Out There: A Survival Guide for Dating in Midlife (Kerri Sackville, Echo)

‘This is not a guide to finding a new soulmate,’ writes Kerri Sackville as she introduces the premise of Out There. The objective of this ostensible dating guide is to help readers enjoy that search for the elusive unicorn, and to find the humour along the way. Sackville uses her own experiences as a springboard to explore various hot topics in the dating world, such as ‘chemistry’, ‘being rejected’, ‘beyond the first date’, ‘red flags’ and ‘taking a break’. She readily admits she has made copious mistakes in her many years of dating, so this survival guide was written to pass on her hard-won advice. Sackville is a funny and helpful guide, particularly for those new to this emotional minefield and overwhelmed by all the rogue elements in the modern world of online dating. Her tone is breezy and conversational, and reading the book is like having a comforting gossip with friends. From writing an online dating profile, to discouraging the lunatics and undesirables, to choosing from a seemingly endless selection, there is a lot of material to get through. Overall, if there’s just one rule to take away from Out There, it’s this lesson that Sackville emphasises: ‘Look after yourself’.

Thuy On is a freelance arts journalist and reviewer, and the books editor of the Big Issue

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