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jmoxley's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
In telling the story of Kelly, an alcoholic escaping from and returning to Galloway, the book manages to avoid being overly sugary or overly gritty.
The portrayals of the main characters (Kelly, Glasgow, Galloway and a dog called Cauliflower) are sympathetic but don’t shy away from mentioning their flaws. (OK, Collie is cute and doesn’t have many flaws!).
An enjoyable read that makes serious points about rural life, addiction and how we treat people who don’t fit in. There but for the grace of God go so many of us!
Main downside for me was that the book is printed on very thin paper. This might save trees/money but doesn’t feel right when reading and make. The book seem fragile when travelling (maybe a bit like Kelly!)
The portrayals of the main characters (Kelly, Glasgow, Galloway and a dog called Cauliflower) are sympathetic but don’t shy away from mentioning their flaws. (OK, Collie is cute and doesn’t have many flaws!).
An enjoyable read that makes serious points about rural life, addiction and how we treat people who don’t fit in. There but for the grace of God go so many of us!
Main downside for me was that the book is printed on very thin paper. This might save trees/money but doesn’t feel right when reading and make. The book seem fragile when travelling (maybe a bit like Kelly!)
Content Warnings
Moderate: Addiction and Self harm
georgie_mb's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
For the majority of this, I was completely and utterly in love. I loved our flawed main character, the writing style and the contrast between bustling Glasgow and the small towns of Galloway (especially in the phonetic language, very clever)!
Being a dog lover, Collie of course won my heart, and I loved watching the bond between him and Kelly grow.
It didn’t quite reach 5 stars for me towards the end because of two things:
1. I didn’t like the fact that the story lines of other characters didn’t go anywhere. I felt like their stories had been cut short, and that what had been put in before seemed a bit unnecessary. They could have been told through other characters and not have whole chapters dedicated to them to then lead nowhere.
2. The attraction between Dex and Kelly came out of nothing and it really didn’t stick with me. It seemed very unnecessary again, there was no lead up whatsoever! It’s almost like Dex magically fell in love with her on the drive down 🤦🏼♀️
Pr product as part of the Canongate July readalong
Being a dog lover, Collie of course won my heart, and I loved watching the bond between him and Kelly grow.
It didn’t quite reach 5 stars for me towards the end because of two things:
1. I didn’t like the fact that the story lines of other characters didn’t go anywhere. I felt like their stories had been cut short, and that what had been put in before seemed a bit unnecessary. They could have been told through other characters and not have whole chapters dedicated to them to then lead nowhere.
2. The attraction between Dex and Kelly came out of nothing and it really didn’t stick with me. It seemed very unnecessary again, there was no lead up whatsoever! It’s almost like Dex magically fell in love with her on the drive down 🤦🏼♀️
Pr product as part of the Canongate July readalong
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, Addiction, and Car accident
Minor: Cursing, Rape, Toxic relationship, Emotional abuse, Grief, Animal cruelty, Physical abuse, Drug abuse, Excrement, Death of parent, Infertility, Injury/Injury detail, and Sexual assault
teh_niarr's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- 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
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction
smariee's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Addiction, and Sexual content
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