There Is No Meant to Be

In There Is No Meant to Be, a profoundly moving and philosophical book that approximates to memoir but resists the limits of that genre, Jarred McGinnis focuses on emotional truth. In doing so, he introduces elements of fiction to amplify that truth, in a time-travelling text that projects into an imagined future... This innovative memoir is not a tale about coping with trauma or a guide for living with a disability, but an exploration of how to lead a commendable life

The Observer

Jarred McGinnis has a unique storytelling style, caustic, hilarious, unflinchingly honest and so captivatingly humane, I couldn't put this book down. Jarred's life is populated with the most intriguing characters and I loved spending time with them all. Part memoir, part story collection, part raucous celebration of what it means to be alive, there's something to enthral every reader in this book

Jan Carson

There Is No Meant to Be beautifully accesses the space(s) between novel and memoir, between masculinity and humanhood, and between physical matter and the imagination. Not only does the narrative rearrange literary boundaries, it dismantles stereotypes, rules, truths, histories and impossibilities, even the idea of the self. It’s a long time since I’ve read anything so raw and intimate, so daring and disobedient. I was left feeling certain that if anyone is capable of playing the ace in a hand of cards against The Fates, it's Jarred McGinnis

Sarah Hall

Astonishing, so funny and clever - the most beautiful and truthful song to the pain present in a good life

Evie Wyld

A fierce yet tender family saga - part memoir, part memory, part visionary. McGinnis writes with a rare, unsentimental honesty that takes your breath away. I loved this book so much and cannot recommend it highly enough. In a world teetering on madness, here is an ode to truth, courage, and the beautiful power of vulnerability. Stunning

Elaine Feeney

There Is No Meant To Be is quite unlike anything I've read before. It's a multi-layered, many-textured masterpiece that blends memoir with family myth and pure fantasy. It's a book that exposes the ambiguities of life: the fury and frustration that accompany love, the ugliness alongside the beauty, all told with McGinnis' characteristic dark humour and what feels like a dangerous level of honesty

Charlie Gilmour