed。 Unfortunately this is another example of falling for a hyped book which doesn't live up to expectations。 When will I learn my lesson about doing this？ Wouldn't recommend。 This was middle of the road for me。 I also feel misled about what the book was going to be about， and felt it touched on a few topics， which resulted in it feeling bogged down with too much going on。 I felt zero connection to any of the characters and felt it wasn't well executed。 Unfortunately this is another example of falling for a hyped book which doesn't live up to expectations。 When will I learn my lesson about doing this？ Wouldn't recommend。 。。。more
Lyn
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Although I could not relate to any of the main characters， it was interesting to read about such diverse people and their issues。 I thought the hoarding was dealt with sensitively。 The hurt of absent fathers was explored。 The portrayal of Lena's experience at university would resonate with a lot of people who are the first in their family to attend such places。 Timely Australian reading as a lot of people are doing it tough。 Although I could not relate to any of the main characters， it was interesting to read about such diverse people and their issues。 I thought the hoarding was dealt with sensitively。 The hurt of absent fathers was explored。 The portrayal of Lena's experience at university would resonate with a lot of people who are the first in their family to attend such places。 Timely Australian reading as a lot of people are doing it tough。 。。。more
Cassie Hamer
，
So， so good。 The kind of book that makes me want to be a better writer。 Exquisite characterisations that made me interrogate so many of my own prejuduces and assumptions。 An idea in every word。。
Cass Moriarty
，
Love Objects （Allen and Unwin 2021） by author Emily Maguire， is graced with a stunning cover by designer Sandy Cull and artwork by Cecelia Paredes: a gorgeous profusion of flowers with a woman hidden in plain sight in the riot of blooms。 You would be right to begin judging this book by its cover。 Maguire has ostensibly written an accessible and highly readable story about a hoarder but as the novel progresses， it becomes obvious that it is about so much more。 In the hands of such a skillful writ Love Objects （Allen and Unwin 2021） by author Emily Maguire， is graced with a stunning cover by designer Sandy Cull and artwork by Cecelia Paredes: a gorgeous profusion of flowers with a woman hidden in plain sight in the riot of blooms。 You would be right to begin judging this book by its cover。 Maguire has ostensibly written an accessible and highly readable story about a hoarder but as the novel progresses， it becomes obvious that it is about so much more。 In the hands of such a skillful writer， an ordinary life and banal circumstances are elevated to a deep introspection about familial bonds， loss， grief， betrayal and the role possessions play in filling up the empty spaces in our lives。 It becomes a portrait of class as we gain ever widening glimpses into the situations of the characters – what they can afford， the decisions they must make to buy x over y， the choice to walk rather than catch the bus because that will mean an extra can of home-brand tuna， the fact that a rich girl can still look rich in second-hand clothes and grunge， but a poor girl in the same outfit just looks poor， and possibly homeless。 It is about generational classicism; about expecting to be no better than your parents， and to have no more than they had， while others live in mansions and drive new cars and tip outrageously and give no more thought to whether they can afford food as to whether they might fly to the moon。 The themes in this book are so wide-ranging and yet so deftly examined， and the characters so perfectly presented， that we become completely engaged in these people’s lives and very invested in the outcomes for every one of them。 Nic is 45， single， the most wonderful aunt to Lena and Will， a saviour of neighbourhood cats， an amateur nail artist and locked in a never-ending battle with her sister Michelle。 Nic is also a hoarder （not that she would ever acknowledge that）。 She has decades’ worth of newspapers， bags and bags of new clothing bought from Kmart， pens and towels and fridges and sewing machines and gadgets and doohickeys and wigwams。 She has SO MUCH STUFF。 The most interesting thing about Nic and her precious belongings is her attitude towards the personal （used） items， whether they belong to her or have previously belonged to somebody else。 Obviously she treasures her own ephemera， paraphernalia and collectibles…they are her memories made visceral。 The red shirt she was wearing during an important kiss， a scrap of hair from her niece， a cookbook bought in the hope of preparing a meal for someone special。 But it is her love for the objects of others that is really fascinating。 She cannot pass by a single shoe， a hair ribbon， a doll’s bonnet， a figurine， a chair， a vase without imagining the life that object had before she obtained it， how much it was loved and used。 She can picture the child holding the doll， the woman on a date wearing the shoes， the bottom that sat in that chair for years， the fresh flowers that used to grace the vase。 She simply cannot bear that these objects have been separated from their owners， or worse， thrown away as unwanted and unloved。 She feels an obligation， a duty， to take them in and care for them， to place them together with other scattered objects and to create a kind of family where nobody is alone and or lonely， in a place that feels safe and secure and comforting。 She feels safe and comforted surrounded by these objects。 They fill some deep need in her for belonging， for normality， for hope that one day she might allow others in to share her precious finds。 But of course that will never happen。 On some subconscious level， Nic understands that her home is not open to visitors or to scrutiny。 She babysits at other people’s houses but never in her own home。 She has a weekly lunch date with her beloved niece Lena but always at a restaurant。 Lena – the relative to whom she is closest – has no idea how bad things have become。 She pictures her aunt Nic as she knew her in her childhood， with a welcoming home always ready for her and her brother to stay。 But one day， when Nic doesn’t show up for their regular date， Lena travels to her aunt’s house to make sure she’s okay。 What she finds will shock both of them， and lead to uncomfortable and confronting days and weeks for them as they wrestle with the aftermath of the discovery。 Emily Maguire is known for her feminist writing and one thread of the story is woven tightly around the idea of consent， female desire， double standards for men and women， the culture of toxic masculinity， and the endless shame associated with sexual assault。 It would be a spoiler to say too much about this aspect of the book， but the storyline that runs through the narrative on this topic is confronting， very timely， thought-provoking and heartbreaking。 The characters in this book launch from one catastrophe to another。 Most of them live from day to day， in permanent survival mode。 It is easy to forget that that is how life is for so many people， those who live in poverty or who are unemployed or suffer mental health issues or who are socially isolated or disadvantaged。 They are simply getting by， from one difficulty to the next。 And the overarching feeling of this novel is the compassion that we， as readers， feel for those characters and the situations in which they find themselves， whether or not they are of their own making。 We understand their difficult decisions， their paucity of choices， their lack of agency。 Maguire truly enables us to see through their eyes， and to comprehend the enormity of facing challenges when you have neither the resources nor the support nor the energy to be up to the task。 This is a book of tragedy and need， of desire and want and emptiness and brokenness。 But it is also full of sparkle and wit， with funny dialogue and heart-warming relationships， with passion and tenderness and humour and trust and connection and belonging。 It explores self-identity and shame， and the dynamics of how people struggle and cope， with a wise insight and a gentle and compassionate eye。 。。。more
Sheree | Keeping Up With The Penguins
，
Maguire writes fearlessly about life’s messiness， without letting it consume or overwhelm the reader。 I was particularly taken with Maguire’s treatment of class and perception; it’s a theme that purposefully permeates every strand of this story。 Love Objects is a frank and highly-readable novel about family， fear， and confrontation。I posted my full review of Love Objects on Keeping Up With The Penguins。 Maguire writes fearlessly about life’s messiness， without letting it consume or overwhelm the reader。 I was particularly taken with Maguire’s treatment of class and perception; it’s a theme that purposefully permeates every strand of this story。 Love Objects is a frank and highly-readable novel about family， fear， and confrontation。I posted my full review of Love Objects on Keeping Up With The Penguins。 。。。more
Caren
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（2。5） Although its detailed insight into the obsessive， troubled mind of a hoarder was compelling， the novel somehow missed its mark for me。 Middle-aged Nic compulsively stores in her run-down house the unwanted objects she finds thrown out in the neighbourhood rubbish bins or hiding in op shops， to the extent that she is unable to move unimpeded through its crowded rooms。 A serious fall lands Nic in hospital after her beloved niece， Lena， discovers her injured Aunty， a life-changing event for t （2。5） Although its detailed insight into the obsessive， troubled mind of a hoarder was compelling， the novel somehow missed its mark for me。 Middle-aged Nic compulsively stores in her run-down house the unwanted objects she finds thrown out in the neighbourhood rubbish bins or hiding in op shops， to the extent that she is unable to move unimpeded through its crowded rooms。 A serious fall lands Nic in hospital after her beloved niece， Lena， discovers her injured Aunty， a life-changing event for them both。 The meticulously detailed lists of hoarded objects， particularly the “love” Nic holds for each of them， provided sensitive insight into the condition that is often laughed at by those unable to see its psychological roots。 However， Maguire partners Nic’s trauma with that of her niece’s sexual abuse issue （expressed in raw， almost pornographic detail）， her nephew’s recovering drug addiction and attempt to reset his life after a term in prison， and the dysfunctional relationship that exists between the three of them and the siblings’ mother。 For me， this was a mistake。 The author also probes the clash between upper and lower working classes， again detouring from the central focus。 I found the characters stereotyped， thus I remained distant from them。 Disappointing。 。。。more
Katie Clews
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2。5 stars ⭐️ I was drawn to this book by the beautiful cover however this story didn’t really resonate with me at all 。 I didn’t really relate to any of the characters and I found the story to be drawn out and wordy unfortunately
ReaderSP
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This was the latest book sent to me by my bookclub， WellRead。 I had never heard of Emily Maguire， so had no real expectations other than the front cover was so beautiful that I wanted the story inside to be too。 The story follows 3 main characters; Lena - a uni student who accidentally becomes involved in a sex scandal， Will - Lena’s brother， newly released from prison and with a raging toothache and Aunty Nic - Lena and Will’s Auntie who seems to be living a normal life but is actually hoarding This was the latest book sent to me by my bookclub， WellRead。 I had never heard of Emily Maguire， so had no real expectations other than the front cover was so beautiful that I wanted the story inside to be too。 The story follows 3 main characters; Lena - a uni student who accidentally becomes involved in a sex scandal， Will - Lena’s brother， newly released from prison and with a raging toothache and Aunty Nic - Lena and Will’s Auntie who seems to be living a normal life but is actually hoarding everything she finds。 After Nic doesn’t turn up for her weekly lunch with Lena， Lena becomes worried and checks on her only to find her barely alive under a pile of objects that have fallen on her in her bedroom。 While Nic is recovering in hospital， Lena and Will declutter her house but have to face the consequences when she returns。 I was totally absorbed into the book immediately， I loved the writing style， the characters and the pace。 It is easy to read in that it is easy to follow but it’s not easy to read in its subject matter。 Hoarding is an illness and feeling what Nic is going through and all her reasons for keeping these objects is heartbreaking at times。 She sees beauty and value in the things discarded by others。 The trust that breaks between Nic and Lena is hard to witness but makes for a gripping read。 The sub story of Lena and the sex scandal raises all sorts of questions and is quite timely with all that is happening in the world right now。 Will was less of a character for me but he was required for the balance of Lena and Nic’s relationship and I liked him being there。 His toothache storyline seemed a bit irrelevant but maybe I missed some underlying point here。 The ending of the book was a bit contrived but I appreciated it nonetheless。 Overall I really enjoyed this book， it was a light and easy read about complicated and distressing subjects with good characters and pace。 I’m glad that WellRead sent me this book and I will check out more by Emily Maguire for sure。 。。。more
Suzie Bull
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Brilliant story about 3 broken family members and their love for each other。 Aunt Nic， and her niece Lena and nephew Will， are all going through some major life problems。 Each voice is riddled with angst， yet through it all there is love， hope and resilience。 I like that it is the story of an aunt her relationship with her niece and nephew。 I also think the topic of hoarding was well researched and handled sensitively。
Deborah
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Somehow I missed Emily Maguire's popular and critically acclaimed An Isolated Incident so I was excited to receive her latest novel， Love Objects， for review。 I realised as soon as I started reading that I wasn't familiar with her writing。 Her sentences are long， almost verbose*。 And perhaps because of this， her prose is lyrical and quite lovely。Very weirdly it was the second book I'd read about a hoarder in a couple of weeks。 I'm not sure if the focus on minimalism has shone the light on its po Somehow I missed Emily Maguire's popular and critically acclaimed An Isolated Incident so I was excited to receive her latest novel， Love Objects， for review。 I realised as soon as I started reading that I wasn't familiar with her writing。 Her sentences are long， almost verbose*。 And perhaps because of this， her prose is lyrical and quite lovely。Very weirdly it was the second book I'd read about a hoarder in a couple of weeks。 I'm not sure if the focus on minimalism has shone the light on its polar opposite or whether hoarder reality TV shows have inspired authors。I loved the way Maguire portrays our lead character Nic here and as a single middle-aged woman （though I'm far from a hoarder） I could very much relate to her view on life。Read my review here: https://www。debbish。com/books-literat。。。 。。。more
Renee Kira
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all the beauty in your clutter x
Becca Fitzpatrick （bookscandlescats）
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I really enjoyed this book。 I went in not really knowing what to expect， only really being drawn in by the gorgeous cover。What I discovered was a hugely emotional， sometimes hilarious story that will stay with me for a long time。 This is a novel about family， as well as meaningful possessions that have become too much and have turned into an obsession。I loved all the characters in the book， and felt that it was paced perfectly。 I really liked the writing style， and definitely want to read more w I really enjoyed this book。 I went in not really knowing what to expect， only really being drawn in by the gorgeous cover。What I discovered was a hugely emotional， sometimes hilarious story that will stay with me for a long time。 This is a novel about family， as well as meaningful possessions that have become too much and have turned into an obsession。I loved all the characters in the book， and felt that it was paced perfectly。 I really liked the writing style， and definitely want to read more work by this author。 Thank you to Allen and Unwin for providing me with a copy of this book to review。 。。。more
Reference
google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=Love Objects
hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=Love Objects&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft
The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,Love Objects&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0