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wordsofclover
Half Irish follows the adventures of Tyler Sontoro - an 18-year-old New York with an Irish mom and an Italian dad - as he has a once in a lifetime summer vacation to Ireland to visit his relatives, and he ends up falling in love in more ways than one.
This book started out really well for me. I actually liked that the story didn’t start with Tyler instantly travelling to Ireland. We get to see his life in New York, his friends, his relationship with his family, his crushes and how he works to save money for his trip. I liked that his mam and dad encouraged him to do it on his own, even though they could have easily paid and his strong relationship with them is great to see. His parents are very much in his life - no sign of absentee parents here!
Tyler is a very easy character to like. He’s very normal and very relatable. He’s not someone with some massive life problems, or relationships dramas or friendship upsets. He’s like every other teenager I know - just getting along, enjoying school. friends, family and a part-time job. He’s very earnest and always tries to do the right thing. Literally, the type of teenage boy that would help a grandma with her shopping, and one you could definitely bring home to her parents.
My one problem with Tyler was that sometimes he was written too much like a teenage boy. He actually sounded about 16 sometimes instead of 18, and was quite innocent in a lot of ways - particularly romantically. He also was written in a way that he actually used “LOL” and one time “ROFL” in actual spoken word sentences. I’ve never in my life heard someone say those out loud.
This book does suffer from text speak too in messages amongst the teenager characters which I know a lot of people, including myself, don’t like. AT 18 and 19 years old, I would presume Tyler and Tabitha would just spell normally.
And speaking of Tabitha, I honestly just didn’t really get why Tyler liked her so much. She was a very vanilla character (though in fairness, this is a very vanilla book too). I just couldn’t see the attraction, or why Tyler would be so head over heels so quickly.
I liked that this book brought up the subject of male depression, and how men tend to hide away their feelings and end up not dealing well alone. But with all the talk of Patrick being down, and coming close to severe suicidal thoughts, nothing was ever mentioned about him seeing a therapist which I would have liked.
Overall, this book was great in many ways but I did end up dropping a star mainly because it was too long. I think it could have been about 350 pages instead. By then I found myself not caring about the rest of the story anymore.
This book started out really well for me. I actually liked that the story didn’t start with Tyler instantly travelling to Ireland. We get to see his life in New York, his friends, his relationship with his family, his crushes and how he works to save money for his trip. I liked that his mam and dad encouraged him to do it on his own, even though they could have easily paid and his strong relationship with them is great to see. His parents are very much in his life - no sign of absentee parents here!
Tyler is a very easy character to like. He’s very normal and very relatable. He’s not someone with some massive life problems, or relationships dramas or friendship upsets. He’s like every other teenager I know - just getting along, enjoying school. friends, family and a part-time job. He’s very earnest and always tries to do the right thing. Literally, the type of teenage boy that would help a grandma with her shopping, and one you could definitely bring home to her parents.
My one problem with Tyler was that sometimes he was written too much like a teenage boy. He actually sounded about 16 sometimes instead of 18, and was quite innocent in a lot of ways - particularly romantically. He also was written in a way that he actually used “LOL” and one time “ROFL” in actual spoken word sentences. I’ve never in my life heard someone say those out loud.
This book does suffer from text speak too in messages amongst the teenager characters which I know a lot of people, including myself, don’t like. AT 18 and 19 years old, I would presume Tyler and Tabitha would just spell normally.
And speaking of Tabitha, I honestly just didn’t really get why Tyler liked her so much. She was a very vanilla character (though in fairness, this is a very vanilla book too). I just couldn’t see the attraction, or why Tyler would be so head over heels so quickly.
I liked that this book brought up the subject of male depression, and how men tend to hide away their feelings and end up not dealing well alone. But with all the talk of Patrick being down, and coming close to severe suicidal thoughts, nothing was ever mentioned about him seeing a therapist which I would have liked.
Overall, this book was great in many ways but I did end up dropping a star mainly because it was too long. I think it could have been about 350 pages instead. By then I found myself not caring about the rest of the story anymore.
4.5 stars
When Sarah is 24 years old, she meets a man who is almost 20 years her senior but it doesn't stop her from falling for him - despite the way he treats her. As Sarah falls deeper into the toxic relationship, she begins to lose control over other parts of her life.
This was an addicting read that I couldn't put it down, I read it in day - I absolutely flew through it. Just like her other books, Louise O'Neill has showed a power to see in the heart of the flawed human woman, and rip those feelings, thoughts, unsavoury so they be and displayed on a page for everyone to see, and relate to. She is definitely the queen of unlikeable characters as well - much like Emma from Asking For It, I found Sarah to be a really annoying character just because of her selfish actions most of the time (which she is called out for again, and again by friends). The way she treats her friends, and her dad, and then her boyfriend is so horrible I constantly felt like screaming at her to 'wake up' and see what she has before it's too late.
Sarah's relationship with Matthew was just so interesting and one that I could relate to and not relate to at the same time. I've never had a relationship with a much older man, or a guy that has tried to exact such power over me like Matthew but I, like Sarah and many women before, have been in relationships where I've started feeling like only part of myself because I've moulded myself into him and been the one that is guilty of just loving too much. Louise O'Neill hit the nail on the head with this one, and I just loved the raw, grittiness of it.
When Sarah is 24 years old, she meets a man who is almost 20 years her senior but it doesn't stop her from falling for him - despite the way he treats her. As Sarah falls deeper into the toxic relationship, she begins to lose control over other parts of her life.
This was an addicting read that I couldn't put it down, I read it in day - I absolutely flew through it. Just like her other books, Louise O'Neill has showed a power to see in the heart of the flawed human woman, and rip those feelings, thoughts, unsavoury so they be and displayed on a page for everyone to see, and relate to. She is definitely the queen of unlikeable characters as well - much like Emma from Asking For It, I found Sarah to be a really annoying character just because of her selfish actions most of the time (which she is called out for again, and again by friends). The way she treats her friends, and her dad, and then her boyfriend is so horrible I constantly felt like screaming at her to 'wake up' and see what she has before it's too late.
Sarah's relationship with Matthew was just so interesting and one that I could relate to and not relate to at the same time. I've never had a relationship with a much older man, or a guy that has tried to exact such power over me like Matthew but I, like Sarah and many women before, have been in relationships where I've started feeling like only part of myself because I've moulded myself into him and been the one that is guilty of just loving too much. Louise O'Neill hit the nail on the head with this one, and I just loved the raw, grittiness of it.
I received a free copy of this book from O’Brien Press in exchange for an honest review.
This book is a perfect read for anyone looking to learn a little bit more about Irish history - the names we learn in history books growing up, and the ones we don’t.
This book is both informative, and pretty funny, and some of the cheeky observations about certain people and the feelings about them in current Ireland had me chuckling a lot. The addition of some humourous illustrations were also great.
I personally would have liked a little bit more female figures, though I do understand that there’s not as much known about them, and this is stated in the book as well. But some figures like Kathleen Clarke (the first female Lord Mayor of Dublin) and Hanna Sheehy-Skeffington, a prominent Irish suffragette, and Winnie Carney, one of the last women to leave the GPO during the 1916 Easter Rising, were all missing and definitely deserved a place. Even Aoife MacMurrough could have received her own entry, apart from her brief mention in her father’s due to her marriage to Strongbow.
This book is a perfect read for anyone looking to learn a little bit more about Irish history - the names we learn in history books growing up, and the ones we don’t.
This book is both informative, and pretty funny, and some of the cheeky observations about certain people and the feelings about them in current Ireland had me chuckling a lot. The addition of some humourous illustrations were also great.
I personally would have liked a little bit more female figures, though I do understand that there’s not as much known about them, and this is stated in the book as well. But some figures like Kathleen Clarke (the first female Lord Mayor of Dublin) and Hanna Sheehy-Skeffington, a prominent Irish suffragette, and Winnie Carney, one of the last women to leave the GPO during the 1916 Easter Rising, were all missing and definitely deserved a place. Even Aoife MacMurrough could have received her own entry, apart from her brief mention in her father’s due to her marriage to Strongbow.
I received a free copy of this book from Granta Books in exchange for an honest review.
In a future Ireland, it never stops raining and the economy as we know it has fallen apart. Now Dublin is run by a terrible gang known as the Earlie Boys, and they are run by a terrible man called The Earlie King. His daughter fell in love with the Kid in Yellow, and died giving birth to their baby. Now, the Kid in Yellow needs to rescue his child from The Earlie King.
This book is weird but wonderful. I loved the often lyrical writing in it and the way the Kid in Yellow could just spout poetry he had heard elsewhere. This world is dirty, and urban, and really violent and hard but at the same time it’s beautiful, and moving.
I loved the differences in each voice from the young yet old voice of the Kid in Yellow, and the more seasoned, concerned voices of the guard and O’Casey the journalist. And in the mix was the play script and the voice of Mister Violence (who was just creepy).
I don’t have a lot of indepth, literary piecing apart of this book - all I can say is that it was different, and because of that I loved it. I loved the look at dystopian Ireland - a setting I don’t see too much - and this is a book I’d love to see performed on-stage.
I would definitely urge people to take a chance on this book, as it’s definitely worth it.
In a future Ireland, it never stops raining and the economy as we know it has fallen apart. Now Dublin is run by a terrible gang known as the Earlie Boys, and they are run by a terrible man called The Earlie King. His daughter fell in love with the Kid in Yellow, and died giving birth to their baby. Now, the Kid in Yellow needs to rescue his child from The Earlie King.
This book is weird but wonderful. I loved the often lyrical writing in it and the way the Kid in Yellow could just spout poetry he had heard elsewhere. This world is dirty, and urban, and really violent and hard but at the same time it’s beautiful, and moving.
I loved the differences in each voice from the young yet old voice of the Kid in Yellow, and the more seasoned, concerned voices of the guard and O’Casey the journalist. And in the mix was the play script and the voice of Mister Violence (who was just creepy).
I don’t have a lot of indepth, literary piecing apart of this book - all I can say is that it was different, and because of that I loved it. I loved the look at dystopian Ireland - a setting I don’t see too much - and this is a book I’d love to see performed on-stage.
I would definitely urge people to take a chance on this book, as it’s definitely worth it.
I received a free copy of this book from Tramp Press in exchange for an honest review.
Wow oh wow. This is the best short story collection I’ve ever read, and the only one who keep me hooked onto a book from start to finish, as I’m not one to read an awful lot of short story collections but this one hit me where it matters.
Orange Horses is a bunch of different stories about different women in Irish society, many of them marginalised. There’s a focus on the tough life of a farmer’s wife/daughter, as well as late marriages, late pregnancies, infertility, domestic abuse, and sometimes just being Irish in an English society. I loved almost every single story, and each one had points in it that just took y breath away with its honesty and raw feeling.
Journey Home was one of my favourite stories - just for the ferocity and justified anger in Maura. I loved the images this story delivered to me of her driving her car at top speed down the country lane with the kids and sister-in-law screaming in the back.
Orange Horses was a beautiful story in all its broken pieces. I really felt for the mother who just had to accept the abuse she received from her husband. I also thought the points raised in this story in the value of sons vs daughters in Irish society, particularly the traveling community, was excellent. I think this story also was open ended in that the reader could decide what happened.
Parasites was something that I feel would resonate a lot with today’s more ‘woke’ society - the Louise O’Neill generation if you will. I really loved it.
The Vain Woman was one of the longest stories of the lot but one of the most powerful, beautiful and saddest of them. The wife in this story gained so much in knowledge, confidence and experience and almost found a deep love and passion again but had it taken away by her husband when he used her children as bartering tools, as happens in real life all the time.
Those were just some of my favourites but I would strongly urge everyone to read this book, especially if you like stories written by women about women for women, about struggle and acceptance, of being beaten down but staying strong. Just the pure strength that comes from being born a woman in a society that prefers men. This is just a wonderful collection of work.
Wow oh wow. This is the best short story collection I’ve ever read, and the only one who keep me hooked onto a book from start to finish, as I’m not one to read an awful lot of short story collections but this one hit me where it matters.
Orange Horses is a bunch of different stories about different women in Irish society, many of them marginalised. There’s a focus on the tough life of a farmer’s wife/daughter, as well as late marriages, late pregnancies, infertility, domestic abuse, and sometimes just being Irish in an English society. I loved almost every single story, and each one had points in it that just took y breath away with its honesty and raw feeling.
Journey Home was one of my favourite stories - just for the ferocity and justified anger in Maura. I loved the images this story delivered to me of her driving her car at top speed down the country lane with the kids and sister-in-law screaming in the back.
Orange Horses was a beautiful story in all its broken pieces. I really felt for the mother who just had to accept the abuse she received from her husband. I also thought the points raised in this story in the value of sons vs daughters in Irish society, particularly the traveling community, was excellent. I think this story also was open ended in that the reader could decide what happened.
Parasites was something that I feel would resonate a lot with today’s more ‘woke’ society - the Louise O’Neill generation if you will. I really loved it.
The Vain Woman was one of the longest stories of the lot but one of the most powerful, beautiful and saddest of them. The wife in this story gained so much in knowledge, confidence and experience and almost found a deep love and passion again but had it taken away by her husband when he used her children as bartering tools, as happens in real life all the time.
Those were just some of my favourites but I would strongly urge everyone to read this book, especially if you like stories written by women about women for women, about struggle and acceptance, of being beaten down but staying strong. Just the pure strength that comes from being born a woman in a society that prefers men. This is just a wonderful collection of work.
I received a free copy of this book from Penguin Ireland exchange for an honest review.
At the start of this story, Delia wakes up in her apartment that also contains a rotting dead body. The readers are then transported backwards to the start of Delia’s life as the favoured child on an isolated island off the coast of Ireland.
This was an engrossing read from start to finish. This is a thriller but not one of those thrillers that leaves you turning the pages with your heart in your throat. Instead it sucks you in, deeper and deeper as more and more of Delia’s character and decisions are revealed and we have to make a choice about her - is she a sociopath with a lot of selfish, evil tendencies? Or is she someone who was forced into living a life she never wanted, and just a weird stroke of bad fortune fell on those around her?
I loved learning more about Delia, and I loved how conflicted I felt about her, her story, her life decisions.
I loved seeing how much Liz Nugent’s writing has evolved since Unravelling Oliver which I read last year. Delia is similar to Oliver in that she is a very morally grey character but the way her life is just mapped out for the readers is done so expertly.
And the ending of this was just such a mic drop, I LOVED it.
At the start of this story, Delia wakes up in her apartment that also contains a rotting dead body. The readers are then transported backwards to the start of Delia’s life as the favoured child on an isolated island off the coast of Ireland.
This was an engrossing read from start to finish. This is a thriller but not one of those thrillers that leaves you turning the pages with your heart in your throat. Instead it sucks you in, deeper and deeper as more and more of Delia’s character and decisions are revealed and we have to make a choice about her - is she a sociopath with a lot of selfish, evil tendencies? Or is she someone who was forced into living a life she never wanted, and just a weird stroke of bad fortune fell on those around her?
I loved learning more about Delia, and I loved how conflicted I felt about her, her story, her life decisions.
I loved seeing how much Liz Nugent’s writing has evolved since Unravelling Oliver which I read last year. Delia is similar to Oliver in that she is a very morally grey character but the way her life is just mapped out for the readers is done so expertly.
And the ending of this was just such a mic drop, I LOVED it.
I received this book from O'Brien Press in exchange for an honest review.
Wild Irish Women is a wonderful collection of women who are Irish, or born of Irish parents, that have some way or another made a mark in history.There were so many women in this I have never heard of it - I think because Ireland is so small, and let's be honest, we don't have a great history of treating women with respect it;s easy to just focus on the very, very small group of women whose names have appeared sparsely in history books amongst the many, many men (Countess Markievicz, Maude Gonne, Grace O'Malley).
I thought this book was written and edited really, really well. Some of the women's chapters were longer than others which would happen in any sort of non-fiction collection, but each story whether it was 8 pages or 2 pages long grabbed my attention and kept it. The women were also grouped in manners of their interests - from writers to artists, to revolutionaries and politicians.
I also really liked that this did have some images and photographs of the women but the images were only in two sections of the book, and didn't take the attention away from the stories. I think this would be a really good book for people who may be tired of reading the picture books that are popular now for feminists and rebel women in history, and want to focus more on words rather than the pretty illustrations.
A wonderful book and one I would recommend to all Irish people, and anyone that is just interested in women that made a mark but aren't often spoken about.
Wild Irish Women is a wonderful collection of women who are Irish, or born of Irish parents, that have some way or another made a mark in history.There were so many women in this I have never heard of it - I think because Ireland is so small, and let's be honest, we don't have a great history of treating women with respect it;s easy to just focus on the very, very small group of women whose names have appeared sparsely in history books amongst the many, many men (Countess Markievicz, Maude Gonne, Grace O'Malley).
I thought this book was written and edited really, really well. Some of the women's chapters were longer than others which would happen in any sort of non-fiction collection, but each story whether it was 8 pages or 2 pages long grabbed my attention and kept it. The women were also grouped in manners of their interests - from writers to artists, to revolutionaries and politicians.
I also really liked that this did have some images and photographs of the women but the images were only in two sections of the book, and didn't take the attention away from the stories. I think this would be a really good book for people who may be tired of reading the picture books that are popular now for feminists and rebel women in history, and want to focus more on words rather than the pretty illustrations.
A wonderful book and one I would recommend to all Irish people, and anyone that is just interested in women that made a mark but aren't often spoken about.
I received a free copy of this book from Harper Collins exchange for an honest review.
In 1847 Ireland, Kitty McCarthy has to watch helplessly as her children die one-by-one from the famine ravaging the country. In present day Ireland, Maria McCarthy has travelled from England to Ireland to find out more about her ancestors, and uncover the secrets surrounding Kitty.
This was a book that was beautifully written, and the characters all easily came to life page by page. At first, I didn’t like Maria as a character as I found her a bit annoying and a complainer but then I soon grew really fond of her and by the end of the book I was so bird of the character growth she had had. Kitty was just a strong, wonderful mother prepared to sacrifice everything to give her children a future. At times she got a little bit lost with the focus on Patrick, her son, but I did love her and the mystery surrounding her that Maria uncovered.
The history of the Irish Famine was told in a really good, simplistic way in this book. It’s the perfect book to detail the harsh realities of what life was like for the poor Irish during this time without it being too much of an info-dump, and would be a great starter to ‘famine fiction’ for people who may know very little about the period of time.
There was a slight supernatural element at the end of it which was a bit out of place considering the way the rest of the book went but I actually liked. This was a quick, easy read and a very enjoyable one.
In 1847 Ireland, Kitty McCarthy has to watch helplessly as her children die one-by-one from the famine ravaging the country. In present day Ireland, Maria McCarthy has travelled from England to Ireland to find out more about her ancestors, and uncover the secrets surrounding Kitty.
This was a book that was beautifully written, and the characters all easily came to life page by page. At first, I didn’t like Maria as a character as I found her a bit annoying and a complainer but then I soon grew really fond of her and by the end of the book I was so bird of the character growth she had had. Kitty was just a strong, wonderful mother prepared to sacrifice everything to give her children a future. At times she got a little bit lost with the focus on Patrick, her son, but I did love her and the mystery surrounding her that Maria uncovered.
The history of the Irish Famine was told in a really good, simplistic way in this book. It’s the perfect book to detail the harsh realities of what life was like for the poor Irish during this time without it being too much of an info-dump, and would be a great starter to ‘famine fiction’ for people who may know very little about the period of time.
There was a slight supernatural element at the end of it which was a bit out of place considering the way the rest of the book went but I actually liked. This was a quick, easy read and a very enjoyable one.