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Loved this. The narrative voice is amazing, really enjoyed the characters. It reminded me quite a bit of Derry Girls in its tone and humor.

I was rooting hard for Maeve and her friends as they awaited their test results and planned their futures.

In the meantime, they take a job at the local factory to save money for their departure from their working class hometown.

The smarmy factory owner doesn't make things easy.

This is written in Irish dialect, but it was easy for me to follow. I only had to look up the pronunciation of one name 😁

I pretty much loved this one. Anyone who dreamed of growing up and getting away will relate to Maeve. And as someone who was roughly the same age as these girls in the mid-90s but was woefully misinformed about the Troubles, I appreciated “experiencing it” through their perspective.

My current IRL book club read and I‘m REALLY enjoying it!

Although it's set in 1990s Northern Ireland, this novel has the feel of YA dystopian fiction. Dystopian fiction works because it's at least somewhat believable/based on reality, but a story that feels like dystopian fiction but is set in the real world is unsettling to me. My teen history buff son has recently been talking about the ills of colonialism and what the world would look like without it. This novel fits well with that conversation.

Will you miss nothing about the town when you‘re gone?

She wasn‘t going to admit that she was scared she‘d miss everything and terrified she‘d miss nothing.

🧵🚬🍺

This was #53 for #Roll100. I finished it about a week ago. I really enjoyed it, especially after reading Trespasses so recently. It reminded me of Derry Girls because of the ages of the main characters, but that's probably the only similarity. The language was much more coarse, and the everyday difficulties of these girls were more difficult.

@PuddleJumper

Pretty great! I totally get the comparisons to Derry Girls (loved that show), but this is significantly darker. Still very funny, but Maeve is dealing with some heavy stuff. Loved the ending. Definitely want to try Gallen‘s debut, Big Girl, Small Town.

Excited to hear what my IRL book club thinks about this when we meet next week. Should be a good discussion.

“Maeve Murray was just eighteen years old when she first met Andy Strawbridge but she knew he was a fucker the minute she laid eyes on him.”

#FirstLineFridays

So some how when I did my #Roll100 I skipped over numbers 36, 42, and 43 🤪. So I'm picking some other books that are close to the numbers. It works out well since I really want to read Daisy Jones before I see the series. My February list isn't going so well, but I think I may be able to knock off just one, for now. Thanks @PuddleJumper for the new numbers!

Loved it. The cover seems to promise something lighter and fluffier than it really is, but in a way that reflects Maeve herself. Trying very hard to give no f-s and leave her town and girlhood behind but really struggling to leave it all, her family, friends, and buried traumas.

Friday #bookmail Part 1! I‘m hoping to get to all of these in March. Tagged is for my IRL book club.

It‘s the summer of 1994 and Maeve is waiting on her exam results to see if they will enable her to leave Northern Ireland for uni, so she starts working at a factory. This sets the stage to reveal the reality of small town NI during the Troubles, when bombings and murders were normalized. I thought this was fantastic.

This was so slow. And when something did finally happen it was a bit of a let down-not all that exciting. I struggled a bit with the dialogue too. The best parts were the references to Dead Poets Society, Pearl Jam and Bon Jovi.

Factory Girls main character is Maeve. All Maeve dreams about is getting out of her little town. She decides to take a summer job at a shirt factory while she waits for her test results to enter university. This book is set in 1994 in Ireland.

I loved this. Don't be fooled by the cheesy cover. 1990s Northern Ireland is the setting. 3 girls are waiting for their end of school test results and end up working in a shirt factory. It's very funny and it definitely does a great job of setting the scene. Definitely recommend.

#BookSpinBingo @TheAromaofBooks

#Aardvark

I felt like this book dragged on and had a lot of lead up to then quickly transitioning to a rushed ending. I liked the 90s references sprinkled in but honestly found myself rushing through and oftentimes struggling with the dialogue.

This book was a pick from Aardvark Book Club and I didn‘t pick it for my box but I decided to borrow it from Libby. I had seen so many good things about this book and it definitely made me want to read it. I enjoyed this book a lot more than I thought I would! It quickly sucked me into the story and these girls in this book were definitely some strong women!

This lrish ditty of a young Catholic woman living in a Northern Ireland town in 1994 is darkly humorous, heartfelt, and surprisingly uplifting. Maeve Murray perseveres through heartbreak and social injustice with a biting, sarcastic attitude that had me laughing out loud throughout the read. This book also gives some insight into the violence surrounding this region during 1994. Some warning though, Maeve is hilarious but crass!

Wonderfully dark, funny look at life on a summer job in NI c 1994. The Troubles, romance and dysfunctional families. Something of a cross between Derry Girls and Milkman. TW below.

Woo hoo! Starting this book today! I‘ve heard good things. Thanks @AardvarkBookClub

#Aardvark December picks are live. I know I'm late to the party but it took me a while to decide.

So I picked this. Even though I sort of detest the cover.

Looking forward to my #aardvark December box to arrive!!

I really liked Gallen‘s first book and am excited to see her with a new one, so I decided to give #aardvark a try. I‘m excited to support a new book subscription service and look forward to seeing these two in my first box!

Funny ,real ,dark a novel set in Ireland with characters that will keep you turning the pages.Laugh out loud funny.emotional moving highly recommend @AlgonquinBooks

I had only vague knowledge of the conflicts between Catholics and Protestants in Northern Ireland in the 80s and 90s (I was a child/teen) and this put a human context on those struggles. Also a great glimpse into what a garment factory in a European nation was like at the time that the industry was largely shifting to manufacturers in Asian countries.

I received an ARC of this novel from #NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

Next ARC from NetGalley!