leo14's review
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Vomit
Moderate: Blood, Animal cruelty, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Colonisation, Xenophobia, Animal death, Bullying, Death, and Death of parent
Minor: Suicidal thoughts
readwithchar's review against another edition
dark
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny, Domestic abuse, Grief, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Death, and Racism
wordsaremything's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
How long does a bone last, anyway? A skull? Shorter or longer than a jumper?
I will start by saying I don't know much about the violent skirmishes in Ireland in the 1970s other than "they happened," so the vignettes after each chapter on the island confused me for a little while. It wasn't until Lloyd mentions the 1970s at one point that I figured it out. I'll start with the last one, because I thought about it a good deal after I closed the book: I think this final vignette is supposed to be James, in a way.
I found the storytelling in this fascinating. Magee's usage of run-on sentences that switch from third to first person, as well as her interspersing of poetry mid-sentence for Lloyd, made for an interesting reading experience.
I was most interested in Mairéad and the motivations behind her actions, though James/Séamus was a close second, and I enjoyed reading about him the most. Lloyd and Masson/JP were two sides of the same coin — both are outsiders who have come to the island for themselves, only Masson thinks he's doing them a kindness.
I feel like I've only understood half of this, like I needed to have read it with a book club to get everything out of it. A compelling read — I read it very quickly and found myself tense for what would happen next.
There's a colony beneath your feet, Mr Lloyd. Moving underneath without your even knowing.
I will start by saying I don't know much about the violent skirmishes in Ireland in the 1970s other than "they happened," so the vignettes after each chapter on the island confused me for a little while. It wasn't until Lloyd mentions the 1970s at one point that I figured it out. I'll start with the last one, because I thought about it a good deal after I closed the book: I think this final vignette is supposed to be James, in a way.
Spoiler
The man turns on the light (that's James, trying to be an artist) but quickly turns it off because he doesn't want to be seen (that's James, keeping his anger quiet about Lloyd stealing his ideas). The man tries to return to his evening (James, wanting to leave the island) but he is killed instead (James, being left behind by Lloyd).I found the storytelling in this fascinating. Magee's usage of run-on sentences that switch from third to first person, as well as her interspersing of poetry mid-sentence for Lloyd, made for an interesting reading experience.
I was most interested in Mairéad and the motivations behind her actions, though James/Séamus was a close second, and I enjoyed reading about him the most. Lloyd and Masson/JP were two sides of the same coin — both are outsiders who have come to the island for themselves, only Masson thinks he's doing them a kindness.
I feel like I've only understood half of this, like I needed to have read it with a book club to get everything out of it. A compelling read — I read it very quickly and found myself tense for what would happen next.
There's a colony beneath your feet, Mr Lloyd. Moving underneath without your even knowing.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Violence, and Murder
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Colonisation, War, and Xenophobia
Minor: Vomit
Graphic vignettes of deaths/murders caused by the skirmishes with the IRA in the 1970s.linguaphile412's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gun violence, War, Violence, Murder, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Colonisation, Death, Hate crime, and Injury/Injury detail
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