A review by catalinamunoz
Evenings & Weekends by Oisín McKenna

emotional reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

Set during a hot summer weekend in London while a whale is stuck in the Thames, this novel promises a moving, “life-changing” story about interconnected lives. Unfortunately, I think the only character who experienced a truly “life-changing” weekend was the whale (sigh). 

This is a character-driven story, but it feels like the author leaned too hard into that idea—there are simply too many characters. They blend together, becoming indistinguishable, and because of this, I couldn’t connect with any of them or get pulled into the story.

The whale stuck in the Thames is intriguing, but it ends up feeling like an anecdote rather than a meaningful symbol. I kept expecting an Aha! moment where its presence tied into the story or delivered some kind of revelation, but that moment never came.

If you enjoyed Sally Rooney's Beautiful World, Where Are You, you might like this book. For me, though, the lack of connection and a clear thread linking the characters made it hard to immerse myself in the story fully.

What could have been better: Fewer characters and a more cohesive narrative would have gone a long way in making this story as profound as it wants to be.