An asborbing journey into the Dundalk underworld, written in the local dialogue, it may take a few pages to tune in but once you do, you are rewarded with an entertaining and fascinating world.

With thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Absolutely fantastic. Engrossing, transporting, moving... and funny too.
The vernacular/spoken style of the narrative made me slow down and pronouce the words in my head. This voicing created such a powerful and lifelike effect that I swear it made me relate to the characters and action far more closely.
Set in Ireland's criminal underworld (or perhaps basement-world of persistent petty crime) the book stays light and free. It's a buddy movie, a road movie, and feels about as real as life can feel. Brilliant insight into character and motive. I will be following Luke Cassidy for his next works!

Both gritty and tender at times
Aoife knows everyone in Dundalk’s underworld. Too well, in some cases. But when she meets Annie, a beautiful whirlwind of a woman, and brings her to the Town, she finds that she doesn't know nearly enough about her. Annie is magnetic and wild and Aoife’s desire to learn more quickly becomes a need, and then an obsession – to know this dangerous woman, to love her, to keep her. So when Aoife’s friend and collaborator the Rat King asks her to help him dispose of ten kilos of cocaine, swiped from a rival, she brings Annie along for a road trip through a Britain that she only knows as a place to be suspicious of. So when Annie decides she doesn’t want to return to Ireland, Aoife makes a decision that changes everything.

Thank you to NetGalley for giving me this advanced readers copy in return for a fair and honest review.

I struggled with this book as the Dublin vernacular was too hard to read. It wasn’t a book that you could relax with and I did not finish it.

Most'a the lads bowt're daecent enough that way'

Welcome to the wonderful world of IronAnnie, astonishing debut novel by new talented Irish writer LukeCassidy.

A novel entirely written in the Dundalk vernacular, you feel the grit and the craic of the underworld of drug dealers. Great characterisation, brimming with life.. Engaging but not an easy read not because the vernacular is incomprehensible, but due to the fact that all the ramblings that you find in spoken language are there in the narrator's voice. For me a tour de force but the characters are unforgettable and the mastery of language is really impressive, the type of genius work that stands out For fans of Kevin Barry and Lisa MCInerney, but quite unique as well.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an arc in exchange for an honest review.

I think it's an interesting and well written book but the use of the vernacular was a bit hard and I struggled.
I will try again as I appreciated the characters and the plot.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

I loooooooved this story. It reminded me of some of the Scottish fiction I’ve been reading recently, but from an Irish perspective.

There’s something about a Scots/Irish books that brings up so many emotions and I pinpointed why through reading this. There’s a certain sadness, for me, at the pride that people feel for small, sad towns with drink and drug problems. But at the same time, I get it, because it’s a big part of Scots culture, and this makes me think it’s the same for Ireland.

“trynta impress me cause he talks Irish dead good an folk who talk Irish dead good think they’re dead class, like as though they’re more Irish than everyone else - as if that’s a good thing.”

This book is, simply, gritty and funny. Gritty is an overused word for books, but it just works for this one so well. The language takes a few chapters to get used to, and some of the content makes your toes curl. But, it’s just so so funny and relatable in a weird way that I just couldn’t stop reading. I found myself laughing out loud from the first chapter. It’s pure Irish humour in a book, intertwined with commentary on real 21st century issues.

“Money the source’a evil? What’a load’a bollix. Humans’d be evil over plastic spoons, used ones, if that was all left for themta fight over.”

One of my favourite parts of the book was the sexual tension between Annie and Aoife (the protagonist). Some of the sex scenes were hilarious; “that’s the thing I love bowt girls like, bowt bein with beors, it’s like they have extra hands, or maybe it’s cause they know what to look for. Maybe it’s juss patience. Yeah, it’s probably patience. It’s key. But then again, even when a fella takes the time, you’d swear he’s sandin a plank.”

Any book with sapphic content makes my heart happy and I loved seeing it in this novel.

All in all, a great read and an insight into a drug and gang world that you don’t get an insight into that often.

Unfortunately, I abandoned this book about a third of the way through. I lost patience with the Dundalk dialect and had just had enough of it. For me, it distracted from the narrative and became very tedious. Not for me.

Enjoyable enough wee rip.

I loved that the relationship between Annie and the narrator was just accepted amongst their peers, and the presentation of the chapters as little stories of their own gave the feeling of listening to someone blethering to you in the pub, in Irish dialect no less.

The eponymous Annie was a bit two dimensional and I felt there was a lot more could have done with her character to make her worthy of the title.

I really wanted to adore this book.... I just struggled with the written dialect and didn't feel like I was giving Annie my full attention so DNF. I've been in a bit of a reading slump so will go back to this book when I have some energy to invest! Please don't let my review put you off. Perhaps this book just wasn't for me or perhaps I was just trying to read it whilst in the wrong frame of mind!

Thank you to Netgalley, the author and publisher for the arc in exchange for a fair and honest review.

What a read!!!
This book dives deep into the gritty underground world of drug dealing in Ireland and crime that comes with it which was interesting in itself but what I wasn’t expecting was the humour, fierce friendships, loyalty and just real ness that ran through the story.
It took me a wee while to get used to the writing/accent despite my whole family being Irish! And of course loved the main characters name being Aoife!!

This is definitely and novel that tests your endurance. It's different and compelling.

For a first novel it's something you may not agree with. Although it is about drugs and the criminal under belly of Ireland it's also about the wonder of life.

It's the kind of novel that you can't put into words. You need to read it to fully appreciate it.

I hope you enjoy it, I did. Even though I can't seem to put it out of my mind. It's the kind of book that stays with you.

Enjoy!


https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4158563753?book_show_action=false&from_review_page=1