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angus_mckeogh's review
3.0
Had some really funny high points. Had some dull parts. The overall linear storyline was marginal. And ultimately was a little too derivative of Welsh's Trainspotting. So better than okay but not amazing.
canaanmerchant's review
3.0
This is a book where not much happens and I usually don't go for that as someone who likes a good amount of plot. The book is short enough however to make you feel like you have to finish it and I'm glad I did. The basic plot is a guy's mom dies and he comes to Ireland and falls back in with his old crowd and tries to figure out why he left in the first place.
For a place that is fetishized for its history its good to see Ireland portrayed in this as a place firmly in the 21st century. Dublin is a globalized city for good or ill and the characters are each making their own way with the reality they have. A lot of it is masked in the characters telling stories about what they used to do and avoiding talking about the present which adds to the melancholy. Things are slowly pulled back and can make things feel like slowly pulling a band aid off.
For a place that is fetishized for its history its good to see Ireland portrayed in this as a place firmly in the 21st century. Dublin is a globalized city for good or ill and the characters are each making their own way with the reality they have. A lot of it is masked in the characters telling stories about what they used to do and avoiding talking about the present which adds to the melancholy. Things are slowly pulled back and can make things feel like slowly pulling a band aid off.
aquint's review
4.0
It made me miss Ireland and my friends there. Aside from making me nostalgic, it was a lovely story. Good craic.
heddahboots's review
2.0
I am having the hardest time getting into this book. I have an immense love of Ireland in general, and the subject speaks to me, but the story is just not taking hold of me. Maybe it's the way the dialog is written (with hyphens instead of quotation marks) or maybe it's the dialect, but it feels too jumpy and randomly told for my taste. I'll have to try this one again later, maybe it's just not the right time for me and this book.
mrfrank's review
5.0
Plain and simple, I LOVED reading this book! I happened across this one on overdrive.com and decided to give it a go as it was a story based in Dublin, Ireland. I'm of Irish decent and have been meaning to delve into some Irish literature, so this seemed to fit the bill by the description.
What I immeditally got drawn into was the writing style. The language is written in the modern Dublin street dialect. Lots of "Yeh" and "o" and a fair smattering of "F@#k Sake" bring the true voice of the story forth. The language is crass and real. The plot is heavily character driven and moves along well on the strenght of those characters.
This is author, Trevor Byrne's, rookie effort and he nails it out of the gate. He presents an honest account of a typical Dublin twenty -something trying to find his path in life after the death of his mother. Along the way we get a look at the less polished areas of life in Dublin. This story is real and harsh and purely fictional. That's what makes it grand. That's what makes any story grand.
What I immeditally got drawn into was the writing style. The language is written in the modern Dublin street dialect. Lots of "Yeh" and "o" and a fair smattering of "F@#k Sake" bring the true voice of the story forth. The language is crass and real. The plot is heavily character driven and moves along well on the strenght of those characters.
This is author, Trevor Byrne's, rookie effort and he nails it out of the gate. He presents an honest account of a typical Dublin twenty -something trying to find his path in life after the death of his mother. Along the way we get a look at the less polished areas of life in Dublin. This story is real and harsh and purely fictional. That's what makes it grand. That's what makes any story grand.
seanmcfinn's review
4.0
Brilliant. It's this (young) guy's first novel. I could reach for criticisms, but - why? It's his enthusiasm and skill at telling a story heavy with Dublin colloquialism that does not in any way hold up or slow down the story. It moves, it cooks and it has a big, big heart. And I'm not even three quarters in! Also, I appreciate that it's not plotty; I mean, he gives his characters move through their world making choices that make sense for who they are rather than what would move some affixed plot forward. I'm loving it. There's a druggy, thuggy character named Slaughter, and the narrator encapsulates what he imagines Slaughter's mind to be like - sums it up in one brilliant, succinct, poetic image. Magic.
werds's review
4.0
I have something with stories set in Ireland. https://recenseernogeenkeer.wordpress.com/2015/09/27/ghosts-lightning/
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