Stanley Sadie

Advantages: Learning about Irland -sometimes interesting
Disadvantages: Starts slow, rather boring.

...At school, we had to read this book, "Across the Barricades". I have to say, it's bad since I found it really boring (maybe since I was forced to read it). The story is about 2 kid's : Kevin and Sadie and their dangerous relationship in Belfast. The problem is : Kevin is Catholic and Sadie is Protestant. Even though this book is the second in Joan Lingard'series, you can either read the book which came before : "The Twelfth Day of July", or enjoy "Across the Barricades" on it's own. Other book's in Joan Lingard's Kevin and Sadie series are "Into Exile","A Proper Place" and "Hostages to Fortune". I wont be telling a summary of the story since, there would be no point in reading it otherwise. It's just a romantic *novel* and belongs to the romantic section of books. I myself did not like "Across the Barricades" and I suppose... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful

Advantages: Interesting subjects in the book (e.g. love, war)
Disadvantages: Can drag on a bit!

...‘Across the Barricades’ by Joan Lingard is about a Catholic boy and a Protestant girl in love during the Irish civil war in the 1970’s. Many complications occur with their families and relationship yet they are determined to stay together no matter what their friends or families say. In the opening paragraph the author grabs the readers attentions making them want to read on. The author does this by starting the novel with speech, “Sadie. Sadie Jackson!” We don’t know who is speaking and where they are so we want to continue reading to find out. The author also keeps the reader wanting to read more by not giving out much information at the start of the book. This makes the reader want to find out who the different characters are and where about the novel is set. The author manages to bring the characters to life by setting... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful

Advantages: Superb characters, very evocative, compelling story
Disadvantages: Seems somehow lacking

...and place 'The Outcast' is a terrific success. In her debut novel Sadie Jones has captured the austerity and the concerns of the 1950s perfectly. It's a society where a husband can pretend to be unaware of his wife's alcoholism so long as she manages to put tasty meals on the table with only a ration book and some creativity at her disposal. Particularly striking were the descriptions of the jazz clubs of Soho where Lewis spends his evenings to escape the tension of sitting in silence with Gilbert and Alice. Where the novel falls down in its response to the issues it raises. We know that Lewis cuts himself and while he quite eloquently describes how that makes him feel, there is no response to this. Gilbert tells the psychiatrist what his son does but he doesn't ask why, not does the psychiatrist offer any explanation. Of course... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful