ARC Review: Scenes of a Graphic Nature by Caroline O’Donoghue

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I received an ARC of this book via NetGalley and Virago in exchange for an honest review

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Description

Scenes of a Graphic Nature is a book about family, friendship and finding out who you are. In it, we have Charlie Regan: a woman who is creative but also lost. I identified with her a little bit, as I’m very much aware that the creative industry is difficult to get into. As the novel progresses, Charlie has to cope with failing in the film industry, her father’s diagnosis and worsening condition and her strained relationships with her mother and her friend, Laura. Laura is complex, emotional and real and I liked reading her narrative.

In this narrative, we are transported to Ireland and I loved getting lost in the details and landscape, as well as the weird and wonderful locals she encounters whilst she’s there. It was a captivating and I couldn’t help but feel like I was somewhere else (or somewhere other than my living room, at least!).

I liked the way that O’Donoghue blended Charlie’s present with her father’s past, with a tone that was humorous at times but also incredibly bleak at others. As the story unfolded, the reader – with Charlie – learnt that there is always more to a story than you think, and I enjoyed taking every turn with Charlie and Laura in tow.

The only thing I wasn’t overly keen on was the fact that the book was an incredibly slow burner for me. Though it was an enjoyable, entertaining read, I felt like it took a fair bit of time for something big to happen.

Regardless, the book was incredibly detailed and had plenty of mystery and thrill throughout.

Again, I just want to thank NetGalley and Virago for the ARC.

Scenes of a Graphic Nature will be published on 18th June 2020.