O'Neill: The Irish Goodbye

4 Stars

I really enjoyed this book! I’m a sucker for stories where a family comes together under one roof and all of their individual drama, history, life choices, and current struggles inevitably collide. And this family had a lot to unpack.

Beautifully written, The Irish Goodbye tackles so many difficult and complicated topics: suicide, lost teenage love, complicated sibling relationships, aging parents, an unplanned pregnancy, same-sex relationships, teenage parenting, and so much more. What I especially appreciated was how the story explored these issues honestly without making the family feel perfect or overly sentimental.

At its heart, this is a story about the beauty and importance of family, while also showing just how messy, complicated, frustrating, and sometimes painful those relationships can be. I loved watching the characters navigate their pasts while trying to figure out who they are and what they want for their futures.

Overall, this was a really enjoyable read with characters who felt layered and real. And honestly, I could even see a sequel being a lot of fun. I’d love to see where these characters end up and how their relationships continue to evolve. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️