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wordsofclover's review against another edition
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: War
Minor: Death and Child death
copusb's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
avaxdempsey's review against another edition
3.0
i see what he was going for with the writing style or whatever but it just made me dread reading it. also this book was way too depressing to not have a few chapters at the start that let you get acquainted with the characters so that you can actually care about them
naidansmith's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
whatnovareads's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
[Deep breath] ok, wow. I’m not going to get over this book, ever. It’s intense, emotional and brilliant.
The story is set in Ireland where a neo-Fascist government has taken power and union leaders and other anti-government civil servants, teachers etc. start going “missing”. Soon, the country descends into civil war with poverty and destruction. All of this is told from the perspective of a mother who is trying to keep her family safe and, without giving away spoilers, the devastating consequences that follow. It may be viewed as dystopian but the terrifying truth is that this is happening in counties across the world and the story being told is completely plausible- it can happen where I am and it is happening already around the world.
The writing is beautiful and the lack of regular paragraphs or quotation marks adds to the oppressive feeling, relentlessness and urgency of the story unfolding.
I’m so glad that I didn’t fully know the story beforehand otherwise I would never have read this book and I would have missed out! It made me sob- actual “put the book down” hands on face 😥.
A reminder to us all, again: don’t ignore the news, vote on the side of humanity and choose your leaders carefully ☮️.
stephibabes's review against another edition
5.0
Agony. Just unceasing terrifying, heart-wrenching agony.
I will revisit and put more words to this soon once I have had a breath.
I will revisit and put more words to this soon once I have had a breath.
readbookswithrach's review against another edition
emotional
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
rkpig's review against another edition
challenging
dark
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
veraasim's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
slow-paced
5.0
This was so unsettling. My mind kept going back to this book after finishing it. Part of why it’s so unnerving is the present-day setting. It really struck me how fragile democracy is.
Lynch has a unique writing style, weaving poetry amidst the prose. I think it aptly conveys the sombre mood of events and adds a sense of gravity. His flowing way of writing also lends a feeling of inexorability as to how the political circumstances eventually spiral into the deep end. The only downside was that it was hard for me to keep track of the characters initially; I kept wondering how many children Eilish had and whether Bailey was a girl or boy… Might just be a me thing. I was also appalled by how Bailey talks to Eilish at times. Like is that how kids speak to their mothers in Ireland?? But oh, don’t get me started on Bailey… revealing more would be spoilery but my heart is shattered.
The ending was… despairing. I knew I shouldn’t have expected a happy ending with how things spiralled, but somehow I had hoped for some consolation for Eilish and her family.
Lynch has a unique writing style, weaving poetry amidst the prose. I think it aptly conveys the sombre mood of events and adds a sense of gravity. His flowing way of writing also lends a feeling of inexorability as to how the political circumstances eventually spiral into the deep end. The only downside was that it was hard for me to keep track of the characters initially; I kept wondering how many children Eilish had and whether Bailey was a girl or boy… Might just be a me thing. I was also appalled by how Bailey talks to Eilish at times. Like is that how kids speak to their mothers in Ireland?? But oh, don’t get me started on Bailey… revealing more would be spoilery but my heart is shattered.
The ending was… despairing. I knew I shouldn’t have expected a happy ending with how things spiralled, but somehow I had hoped for some consolation for Eilish and her family.
brennaflanagan's review against another edition
tense
fast-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
5.0