๐๐ข๐๐๐ข๐๐. Chloe Michelle Howarth. 2023.
Debut. Coming-of-age. Queer romance. Literary fiction. Lesbian literature.
A young woman in rural Ireland experiences a sudden shift of perspective when she stumbles into an unexpected and intense, secret summer romance with her friend Susannah.
Voice, in this novel, is the storyโs strongest attribute. It starts where the character starts: Irish, rural, and habitually conservative. Then it shifts as the protagonist shifts, learning who she is as she comes of age in the 1990s.
The vibe is authentically Irish and teen. Much of the story takes place during the summer, so the reader feels like they are hanging out with their friends in the park while the sun sets slowly behind the monkey bars.
This book surprised me. I was waiting for V. E. Schwabโs ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ข๐ (still am) and saw that this one was available. It was short, so I picked it up to fill the time. What a happy accident that turned out to be. Itโs one of the most interesting books Iโve read this year.
AUTHORS – Contact me through my website if you want to swap chapters with a well-read critique partner.
REMINDER – If you follow my reviews, you already know this. I have a policy about reviewing debut novels. Provided I finish them, I always rate debut novels with maximum stars, regardless. When I donโt finish a debut novel, I donโt review it. No exceptions. And I donโt review books I donโt pay full price for.