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reads_eats_explores's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Drawing on personal experiences in Close to Home, Magee delves into a poignant exploration of toxic masculinity amidst the cross-generational trauma of the Troubles and events closer to home.
Our narrator, Sean, is the first in his family to go to university, an undertaking he thought would lead him to a new life full of prospects and far from the kind he witnessed growing up in Twinbrook, a predominately working class, Republican area of West Belfast.
Sean's dream falls away as he graduates in a post-crash era, and void of prospects, he returns home and falls in with a rather iffy crowd he has known since childhood.
Sean is from a single parent household. His Da vanished a long time ago. His poor Ma struggled, scrimped and worked two jobs to provides for her kids. And Sean feels people look down on him for this, even though they don't know him; they know his language his accent, and he feels hemmed in by it.
Sean knows he needs to be putting more effort into sorting his life out, but alongside his housemate, Ryan living the party life is much more appealing, for a while anyway. But these parties lead to trouble, the missing work and losing your job trouble, the punching a fella at a house party and ending up in court receiving a community service order kinda trouble.
Things go from bad to worse as Sean loses his job, the flat is about to be repossessed, and he’s forced to move in with his long suffering Ma. While back at home, he learns or perhaps revisits some family traumas, which makes him take a long hard look at why he and his brothers lead the lifestyles they do.
Bleak at times, with some potentially triggering subjects tackled, but the narrative is strewn with deadpan humour to balance it out. 4⭐
Our narrator, Sean, is the first in his family to go to university, an undertaking he thought would lead him to a new life full of prospects and far from the kind he witnessed growing up in Twinbrook, a predominately working class, Republican area of West Belfast.
Sean's dream falls away as he graduates in a post-crash era, and void of prospects, he returns home and falls in with a rather iffy crowd he has known since childhood.
Sean is from a single parent household. His Da vanished a long time ago. His poor Ma struggled, scrimped and worked two jobs to provides for her kids. And Sean feels people look down on him for this, even though they don't know him; they know his language his accent, and he feels hemmed in by it.
Sean knows he needs to be putting more effort into sorting his life out, but alongside his housemate, Ryan living the party life is much more appealing, for a while anyway. But these parties lead to trouble, the missing work and losing your job trouble, the punching a fella at a house party and ending up in court receiving a community service order kinda trouble.
Things go from bad to worse as Sean loses his job, the flat is about to be repossessed, and he’s forced to move in with his long suffering Ma. While back at home, he learns or perhaps revisits some family traumas, which makes him take a long hard look at why he and his brothers lead the lifestyles they do.
Bleak at times, with some potentially triggering subjects tackled, but the narrative is strewn with deadpan humour to balance it out. 4⭐
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child death, Pedophilia, Drug use, Mental illness, Death, Gaslighting, Stalking, Hate crime, Police brutality, Sexual harassment, Sexual content, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, Gun violence, Panic attacks/disorders, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Alcoholism, Classism, Forced institutionalization, Toxic friendship, Addiction, Drug abuse, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, and Injury/Injury detail
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