Big Girl, Small Town by Michelle Gallen

Big Girl, Small Town

by Michelle Gallen

SHORTLISTED FOR THE COSTA FIRST NOVEL AWARD

SHORTLISTED FOR THE IRISH BOOK AWARDS NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR

SHORTLISTED FOR THE COMEDY WOMEN IN PRINT PRIZE

'Milkman meets Derry Girls. A cracking read' Sinead Moriarty

'A thrillingly fresh, provocative and touching voice' Marian Keyes

'Bawdy yet beautiful, full of everyday tragedy, absurdity and truth. I grew extraordinarily attached to Majella' Sara Baume

Routine makes Majella's world small but change is about to make it a whole lot bigger.

*Stuff Majella knows*
-God doesn't punish men with baldness for wearing ladies' knickers
-Banana-flavoured condoms taste the same as nutrition shakes
-Not everyone gets a volley of gunshots over their grave as they are being lowered into the ground

*Stuff Majella doesn't know*
-That she is autistic
-Why her ma drinks
-Where her da is

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, Majella has tried to live a quiet life with her alcoholic mother. She works in the local chip shop (Monday-Saturday, Sunday 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.

Reviewed by kiracanread on

2 of 5 stars

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Honestly I didn't really enjoy this book, or the writing style - hence my 2 star rating. I would liken this book to Sally Rooney's Normal People (with less sex) where literally nothing happens for the entirety of the book. It's just an unnecessary story of a woman who works in a chip shop. I didn't need to know this story, and I wouldn't want to go back to it. I couldn't relate or even empathise with the main character Majella, who quite frankly just annoyed me for the entire book with her bad attitude and wasn't even remotely likeable - alongside the other characters, done of which had any redeeming qualities.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an Advanced Readers Copy in exchange for an honest review.

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Reading updates

  • Started reading
  • 15 June, 2020: Finished reading
  • 15 June, 2020: Reviewed