anxiousbookclub's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
sad
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
Graphic: Death, Eating disorder, Mental illness, Grief, and Alcohol
Moderate: Classism, Violence, Physical abuse, Murder, Racial slurs, Alcohol, Lesbophobia, Drug use, Pregnancy, Suicidal thoughts, Bullying, Racism, and Homophobia
glittery_witch's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
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
First things first: Duck Feet is definitely my favourite read of the year so far! I loved everything about this book. Now, I’m always a little biased towards books in Scots because the language has such a vibrant, darkly humorous quality to it that I just can’t get enough of, but that does not necessarily mean that I will enjoy the book overall (I’m looking at you, ‘Porno’).
Well, Ely Percy’s debut novel that follows the life of Kirsty Campbell, a girl from a working class family from Renfrew near Glasgow, throughout her high school years, is just delightful. Kirsty is a witty and sarcastic narrator, but not without the naivety of any child growing up, and a whole lot of warmth. The other characters, too, are mostly loveable, except when they’re doing your head in, as people do.
While my high school time definitely wasn’t as eventful as Kirsty’s, Duck Feet still took me back right to my own emotionally tumultuous teenage years, when someone not liking you back was the end of the world, when skipping classes felt like a capital crime, and when a classmate could become your arch enemy just for making a dumb comment. Apart from the astonishing number of characters who win the lottery or some other contest (and one other thing that would be a huge spoiler, so shhh), everything that happens in this book is incredibly relatable and realistic. This is not a saccharine American high school movie type story, it’s about kids being silly, overdramatic, and messing up over and over again. I just adore it, and I will certainly read Ely Percy’s future books! Apparently they are currently working on a “queer companion” to Duck Feet called Odd Duck, and if that doesn’t sound like an instant winner, then I don’t know!
I would firmly recommend this book to anyone who is able to or is willing to learn to read in Scots, especially if you love stories about the everyday, about ordinary people and their ordinary lives.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death and Grief
Minor: Drug abuse
solasuaine's review
emotional
funny
lighthearted
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Religious bigotry, Pregnancy, Murder, Grief, and Eating disorder
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