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heather3086's review against another edition
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Alcoholism, Death, Murder, Hate crime, War, and Religious bigotry
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: War, Death of parent, Gun violence, Hate crime, Miscarriage, Murder, Addiction, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Infidelity, Medical trauma, Religious bigotry, and Police brutality
amys_hygge_reads's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- 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
3.75
Trespasses by Louise Kennedy was the @tiredmammybookclub January book. Unfortunately I didn’t make it to the Zoom, so missed the chats on this one!
The Story 📚
Set in Northern Ireland during the time of the Troubles, we meet Cushla - a young Catholic, primary school teacher. In her family’s bar, Cushla meets Michael, an older, married, Protestant man. The pair begin to develop a relationship, as we follow the events that follow and how Cushla’s environment impacts her daily life.
The Review 👩🏻💻
I really wanted to give this book a higher rating, but I didn’t enjoy the love story - and realistically it’s the main plot of the book. Honestly it gave me the ick! I really felt like there was no chemistry between Cushla and Michael. The large age gap, and how Michael treated Cushla, I just found it all a bit weird and unenjoyable as the main plot. Maybe we weren’t supposed to enjoy it, but it took away from the book for me.
That being said, I loved the book otherwise, and would have preferred more time spent on the subplots. The descriptions of life in the North during the Troubles were incredible. I felt like I was there in each moment. Horrible events which the author bluntly and brutally depicts, constantly lurking in the background of every aspect of Cushla’s life.
The other characters in the novel were brilliant, especially Davy! The relationship Cushla formed with Davy and his family was equally special and complex. Also the dynamic between Cushla’s immediate family, and her relationship with her coworker Gerry.
I recently bought Kennedy’s book The End of the World is a Cul de Sac when I found it on sale in a bookstore here in Copenhagen. Really looking forward to reading it as I enjoyed her writing style.
The Story 📚
Set in Northern Ireland during the time of the Troubles, we meet Cushla - a young Catholic, primary school teacher. In her family’s bar, Cushla meets Michael, an older, married, Protestant man. The pair begin to develop a relationship, as we follow the events that follow and how Cushla’s environment impacts her daily life.
The Review 👩🏻💻
I really wanted to give this book a higher rating, but I didn’t enjoy the love story - and realistically it’s the main plot of the book. Honestly it gave me the ick! I really felt like there was no chemistry between Cushla and Michael. The large age gap, and how Michael treated Cushla, I just found it all a bit weird and unenjoyable as the main plot. Maybe we weren’t supposed to enjoy it, but it took away from the book for me.
That being said, I loved the book otherwise, and would have preferred more time spent on the subplots. The descriptions of life in the North during the Troubles were incredible. I felt like I was there in each moment. Horrible events which the author bluntly and brutally depicts, constantly lurking in the background of every aspect of Cushla’s life.
The other characters in the novel were brilliant, especially Davy! The relationship Cushla formed with Davy and his family was equally special and complex. Also the dynamic between Cushla’s immediate family, and her relationship with her coworker Gerry.
I recently bought Kennedy’s book The End of the World is a Cul de Sac when I found it on sale in a bookstore here in Copenhagen. Really looking forward to reading it as I enjoyed her writing style.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Violence, Alcoholism, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Death, Hate crime, and Injury/Injury detail
rochelles_reading_journal's review against another edition
challenging
dark
informative
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Miscarriage, Infidelity, Hate crime, Sexual harassment, Death, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Murder, Violence, and Addiction
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: Mental illness, Hate crime, Alcoholism, Infidelity, Violence, Sexism, Religious bigotry, War, Death of parent, Police brutality, and Grief
travelseatsreads's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
reflective
sad
tense
fast-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? It's complicated
5.0
I wasn't sure what to expect when I read the blurb for Trespasses but what I got was a gripping, haunting & deeply evocative story of love & loss amidst The Troubles in 1970s Ireland.
Louise Kennedy's writing throughout these pages is quite simply flawless. From the first few lines I was captured & taken straight to 1970s Northern Ireland. The prose is so entrancingly evocative & effortless that I could smell the putrid thick smoke in the air, feel the hard bar stool pinching at my thighs & almost taste the oaky amber liquids swirling in Michael's glass.
Every single character Kennedy has written is very much their own distinct individual with contrasting beliefs, morals & quirks. What they all have in common is that they are so raw & real & are not pretending to be anything that they aren't. There are characters that I absolutely hated, to the point where I almost snarled as they appeared on the pages, there were characters who simply broke my heart & left me crushed by the situation they were in & then there were those that I just couldn't get a hold of, so slippery just like in life when you don't know what to make of someone.
The book overflows with extreme emotions & I feel that's down to Louise's ability to depict the true reality of events & festering atmosphere of 1970s Ireland so realistically that it is hard not to feel the intense fear terror & anger that was bubbling within the people at the time.
Often when I'm reading, I simply just read & enjoy the story & maybe try to figure out the plot. However, with Trespasses I was so engrossed within the words that I found myself visualising every scenario playing out in my head in vivid detail, to say I was caught within the flow of the storyline would be an absolute understatement. I found myself so enthralled that when it came to the ending it honestly felt like a punch to the stomach, which inevitably kept on coming. It is a long time since I've been so enthralled by a book that I simply just experienced it & enjoyed it without wondering what was coming next.
A beautifully raw & brutal piece of writing which stirred huge emotions & will stay with me for quite some time to come.
Louise Kennedy's writing throughout these pages is quite simply flawless. From the first few lines I was captured & taken straight to 1970s Northern Ireland. The prose is so entrancingly evocative & effortless that I could smell the putrid thick smoke in the air, feel the hard bar stool pinching at my thighs & almost taste the oaky amber liquids swirling in Michael's glass.
Every single character Kennedy has written is very much their own distinct individual with contrasting beliefs, morals & quirks. What they all have in common is that they are so raw & real & are not pretending to be anything that they aren't. There are characters that I absolutely hated, to the point where I almost snarled as they appeared on the pages, there were characters who simply broke my heart & left me crushed by the situation they were in & then there were those that I just couldn't get a hold of, so slippery just like in life when you don't know what to make of someone.
The book overflows with extreme emotions & I feel that's down to Louise's ability to depict the true reality of events & festering atmosphere of 1970s Ireland so realistically that it is hard not to feel the intense fear terror & anger that was bubbling within the people at the time.
Often when I'm reading, I simply just read & enjoy the story & maybe try to figure out the plot. However, with Trespasses I was so engrossed within the words that I found myself visualising every scenario playing out in my head in vivid detail, to say I was caught within the flow of the storyline would be an absolute understatement. I found myself so enthralled that when it came to the ending it honestly felt like a punch to the stomach, which inevitably kept on coming. It is a long time since I've been so enthralled by a book that I simply just experienced it & enjoyed it without wondering what was coming next.
A beautifully raw & brutal piece of writing which stirred huge emotions & will stay with me for quite some time to come.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Hate crime, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Gun violence, Medical trauma, Miscarriage, Racial slurs, Religious bigotry, War, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Police brutality, Sexual harassment, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Death, and Violence
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