Reviews

Factory Girls by Michelle Gallen

Only show reviews with written explanations

ephilips23's review

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dark emotional funny medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix

3.75

saptrees's review

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emotional funny hopeful relaxing tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Enjoyed Maeve very much as a character, as I feel very similar in her frustration and sorrow with her circumstances. The dry humor made me laugh.

chsahit's review against another edition

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2.0

I wouldn’t say I disliked this book. The dialogue is quite funny and the characters all feel incredibly real. The author does a good job of really immersing us in the world of a young woman growing up in Northern Ireland in the 90s. That being said - I don’t feel like there’s much of a story in this book. The protagonist, Maeve, seems to finish the book in a place very similar to where she started it

danaegolding's review against another edition

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adventurous funny tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

samikoonjones's review

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dark emotional funny informative medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.75

burghbooksandbrews's review against another edition

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4.0

I was initially drawn to request this ARC because it was likened to Derry Girls which is a show I adore. I also am very interested in Northern Ireland and the Troubles. This book definitely did not disappoint with the Derry Girls vibes- using dark humor to show how young people growing up in the wake of the violence in Northern Ireland, Michelle Gallen weaved together such a fun story.

Following three friends- Maeve, Caroline, and Aoife- in their last summer before going off to college, this really shows the normal excitement/nervousness of this time in a young person’s life with the added layer of dealing with the Catholic/Protestant strife in town as the conflict slowly works towards peace in the 90s. The girls are funny, smart, and love each other fiercely even when dealing with feelings of jealousy towards one another. Taking a job at the local factory together, they really come to face the conflict head on as they begin to work alongside Protestants for the first time and realize how alike their situations are, particularly amongst the working class.

If you are in need of a coming of age story with a little bit of humor, I recommend this one. The unique setting and time period adds so much to the typical coming of age tale, and I couldn’t get enough of this story.