isabezza's review against another edition
emotional
tense
medium-paced
5.0
Wow. This story was written so well I am shocked it is not an autobiography. Every sensation, every scene, felt so real. James and Rachel were such troubled and wonderful protagonists, relatable to any reader in their 20s. This book made me gasp without being a ridiculous or plot-driven story. It was emotive and deeply embedded in Irish political history.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Infidelity, Pregnancy, Medical content, Miscarriage, Abortion, Adult/minor relationship, Homophobia, and Infertility
jkamler's review against another edition
funny
reflective
fast-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
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abortion, Pregnancy, Miscarriage, Infidelity, and Alcohol
Moderate: Suicide, Abandonment, Alcohol, Blood, and Outing
Minor: Classism, Cancer, Drug use, Grief, and Death of parent
ree333's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
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? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Minor: Miscarriage and Abortion
const_elle_ations's review against another edition
emotional
funny
reflective
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
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Infidelity and Miscarriage
Moderate: Abortion
Minor: Infertility
etwasinspired's review against another edition
emotional
funny
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Probably my favorite book of the year, and one of the best portrayals of friendship. So great, I couldn’t stop reading it.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Miscarriage, Pregnancy, and Abortion
whatsophieread's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Miscarriage
astoriareader's review against another edition
reflective
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? Yes
3.0
SYNOPSIS:
- Rachel becomes best friends with James, a gay man. An older Rachel reflects & tells us their story living in Cork, Ireland, in their early twenties.
- We learn how their lives intertwine with Rachel’s professor, Dr. Byrnes, and Rachel’s first love, Carey.
MY THOUGHTS
- Coming-of-age story
- A little slow in some parts
- I didn’t connect to the main character
- I didn’t love this book. It was an okay read to me.
- James felt like stereotypical gay bestie, and there wasn’t much else added to his personality.
- Parts of the story are messy, which is fine. I get it. We all make mistakes. The story felt unnecessarily long & slow in telling them.
- I did enjoy the political & social commentary about women’s issues in Ireland.
- I liked the ending. I wish we spent more time learning about Rachel in present day. The bulk of the book focuses on the time period of finishing college & the few months after graduating.
TL;DR: ⭐️⭐️⭐️i’m in the minority. this coming-of-age story was just an ok read for me.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Miscarriage, Abortion, and Infidelity
Moderate: Drug use, Alcohol, Infertility, and Homophobia
Minor: Death of parent
ceejay's review against another edition
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Miscarriage and Pregnancy
danidimuzio's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
funny
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? Yes
4.25
This was a story that demanded to be tasted, chewed, and swallowed. The characters were beautiful and damaged, the themes political but not overly so, and it had all the Irish depth and heart that one could ask for. I read this with Aisling Bea’s voice in my head which was an added bonus, but I suspect the audiobook is pretty great too.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Abortion and Miscarriage