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3.94 AVERAGE
3.94 AVERAGE
Lovely, sweet book. Great first novel. A coming of age
Story, well told. Looking forward to new work from louise.
Story, well told. Looking forward to new work from louise.
dark
emotional
lighthearted
reflective
fast-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:
Yes
I remember staying in a B&B in Shannon Bridge in the early 1990s and for our evening meal we had 3 types of potato instead of potato and two vegetables. I was amused in Snowflake to read that "it's not Christmas without at least two kinds of potato".
In some ways this book felt quite familiar. Someone grows up in rural Ireland, goes to Trinity and undergoes a transformation. On the other hand, there are also more original elements. The oddness and eccentricity of the family was particularly entertaining. As the title suggests, mental health of young (but also old) people is a central theme, and this is dealt with well. I did struggle a bit with all the dream stuff. In the middle of the realistic portrait of these people, all of a sudden there is either a magic realism element, or we are expected to actually believe that the protagonist can enter the dreams or experiences of someone else. I wasn't sure what to make of that, and it disturbed my reading experience.
Nevertheless an enjoyable book and I really liked the happy ending. .
In some ways this book felt quite familiar. Someone grows up in rural Ireland, goes to Trinity and undergoes a transformation. On the other hand, there are also more original elements. The oddness and eccentricity of the family was particularly entertaining. As the title suggests, mental health of young (but also old) people is a central theme, and this is dealt with well. I did struggle a bit with all the dream stuff. In the middle of the realistic portrait of these people, all of a sudden there is either a magic realism element, or we are expected to actually believe that the protagonist can enter the dreams or experiences of someone else. I wasn't sure what to make of that, and it disturbed my reading experience.
Nevertheless an enjoyable book and I really liked the happy ending. .
dark
funny
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness
Moderate: Suicide attempt
Minor: Alcoholism, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Murder
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
medium-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
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-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
challenging
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
A pretty solid Sally Rooney knockoff
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
reflective
fast-paced