A review by skylarkblue1
Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0
This was pretty disappointing. The subject matter is tough but needs to be talked about, but the book barely does that.
I didn't really feel anything from this book. The writing was nice and did paint a decent picture of the scene but in the end I was left feeling like it was kinda just... All about nothing. Reading other reviews shows it didn't really teach anything about magdalene laundries other than they existed and where bad. It doesn't go that much into what abuses where suffered by women in those places - barely enough for most of the content warnings to be applicable. It tries to keep things light and hopeful especially with the ending, but feels like it ends up undermining how serious this piece of history is.
If you've watched broadchurch, it felt a bit like watching a bad version of that classic opening, the one-shot where Mark is walking through town but you know something bad is happening in the background. At least with Broadchurch it actually does something with the "bad" stuff lmao. Here instead it attempts a hapy ending but just feels a bit bleak and empty.
I didn't really feel anything from this book. The writing was nice and did paint a decent picture of the scene but in the end I was left feeling like it was kinda just... All about nothing. Reading other reviews shows it didn't really teach anything about magdalene laundries other than they existed and where bad. It doesn't go that much into what abuses where suffered by women in those places - barely enough for most of the content warnings to be applicable. It tries to keep things light and hopeful especially with the ending, but feels like it ends up undermining how serious this piece of history is.
If you've watched broadchurch, it felt a bit like watching a bad version of that classic opening, the one-shot where Mark is walking through town but you know something bad is happening in the background. At least with Broadchurch it actually does something with the "bad" stuff lmao. Here instead it attempts a hapy ending but just feels a bit bleak and empty.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child abuse, Forced institutionalization, Confinement, and Vomit