The Authenticity Project – Clare Pooley Book Review

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“The truth often isn’t pretty. It’s not aspirational. It doesn’t fit neatly into a little square on Instagram.”

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We here at What We Reading know our favourite types of books. If it has a character slowly unravelling, or falling tragically short after a painstaking journey, we’re all here for it. However, perhaps in an attempt to show that we don’t have hearts of stone (and having nothing else on our bookshelves to read), we decided to embrace the summer sunshine and pick up a more heartfelt tale. The Authenticity Project by Clare Pooley has been on our radar for a while, promising an imaginative and thought-provoking premise and a cast of layered London-based characters. So, how did this viral hit land with us? Join us for our The Authenticity Project book review to find out! 

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Date Published: 2020

Author: Clare Pooley

Genre: Fiction, Contemporary

Pages: 400

Goodreads Rating: 3.94/5

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The Authenticity Project Summary

The Authenticity Project begins when reclusive and semi-retired artist Julian Jessop spills the realities of his life into a green notebook and leaves it in a London cafe, urging whoever happens upon it to “tell your truth.” The owner of the cafe, Monica, responds, confessing her longing for a family. Inspired, she passes the notebook on, with the notebook eventually finding its way to four strangers: Hazard, a recovering addict; Riley, a carefree Aussie gardener; Alice, an overwhelmed social media mum; and Lizzie, a caring retired nurse. 

Each stranger who is given The Authenticity Project contributes a new entry and, in doing so, sparks unexpected connection, courage, and transformation. They’re drawn together in Monica’s cafe, where their connection blossoms into a surprising community of friendship, hope, and even love. What starts out as a simple experiment by a loner artist about authenticity soon becomes a life-altering journey, revealing how telling your truth can break loneliness, heal wounds, and bring people together. 

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Check Out Our The Authenticity Project Book Club Questions

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What Worked

The first thing to say about The Authenticity Project is that its premise is really interesting. Julian’s social experiment is grounded in something that feels increasingly timely and relevant in today’s hyper-distracted digital world, where concepts like community and kindness can feel like a dwindling concept. 

Each of the characters felt distinctive, though there was a bit of crossover with some of the supporting cast (I kept forgetting which one was Benji and which one was Baz). They all bring their own issues and journeys to the table and balance off one another pretty well. 

We also particularly enjoyed how Clare Pooley showed how the characters viewed one another, which was often at odds with what they were really like (furthering Julian’s point about how well we really know our neighbours). 

There were some funny moments with some snappy, sarcastic British humour, and the subtle ways in which Pooley was able to tie in her own journey into the story through characters like Hazard and Alice were also a nice personal touch.

What Didn’t

The Authenticity Project is a book that really lives and dies on whether you can buy into the premise of the coincidence and the exceptional kindness each character shows to each other. People are constantly going out of their way and going above and beyond in a way that you can either get on board with or eventually roll your eyes at. The scenarios’ characters constantly find themselves in were pretty unbelievable. 

There’s a lot of repetition and a lot of ‘telling’ rather than ‘showing’ in The Authenticity Project. Monica is constantly going on about how much of a control freak she is, Julian is always calling people ‘my boy’ and having his self-importance on show, Alice is always describing how much she isn’t enjoying motherhood, Riley is always described as being ‘sweet but dumb’ despie claiming he’s sick of people viewing him that way. These characters have their own personalities, but it felt as though Pooley didn’t trust readers enough to dial back on the ‘telling’ of who’s who and what they’re experiencing. 

Finally, there’s so much gushing in The Authenticity Project. So many instances of grandiose declarations or exposition speeches from one character to another that it all ends up feeling much more like a direct address from Pooley to the reader, rather than an authentic conversation between two figures. 

Verdict

The Authenticity Project opens with a compelling premise: what would happen if people were radically honest about their lives in a world that increasingly rewards curated perfection? Julian’s experiment feels refreshingly optimistic and thought-provoking, particularly in our fragmented, hyper-distracted world. 

The novel’s characters each bring their own vulnerabilities and perspectives. Pooley does a stellar job of highlighting how perceptions often differ from reality, and some moments shine with clever British humour and personal insight, especially through characters like Hazard. 

However, the story hinges heavily on coincidence and almost implausible levels of kindness and emotional availability at times, which may test readers’ suspension of disbelief. Repetition, overt exposition, and on-the-nose character declarations also undermine the book’s authenticity. While the setup promises emotional depth, the delivery often leans too far into telling rather than showing, leaving character arcs feeling more narrated than earned come the close. 

In the end, The Authenticity Project has a heartwarming core, but is perhaps a victim of being overhyped. Its lack of nuance and overstated sincerity dilute the impact of an otherwise standout and original concept.  

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Our Rating: 3/5

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