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orchardmoon's review against another edition
lighthearted
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
I liked this book, I really did, but I just wish it had said more, if that makes sense. Gallen has a wonderfully developed voice for a debut author, and I really enjoyed reading this book, but sometimes things just happened. The ending was a little disappointing, but overall it's a character-driven novel, and you stick around because you like Majella. Following her life over the course of the book was fun, and it was refreshing to hear a perspective outside of the "norm" for contemporary books. This is not a book for people who prefer plot over characters. Also, it's not particularly like "Derry Girls" other than the setting because there's not that same ensemble feel, and the family relationships are much darker. It's good to see autistic women in media, considering how underrepresented they are in overall life. I can't speak to how good the representation was (it's also not explicit but it's not difficult to infer), but from my perspective none of the usual red flags were there. Solid book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty and Animal death
Moderate: Death, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Cursing, Fatphobia, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Sexual content, and Violence
Minor: Infidelity and Pedophilia
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