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gabbyj's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Moderate: Addiction, Bullying, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Terminal illness, Dementia, and Death of parent
carolinajane's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Bullying, Emotional abuse, Sexual assault, Grief, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, Sexual harassment, and Classism
dizzzybrook's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Bullying, Child abuse, Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexism, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, Grief, Religious bigotry, Car accident, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, and Classism
katrinaamartin's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Moderate: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Homophobia, Pedophilia, Violence, and Death of parent
reads_eats_explores's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
In a nutshell, Juno Loves Legs is a highly emotive coming-of age-story centred on Juno and her best pal Sean, aka, Legs, as they grow up on a working class housing estate and then as they stumble through early adulthood in city centre Dublin.
Neither Juno nor Legs have the best start in life; they’re the kids more used to receiving a clatter than a hug at home and forever on the receiving end of the wrath of Sister or Father in school.
But together, they are fierce; they are brave. They can look beyond the shame of Juno’s useless alcoholic father and worn-down seamstress mother whose clients seldom pay and Legs’ absent father and rigid mother ready to send him away to another school to rid him of his ‘sinful’ ways.
Juno stands up for Legs against playground bullies, and he distracts the priest with misbehaviour to protect her from the beatings and mortification in the classroom, but when Legs goes too far, it results in the pair losing contact for a few years.
In this time, Juno spirals down into a depressive fug, and life goes from bad to worse. Until that is, she is rescued once again by Legs. Now, if you’re expecting fairytale endings, you’re in the wrong book - keep the tissues handy.
Narrator Juno takes up most of the emotional space with a troubled mix of good intentions, and self-destructiveness, all with a pervading sense of guilt.
Legs is harder to read because Juno knows only what he tells her, but generally, he remains charismatic and enigmatic until a rush of last-minute revelations are made.
All told in pitch perfect dialect, on realistic 1980s background of harsh poverty, homelessness, alcoholism, unnamed “plague” frightening gay Dubliners, this novel is almost unbearably grim, but that makes the occasional glimpses of genuine kindness Juno and Legs experience (mostly towards each other) all the more poignant.
These characters will stay with me for a very long time indeed. I wanted to reach them and hug them. 5⭐
A special shout out to all the wonderful librarians out there!
Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Bullying, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Homophobia, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Terminal illness, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Minor: Pregnancy