A review by clmckinney
Skippy Dies by Paul Murray

challenging dark emotional funny mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

This book follows a group of teenagers at an Irish boarding school. It is set in the 2000s. We see the struggles of these kids. It is a coming of age novel. This book is marked with much Paul Murray signatures like high drama, villainous characters,  and over the top situations. I did like this book, but I have to say, I felt the main character of Skippy was overly taxed with horrible life situations. Whether this was to elicit more sympathy from the reader, I don't know, but it felt overly contrived. I also think, this could have been shortened considerably. Nothing against long books, as long as they use their pages wisely. When the reading becomes a chore, it is not a good experience for the reader. I give  this one a 4/5.