jufira42's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
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
emmajanex's review
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
sad
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? It's complicated
4.0
marshmalison's review
5.0
Loved this for so many different reasons. It felt so familiar, the language brought back memories of growing up in the west of Scotland. The structure of the book is clever, taking us through the secondary school years. Highly recommended!
bookish_arcadia's review
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
sad
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? It's complicated
4.5
izlikesbooks's review
5.0
‘an he pointet tae the label on it that said, TIGER EYE.’
i’m a big ‘derry girls’ fan, so when i saw this book be described as the Scottish equivalent i 1) knew i had to buy it, and 2) knew i was going to love it.
i’m going to leave this review quite short because i went into this blind, and i think it was better for it. but what i will say is that i absolutely loved the novel’s progression. each chapters details a little ‘episode’ into the character’s lives and over time, this cumulatively builds such a vivid and compelling picture of life in early 2000s renfrew. it is really quite impressive percy manages to explore such profound themes, including class, sexuality, eating disorders, and teenage pregnancy, in such a digestible yet impactful way. despite the setting being extremely localised, i do think anyone who grew up in Britain will be able to draw parallels between the events of this book and their own experiences.
i love a strong narrative voice, and i think that kirsty is one of the most distinctive, witty narrators that i’ve ever encountered. her infectious humour and personality unwaveringly shines through the entire book, despite the seven years between the start and end points of the novel. i felt so much warmth towards her, to the point where i could almost feel her emotions too, especially at the end (if you’ve read the book… you’ll know what i mean)
overall, ‘duck feet’ provides such a authentic depiction of growing up as a British teenager, of blindly finding your way into adulthood, of the small, seemingly insignificant moments that compound to shape our identities and our worldviews.
‘duck feet’ made me miss my childhood. it made me laugh and it literally made me cry. what more can you want from a book?
i’m a big ‘derry girls’ fan, so when i saw this book be described as the Scottish equivalent i 1) knew i had to buy it, and 2) knew i was going to love it.
i’m going to leave this review quite short because i went into this blind, and i think it was better for it. but what i will say is that i absolutely loved the novel’s progression. each chapters details a little ‘episode’ into the character’s lives and over time, this cumulatively builds such a vivid and compelling picture of life in early 2000s renfrew. it is really quite impressive percy manages to explore such profound themes, including class, sexuality, eating disorders, and teenage pregnancy, in such a digestible yet impactful way. despite the setting being extremely localised, i do think anyone who grew up in Britain will be able to draw parallels between the events of this book and their own experiences.
i love a strong narrative voice, and i think that kirsty is one of the most distinctive, witty narrators that i’ve ever encountered. her infectious humour and personality unwaveringly shines through the entire book, despite the seven years between the start and end points of the novel. i felt so much warmth towards her, to the point where i could almost feel her emotions too, especially at the end (if you’ve read the book… you’ll know what i mean)
overall, ‘duck feet’ provides such a authentic depiction of growing up as a British teenager, of blindly finding your way into adulthood, of the small, seemingly insignificant moments that compound to shape our identities and our worldviews.
‘duck feet’ made me miss my childhood. it made me laugh and it literally made me cry. what more can you want from a book?
readwithcatriona's review
2.0
So one thing I really want to make clear with this book is that if you don’t know Scots then you will definitely need to Google a lot of words
arrianne's review
5.0
Set in Renfrew, this is the story of Kirsty Campbell from the age of 12 all the way through high school. The whole thing is brilliant but I think the bit that really sticks in my head is when a girl from her school dies after taking drugs and her parents just condemn the whole thing and don’t see it with the nuance she does, that frustrating Adults Know Best thing when it’s them that don’t understand the half of it. This is also quite a rare find: a working class coming-of-age novel. Loved it all.
It’s written in dialect, and like that time I read loads of Irvine Welsh in one go my internal voice now doesn’t sound like me again. It’ll sort itself out though.
CW: alcohol and drug use, poverty, child neglect, murder, knife crime, disordered eating, suicidal ideation.
It’s written in dialect, and like that time I read loads of Irvine Welsh in one go my internal voice now doesn’t sound like me again. It’ll sort itself out though.
CW: alcohol and drug use, poverty, child neglect, murder, knife crime, disordered eating, suicidal ideation.
persephonexxvi's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
I've stayed in Glasgow for over a decade now but grew up in northern England, much of my work since moving to Scotland has involved informal education (working with schools but not a teacher) and there were some differences I had to get used to. Despite this, I'd say there are many aspects of Duck Feet where, were it not for the Scots words and a couple of other things, it could've been my school.
I'm a wee bit older than the characters in the era this is set, but not a million miles away. It perfectly captures the changing transient nature of teenage socialising when you're forced to be with the same people every day for (in my case) nearly five years of your life. Sometimes those friendships don't even fall apart due to drama or bullying, you just move in different circles or your parents move you.
It's very funny and has a lot of heart. Speaking of, there's a heartbreaking turn three-quarters into the novel that even after reading other reviews alluding to it, I did not see it coming.
This was one of the two novels I picked to take on holiday with me and they both made me cry! This one was due to the knowledge of how much more you feel everything in your teens, but also the hopefulness at the end.
It's also written in a very genuine voice. I hope Ely Percy, and all the Scots writers I've read this year, continue to thrive.
I'm a wee bit older than the characters in the era this is set, but not a million miles away. It perfectly captures the changing transient nature of teenage socialising when you're forced to be with the same people every day for (in my case) nearly five years of your life. Sometimes those friendships don't even fall apart due to drama or bullying, you just move in different circles or your parents move you.
It's very funny and has a lot of heart. Speaking of, there's a heartbreaking turn three-quarters into the novel that even after reading other reviews alluding to it, I did not see it coming.
This was one of the two novels I picked to take on holiday with me and they both made me cry! This one was due to the knowledge of how much more you feel everything in your teens, but also the hopefulness at the end.
It's also written in a very genuine voice. I hope Ely Percy, and all the Scots writers I've read this year, continue to thrive.
janelinor's review
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Suicidal thoughts
Moderate: Racial slurs