Have you ever had a friend buy you a book by an author you like and been touched by the sweet gesture, only for it to be one of the weirdest, creepiest books you’ve ever read? Unfortunately, this was my experience with The Odyssey — and no, it wasn’t weird or creepy in a good way. The novel follows Ingrid, who has spent the last five years working mundane jobs on a cult-like cruise ship and has just been invited to enter ‘the programme’. She has two other friends on the ship, who she has uncomfortably close relationships with, who are jealous that she’s in ‘the programme’, though it never becomes clear why or what any of it actually means. I accept the idea that this book might be right up someone’s street, but having loved Supper Club by the same author, all of the things I wanted — cultural commentary, satire, a well-rounded main character — just were not there. MG

Published by Hamish Hamilton