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cecilialau_'s review against another edition
4.5
I really appreciate and enjoy the Northern Irish voice (dialogue and setting).
It’s been marketed with references to Derry Girls which I don’t see as noteworthy beyond the Northern Irish setting and the Troubles - and it’s not YA, but I get the desire from the publishers to do so (I just don’t want ppl to be disappointed and then for that to take away from this wonderful book). And yes, Majella shares some characteristics with Eleanor Oliphant (…is Completely Fine), but I still think this book stands on its own.
- Just want to add that I love all three.
Anyway, just a very good read imo
It’s been marketed with references to Derry Girls which I don’t see as noteworthy beyond the Northern Irish setting and the Troubles - and it’s not YA, but I get the desire from the publishers to do so (I just don’t want ppl to be disappointed and then for that to take away from this wonderful book). And yes, Majella shares some characteristics with Eleanor Oliphant (…is Completely Fine), but I still think this book stands on its own.
- Just want to add that I love all three.
Anyway, just a very good read imo
Content Warnings
Moderate: Animal death, Death, Alcohol, Abandonment, Addiction, Emotional abuse, Murder, and Pedophilia
Minor: Fatphobia, Body shaming, Eating disorder, Cursing, Grief, Medical content, and Sexual content
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
abookwanderer's review against another edition
dark
funny
hopeful
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Big Girl, Small Town is darkly humorous and satisfyingly odd. While the writing style and the heavy Irish dialect take some getting used to, it's easy to follow and makes the story (and characters) come alive.*
The reader gets to spend a week with Majella, a twenty-something girl who unknowingly falls somewhere on the autistic spectrum. Her life revolves around cleaning up after her alcoholic mother, binge-watching old episodes of Dallas, and working evenings frying up food at the local chip shop. But while her life appears ordinary at first, we slowly discover Majella grew up during the Troubles, her father has disappeared, and now her grandmother has died. She's doing her best to make it from day to day, but it's hard when she doesn't like change and doesn't like Other People.
The novel is broken down into days and then within each day is sections headed by the time and an item off of Majella's list of things she likes or dislikes. I enjoyed the titles, finding most of them humorous and somehow a hint of what was to come within that section. It also made it easy to jump right back into the story each time I picked the book up.
"8.43 a.m. Item 3.7: Noise: Stuff smashing
It was the sound of a cup or a plate smashing that woke Majella."
We get to know the locals by their predictable visits to the chip shop every night, their stories weaving in with Majella's past. She relies on their repetition--even though she dreads most of the exchanges--taking notice when someone doesn't show up. It's in these small exchanges that Gallen shines, her characters fully realized and entertaining.
By the end of the book, I was rooting for Majella to find her way out of this repetitious life leading her down the same path as her mother. While all the questions aren't answered, I was still left satisfied, grasping on to the hint of optimistic hope the author provides. If you're a fan of quirky characters and glimpses into a day-in-the-life sort of story in a setting different than your own, I highly recommend Big Girl, Small Town.
*There is a glossary on the author's website michellegallen.com that I discovered after I'd finished the book.
Thank you to Algonquin Books for providing an advanced reader's copy.
#popsugarreadingchallenge2021 (prompt #19-a book that discusses body positivity)
The reader gets to spend a week with Majella, a twenty-something girl who unknowingly falls somewhere on the autistic spectrum. Her life revolves around cleaning up after her alcoholic mother, binge-watching old episodes of Dallas, and working evenings frying up food at the local chip shop. But while her life appears ordinary at first, we slowly discover Majella grew up during the Troubles, her father has disappeared, and now her grandmother has died. She's doing her best to make it from day to day, but it's hard when she doesn't like change and doesn't like Other People.
The novel is broken down into days and then within each day is sections headed by the time and an item off of Majella's list of things she likes or dislikes. I enjoyed the titles, finding most of them humorous and somehow a hint of what was to come within that section. It also made it easy to jump right back into the story each time I picked the book up.
"8.43 a.m. Item 3.7: Noise: Stuff smashing
It was the sound of a cup or a plate smashing that woke Majella."
We get to know the locals by their predictable visits to the chip shop every night, their stories weaving in with Majella's past. She relies on their repetition--even though she dreads most of the exchanges--taking notice when someone doesn't show up. It's in these small exchanges that Gallen shines, her characters fully realized and entertaining.
By the end of the book, I was rooting for Majella to find her way out of this repetitious life leading her down the same path as her mother. While all the questions aren't answered, I was still left satisfied, grasping on to the hint of optimistic hope the author provides. If you're a fan of quirky characters and glimpses into a day-in-the-life sort of story in a setting different than your own, I highly recommend Big Girl, Small Town.
*There is a glossary on the author's website michellegallen.com that I discovered after I'd finished the book.
Thank you to Algonquin Books for providing an advanced reader's copy.
#popsugarreadingchallenge2021 (prompt #19-a book that discusses body positivity)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death
Moderate: Drug use
Minor: Murder
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