There is a courteous nod to One Day in this funny, poignant and really rather lovely ships-in-the-night debut, although it’s not until the end that “will they/won’t they?” becomes a burning question. Grief, family dynamics and how to live with, but not be defined by, the cards one is dealt are the central concerns here.
Gus and the (somewhat more substantial) Tess first meet in 1997 as teenagers on the cusp of fledging. However, Gus is burdened by guilt following the tragic death of his do-no-wrong brother, while Tess’s ambitions are scuppered when her mother succumbs to cancer, leaving her to care for Hope, her much younger, mildly autistic sister.
Such a setup might sound short on comic potential but Eberlen’s touch is, for the most part, wonderfully light and there are not a few occasions when the musicals-mad Hope nearly steals the show.
Miss You is published by Mantle (£12.99). Click here to buy it for £10.65
