The Carnival at Bray by Jessie Ann Foley Published by Elephant Rock Books on September 1st 2014
Pages: 265
Source: Library
Amazon-Indiebound
Goodreads
It's 1993, and Generation X pulses to the beat of Kurt Cobain and the grunge movement. Sixteen-year-old Maggie Lynch is uprooted from big-city Chicago to a windswept town on the Irish Sea. Surviving on care packages of Spin magazine and Twizzlers from her rocker uncle Kevin, she wonders if she'll ever find her place in this new world. When first love and sudden death simultaneously strike, a naive but determined Maggie embarks on a forbidden pilgrimage that will take her to a seedy part of Dublin and on to a life- altering night in Rome to fulfill a dying wish. Through it all, Maggie discovers an untapped inner strength to do the most difficult but rewarding thing of all, live.
My Thoughts:
Wow, I liked this book way more than I anticipated. I mean, it’s not like I was expecting it to be bad… I wouldn’t have read it if that was the case! I guess I just didn’t have many expectations. The Carnival at Bray drew me in and kept me involved throughout the entire story.
I don’t even know if I can express what it was about the story that captivated me so. As I sit and here and ponder, I think it all comes back to the characters. Maggie, certainly. But many of the secondary characters really grabbed my attention… Maggie’s uncle Kevin, an older gentleman who befriends Maggie in Ireland, Maggie’s mother and the choices she makes…. they all add so much to the story.
Another aspect I enjoyed was the travel. Maggie is on a journey in more ways than one. The changes in location reflect this. From Chicago to Ireland to Italy – the setting helps to shape the mood and tone of the story. I love it when a location is more than just a place the character happens to be.
The Carnival at Bray was an excellent surprise. I am so pleased (and not surprised!) by the accolades it’s been receiving. If you’re looking for a strong contemporary read I highly suggest this one.
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