A review by alexutzu
Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan

challenging dark emotional hopeful informative reflective sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.25

I liked this more than expected, as I expected it to mostly focus on literary aspects while being rather weak on the plot, but it was not the case. The ending was really powerful and changed my view on the book quite significantly. Looking forward to reading more from this author!

😍 The good:
The style was literary, but not that difficult to read and process. I liked the cultural discussion that the novella aimed for and the fact that it felt somewhat circular, starting and ending on similar ideas related to women, parenthood and religion. The volume was short, but packed with ideas, and the note in the end really helped in making sense of them. I also felt that the title fit with the mindset of the main character.

😅 The not-so-good: 
Despite the small number of pages, the novella managed to be slow at times, probably due to its style. It also took me a while to understand where this is going, which felt a bit confusing for a part of the book.
Expand filter menu Content Warnings