Reviews

The Island Child by Molly Aitken

nixicat1's review against another edition

dark emotional sad slow-paced

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

3.5

mepresley's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad slow-paced

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

4.0

I loved the atmosphere and setting of this novel, especially the flashbacks to Oona's childhood on the Irish island of Inis. The Island Child is about generational trauma--about the ways abuse follows and shapes us. I think of the Noah Kahan lyrics, 

"I'm scared to check the date, I'm scared of the dark
You can't escape it, no matter how fast the car
When you're hollow, and I'm hollow" 

It is also about the ways that the secrets we keep, which weigh on and isolate us,

can do us much greater harm than speaking out and are sometimes not even secrets at all: Enda already knew that Felim was the one who raped Oona, and Pat already knew that he wasn't Joyce's birth father.

As much as Oona wanted to protect Joyce from the knowledge of their family history, Joyce needed to know, to understand. 

I think the ending of the novel is lovely and perfect, yet also wanted to know what came next

now that Oona, Pat, and Joyce had all found their way to the truth.

charlotteparadise's review against another edition

medium-paced

5.0

magicofthepages's review against another edition

challenging reflective sad slow-paced

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

5.0

Some of the most beautiful writing I've ever read. Oona will stay with me for a long time.

ageorge1877's review against another edition

4.0

Fuckin hell this hits. Very close to 5 stars.

HAUNTINGLY good use of Voice. Some of the best I've ever read. You just know everywhere in the book has real salty air just by The Sound Of The Language. Great to see such confidence and ambition in prose writing, even if it goes a bit too far/on the nose on one or two occasions.

Thematically: fuck. Mothers and daughters and big depression times. So much of this gave me huge Joni Mitchell energy. That isolation, that desire for and fear of the outside world. Some really hard hitting passages, beautifully paced and structured.

One of them rare novels where I feel like I've lived a whole other life by the end of it. Cant really think of another time I've felt that since I read... Dr Zhivago perhaps??? Aitken has clearly just invested so much into Oona and all these characters and God they're all so messy they never stood a chance cry cry cry cry cry cry cry

Tragic stuff lads. You should read it.

cat_queen005's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective fast-paced

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

3.5

frances_with_an_e's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad slow-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

5.0

annasheakeat's review against another edition

4.0

Heart wrenchingly lilting, bitter, and lovely

shippers1983's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

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

4.0

anapthine's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective 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? Yes

3.75

 

I found this a very endearing read. It was so beautifully written, full of emotion and reflection. Following 2 women through their lives and the challenges they face, both born on the same island in Ireland. The imagery was gorgeous throughout, drawn from Irish Folk tales. Additionally, the characters were written in such a way which allowed me to form a connection with them. I definitely will look out for more books by this author in the future.

Thank you so much Canongate for sending me this book and allowing me to get introduced to yet another author. Through the read-alongs this year I have managed to explore new genres and writers, and I am very much looking forward to their picks next year.