46% Better Than Dave

A novel of jealousy muddy shoes and giant barbecues. Dave Brookmans new next-door neighbour is ruining his life. Because in a bizarre coincidence hes also called Dave Brookman hes the same age and he even grew up in the same town. There is one big difference though. This new Dave is vastly more successful in every way. As Dave starts questioning everything about himself suddenly his perfect life seems a lot less than perfect. And what starts as friendly rivalry soon turns into obsessive jealousy and crazy behaviour that could see Dave lose it all. Can he get a grip before its too late? NetGalley previews: Its Keeping Up With The Jones in a book!!! Read it!! You will love every page like I did. Amazing job!! This is my third Alastair Puddick story and still Im impressed. I really care about his antiheroes flawed characters that for some reason or other - usually their inner-self struggle with what the world throws at them. After George Thring and Freddie Winters this time its all about Dave Brookman. We meet Dave and his family at the point when his new neighbour moves in by some twisted fate also called Dave Brookman. Neighbour-Dave and his family are seemingly all that our Dave aspires to: ace career big bucks flashy cars great hair gorgeous wife - the kind of uber-Joneses that bring Daves world crashing down into a smouldering heap. This to me is the most agonising personal gut-wrenching heartfelt of Puddicks novels to date. A self-imposed ego inferno but surely there is hope for Dave? I read this in a day and thoroughly enjoyed it! Dave Brookmans life is great he has a lovely wife and 2 children and a career he is good at. This all changes when he gets a new neighbour also called Dave Brookman who seems to be doing considerably better in life than the original. Original Dave made me laugh and at times feel really frustrated with him I quite identified with his wife throughout! Though this is an easy funny read this book does make you stop and consider our constant need to compare ourselves to others and measure ourselves against self imposed factors. Ill be going to read the authors other books right away. A witty and unique take on the the literary doppelgänger archetype that questions the constant need of human beings to constantly compare themselves to other to measure themselves against self-imposed factors. Alastair Puddicks novel makes you reflect on the human truth of comparing their self with everybody else all the while offering a humorous novel that will give you a good time!