If you ever wanted a lead story centered around a smoking, drinking, cursing character similar to Derry Girls' Michelle, Factory Girls is one for you.

It's 1994 and in Northern Ireland, truce talks are around the corner meaning a flurry of revenge attacks on either side before the guns are put down. Maeve is 18 years old, and waiting to find out if her school results will allow her to attend journalism school in London - she's desperate to leave her family home, still shadowed by the death of her sister some years earlier, and she and her friends get jobs in the local factory to save up during the summer. For the first time, Maeve has a semblance of an independent life, and also works and somewhat socialises with the town Protestants which is a learning curve in itself.

This is a fantastic, entertaining book that hits so many great spots while at the same time carrying off a youthful, hopeful energy about it. The atmosphere and moment in time of Northern Ireland in the early 90s - the fear, the fatigue as well as the disbelief that the fighting could finally be nearing its end. Maeve is a hardened character who despite her age has had to live through some horrible times from experiencing bombings, and deaths, and hearing about new violent crimes almost every day of her life. But she also has youth on her side, and that hopefulness that college in London will lead to bigger and better things. We also see stark comparisons between Maeve's childhood and family home circumstances in comparison to her friend Aoife whose family are wealthy and Aoife will always have a different, easier trajectory in life than Maeve.

The factory scenes were really vibrant and interesting to read from the creepy, handsy boss Andy Strawbridge to the hierarchy among the women from Mary to Marilyn and Mabel, and that's without taking religion into account as one of the only workplaces to hire both Catholics and Protestants to work the factory floor together. The relationship and tension between the two sides ebbed and flowed depending on outside news, and also how close it was to the Twelfth and marching season.

I think this book highlighted what life was like in a small Irish town in Northern Ireland in the 90s really well, and Michelle Gallen is able to bring drinking, cursing, horny young women to life in a great way - giving them stories, conviction and depth all while making sure they have a hell of a good time.