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suzsta's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
A winding tale of life in Troubles-era Belfast, Trespasses offers an intimate image of an affair across political divides and it's fallout. Concerned at it's core with love, our choices, and the grey areas of morality in which life is lived, this book is in turns gut wrenching and painfully familiar. A loving yet stark portrayal of family life, addiction, and the complexities of relationships that could at any point be tainted by sectarian violence and prejudice, this book is a solid read for anyone with an interest in the day to day lives of those living in the shadow of the Troubles.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for access to this ARC.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for access to this ARC.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Religious bigotry, Alcoholism, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Addiction, and Murder
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
hapennybooks's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
slow-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
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual assault, Police brutality, Alcoholism, Religious bigotry, Murder, and Gun violence
izzye1500's review against another edition
emotional
tense
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
4.5
devastating in any number of ways
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gun violence, War, Violence, Religious bigotry, and Alcoholism
Moderate: Sexual harassment
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
serendipitysbooks's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
I found Tresspasses a really engaging read. Set in 1970s Northern Ireland during the time of sectarian violence known as The Troubles, its main character is Cushla. She’s a young Catholic woman who works as a teacher but also helps out in the family pub, takes care of her alcoholic mother and enters into a relationship with an older married Protestant man - a lawyer who represents Catholics, many of whom have been wrongly arrested. She takes a special interest in Davy, her young pupil who is shunned by his peers because his parent’s marriage is mixed - with one parent being Catholic and the other Protestant.
Things that really stood out to me were the ever present threat of violence, it’s horrifically brutal nature, the economic causes and consequences of conflict, the impact of constant surveillance and suspicion, the nasty bullying nature of some Catholic priests, and the toll all this took, especially on young lives. Despite traversing some tough topics this wasn’t an unduly heavy book. It had an almost understated style and was very much centred on the life that went on around and in spite of conflict.
There’s nothing necessarily new or cutting edge about this book in terms of plot or style. What it is is a well-told story about a topic that continues to have relevance and ramifications today, one that I very much enjoyed.
Coincidentally, I smiled at the mention of Caoineadh Airt Uí Laoghaire, since I’m now familiar with it thanks to my recent read of A Ghost in the Throat.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Religious bigotry, and Violence
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