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sammyb's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child death
Minor: Death, Pregnancy, and Alcohol
staceys_reads's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, and Abandonment
Moderate: Grief, Pregnancy, and Alcohol
stwriter92's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Minor: Child death, Death, and Alcohol
chrisljm's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
A short novella written so beautifully, I’m ensured to be a reader of Claire Keegan’s other works.
There’s a simpleness to the narration that doesn’t detract from how quaint and vivid the Irish landscape is, while also showcasing the quiet stillness of the narrator. This also neither diminishes her sweet naïveté nor the slight melancholic nature of her existence with the Kinsellas, impressively showing just how Keegan is a master of her craft.
A truly beautiful, powerful story, and wonderfully well-written.
There’s a simpleness to the narration that doesn’t detract from how quaint and vivid the Irish landscape is, while also showcasing the quiet stillness of the narrator. This also neither diminishes her sweet naïveté nor the slight melancholic nature of her existence with the Kinsellas, impressively showing just how Keegan is a master of her craft.
A truly beautiful, powerful story, and wonderfully well-written.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child death, Abandonment, and Alcohol
Minor: Alcoholism, Racial slurs, and Pregnancy
etwasinspired's review against another edition
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Claire Keegan’s writing is perfect. This book is short, because she wastes no time, not a sentence, on words that don’t contribute to the mood. This is a beautiful little story, very sad but so human.
Content Warnings
Minor: Child death and Alcohol
kell_xavi's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child death and Alcohol
gwenswoons's review against another edition
emotional
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Small and beautiful and odd — I enjoyed Small Things Like These in late 2023 on audio (that one was narrated beautifully by Aidan Kelly; this one was equally well done by Aoife McMahon); and downloaded Foster then, too, and finally got to it this week.
Keegan has such a delicate, understated touch — I’m not sure why I’ve gotten into listening to her books, since I usually lean with my audio reading toward genre fiction and occasional nonfiction; this is much more literary (NO shade to the genre fiction I love on audio!) and lives in all the unsaid, quiet moments, the space between words, the intimacy and simplicity of the language. I think for my next Keegan I will for sure try out a physical copy just to see what that’s like since these audio books both worked well for me but left me a bit surprised and flustered at the endings — not in terms of plot (these are such quiet books, almost plotless, which I actually love!) but in terms of pacing. My suspicion is that these endings, which feel abrupt and sort of float away without comment, might for me hit less suddenly if I could read them a couple of times and really see and be with them.
Overall this one was beautiful — I think I liked it more than Small Things Like These, if only since it’s less devastating and heavy. I appreciate how both Keegan and her characters can observe complicated or conflicting things and let them be at odds: how they can hold multiple things as true at once. This book had such sadness and such tenderness for me but without saying any of that outright — pretty unusual and fetching, I thought.
Keegan has such a delicate, understated touch — I’m not sure why I’ve gotten into listening to her books, since I usually lean with my audio reading toward genre fiction and occasional nonfiction; this is much more literary (NO shade to the genre fiction I love on audio!) and lives in all the unsaid, quiet moments, the space between words, the intimacy and simplicity of the language. I think for my next Keegan I will for sure try out a physical copy just to see what that’s like since these audio books both worked well for me but left me a bit surprised and flustered at the endings — not in terms of plot (these are such quiet books, almost plotless, which I actually love!) but in terms of pacing. My suspicion is that these endings, which feel abrupt and sort of float away without comment, might for me hit less suddenly if I could read them a couple of times and really see and be with them.
Overall this one was beautiful — I think I liked it more than Small Things Like These, if only since it’s less devastating and heavy. I appreciate how both Keegan and her characters can observe complicated or conflicting things and let them be at odds: how they can hold multiple things as true at once. This book had such sadness and such tenderness for me but without saying any of that outright — pretty unusual and fetching, I thought.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Child death, Abandonment, and Alcohol
clary0402's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Abandonment
Minor: Child death, Death, Grief, and Alcohol
amie_goblirsch's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
5.0
A very moving short story, and beautifully written. Keegan says so much with so little. This first person narration from the child surprised me at first but it worked so well. The story would have been nothing without it.
A very quick read (1-2 hours) but one that will stick with you.
Look forward to reading more from Keegan.
A very quick read (1-2 hours) but one that will stick with you.
Look forward to reading more from Keegan.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child death and Alcohol
tashtasher's review against another edition
emotional
lighthearted
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death
Moderate: Death, Grief, and Alcohol