Big Girl, Small Town
Other people find Majella odd. She keeps herself to herself, she doesn't like gossip and she isn't interested in knowing her neighbours' business. But suddenly everyone in the small town in Northern Ireland where she grew up wants to know all about hers.
Since her da disappeared during the Troubles, she has tried to live a quiet life with her alcoholic mother. She works in the local chip shop (Monday-Saturday, Sundays off), wears the same clothes every day (overalls, too small), has the same dinner each night (fish and chips, nuked in the microwave) and binge watches Dallas (the best show ever aired on TV) from the safety of her single bed. She has no friends and no boyfriend and Majella thinks things are better that way.
But Majella's safe and predictable existence is shattered when her grandmother dies and as much as she wants things to go back to normal, Majella comes to realise that maybe there is more to life. And it might just be that from tragedy comes Majella's one chance at escape.
This was described as the next Eleanor Oliphant, well as I haven't read that I can't compare.
There really isn't a lot to say about the book. We follow Majella on her daily life over a few days. She doesn't do much except sleep, work in the local chippy and eat a free supper most nights.
Her father has gone missing, her mother is an alcoholic and enjoys being one and her grandmother has been murdered.
All makes for one very depressing read. I know the troubles were tough, but I read to escape not to be thoroughly depressed.
The book is aimed at Young Adults but I found the use or not of capitals throughout the book annoying. I'm not talking about the dialect used, I found that worked quite well. Just names not being capitalised.
There was some humour but not a lot.
Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for my ARC in return for an honest review.