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You Have to Make Your Own Fun Around Here

Winner of the Beryl Bainbridge First Time Author Award
By Frances Macken
0.0 (0 reviews)
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Check link for latest rating. ( 2,141 ratings, 282 reviews)
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
In You Have to Make Your Own Fun Around Here by Frances Macken, a young woman named Katie grows up in a tight-knit rural Irish community. As she navigates the complexities of friendship and self-discovery, Katie reflects on her upbringing and the bonds that both nurture and confine her. The novel explores themes of identity and belonging with warmth and a keen sense of detail.
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Format: Paperback / softback
$3299
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

This novel may appeal to you if you enjoy stories of friendship and self-discovery set in a small Irish town. It beautifully captures the complexities of growing up and the struggles of staying true to oneself while navigating familial and societal expectations. If you appreciate rich character development and a strong sense of place, this might be a delightful read for you.

Book Hero thinking about your next read

A captivating, dark portrayal of friendship for fans of My Brilliant Friend

A captivating, dark portrayal of youth, friendship and the fine line that separates admiration from envy

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

Katie has always been content to exist in the shadow of her intoxicating best friend Evelyn. In their small Irish village, Evelyn's confidence and glamour are enough to make up for her haughty, unpredictable character, and Katie never questions that their friendship will last forever.

But Katie's dreams of becoming a professional filmmaker pull her away from home to a new life in Dublin, and confront her with a choice: to hold onto a friendship that has made her who she is, or risk leaving her best friend behind.

This mesmerising debut is a captivating story of the people who shape us and the places we struggle to leave behind. Compellingly readable and effortlessly sharp, this is an unmissable novel from a dazzling new talent.

Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

Frances Macken's You Have to Make Your Own Fun Around Here explores the intricacies and tensions within female friendships against the backdrop of a small Irish town. Reviews praise its atmospheric setting, clever observations, and the engaging portrayal of its protagonist, Katie. Themes of friendship, ambition, and the often unspoken complexities of social dynamics are depicted with humour and sharp insight, drawing comparisons to works like Elena Ferrante's novels.

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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781786077660

Publisher: Oneworld Publications

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 26 March 2020

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Oneworld Publications

Edition: (AIR/EXP)

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 21.0mm

Width: 146.0mm

Height: 225.0mm

Weight: 250g

Pages: 288

Collections

Fiction Frances Macken General Fiction Literary Fiction

About the Author

Frances Macken (b. 1982) is from Claremorris, Co. Mayo. She completed a BA in Film and Television Production at the National Film School, Dún Laoghaire Institute of Art, Design and Technology. She has a Masters in Creative Writing from the University of Oxford and is the author of several short stories. Her work has twice been shortlisted for national short story awards run by RTÉ, Ireland's biggest public service broadcaster, and Penguin Ireland. You Have to Make Your Own Fun Around Here is her debut work of literary fiction.

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  • You Have to Make Your Own Fun Around Here
    This atmospheric debut looks like a rural Irish coming-of-age novel, but it’s cleverer, darker, more unreliable. — Daily Mail A FINALIST FOR THE 2020 PEOPLE'S BOOK PRIZE AN IRISH TIMES, IRISH INDEPENDENT and SUNDAY INDEPENDENT 'TITLE TO LOOK OUT FOR IN 2020' Katie, Maeve and Evelyn — friends forever, united by their childhood games and their dreams of escaping the...
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