‘Lidl,’ Cate said, almost wistfully, as if Maggie had mentioned an exotic country she’d visited during her gap year. ‘Best wine.’
Harley, Róise, Maggie and Lydia shared a history that went back decades. Lydia had been the grown-up, working in a corporate job, caring, considerate and dependable. Her death was devastating, all the more so as the housemates were caught up in the fallout of a betrayal which saw some not speaking to her. A year later, Róise is still furious, Harley even more chaotic and Maggie’s panic attacks have become worse while the house is falling down around their ears. Something needs to be done but none of them seems able to find a way out until, finally, their hands are forced.
At the time, Harley did not even really know what condoms were, imagining then to be made from some kind of waterproof material similar to a cagoule.
Despite the death of a close friend at the heart of this late coming-of-age novel, O’Hare’s narrative is full of an affectionate humour for these three young women already stuck in the life they were living as students before Lydia’s accident. Each of them is dealing – or failing to deal – with the aftermath in their own, self-destructive way: Harley lurches from bed to bed, fuelled by a cocktail of drink and drugs; Róise seethes in her room, writing off a promising new relationship as just sex while Maggie still jumps to the tune of an old student lover who persistently refers to her as a ‘friend’. O’Hare neatly takes her characters from the birthday of her novel’s opening chapter to another in a satisfying wrap-up at the novel’s end. Her book deals with the overwhelming grief at the sudden loss of a friend at a young age well, resisting the maudlin, while engaging sympathy for her characters. Not one to shout about from the rooftops but I enjoyed it.
Picador Books: London 9781035046195 288 pages Hardback (Read via NetGalley)
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I love the excerpts you’ve chosen (so short but so funny!) and have a particular interest in books that deal with relatively young friendship groups losing a member to death, so I’ll keep an eye out for this—thanks!
You’re welcome! I was impressed by the way she handled such a difficult theme, particularly as a first time novelist.
I haven’t heard of this new Irish writer on the scene. Her book sounds interesting. She is appearing at the West Cork Literary Festival in Bantry in July. Not sure if I will make it to the Festival this year. Clashing with Galway Arts festival.
Summer’s a busy time for authors!
This sounds like a book I’d quite enjoy, great review!
Thank you! She’s a writer to watch. I hope you like it if you get to it.
I’m quite interested in this one, so I will get to it if I can find some time!
She gets the balance between sadness and humour right which is very tricky with grief.
For some reason that cover really works for me and I’m not sure why! It sounds a good fit for the story too.
It’s a clever image, isn’t it, and it works for the book.
You’re right. ‘Young Irish writer’ is a tag-line hard to resist. I like the excerpts you’ve chosen … and the cover.
I seem incapable of resisting it!
Why bother when capitulating is likely to lead to a reading treat?
True
Maybe one to borrow from the library if it ever makes its way to the world’s most isolated city at the bottom of the earth!
Love the quote about the condom! LOL.
She does have a smart turn of phrase!
The different responses to grief sound very relatable. And what a cover image!
Very striking, isn’t it! It’s such a tricky theme to handle but she does it with aplomb.