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headachesince03's review against another edition
- 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
3.75
Moderate: Alcohol, Blood, Racial slurs, Violence, Child abuse, Murder, Pedophilia, Sexism, Sexual content, Alcoholism, Bullying, Grief, Adult/minor relationship, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Addiction, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Physical abuse, Miscarriage, Colonisation, Infertility, Eating disorder, Mental illness, Cursing, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Gun violence, Toxic relationship, Police brutality, and Religious bigotry
greatexpectations77's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Abandonment, Alcoholism, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual content, Alcohol, Toxic relationship, Fire/Fire injury, and Infidelity
Moderate: Blood, Grief, Hate crime, Murder, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Death, Police brutality, Pregnancy, Religious bigotry, Bullying, and Violence
Minor: Pedophilia, Rape, Child abuse, Sexual harassment, Death of parent, and Stalking
doireann_ni_chaoimh's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Murder, Miscarriage, Injury/Injury detail, Gun violence, Death, Bullying, Alcoholism, Violence, Religious bigotry, Infidelity, Emotional abuse, Pedophilia, Cursing, Death of parent, Classism, Police brutality, Infertility, Hate crime, and Grief
jacs63's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Best read of the year for me, so far.
Totally deserves all the nominations and rewards.
The writing is exquisite.
A tragic and heartbreaking, historical love story, on so many different levels of love.
The characters are flawed but loveable. The story is so....real.
As Cushla says at one point...'This is going to end badly...' and you know it will.
It's doomed from the start. The age gap, the different religions, the troubles in Ireland, he's married with a child....and a serial adulterer. The decisions you make. The coincidences. The lies and deceit.
It made me feel guilty that, as someone of recent Irish descent- 3 generations back-I haven't tried to read more about the 'Trouble in Ireland'. I am out to find some good books to read now. I lived in the UK till 1974 so I remember a fair bit.
Couldn't put it down once I started it.
I hope Louise Kennedy writes more books soon.
Graphic: Genocide, Torture, War, Addiction, Blood, Chronic illness, Physical abuse, Violence, Xenophobia, Colonisation, Murder, Bullying, Death, Medical content, Miscarriage, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Racism, Religious bigotry, Grief, Gun violence, Infidelity, Sexual harassment, Fire/Fire injury, Hate crime, Medical trauma, Pedophilia, Police brutality, and Racial slurs
juliep810's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Toxic relationship, Religious bigotry, and Violence
Moderate: Addiction, Blood, War, Torture, Alcoholism, Gun violence, and Alcohol
Minor: Pedophilia and Child abuse
mappy's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
That may be the primary reason that it feels strange that this is marketed as a love story. More accurately, it feels like a story about loneliness and humanity, of how kindness can lead to condemnation, and how an individual's reach can't extend as far as their desires, their best intentions, or the influence of a society where power is outsourced and extremism prevails.
The pace does feel slow but there's a shift in the final quarter that pays off and pulls everything together in a satisfying way. I look forward to reading more from this author as the prose, above all else, feels really impressive.
Graphic: Alcoholism, War, and Religious bigotry
Moderate: Sexual harassment and Sexism
Minor: Death of parent and Pedophilia