The Seven O'Clock Club

Grief has five stages … or is it seven? Even more? It depends on who you ask.

Genevieve Dempsey has, through various means, advertised an experimental grief therapy group that promises a “different approach” to healing based on her unique theory. Four participants are selected. Their job? Show up at 7 o’clock every Wednesday night for four weeks.

Who are they? 

• 52 year-old Victoria: a no-nonsense, tell-it-like-it-is, emotionally charged lawyer who takes a more skeptical stance on things.

• 31 year-old Freya: a kind, sensitive wife and interior designer struggling in her marriage and given to panic attacks.

• 20 year-old Mischa: a quiet girl prone to occasional outbursts who’s lost her sense of self after giving up so much of her own life to care for her ailing mother.

• 29 year-old Callum: an arrogant once-successful rock star who’s fallen from grace with his record label after spiraling from drug and alcohol abuse.

All four of these have experienced a loss or tragedy, which are only alluded to initially, but not revealed to the reader until later. I actually liked this, because it kept the focus on the four getting to know each other and bond, which they did pretty quickly despite a rough start.

Watching their wildly different personalities bounce off each other and Genevieve during the therapy process was my favorite part of the book. Dealing with intense guilt and grief, at any given moment they could be loving, sensitive, funny, combative, supportive, sarcastic, heart-warming or hostile, so be ready for ALL the emotions!

So what makes this story unique from every other work of fiction dealing with the topic of grief?

The answer comes about three quarters of the way in when one of THE best twists I’ve seen in a LONG time came. It certainly changed the course of the rest of the book! If you can be patient with the slower build-up, it’s worth the wait!

I don’t want to say too much about the specifics of the characters’ relationships with one another, because this is a book where you’ll want to discover those things for yourself. I’ll only say that the love that grows between them was heart-warming and such a special thing to witness. 

I’ve never read a book quite like this one, and in a sea of books that struggle to be unique, that’s about the highest compliment I can give! If you enjoy a thought-provoking book with a creative premise, complicated character dynamics, magical realism, romance, and an emotional arc that will have you both laughing and reaching for the tissues, I whole-heartedly recommend this stunning debut by Amelia Ireland. I can’t wait to see what she thinks up next!

★★★★ ½ 

Thanks to Berkley Publishing, NetGalley and author Amelia Ireland for this digital ARC to honestly review. It’s out on April 15, 2025.