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Big girl, small town : a novel
2020
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Library Journal Review
DEBUT Majella O'Neill keeps a running list in her head of top 10 things she likes and dislikes. The dislikes list actually runs to a full 97 items, with subcategories, but she sometimes thinks it could be distilled to one item: other people. She lives in Aghybogey, a small village in Northern Ireland still feeling the effects of the Troubles. Working at the local chip shop, she regularly cleans up after her needy, alcoholic mother. Years have passed since the unexplained disappearance of Majella's father, and her grandmother's murder has just rattled the village. Majella finds comfort in her routines--wearing the same clothes, spending Sunday evenings at the pub, eating microwaved dinners from the chip shop while tucked into bed watching DVDs of Dallas, the greatest show ever--but is deeply shaken by the death of her grandmother. Majella is a compelling character caught in a fascinating slice of time, and her journey is exquisitely rendered. VERDICT With echoes of Gail Honeyman's Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine crossed with the 1990s-set British sitcom Derry Girls, this debut is recommended for fans of Ottessa Moshfegh, Emma Donoghue, and Sally Rooney.--Julie Kane, Washington & Lee Lib., Lexington, VA
Publishers Weekly Review
Gallen's sensational debut concerns Majella O'Neill, a 27-year-old on the autism spectrum who's learned how to mimic social cues. Majella lives with her irresponsible mother, Nuala, in the tiny fictional town of Aghybogey in Northern Ireland. Situated near the border, Aghybogey was once the site of clashes between the IRA and British soldiers, and the violence continues to haunt Majella's family in the present. Following the death of her IRA-affiliated uncle Bobby, Majella's once-doting dad, Gerard, starts to spend more time away from home. When the book opens, he's been missing for years, and everyone in town is talking about Majella's grandmother Maggie, who died after being beaten in her own home during a break-in. Majella's no stranger to having her family be the subject of gossip, as Nuala's destructive behavior and craving for attention are often exacerbated by her drinking and Majella often ends up playing the mom. Gallen does a great job of teasing out the details surrounding Maggie's death through Majella's conversations with family members and her customers at the fish and chips shop where she works. Gallen's also an expert at mixing moments of emotional intensity with mundane episodes. The plot unfolds in a series of vignettes that expand on a list of Majella's likes (eating, Dallas DVDs, sex) and dislikes (noise, jokes, fashion), which make her outlook irresistible. Gallen's effortless immersion into a gritty, endlessly bittersweet world packs a dizzying punch. (Dec.)
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