After Amy’s boyfriend unexpectedly dumps her, she discovers she is on the set of a new reality TV show and her break-up has been witnessed by a studio audience and filmed. It won’t be aired unless she agrees to stay and participate in the show, but if she does stay, she’ll get 10,000 pounds -- and the chance to win a million.

I don’t watch reality TV but this was an interesting portrayal of its problems -- and possible advantages. Amy is on the show with a group of women who (with one exception) likely wouldn’t choose to sign up for reality TV under ordinary circumstances. (I’d argue that approaching women who are at an emotional low is manipulative -- they’re really not given the opportunity to make a clear-headed decision.)

When the show sets them tasks designed to turn them into better girlfriend/wife material, the women push back against and call out the sexist ideas the show is promoting, and they discover they have a platform for discussing things they believe are important. I liked the way they, despite their differences, support each other. ( )

The postie tried to hide my copy of The Shelf. It might have got rained on but that didn’t stop my determination to read it. Now I’m so invested in book scavenger hunting I do it nearly every day hoping to find as great Easter eggs as this book. The Shelf was the right book at the right time. It’s a witty delight that upholds feminist principles in the most fun way possible.

Amy is in her thirties and feeling out of the loop, comparing herself to her friends’ Instagram feeds. She’s not married and she doesn’t have children. What she does have is a boyfriend who calls her Piglet and an okay relationship. So when Jamie tells her he’s planned a holiday, Amy knows what’s coming – a proposal. It starts with a limo and it ends with Amy being dumped on the set of The Shelf, a reality TV show for newly single women. She really wasn’t expecting that. The aim of the show is to teach these women how to correct their ‘flaws’ and attract and keep a man. The one who does it best is ‘The Keeper’ and the winner of a load of prizemoney. But in this Big Brother-style house, the producers didn’t count on the women bonding together to give the tasks their own feminist twists. They aren’t going to lie down and take it, but become good friends and stronger individuals.

What I love about The Shelf are the strong characters and the unwillingness of (most) of the women to submit to a man’s whims. Jackie is a real firecracker, not afraid of saying exactly what she thinks with the words to pack the most punch. Gemma is determined to stick to her principles but she’s also prepared to learn and grow. Amy sits somewhere in the middle, more of a character you could be good friends with because she’s normal. Pleasant but an individual thinker who refuses to let go of her dreams. And then there is Flick. She’s what Big Brother would call an intruder and she is a smart woman who gave everything up for a relationship, yet claims she is happy. The conflict between the contestants is what makes for good TV, but Flick also has lessons to learn as becomes her own person again in the house. The men who did the dumping range from the concerned to the all-out total tools but amount of page time the truly odious ones is nicely moderated.

The Shelf also has a few messages for women cleverly hidden inside the book – be your own person and never denigrate yourself to make someone else feel better. It never feels preachy as the story is so neatly wrapped around these lessons and it really feels as if the reader is going on the journey with the characters. The plot moves along at a good speed, yet never feels ‘edited’ like the actual reality shows can. The characters are clever and witty with great dialogue. (Jackie has some of the funniest lines I’ve read for a long time). It was sad to have to leave The Shelf, I felt it created a team environment with the reader part of the journey. I’m looking forward to reading Helly Acton’s next book (The Couple, out 2021) and having some more laughs.

Thank you to Allen & Unwin for the copy of this book. My review is honest.

http://samstillreading.wordpress.com ( )