Juno & Juliet

The voice of this book belongs to Juliet Taylor, an 18-year-old girl who begins to tell the story of her twin sister, Juno, which unavoidably becomes her own tale. The setting is Galway where the Irish girls are away for their first year of college. This is their story of coming into their own as individuals, and about family, love, betrayal, and hope. There is also a tiny bit of suspense in this book, although I hesitate to go that far. I was hooked right from the start; Julian Gough brought his characters to life through the narrative given by Juliet and through their many experiences. Although a light book in many respects, heavy topics were dealt with, including drugs, death, and love. The ending could have many interpretations and show more I was left unsatisfied with how it turned out, perhaps disturbed is a better word (referring to the ending of the “suspense,” not the final chapter). Overall however, I enjoyed this book and would recommend it to others. show less

I picked it up because I was a fan of the author's former band, and I saw the novel was based in Galway, but I delighted to find it a really enjoyable novel and the fact that I recognised some of the places in the novel only added more to the joy of the novel.

But a lot of the time there's no reason. We just flew it to the ground. Because we felt like it. And we're still dangerous. And it could happen again anytime.

Mr. Gough was discovered in a Dalkey anthology of Best European Fiction. Our public library had this and I read it in an evening. The characters remain undercooked and the plot unfolds predictably. That said, it offers laughs and charm. One could expect bigger projects in Mr. Gough's future.