callmeamelia'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
4.75
Moderate: Death of parent, Terminal illness, Religious bigotry, and Vomit
Minor: Fire/Fire injury and Homophobia
pomoevareads's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Bullying, Alcoholism, and Sexual assault
Moderate: Homophobia and Death of parent
Minor: Terminal illness
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, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Death, Death of parent, Homophobia, Adult/minor relationship, Pedophilia, and Violence
jamesdaniel's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Violence, Physical abuse, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, and Alcoholism
Moderate: Abandonment, Homophobia, and Domestic abuse
giselley'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
2.0
Moderate: Torture, Adult/minor relationship, Car accident, Classism, Confinement, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Terminal illness, Death, Drug use, Fire/Fire injury, Homophobia, Toxic relationship, Trafficking, Death of parent, Physical abuse, Cursing, Violence, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Bullying, Child abuse, Chronic illness, and Gaslighting
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: Child abuse, Addiction, Grief, Hate crime, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Chronic illness, Sexual content, Sexual assault, Classism, Death of parent, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Alcoholism, Terminal illness, Violence, Bullying, Forced institutionalization, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Pregnancy