Posts
Synopsis (From Goodreads):
Fiona and Danny were born in the same hospital. Fiona’s mom fled with her to the United States when she was two, but, fourteen years after the Troubles ended, a forty-foot-tall peace wall still separates her dad’s Catholic neighborhood from Danny’s Protestant neighborhood.
After chance brings Fiona and Danny together, their love of the band Fading Stars, big dreams, and desire to run away from their families unites them. Danny and Fiona must help one another overcome the burden of their parents’ pasts. But one ugly truth might shatter what they have…
Review:
Last summer I had the distinct pleasure of visiting Northern Ireland. I was so impressed, not only with the historic sights and staggering natural beauty, but with the people. Everyone was so friendly and hopeful for the future. The "Troubles" seemed to be a long-ago conflict.
But, even during our visit (which occurred during the July12th Loyalist celebrations) there was a fire-bombing in one of the smaller towns. Driving through some villages, we would suddenly see British flags. In other places, graffiti was scrawled on bridges with sayings such as, "Loyalists go home".
All The Walls of Belfast, by Sarah Carlson, got all the details of life in Northern Ireland right. As a tourist, I only saw the safe, superficial Belfast. This novel showed me a different side of this culture. There are still strong feelings between Republicans (Catholics) and Loyalists (Protestants). I loved that both sides were equally represented. There is a sweet romance, and lots of tension. This book is a reminder that there are teens who are facing huge challenges due to events that happened generations ago.
What I Liked:
Setting:
Having visited Northern Ireland just a few months ago, I was really happy with all the little details of life in Belfast. I went to many of the tourist attractions depicted in the novel. And I recognized the idioms and brands of food and drinks. But the book also showed the contrast between the well-to-do and working poor in Belfast. The novel illustrated how people who have not enjoyed the economic improvements of the last two decades vented their frustration by blaming groups of people. There's still a lot of anger simmering just below the surface of this society.
Characters:
The book has two viewpoints. Danny, a teen who is just graduating high school, has an abusive dad who wants his son to continue a tradition of angry Loyalist pride. But Danny wants more out of life. He dreams of joining the British Army so he can work as a nurse, helping people. Danny has so much against him. It's heartbreaking to see him struggle so he can get out from under his father's thumb.
Fiona is also born in Ireland, but moves with her mother to the United States as a toddler. She thinks she has no relationship with her dad because he just didn't want her in his life. When she learns that her father does want to see her, she insists on visiting. But there was a reason that Fiona's mom fled to America. The truth about why is very complicated.
Romance:
I really love the romance between Danny and Fiona. Both share a love of music, and have big plans for the future. I like that they also both have some big secrets that they are afraid to tell each other. This adds to the tension in the book.
Tension:
This book was a page-turner! With Danny's dilemma of needing to get to England for his Army test, and so many family secrets being revealed for Fiona, this book had a certain urgency that was exhilarating. The lead up to the July 12 marches includes the bigger picture of sectarian tensions that is the whole backdrop of the book.
What I Was Mixed About:
Plot Developments: I was a bit startled by how quickly Danny's world began to crumble. At one point in the story, he makes a series of terrible decisions in a matter of hours. While this made for an exciting development in the book, I found Danny's behavior to be so out of character that it stretched credibility.
Fiona:
I had mixed emotions about Fiona because she is kind of a self-absorbed American. Yes, there is a lot for her to absorb about the continuing conflict in Northern Ireland. But she also doesn't seem to care about how hard everyone is working to make her comfortable on her trip. Her dad works several jobs, but when she goes running off, he must take time off work (probably something that is really hard on him, financially) to go after her. She doesn't apologize or consider that her dad could ill-afford to do this. Several times in the book, she wishes she can just go back to being an oblivious teen in the U.S. and ignore what is happening in Northern Ireland. I think that once her eyes were opened, she would continue to want to be involved, even if the situation is difficult.
Trigger Warning for domestic violence
Rating:
Release Date: March 12th, 2019
Author: Sarah Carlson
Publisher: Turner
Genre: YA Contemporary
Page Length: 240 pages
Source: Edelweiss
Format: E-Book
Recommendation: A timely reminder of how challenging teen's lives are throughout the world. A page-turner.
0 comments :
Post a Comment