A review by mrtvavrana
Panenka by Rónán Hession

reflective sad

• 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? Yes

3.0

Panenka is a man who has been suffering the mistakes of his past for 25 years. Now, at 50, he is trying to rebuild a relationship with his daughter and grandson. He also deals with intense headaches every night—he calls them his iron mask. One day, he meets a woman called Esther. She has moved to this town to escape her own past, but this meeting will change both of their lives.

My expectations for this novel were so high. I was absolutely certain Panenka would be a 5-star read for me. Unfortunately, that was long before I discovered that this book contains so much about football. I hate watching sports, I hate listening to people talk about them, and I also hate reading about them. I have suffered so much throughout this book, and I have thought of putting the book down constantly.

Apart from all that, the story was quite nice, very deep, and emotional. I really enjoyed seeing Panenka challenge his inner beliefs and slowly open himself up to the people he cares about. He was not particularly likeable; none of the characters were, but I found it quite easy to connect to him.

I did tear up a few times, but I still feel like the football part took a big chunk of my enjoyment out of this book. But that is a me thing. On the other hand, if I knew about the football, I would not have picked up this book, and I definitely would have missed out on this lovely story.

I will probably give Hession another chance in the future, as the writing and storytelling were quite captivating. But this time I will make sure there are no sports involved.