Roisin and Red meet as teenagers in a small town in Ireland and become unlikely friends. Their connection remains even when he is thrown out by his family and flees to England, and eventually she follows and they live a life of decadent sqalor for a while in a squat. Roisin wants a deeper relationship than Red seems willing or able to give, and eventually their paths diverge and they lose touch, but she can never forget him, and as time passes the past begins to catch up with her. Raw and emotional, this novel really brings to life what it was like to be young, troubled and Irish at the end of the twentieth century. Parents struggle and fail, angry children lash out and forgiveness and understanding are hard won, and sometimes come too late. The demons of drink and drugs are ever looming, pride and shame lead to bad choices, but still in this world there is beauty and reconciliation. Red seems to personify the misery of previous generations through history; showing Roisin an old part of London, he asks her, “ ‘Can you not feel it? All those wretched lives layered up underneath us.’ Can you not, because he knew she wouldn’t understand.” Exquisitely written and often heart-wrenching, this second novel from Kennedy more than lives up to the promise of the first, and will surely be one of the best books of the year.

Categorically one of the best books I’ve ever read. Compelling, empathetic and pin-sharp this is a heartbreaking trip back to 1980s south London squats, but with just enough hope to keep you afloat.

Yet again, Louise Kennedy knows how to capture her reader's attention and keep them there, preferably until they've finished the book in one go because it's just that compulsively readable. Any time I looked up from the text (which wasn't often) and checked my progress, I was surprised by how much I've read, as it felt like mere minutes to me.

I really admire the way Kennedy wrote Róisín - the awkwardness of teeenage years, the anger and wit of her early twenties, the world-weariness of her later years - and let us grow up with her. So much of Róisín's story is shaped by her relationship with Red (his presence and his absence), yet it does not feel like a book about a woman who's defined by a man, and that is down to Kennedy's skill with making her characters into complete human beings, rather than gender stereotypes.

And Red! Oh, Red. I would have loved to read the story from his point of view; the portrait of him we have through Róisín's eyes is a compelling one, but nevertheless I feel like Red deserved the space and time to tell his own story.

Really looking forward to seeing the hundreds (thousands, lets be honest) of book reserves that are going to be put on this book in the Irish library system - and smugly letting the patrons know that yes, I did read this book, and yes, it is just *that* good.

Another gorgeous read from Louise Kennedy! I was eagerly anticipating this book ever since I devoured Trespasses some years ago and really tried to manage my expectations for her follow-up novel, Stations. I needn't have worried, I was enraptured from the opening pages and completely absorbed by Roisin and Red's story, it was beautifully tragic and the array of supporting characters helped to enrich the story and help the reader understand the main character's backgrounds and why they behaved in the way that they did. For me, the writing was incredible, and the pacing was perfect, the slow drip of information which was teased in every chapter helped to keep you guessing about what really happened those two - the dual timeline was another great element which just worked so well in this book.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the chance to read this ARC.

I am a big fan of Louise Kennedy’s previous novel Trespasses and short story collection so couldn’t wait to read Stations. The story begins in the 80s and follows Róisín and Red from their small Irish town as teenagers, to London and into their adult lives. I found the book to be a great read, Louise Kennedy is a fantastic writer who creates intriguing characters and stories that are subtle and that slowly creep up on you. Read it if you loved her previous work or if you just love a great story, it will not disappoint.

I loved Trespasses so had to read this asap.

In 1982 Róisin and Red meet as teenagers, both are outsiders in their small town in Ireland. Róisin is a recent arrival from the North, while Red already has a reputation for trouble. An unlikely close friendship blossoms.

Stations follows their friendship through the years, sometimes close, sometimes miles apart, to a London squat and beyond, through drink and drugs. It’s often fairly bleak and really quite moving.

Louise Kennedy’s prose has that same natural flow that you loved from Trespasses. It pulls you into the page and carries you along.

If you enjoyed Trespasses you won’t want to miss this. Highly recommended.

Thanks to Netgalley and Bloomsbury Publishing Plc (UK & ANZ)

Couldn’t have loved this more. Enjoyed Trespasses but this was next level… frequently hilarious, moving without giving easy answers, characters you’ll want to follow anywhere. She pulls you into a scene and the mapping of the human heart like very few writers can. It had everything, for me. Louise Kennedy is a genius. If it doesn’t win prizes I’ll kick off.

What a book! Opens in the early eighties in County Kildare, Ireland. Roisin lives alone with her Mum after their Dad had a breakdown and has left the family. She is a teen, struggling at school, can't fit in and feels low and depressed. Red Camelin is the boyfriend of one of the school's cool girls. Roisin ends up befriending him and falling into unrequited love. Something is off with Red and his family, his Dad in particular. Red leaves for London at 16, and circumstances soon lead Roisin to the same city.

The novel moves through time with each chapter, up to 1989 and then moves to 2007. I don't want to say too much about the plot as the joy of reading was wanting to know what would become of Roisin, Red and the other characters. I was very impressed with how Kennedy manages to keep the reader engaged with a main character who is low, quite unhappy and often depressed. It could be said, too, that she doesn't really drive the action, things seem to happen to her, I felt. The pacing helped, as did the Irish humour. By the end, I was desparate for all to have a happy ending, but of course this wasn't a fairytale. I loved my time with Roisin, and highly recommend Stations.