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fromthekiwigirl35's review
Couldn't find the joy in reading such content.
Graphic: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Abortion, Sexual assault, Incest, Misogyny, Violence, Rape, Racial slurs, Death, Homophobia, and Pregnancy
lindseydunn's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
The beginning is very cataclysmic. From the pregnant 16 year old girl being called a whore and thrown out of a church by the priest to a father killing his own son for being gay. But you have to see all the hate and bigotry to appreciate the story of Cyril Avery and of Catherine Goggin. They are incredibly strong people.
The epilogue destroyed me. It was probably the most tragically beautiful part of the whole book. But in it, Ireland has changed forever as we have known it and there is hope for the next generation.
The book is broke up into seven sections, each at a different place in Cyril Avery’s life. I loved this aspect of the book because you can see how, not only is Cyril changing, but also how Ireland is changing.
CONTENT WARNINGS:
Homophobia, child prostitution, violence against homosexuals, violence, religious extremism, hate crime, religious bigotry, misogyny, suicidal thoughts/ideations, sexism, chronic illness, infidelity, chronic Illness, child abuse, child death, rape, sexual violence, police brutality, pedophilia, death of parent
Graphic: Sexism, Homophobia, Rape, Religious bigotry, Violence, Police brutality, Pedophilia, and Sexual assault
Minor: Child death, Chronic illness, and Death of parent
phoebedowling's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Graphic: Alcohol, Death, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Grief, Hate crime, Homophobia, Lesbophobia, Medical content, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Misogyny, Murder, Outing, Rape, Incest, Religious bigotry, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, and Toxic friendship
marissalozser's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Graphic: Death, Hate crime, Homophobia, Murder, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Rape, Religious bigotry, Sexual content, and Terminal illness
sissi's review
In the second section we have, on the same page, a 7 yr old flirting with an adult and incredibly poorly written sentences like "she blew a cloud of white smoke as if she was ready to announce the next pope" -- total tonal whiplash! I am also increasingly annoyed at the main character. Why is this child a genius?! No, his parents emotionally neglecting him is no reason for him to be the smartest, most reasonable 7 year old in existence.
Anyway I then looked the author up and am not confident in his ability to handle a story categorized as lgbtqia+.
Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Pedophilia, Rape, and Religious bigotry