'I am a groupless, friendless creature in a sea of chat."
So our lead character describes herself in the opening paragraphs. She is initially unliveable and the first chapters are written with essentially her stream of consciousness, sounding just as confused as my brain probably did at that age.
It starts before then on week 1 Lauren sums up female life perfectly. " how do I even know what I'm really angry about when everything hurts? Is it always going to be like this-never being quite sure whether it's okay to be annoyed or whether you really are just, well, a crazy girl? "
The book starts and I initially hated it, couldn't get into it and spent sometime wondering where on earth it was set. Turns out I guessed Ireland correctly just before it was mentioned.This is a modern Ireland. One where Lauren can attend Q group with other young folk dealing with LBTQ etc issues. Yet it's also an old fashioned one, enforced mass at Christmas, segregated schools and one where fantasy is considered childish. The story progresses with an unusual timeline at the top of each chapter split between week x day y and before.
3 weeks in to the plot and I saw the light, it was becoming enjoyable and even laugh out loud funny. " it sounds so stupid when I put it like that, but that's how it feels. that they're better. They've received some sort of manual for how to be a girl that never arrived in my letterbox. " Lauren doesn't understand teenage girls but at Q club she feels she's found her people until one of them, her best friend changes, literally, in her. Steph becomes Evan and with it all Lauren's dreams for a relationship die.
Along the way she discovers others in her class aren't too bad and even considers confiding in them when the worst thing she can think of happens. Her mother is ignoring her and not noticing her excessive drinking or thinking there may be a cause for it. "There's nothing like a good mass right? I wish they'd just let us watch Father Ted." At this point Lauren thinks about Mary and starts to count. The fear and denial plus the organisation needed to get help in Ireland where a foetus ahs the same rights as a person is well portrayed and still current, the boat has now become a plane but still female rights are denied under law. Luckily Lauren no longer faces prosecution for what she does but still she needs help Eventually she gets it from.. " holy shit you're a nun....are you even allowed to wear nice jewellery if you're a nun?" Her therapist provides support and light hearted moments in the end chapters giving her hope for the future. Eventually getting Lauren to admit she had an abortion asks her how she feels about it (and the need to hide/travel as it's illegal Laur responds " I want to set this fucking country on fire. " nun responds " ill put down " angry" shall I?"
A great end to a book I was initially dubious about.
So our lead character describes herself in the opening paragraphs. She is initially unliveable and the first chapters are written with essentially her stream of consciousness, sounding just as confused as my brain probably did at that age.
It starts before then on week 1 Lauren sums up female life perfectly. " how do I even know what I'm really angry about when everything hurts? Is it always going to be like this-never being quite sure whether it's okay to be annoyed or whether you really are just, well, a crazy girl? "
The book starts and I initially hated it, couldn't get into it and spent sometime wondering where on earth it was set. Turns out I guessed Ireland correctly just before it was mentioned.This is a modern Ireland. One where Lauren can attend Q group with other young folk dealing with LBTQ etc issues. Yet it's also an old fashioned one, enforced mass at Christmas, segregated schools and one where fantasy is considered childish. The story progresses with an unusual timeline at the top of each chapter split between week x day y and before.
3 weeks in to the plot and I saw the light, it was becoming enjoyable and even laugh out loud funny. " it sounds so stupid when I put it like that, but that's how it feels. that they're better. They've received some sort of manual for how to be a girl that never arrived in my letterbox. " Lauren doesn't understand teenage girls but at Q club she feels she's found her people until one of them, her best friend changes, literally, in her. Steph becomes Evan and with it all Lauren's dreams for a relationship die.
Along the way she discovers others in her class aren't too bad and even considers confiding in them when the worst thing she can think of happens. Her mother is ignoring her and not noticing her excessive drinking or thinking there may be a cause for it. "There's nothing like a good mass right? I wish they'd just let us watch Father Ted." At this point Lauren thinks about Mary and starts to count. The fear and denial plus the organisation needed to get help in Ireland where a foetus ahs the same rights as a person is well portrayed and still current, the boat has now become a plane but still female rights are denied under law. Luckily Lauren no longer faces prosecution for what she does but still she needs help Eventually she gets it from.. " holy shit you're a nun....are you even allowed to wear nice jewellery if you're a nun?" Her therapist provides support and light hearted moments in the end chapters giving her hope for the future. Eventually getting Lauren to admit she had an abortion asks her how she feels about it (and the need to hide/travel as it's illegal Laur responds " I want to set this fucking country on fire. " nun responds " ill put down " angry" shall I?"
A great end to a book I was initially dubious about.