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adholmes3's review against another edition
dark
informative
medium-paced
- 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
booksanddogsbasically's review against another edition
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
3.5
rachelosullivan's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
saidaazizova's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
bones_in_the_woods's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
charmainesbooks's review against another edition
2.0
If you want to read a bunch of Irish goons and chavs who drink and make bad decisions, then this is the book for you. There are a couple redeeming moments in a few of the stories, but mostly it didn't grab my interest.
kate66's review against another edition
4.0
I thoroughly enjoy a good short story and Colin Barrett is certainly a good story teller.
There are no real twists in the stories and they can come across as quite gloomy. However they convey a small town Ireland that is easily recognisable (or small town anywhere come to that). There's not much hope for the inhabitants with few job opportunities and very little in the way of passionate romances either.
However Mr Barrett has a way with words that keeps you reading. The stories start out strong and get better. I look forward to more by this author and hope he dares to write a novel in the future.
Recommended.
There are no real twists in the stories and they can come across as quite gloomy. However they convey a small town Ireland that is easily recognisable (or small town anywhere come to that). There's not much hope for the inhabitants with few job opportunities and very little in the way of passionate romances either.
However Mr Barrett has a way with words that keeps you reading. The stories start out strong and get better. I look forward to more by this author and hope he dares to write a novel in the future.
Recommended.
chiyeungreads's review against another edition
4.0
After hearing so much praise for Young Skins, I quickly bought a copy to see what it was all about, and to learn a little bit more about the art of the short story. Overall, I was satisfied with the stories in this collection, and it started very strong however I could have done without the last two stories -- Diamonds and Kindly Forget My Existence. They were a drastic shift from the first fives stories, which were all much more insightful and well written.
ckirkhart's review against another edition
4.0
Young Skins by Colin Barrett is a haunting collection of stories which focus on modern, working-class Ireland. Barrett manages to use gorgeous prose to evoke a gritty sense of the restless, aimless lives of his protagonists. I look forward to his next collection.