The Glorious Heresies by Lisa McInerney (what an adventure!)
Let me start here: wow. This book is dense and full of plot and I loved every second of it. But let's not get ahead of ourselves. First, a summary.
When Maureen clubbed an intruder over the head (with a holy stone, no less), she had no idea that her actions would set into motion a series of events that would inevitably change the lives of four vastly different people. Ryan, a fifteen-year-old drug dealer with an abusive father, a new girlfriend, and a host of younger siblings to worry about, takes center stage straight away. The reader is introduced to Ryan while he is transitioning mentally from boy to man, "[leaving] the boy outside its own front door."
Maureen Phelan is the next to be introduced, and she comes in with a bang. A literal bang, as her first scene involves the murder of one Robbie O'Donovan, boyfriend of Georgie, a sex worker whose lonely existence compels her to find a new line of work. The reader is gradually introduced to Jimmy Phelan, Maureen's son and a kingpin in the criminal underworld of Cork, Ireland, Tony, Ryan's father, and Tara Duane, a minor character and Tony's neighbor who lives to stir up trouble.
McInerney masterfully introduces the reader to both the good and the bad facets of each character. Ireland itself plays its part as a character, with a striking duality between the mundanity of everyday life and the goings on behind closed doors. With a brief, to the point writing style and a helping of dark humor, McInerney manages to draw the reader into the minds of each character, even those with moral compasses as gray as the Ireland sky.
I received a free copy of this book from Blogging for Books in exchange for an honest review.
When Maureen clubbed an intruder over the head (with a holy stone, no less), she had no idea that her actions would set into motion a series of events that would inevitably change the lives of four vastly different people. Ryan, a fifteen-year-old drug dealer with an abusive father, a new girlfriend, and a host of younger siblings to worry about, takes center stage straight away. The reader is introduced to Ryan while he is transitioning mentally from boy to man, "[leaving] the boy outside its own front door."
Maureen Phelan is the next to be introduced, and she comes in with a bang. A literal bang, as her first scene involves the murder of one Robbie O'Donovan, boyfriend of Georgie, a sex worker whose lonely existence compels her to find a new line of work. The reader is gradually introduced to Jimmy Phelan, Maureen's son and a kingpin in the criminal underworld of Cork, Ireland, Tony, Ryan's father, and Tara Duane, a minor character and Tony's neighbor who lives to stir up trouble.
McInerney masterfully introduces the reader to both the good and the bad facets of each character. Ireland itself plays its part as a character, with a striking duality between the mundanity of everyday life and the goings on behind closed doors. With a brief, to the point writing style and a helping of dark humor, McInerney manages to draw the reader into the minds of each character, even those with moral compasses as gray as the Ireland sky.
I received a free copy of this book from Blogging for Books in exchange for an honest review.
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