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danimarie96's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Murder, Religious bigotry, and Violence
katewhite77's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
It could be argued that you have to suspend your disbelief plot wise but I can forgive it. Oh god can I forgive it because otherwise this story could not have been told and it needed to be told. It could also be said that this novel is less about plot and more about the frailties of human nature in extreme circumstances.
The novel tells the story of one women's elicit affair during the early days of the Troubles in Belfast. The writing is exquisite.
Yes Cushla makes questionable decisions at times but don't we all. Sometimes they are just part of being being human and a good one at that.
Graphic: Alcohol, Murder, Violence, Religious bigotry, Fire/Fire injury, Gun violence, Grief, and Alcoholism
Moderate: Bullying and Police brutality
julieggs's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Religious bigotry and Alcoholism
Moderate: Death of parent and Murder
jaswoahreads'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? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Death
Moderate: Gun violence, Infidelity, Religious bigotry, Violence, Addiction, Alcohol, Murder, Grief, Alcoholism, and Death of parent
Minor: Miscarriage, Police brutality, and Sexual harassment
noshinbean's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
Moderate: Hate crime, Infertility, Sexual content, Alcohol, Religious bigotry, Alcoholism, Classism, Death of parent, Death, Gun violence, Miscarriage, and Violence
ramreadsagain's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
4.0
“Booby trap. Incendiary device. Gelignite. Nitroglycerine. Petrol bomb. Rubber bullets. Saracen. Internment. The Special Powers Act. Vanguard. The vocabulary of a 7-year-old child now.”
Cushla, a young Catholic school teacher, lives in a 'mixed' (but largely Protestant) town near Belfast, in the 70's amid The Troubles. She becomes a bit too involved in the life of Davy, a boy in the class she teaches, from a poor Catholic family living in a Protestant estate. She becomes much too involved with Michael, an older, highly educated, married Protestant barrister. While these actions might only have personal consequences in other times and places, they put her in a very precarious position within her divided community.
I am ashamed to admit that most of my knowledge of this part of Northern Ireland's history comes from Derry Girls, so I feel like I've learnt a lot here.
This is one of those books you come out of in a bit of a daze. It's a proper slowburn, then the final quarter just throws everything at you. The author has done an amazing job at immersing the reader into the time period, with descriptions of clothing, food, and overall mood creating an atmospheric 70's working class time capsule.
It's very well-written and pulls no punches. I did find the plot itself a bit... predictable? Essentially, it's exactly what I would expect from a literary book of this kind. Ticks boxes, I suppose. I was also not entirely convinced by the romance.
However, I know I'll remember this book for a long time, and I'm very happy to have read it. Absolutely a recommendation from me!
Graphic: Gun violence, Police brutality, and War
Moderate: Alcoholism, Classism, Violence, and Death of parent
Minor: Religious bigotry, Fire/Fire injury, Pregnancy, and Miscarriage
madamelacy'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? It's complicated
4.5
Cushla befriends a Catholic family in need after the father of one of her pupils is severely beaten. The two strands of her life, as a teacher and as Michael’s lover, become inextricably linked.
Graphic: Violence, Injury/Injury detail, Gun violence, Hate crime, and Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Religious bigotry
Minor: Death of parent
geraldinerowe's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Death, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Religious bigotry, and Violence
Minor: Bullying, Death of parent, and Miscarriage
kirstym25's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Violence, Alcoholism, and Religious bigotry
Moderate: War
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