Talking at Night by Claire Daverley

*minor spoilers ahead*

Claire Daverley’s Talking at Night is a beautifully written and emotional book following the complicated bond between two people who seem destined for one another, yet repeatedly mistime their love. The book follows Will and Rosie, who first meet as teenagers through Rosie’s twin brother, Josh. Their connection is immediate but subtle as their slow-burning relationship starts to build.

Daverley writes both characters really well, with lots of depth and contrast between them. The opposites attract trope is used well here as their relationship feels authentic and not far-fetched. The narrative then takes a darker turn when tragedy hits them both. I found Josh’s storyline particularly emotional, and it really shapes the whole novel. As the years unfold, Will and Rosie repeatedly drift apart and reunite, and I found myself constantly rooting for them.

I did find the style of writing very similar to Sally Rooney, and this story in particular is close to Normal People. Both stories explore communication, or lack thereof, and love and relationships in all their forms. They also share the same theme: most problems would be solved if the characters were honest with each other when they felt their emotions. The characters are also similar as we saw them in their high school years and transition to university or work afterwards.

Like Rooney, Daverley also doesn’t use speech marks in her books, which takes some getting used to. I do find this distracting, but I made sure to take my time reading this book, so I was clear on what was speech and what were the characters’ thoughts. I do find it ironic that these books are so focused on speech and conversations neglect the use of speech marks!

Regardless of this, I still really enjoyed the character development throughout the book. In particular, the depiction of Rosie’s OCD. It’s not forced or over-explained, but it’s there and helps to understand Rosie’s emotions and thoughts.

Overall, I really enjoyed Talking at Night and delving down the road of “what could have been”. Daverley has such a lovely style of writing, and I enjoyed how we saw Will and Rosie’s life from them being teenagers and going into adulthood. I’d definitely recommend this book, especially if you are a fan of Normal People.

4/5 stars