To rest Our Minds and Bodies - Book review

 

WORLD’S LARGEST PRIZE FOR YOUNG WRITERS: SWANSEA UNIVERSITY DYLAN THOMAS PRIZE 2026 ANNOUNCES SHORTLIST

 

www.swansea.ac.uk/dylan-thomas-prize | #SUDTP26 | @dylanthomprize | Images & info here

 

Swansea, Thursday 19 March 2026: The shortlist for the world’s largest and most prestigious literary prize for young writers – the Swansea University Dylan Thomas Prize – is announced today featuring six extraordinary, emerging voices, whose writing explores love and beauty, society and gender – with a distinct focus on coming of age stories.

 

Comprising four novels and two poetry collections, the shortlist is:

 

- To Rest Our Minds and Bodies by Harriet Armstrong (Les Fugitives) – novel (UK)

- We Pretty Pieces of Flesh by Colwill Brown (Chatto & Windus, Vintage) – novel (UK)

- Joy is My Middle Name by Sasha Debevec-McKenney (Fitzcarraldo Editions) – poetry (US) 

- Under the Blue by Suzannah V. Evans (Bloomsbury Poetry) – poetry (UK)

- Open, Heaven by Seán Hewitt (Jonathan Cape, Vintage) – novel (UK)

- Borderline Fiction by Derek Owusu (Canongate) – novel (UK)

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I was kindly sent a copy of the To Rest Our Minds and Bodies by Harriet Armstrong  to share my review on. 

Blurb 

What does it mean to be a person? In her final year of university, our narrator is struggling to relate to the world around her and find her place within it. Drifting from lectures on gifts, vision, the history of global warming to Louise Bourgeois exhibitions to study groups discussing babies manipulating objects, she finds nothing to further her search for the great revelation she has been promised – except, perhaps, for her budding interest in a fellow student named Luke. Will this relationship bring the understanding of reality she is yearning for, or will Luke turn out to be just as incomprehensible as everything else?

My thoughts

This was a really strong debut novel from the author and, overall, very well done.

We follow the narrator as she shares her life, experiences, and challenges as a final-year university student. The writing style felt incredibly vulnerable and honest, allowing us to truly understand who she is at her core. Her emotions are intense, and there’s a constant sense of longing—to belong, to be loved, and to feel understood. At times, she digs so deeply into these feelings that she begins to lose herself, which made her character feel both real and, at moments, quite fragile.

What stood out to me most was how this book felt both simple and complex at the same time. On the surface, it’s about university life and relationships, but underneath, it explores much deeper emotional and psychological layers.

The author captures a wide range of feelings so well—the sense of freedom, loneliness, the excitement of new milestones, and the challenges of building and maintaining relationships. University life is often seen as an exciting chapter, but here we also see how overwhelming and isolating it can be. These emotions felt very authentic, especially as they reflect experiences many people go through but don’t always fully understand or express.

As the narrator develops feelings for Luke—who seems to feel very differently—it introduces another layer of complexity. Their dynamic brings up themes of acceptance versus obsession, and questions what it really means to have a balanced, mutual relationship. It also makes you wonder whether there is such a thing as a “right” way to navigate emotions and connections.

The novel also explores self-esteem in a very raw and honest way—how it can shape our decisions, influence how we present ourselves, and affect how we interpret the world around us. It highlights both the empowering and limiting sides of these feelings, making the reader reflect on their own experiences.

This was an emotional read that, at times, made me feel uncomfortable and uneasy—but in a way that felt intentional and thought-provoking.

It’s also a fairly short read, which made it easy to finish quickly, but it still leaves a lasting impression.