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madamelacy's review
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- 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.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gun violence, Hate crime, Violence, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Religious bigotry
Minor: Death of parent
geraldinerowe's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
sad
tense
medium-paced
- 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
Trespasses is utterly heartbreaking, not just as far as the main relationship in the story is concerned, but all of those around it as well as the times in which it was set. I found the power balance in the affair between Cushla and Michael somewhat problematic, even beyond its acknowledgement by the author, and Cushla's awareness of it and willingness to continue nevertheless, which slightly soured the romance of it for me. The language is beautiful and pulls you along with it (despite the fashionable lack of speech marks), but what will stay with me is the difficulty faced by people trying to live vaguely normal lives at that time. And Davy. I love Davy.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Death, Infidelity, Violence, Religious bigotry, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Bullying, Miscarriage, and Death of parent
ineedmorecoffee's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Damn you, Louise Kennedy, for making me feel things.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Alcoholism, Death, Gun violence, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, War, and Injury/Injury detail
mappy's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
- 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
Trespasses is more than the sum of its parts. Kennedy writes expertly, fittingly restrained in a context of conservatism and division; her work is detailed but not indulgent, and ultimately feels like a snapshot that transports the reader back in time to a Belfast torn violently between communities. The protagonist's claustrophobia does not extend to the reader - throughout, Kennedy provides the detail and feeds all of your senses, and then leaves you free to make your own assumptions.
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.
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.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Religious bigotry, and War
Moderate: Sexism and Sexual harassment
Minor: Pedophilia and Death of parent
rly's review against another edition
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Gun violence, Hate crime, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Police brutality, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Murder, Alcohol, and War
lianne_rooney's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Alcoholism, Hate crime, Infidelity, Mental illness, Sexism, Violence, Police brutality, Grief, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, and War
becca_thegrimreader's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.25
I adored Louise Kennedy’s collection of short stories “The End of the World is a Cul de Sac,” and as soon as I found out about her debut novel I couldn’t wait to get my hands on it. This book did not leave me disappointed. Kennedy’s style of writing is magical with a power to captivate you from the very beginning.
Cushla Lavery is a twenty four year old woman who splits her time between teaching and bartending at her family’s bar. Living in Northern Ireland she has witnessed and experienced the brutality of life during The Troubles. During one of her shifts at the bar Cushla meets Michael Agnew, a prominent barrister who isn’t afraid to fight against the political injustice. After a father of one of the boys in her class is savagely attacked, she works to help the boy and his family through the difficult time that follows.
This book blew me away at times, it is an unflinching and brutal portrayal of life in Northern Ireland. Kennedy does not shy away from sharing the turbulent and heartbreaking history of life during these times with daily news of beatings, murders, bombings, and so much more. To read of seven-year-olds reporting of these tragedies in school each day is deeply powerful and painful. I was devastated when I finished this book and I am still left thinking about it days later.
Thank you to NetGalley and Bloomsbury Publishing for the copy of this book. My review is honest and unbiased.
Cushla Lavery is a twenty four year old woman who splits her time between teaching and bartending at her family’s bar. Living in Northern Ireland she has witnessed and experienced the brutality of life during The Troubles. During one of her shifts at the bar Cushla meets Michael Agnew, a prominent barrister who isn’t afraid to fight against the political injustice. After a father of one of the boys in her class is savagely attacked, she works to help the boy and his family through the difficult time that follows.
This book blew me away at times, it is an unflinching and brutal portrayal of life in Northern Ireland. Kennedy does not shy away from sharing the turbulent and heartbreaking history of life during these times with daily news of beatings, murders, bombings, and so much more. To read of seven-year-olds reporting of these tragedies in school each day is deeply powerful and painful. I was devastated when I finished this book and I am still left thinking about it days later.
Thank you to NetGalley and Bloomsbury Publishing for the copy of this book. My review is honest and unbiased.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Alcohol, and War
Moderate: Death
Minor: Death of parent
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