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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.
louismunozjr's review against another edition
3.0
3.5, rounded down to 3. ¿Por qué? Well, first, let me just say that three stars represents a solid, or solid-enough book. I point that out because, for some Goodreads readers/raters, a three represents just a so-so book, while for me, that's what a TWO-star rating represents. Anyway, coming back to "Young Skins," there's some real talent there, some vivid characterizations, for example, but I did not find enough in the book to round up rather than round down. Paradoxically, I am still very much looking forward to Colin Barrett's sophomore effort, "Homesickness," which I have at home from the library. But I say that with some reserve; as I wrote recently about another collection of short stories, I have come to realize that, in general, I am just not the right audience for short story collections. Let's see if anything changes, but in the meantime, I would feel comfortable recommending "Young Skins" and Colin Barrett if you're looking for fresh voices.
papa1am's review against another edition
3.0
The prose in this collection is brilliant. It's a fabulous introduction to the work of Colin Barrett. Each story features a "slice of life" cutting of deeply flawed men and women in modern day Ireland. While perhaps a bit melancholy at times, I look forward to reading more of this author's work in the future.
s2t's review against another edition
dark
funny
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
_dunno_'s review against another edition
5.0
Hands down the best short stories I’ve read this year.
Raw and vivid middle class Irishness. Brilliant writing.
Raw and vivid middle class Irishness. Brilliant writing.
awill1122's review against another edition
funny
reflective
sad
tense
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
5.0
sharonbakar's review against another edition
4.0
This is a cracking collection of stories. It took me longer to read than I anticipated - I read some of the stories months ago and put the book aside. I wasn't comfortable in the world Barrett creates, or with his characters (mostly young) leading dead-end lives in a fictional Irish town. Life's crap, violence frequent, ugliness endemic; these people have no prospects and for the most part no escape. But the writing - the writing is absolutely beautiful. Such finely crafted sentences, such careful attention to detail, imagery that staggers you. I ended up reading several of the stories twice and will undoubtedly go back to them.The story I loved most was probably technically a novella - Calm with Horses - about an ex-boxer and hired thug called Arm. Like Cormac McCarthy, Barrett can write viscerally about brutality and murder one moment, and yet there is tenderness and raw beauty a moment later.