Review by Alex Caminer, Alternatives Bookshop
There’s a particular magic in reading a novel set in your own backyard. The trees feel more alive, the pub crowds have more detailed faces, and you even share some of the river’s secrets. In Big Feelings, Amy Lovat brings Bellingen to life with all its quirks, warmth, and wonder intact.
Sadie Thomas, the novel’s main character, is a young woman returning to her hometown after a stint in the city. She’s messy, thoughtful, heartbroken, hopeful—and like many of us when edging towards 30, trying to figure out who she is and what she wants, even what it’s okay to want. She also happens to have grown up in “Oh My Books,” a fictionalised version of Alternatives Bookshop, where she was raised under the loving wing of Basil (our own John Ross), who started the shop as a brainwashing project for environmentalism.
Big Feelings is what Lovat calls an “anti-romantic comedy,” and that feels right. There’s love here, but it’s complicated. There’s falling apart, and the uncertainty of how the pieces best fit back together. There’s awakening, as our multicultural lineages and family lore begin to ripple through our own lives. And there’s humour: sharp, wry, laugh-out-loud lines that land even harder with a local, earning me a few strange looks as I cackled in public.
It’s a vivid insight into the emotional whirlwind of being a young adult today. Typing and retyping text messages, doubting your words, your self, while a thousand different ways to live a life flicker constantly in your pocket. But with Sadie, I grinned through the entire ride. I laughed with her, shed tears with her, and felt proud to witness her growth, all while reflecting on my own memories of confusion, pride, unfettered joy, and searching at that age.
Of writing the book, Lovat says: “I wanted to write about Bellingen, where I spent part of my childhood, and to bring to life its charm, contradictions, deep progressive spirit, spiritual community, lush landscape, and strong sense of identity.” She does just that. The renamed landmarks are instantly recognisable: the Federal, the Brewery, Hyde, a moonlit first-date nude swim in the river. Even the poster walls advertising dog kinesiologists and ecstatic dance circles are lovingly observed.
Reading stories set in your own town adds richness and texture to everyday life. Because while Sadie’s journey is fictional, it speaks to real truths about growing up and living here—our people, our rhythms, our spirit. This book doesn’t just take place here. It feels like here. Big Feelings is a joyous delight, and left me with a renewed appreciation for the beautiful, grounding power of small towns like ours, and the types of people they grow.
Book Launch + In Conversation with Amy Lovat
Thursday 4th September, 5pm
Alternatives Bookshop
All welcome