Reviews with content warning for Animal cruelty - Big Girl, Small Town

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Big Girl, Small Town by Michelle Gallen

12 reviews

leahx's review against another edition

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dark emotional sad slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

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serendipitysbooks's review against another edition

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emotional funny reflective sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.75

Big Girl, Small Town is also set in Northern Ireland but after The Troubles, although religious divisions are still evident. The key character is Majella, who is neurodivergent, looks after her alcoholic mother since her father disappeared during The Troubles, and works six days a week in the local chip shop. Through the comings and goings of regular customers we get a rich picture of Majella’s town, one where poverty seems rampant. I enjoyed the distinctive writing style and Majella’s forthright opinions. I loved the ending with its hints of a wider world and more opportunities opening up for Majella. She does not fit the sterotype of an attractive, sympathetic character and I can see readers struggling to connect with her. But I thought Gallen did a masterful job creating and depicting Majella in such a way that readers would want the very best for her.

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jess_segraves's review against another edition

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emotional funny mysterious sad 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

3.5

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spicypenguin's review

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challenging funny reflective sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
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

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qqjj's review against another edition

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challenging emotional funny 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

4.0

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orchardmoon's review against another edition

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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.

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