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Juno Loves Legs
Juno Loves Legs: A Novel | Karl Geary
5 posts | 5 read | 9 to read
For fans of Shuggie Bain and A Little Life, Juno Loves Legs is the epic and heartbreaking story of a young friendship set in working-class Dublin in the 1980s Juno Loves Legs is the story of two teens labeled as delinquents. Juno and "Legs" grow up on the same housing estate in Dublin, where spirited, intelligent Juno is ostracized for her poverty and Legs is persecuted for his sexuality; they find safety only in each other. Set against the backdrop of Dublin in the 1980s, a place of political, social and religious change, the friends yearn for an unbound life and together they begin to fight to take up the space of who they truly are. As their defiance reverberates through their lives, the children are further alienated from their surrounding society through acts of bravery and cowardice, both their own and others. Finding themselves as outsiders, they are feared, coveted and watched, but rarely truly seen. Told through the eyes of Juno, we see the pair begin to navigate the political and oftentimes confusing adult world with honesty and intuition. A country emerging from a dark Catholicism into the wider world of possibilities. Who is invited into modernity and gentrification and who is left behind? Caught between the rich depth of her intellect and the harsh reality of her life, we follow Juno as she begins to understand how divergent a life lived and a life thought can be. Juno Loves Legs shows the frustration of feeling trapped in a life that is not yours and the ability of friendship to lift us out of our experiences and into a truer version of ourselves. It is a novel that reminds us that kindness, bravery, and love appear in places where they are not always expected and in forms not usually recognised, but with a potency that cannot be ignored.
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review
ClairesReads
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Pickpick

I absolutely loved this book from the first page to the last. Geary really captures the harsh, unrelenting challenge of growing up poor in 1980s Ireland. Geary constructs these complex, vivid, flawed characters and places them in a narrative that allows us to feel empathy at times for all of them. He brings a place and a time to life in a way that feels authentic, but littering the story with glimmers of hope

currentlyreadinginCO great photo ✨ 1y
33 likes1 stack add2 comments
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MicheleinPhilly
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Heads up, Brits! #KindleDailyDeal

squirrelbrain Was just about to post this! And, yes, I already bought it too. 😁 1y
TrishB Thank you 👍🏻 not had chance to look today! 1y
RaeLovesToRead Woo! BRITSY! Are you Gladstoning this year, Michele? 1y
MicheleinPhilly @RaeLovesToRead Sadly I can‘t make it this year. Too much stuff going on. 😕 1y
44 likes4 comments
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Mpcacher
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Pickpick

This is a sad and dark (with a bit of humour) coming-of-age story set in Dublin in the 70's and 80's. It is about the friendship between a young & troubled girl and boy. This is their story as they grow, are parted for many years and then as young adults find each other again. The characters are wonderfully developed and will stay with me for a long time. It is not a romance, but it is very well written and easy to read literary fiction. 4.75/5!

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Cinfhen
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While there were some moments of light, ultimately this book is DARK and HEAVY. A coming of age story set in 1980‘s Ireland between Juno & Legs, two children who are considered outliers and ostracized by their teachers ( members of their Catholic Parish). Gorgeous prose but too much heartache and sadness. Obvious parallels to Shuggie Bain.
While a good pick for discussion, it‘s not a light breezy summer read. #ARC #NetGalley Now available ☺️

BarbaraBB Glad it‘s a pick for you. I was not a fan of Shuggie so probably won‘t vote for it! 2y
squirrelbrain I picked this up a few times when in London…. 2y
TrishB Thanks- I am forewarned! 2y
See All 10 Comments
Megabooks My local indie had this in stock, but I ended up going with another for my independent bookstore day pre-purchase. I don‘t need to read another SB. I picked up 2y
Cinfhen That one sounds great @Megabooks I feel like Juno isn‘t all that original if you‘ve read other books about growing up in Ireland during the Troubles especially if you were queer or deemed different @BarbaraBB @squirrelbrain @TrishB 2y
BarbaraBB That‘s my problem indeed. It may sound so snobbish but I‘ve read so many books about Ireland during The Troubles that I‘m just not that interested indeed. Same goes for growing up in poverty in Scotland 🤦🏻‍♀️ 2y
BarbaraBB @Megabooks That one does sound great Meg!! 2y
Cinfhen No,it‘s not snobbish @BarbaraBB it‘s just signs of a well read woman 😘 2y
BarbaraBB 😘 2y
MicheleinPhilly I‘m a masochist so I will most definitely read it and will probably love it. 😉 2y
77 likes2 stack adds10 comments
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Cinfhen
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Why is every coming of age story set in 1980‘s Ireland full of despair, grimness and tragedy ?!?? I‘ve seen reviews that said this book contains “rays of light” & “swaths of sunshine” which is definitely propelling me forward. Writing is gorgeous & the friendship between Juno & Legs is achingly beautiful. Great rec @MicheleinPhilly

TrishB This sounds good 👍🏻 2y
Cinfhen VERY SAD @TrishB obvious comparisons to Shuggie Bain 2y
69 likes2 comments