Hearts and Bones: Love Songs for Late Youth by Niamh Mulvey.

I was drawn to this book by its eye catching cover and the title. I adore the title.

This is a collection of short stories about love in all its forms, set predominantly in Ireland and the UK and was a quick and easy read. I really enjoyed the writing, there is some really gorgeous prose within. Some of the stories fell a little short for me or failed to engage me while others were outstanding. I loved The Doll and how this story unfolded from different perspectives and Heart and Bones and Good for You Cecelia were excellent reads.

An uneven read for me because I really did find some of the stories brilliant just not all of them.

I would definitely read more from this author and would love to read a novel by Mulvey as her writing is beautiful.


3.5 stars.

3.5 stars

I don't really have an awful lot to say about this book. Not a huge fan of short story collections but I like this. It was good and I would definitely recommend. It's not something I would usually pick up to read so I'm glad I was given the chance to read this! Thank you to netgallery and the publishers Pan Macmillan

I'm a sucker for a short story collection, particularly one written by an Irish woman. I'm not sure what it is about female Irish writers, but I connect with their writing style and the content of their work so deeply, and Hearts & Bones by Niamh Mulvey is no different.

'Love songs for late youth' is the perfect way to describe this collection. Each story details some of the agonisingly embarrassing moments that happen in the late stages of your youth. When you don't know quite who you are but you so desperately wish you did. When you think you're invincible yet equally confused and scared and lonely. I really enjoyed Mulvey's exploration of this time period.

The writing style was wonderful and while the stories are (obviously) short, I didn't feel that anything was missing. Mulvey manages to make each story completely immersive and enthralling. I was hooked, especially by the final story for which the collection is named after, Hearts & Bones. It was in this story that Mulvey's writing particularly shines.

Niamh Mulvey's collection of short stories was truly a fantasic read. A diverse range of stories told from Ireland and London - covering a wide range of topics from age, race and relationships.

I'll certainly be purchasing a physical copy once they are avalible.

I’m a huge short story fan and this is a wonderful collection - a diverse range of stories told across mostly Ireland and London and some very unusual topics covered. I particularly loved the multiple chapter story The Doll and the number of different characters’ perspectives that were shared on the same broad topic. Highly recommended and thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

An interesting debut short story collection from Irish author Niamh Mulvey, with echoes of Deirdre Sullivan, Sally Rooney and Claire Keegan.

For me, there were two standout stories in the collection: the title story Hearts and Bones, and The Doll, which I thought was expertly crafted, creepy and compelling - a near perfect short story about a young man grappling with his mental health.

A lot of the other stories didn’t work all that well for me unfortunately. They either ended abruptly or were just a little too vague to be truly memorable.

My First Marina held promise but I never felt I could grasp how the author wanted me to feel about it. Currency, a story in the second person, was similarly obtuse and kept the reader at arm’s length. I just wanted a little bit more.

Nonetheless, some lovely writing and I look forward to reading more from this author.

REVIEW: Hearts and Bones by Niamh Mulvey

Hearts and Bones is a short story collection featuring ten stories on friendship, families and love. Set between Ireland, London and the South of France.

I flew through this book of short stories. I read the whole book in one day and 85% of that was just when I was commuting, so it’s definitely a fast read. Pretty much all the stories held my interest and I liked how they looked at people’s emotional complexities and how people observe and think about you.

This is one of the strongest short story collections I have read. There were no stories I didn’t like. My favourite stories were Mother’s Day; a story about a mother and daughter meeting after they haven’t seen each other in 5 years, The First Marina; a story about a teenage girl dealing with grief after losing her friend, Feathers; about a woman going to Paris to see her long distance boyfriend and the friendship she sparks with his cleaner and The Doll; a short story with multiple perspectives which has a focus on mental health.

Heart and Bones was a smart and observant debut collection. I will be looking forward to picking up what Niamh Mulvey writes next. I’d definitely recommend you pick it up if you’re a short story lover.

I enjoyed the collection very much — it felt a little like if Sally Rooney wrote flash fiction, and I absolutely mean that as a compliment. My favourites were "Feathers", "Good for You, Cecilia", and "Hearts and Bones", but it was a really solid collection overall, and I can't wait to read whatever Niamh Mulvey writes next!

I really enjoyed this anthology of short stories and I read them really wuickly. They were all well written with good storylines that held my interest and well developed characters which is hard to do in short stories. I found myself like some more than others but therent any that I didnt like. A really enjoyable read.

I really enjoyed the first few stories in Niamh Mulvey's Hearts and Bones. The first about a pregnant woman's reconnection with her past and her mother. The second about a student and her relationships with an older man and a boy her own age and her betrayal of a friend. They made me want to read a full length work from this author.

I flew through this book of short stories, as I found them intriguing and engaging with a simple but evocative prose that created some truly beautiful moments. I couldn’t put it down!

The book consists of 11 short stories, taking place mostly between Ireland and London, with a brief sojourn in provincial Southern France. They are all about the intricacies of relationships, with others and ourselves, and are told by narrators that vary in age, gender and social background.

The thing that links them all though, is Mulvey’s reflections on the fragility of reality and truth. The characters all feel disconnected in some way from what they deem reality, and there is a performativity in the way that they love, grieve, and even fear for their loved ones. 10 year old Julia in ‘Childcare’ feels that she ‘has no centre’ and ‘is not a real girl;’ Dar in ‘The Doll’ needs to feel real objects when he feels himself retreating into his own head; the narrator of ‘My First Marina’ struggles to separate the performative aspects of her grief from her reality of it. The stories also touch upon the impossibility of truly knowing someone, or the truth of how they perceive you.

All of these moments are shrewdly observed by Mulvey, in clever, captivating tales of humans and their emotional complexities. I can’t wait to read more of her work.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Pan McMillan for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.