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Armadillos: 'p.K. Lynch Can Tell a Story Deep as a Wound' Jeanette Winterson
A Texas teenager finds a world beyond her abusive “Lynch can tell a story deep as a wound… Read this one.”—Jeanette Winterson, New York Times-bestselling author of Why Be Happy When You Could Be Normal?
Aggie is fifteen-year-old girl, a “sub” from a “sub” family, one of Texas’s downtrodden. Her father and brother remind her of that status, week in, week out. She has only the vaguest notion that there is something wrong with the abuse she endures and instead dreams of the outside world.
And then one day, Aggie walks out, and like the armadillos that flourish in Texas’s barren landscape, she is a survivor...
In her escape, she gravitates to those who are just as maltreated as she is. They offer Aggie the sense of family, albeit a thoroughly dysfunctional one, that she’s been searching for. But when she gets embroiled in a crisis involving stolen money, Aggie soon realizes there are some problems you can’t run away from.
“A truly stunning debut.”—The Scottish Sun
Shortlisted for the Amazon Rising Star Award
Longlisted for the Guardian Not the Booker Prize 2016
Aggie is fifteen-year-old girl, a “sub” from a “sub” family, one of Texas’s downtrodden. Her father and brother remind her of that status, week in, week out. She has only the vaguest notion that there is something wrong with the abuse she endures and instead dreams of the outside world.
And then one day, Aggie walks out, and like the armadillos that flourish in Texas’s barren landscape, she is a survivor...
In her escape, she gravitates to those who are just as maltreated as she is. They offer Aggie the sense of family, albeit a thoroughly dysfunctional one, that she’s been searching for. But when she gets embroiled in a crisis involving stolen money, Aggie soon realizes there are some problems you can’t run away from.
“A truly stunning debut.”—The Scottish Sun
Shortlisted for the Amazon Rising Star Award
Longlisted for the Guardian Not the Booker Prize 2016
- GenresFiction
281 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 1, 2016
20 people are currently reading
153 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 50 reviews
June 23, 2018
Thank you Legend Press for my copy.
This is more a coming of age story.
Aggie has been abused for a long time and at the age of 15 she escapes.
It’s likened to the life of an Armadillo. I got to wondering why that title was chosen, now I know.
It’s basically about Aggie surviving now that she’s on her own.
She learns to become more resistant and not so trustworthy.
Especially when she gets to know someone else, then she’s lead to a squat.
It’s a good story.
I felt really sorry for Aggie. What a terrible start to her life.
I’m still convinced it never really got any better for her, just different.
Yeah I’ve read another back book from my TBR.
I said I’d try to read one a month, I have so many.
August 27, 2016
This is a story about survival for one abused child, Aggie, she has the opportunity to walk out one day and she did, she kept going until she met a group of people she felt comfortable enough to stay with. She still has a hard life she ends up squatting in a house and stealing to make money and get by.
This is about relationships, survival and closure on a abusive relationship with her family. I really enjoyed this book, I liked the way the author described the characters and brought them to life. I felt I really got to know Aggie, and I cared what happened to her. I'm not sure if the ending was meant to be a surprise but i saw it a mile off, it was a fitting end to a good story.
Thankyou for the opportunity to read this through goodreads giveaways.
This is about relationships, survival and closure on a abusive relationship with her family. I really enjoyed this book, I liked the way the author described the characters and brought them to life. I felt I really got to know Aggie, and I cared what happened to her. I'm not sure if the ending was meant to be a surprise but i saw it a mile off, it was a fitting end to a good story.
Thankyou for the opportunity to read this through goodreads giveaways.
April 1, 2016
Armadillos is a coming of age story that makes for quite a dark and deep read.
Aggie has suffered years of abuse and at the age of fifteen she decides to up and leave. What follows is a story of trying to put distance between the years of suffering and a journey of self discovery. But can you ever out run your past?
Even though Aggie has set off for a better life, I don’t think she really finds it. She learns quite quickly that she needs to be self reliant and not to trust anyone. It isn’t long before she stumbles upon a girl that has obviously had it as tough as her and she is introduced to a bunch of misfits that all squat in the same house.
I have to say I never really gelled with any of the characters in this story. Even though I felt sorry for Aggie as well as her friend Freak, I just couldn’t quite take to them. I just would have thought that where a storyline that heavily features abuse (which tells you enough without going into any great detail) that I would have had more empathy for Aggie and her friend, but I didn’t.
Armadillos is the authors debut novel. It is a well written story though due to the characters I wasn’t as grabbed by the whole novel as much as I would have liked to have been. It is still a decent and steady read though and look forward to more by the author.
Many thanks to Legend Press for an advanced readers copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
Aggie has suffered years of abuse and at the age of fifteen she decides to up and leave. What follows is a story of trying to put distance between the years of suffering and a journey of self discovery. But can you ever out run your past?
Even though Aggie has set off for a better life, I don’t think she really finds it. She learns quite quickly that she needs to be self reliant and not to trust anyone. It isn’t long before she stumbles upon a girl that has obviously had it as tough as her and she is introduced to a bunch of misfits that all squat in the same house.
I have to say I never really gelled with any of the characters in this story. Even though I felt sorry for Aggie as well as her friend Freak, I just couldn’t quite take to them. I just would have thought that where a storyline that heavily features abuse (which tells you enough without going into any great detail) that I would have had more empathy for Aggie and her friend, but I didn’t.
Armadillos is the authors debut novel. It is a well written story though due to the characters I wasn’t as grabbed by the whole novel as much as I would have liked to have been. It is still a decent and steady read though and look forward to more by the author.
Many thanks to Legend Press for an advanced readers copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
April 6, 2016
This dark and compelling coming-of-age story tells of 15 year old Aggie, a “sub” from a “sub” family in rural Texas, abused by her father and brother, protected by her sister, but who knows deep within herself that there must be a better life than the one she is leading. One day she finds the strength to escape, but running away isn’t a simple solution. There’s much to like and admire in this novel, and the writing is consistently good. It’s well-paced and well-plotted and the descriptions of the barren Texan landscape are very evocative and feel totally authentic. However I felt that the first part of the book, describing Aggie’s life on the family farm was more successful than the second half after her escape. The characters she meets along the way aren’t always totally convincing, occasionally verging on stereotype - although each in his or her way evoke much sympathy from the reader, and they all have their own demons to combat. But it was the sub-plot that I really didn’t enjoy – a particularly shady and unpleasant villain and some stolen money – which I felt pushed the boundaries of credibility a bit too far. However, these are really quite minor criticisms. Overall this is a powerful exploration of abuse and its consequences, and a glimpse into a usually hidden world.
March 19, 2016
For me, this book was divided into two pieces, life back at the farm, which was beyond creepy, with clues dropped making you wonder, was her previous mother actually dead, did her sister actually enjoy her life??? , and life on the run, which at points (mainly where freak was concerned) turned into a farce of everything bad will happen.
A great cast of character, and I really enjoyed the friendship built up between Aggie and Marj, who did a subtle about turn from beast woman.
The trip back home had to happen, and the reveal wasn't all that shocking, but the story led you all the way there nicely.
Definitely looking out for more from this author.
A great cast of character, and I really enjoyed the friendship built up between Aggie and Marj, who did a subtle about turn from beast woman.
The trip back home had to happen, and the reveal wasn't all that shocking, but the story led you all the way there nicely.
Definitely looking out for more from this author.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 28, 2016
This was a unexpected gift of a book; both literally and figuratively.
For a debut novelist, PK Lynch has achieved the impossible: authenticity. Every word is believable. The denouement isn't "unexpected" (I'd guessed the key elements fairly early on) but that isn't what's important. It's the writing. The clear Texan voice of a young abuse victim, struggling to escape her nightmarish past.
I really enjoyed this novel and would happily dip into more work from this writer. There's nothing amateurish about this work. It's confident, authentic and very readable. And it has a clear message.
This is one I'd recommend.
For a debut novelist, PK Lynch has achieved the impossible: authenticity. Every word is believable. The denouement isn't "unexpected" (I'd guessed the key elements fairly early on) but that isn't what's important. It's the writing. The clear Texan voice of a young abuse victim, struggling to escape her nightmarish past.
I really enjoyed this novel and would happily dip into more work from this writer. There's nothing amateurish about this work. It's confident, authentic and very readable. And it has a clear message.
This is one I'd recommend.
December 27, 2016
In spite of the fact that this is a book set in Texas but written by someone who clearly knew very little about Texas at all, I enjoyed the story. Aggie's voice was engaging, if not always believable; the challenges she faced were compelling enough to keep me moving forward, and I wanted to know what was going to happen to her. Overall, I found the storyline more predictable than I would have liked.
February 19, 2020
P. K. Lynch’s Armadillos is a contemporary novel set in Texas. It tells the story of Aggie, a young girl born into a desperate, broken family; a family which fails her. When she finally realises that her experience of normality can’t be right, she leaves both her beloved sister and her abusers behind in order to find a new normal, and perhaps the mother she barely remembers. She makes her way to the city, where she finds a new family of sorts, and a new sense of self. But there are dangers in the city for which she’s not prepared, and her new family exposes her to some of the city’s most dangerous predators.
Armadillos is a coming-of-age story at its heart, charting Aggie’s coming of age as a human, escaping the sub-human environment of violence and abuse which was her home. It’s also a story about family, and self-belief, and survival. It’s a story about getting to the truth.
Lynch’s characters aren’t larger than life caricatures, but the kind of people we sometimes notice, inhabiting the edges of our awareness. They’re shy about being seen, shuffling from haven to precarious haven without fuss or fanfare. With superb finesse, Lynch lets them trickle up out of the pages so that we develop a strong sense of them without ever really knowing them, or understanding them, or realizing what they’re capable of doing.
The sense of place is developed with the sharp eye of an outsider. Lynch deftly captures the vastness of the Texas desert, the sorry dinginess of the city, the decrepit constrictiveness of the squat, the ‘land with all its unexploded secrets’.
Armadillos deals with social issues such as domestic violence, homelessness, institutionalised sexual abuse and generational poverty with an uncompromising honesty. Lynch does not shy away from portraying the desperation and the ugliness that lie beneath the surface of modern society, but she also acknowledges that there exist small pinpoints of hope against the vast backdrop of misery, barely noticeable quiet victories that can make things better, without necessarily fixing them.
This is a book which sets your mouth in a straight line and your mind racing. It takes you where you wouldn’t go, and forces you to see what you wouldn’t want to see. But it’s more real than dystopian, more hopeful than despairing. It shows that the damage doesn’t have to define you.
Verdict: This book will keep you thinking long after you’ve closed its covers. It’s a hard story told with honesty and compassion, a story which deserves to be read. Make sure you read it.
Armadillos is a coming-of-age story at its heart, charting Aggie’s coming of age as a human, escaping the sub-human environment of violence and abuse which was her home. It’s also a story about family, and self-belief, and survival. It’s a story about getting to the truth.
Lynch’s characters aren’t larger than life caricatures, but the kind of people we sometimes notice, inhabiting the edges of our awareness. They’re shy about being seen, shuffling from haven to precarious haven without fuss or fanfare. With superb finesse, Lynch lets them trickle up out of the pages so that we develop a strong sense of them without ever really knowing them, or understanding them, or realizing what they’re capable of doing.
The sense of place is developed with the sharp eye of an outsider. Lynch deftly captures the vastness of the Texas desert, the sorry dinginess of the city, the decrepit constrictiveness of the squat, the ‘land with all its unexploded secrets’.
Armadillos deals with social issues such as domestic violence, homelessness, institutionalised sexual abuse and generational poverty with an uncompromising honesty. Lynch does not shy away from portraying the desperation and the ugliness that lie beneath the surface of modern society, but she also acknowledges that there exist small pinpoints of hope against the vast backdrop of misery, barely noticeable quiet victories that can make things better, without necessarily fixing them.
This is a book which sets your mouth in a straight line and your mind racing. It takes you where you wouldn’t go, and forces you to see what you wouldn’t want to see. But it’s more real than dystopian, more hopeful than despairing. It shows that the damage doesn’t have to define you.
Verdict: This book will keep you thinking long after you’ve closed its covers. It’s a hard story told with honesty and compassion, a story which deserves to be read. Make sure you read it.
January 7, 2020
I entered this travelogue with trepidation when I discovered the author is Scottish and not from the Deep South. Southern mores and speech can quickly become caricatures in the wrong hands.
Any concerns quickly vanished. Lynch got Aggie's voice and those of her ramshackle group of friends and associates spot on.
There is pain in this YA Thelma and Louise. But the redemption and hope glimmer through many of the pages.
Aggie's voyage around the state of Texas and towards her own heart is believable (with the exception of some cases where she remains helpfully for the plot off-grid). We close Armadillos in the belief Aggie might shake off some of the demons who might otherwise have broken her.
There is no sentimentality in the writing and the clarity of the prose allows other damaged but hopeful characters (Freak, in particular) to leap off the pages with their own voices and their own personas.
One mighty fine read.
Any concerns quickly vanished. Lynch got Aggie's voice and those of her ramshackle group of friends and associates spot on.
There is pain in this YA Thelma and Louise. But the redemption and hope glimmer through many of the pages.
Aggie's voyage around the state of Texas and towards her own heart is believable (with the exception of some cases where she remains helpfully for the plot off-grid). We close Armadillos in the belief Aggie might shake off some of the demons who might otherwise have broken her.
There is no sentimentality in the writing and the clarity of the prose allows other damaged but hopeful characters (Freak, in particular) to leap off the pages with their own voices and their own personas.
One mighty fine read.
March 22, 2022
When I started reading the novel, the title seemed strange to me. What do armadillos have to do with a dysfunctional family and a clearly abused little girl? Gradually, as I followed Aggie's story - her escape, the cunning she has to employ to escape constant violence, the disregard for the welfare of a 15-year-old girl that all adults seem to display - I came to understand the reason for the title, which not coincidentally matches the constant appearance of these critters in the novel and the pity shown to them by the one person who, in her own way, takes Aggie to heart.
A raw, hard, beautiful novel; a denunciation of abuse and hypocrisy; a perfect description of how these behaviors steal people's lives, especially women, but also men, whether they manage to get out of it - as Abbie is supposed to do - or get caught up in it, like Jojo.
A raw, hard, beautiful novel; a denunciation of abuse and hypocrisy; a perfect description of how these behaviors steal people's lives, especially women, but also men, whether they manage to get out of it - as Abbie is supposed to do - or get caught up in it, like Jojo.
August 16, 2018
Coming of age meets noir that doesn't quite work. Some intriguing minor characters and description from time to time, but ultimately, Lynch's America is an unconvincing setting. I'd be intrigued to read any Scotland-based fiction by Lynch.
December 21, 2017
A stunning debut, authentic and brave.
Read
December 16, 2019Please see blog for [K]'s review: https://thepturnersbookblog.wordpress...
August 31, 2022
really easy to read. explores child abuse in a sensitive way.
March 9, 2023
This was a tough read.
February 11, 2025
How can this be possible. Strike 3!
September 18, 2025
A raw tale of a young girl trying to escape an intolerable childhood.
October 5, 2016
I received this book as part of a Goodreads Giveaway. It's not the sort of book I would normally choose to read, however I found myself completely captivated by Aggie's story. It was very well written, and the characters became so clear in my mind it was as though I had met them! A very powerful story that makes you realise that some of the greatest horrors in this world can be so close to home.
April 13, 2016
Poignant, emotionally charged, and with many a dark corner, Armadillos shows how life can fail just about anyone given the right, but mainly wrong, chance set of circumstances.
Born into a Texan farming family who practise immorally abusive entertainment at the expense of the subservient members of their unit makes for an uncomfortable reading experience, and yet it was a book I read straight through in one day – it would appear that fifteen year old Aggie grabbed hold of me with both hands and I couldn’t bring myself to let her go.
This first person narrative in a regional dialect offers a personal account of this young girl’s life, who is quite accepting of her current dire circumstances, until one day she walks out the door, passed the landlocked boat that rots a little more each year, and she just kept on walking.
With only the clothes on her back, Aggie uses her limited wily ways to entice rides from the unsuspecting public to place as much distance between her and the farm as she can, and yet she has no idea where she’s going, only a desire to not return home. Her implanted memories of past events are recalled on route until the impression of the life she has been fed over time dissipates onto the harsh reality on the street.
Constantly looking over her shoulder, running from one disastrous situation to the next, she slowly engages in a steep learning curve to not have to rely on others to further her progression. No matter how small her goal, until she can confront her past, present, and what the future holds, she will never take hold life’s reigns to arrive at the place she needs to be.
Her temporary survival technique sees her befriending a catalogue of fascinating and troubled characters, each having their own terrors to keep them company. I grew especially fond of Marj (initially known as The Beast Lady), whose aggression is a force of its own, but whose dream is to manufacture and sell her hand crafted souvenirs to tourists to raise much needed funds. She believes the little Crucifixes and Armadillos she creates from blown out tyres is her trip out of this hellhole of a life. And then there’s the road kill she lovingly places in the back of her car until she can find a suitable place to lay them to rest. She’s goes out of her way to look out for the little creatures, even if no one else does.
The majority of Aggie’s acquaintances are also burdened by common fear; they hide behind the only protective armour they have, which is retreating into their own shells to prevent the disclosure of any potential weak spot. One by one these lone survivors unwittingly fill the void in Aggie’s young life, even if they choose to move on, disappoint her, or threaten to rock the boat at some point.
Despite its desperate nature, Armadillos is an encouraging story of hope, even if it is tormentingly evasive at times. This is a hard hitting novel, and one that will stay with you for some time.
(My thanks to the publisher, Legend Press, for providing a copy of this book in exchange for review.)
Born into a Texan farming family who practise immorally abusive entertainment at the expense of the subservient members of their unit makes for an uncomfortable reading experience, and yet it was a book I read straight through in one day – it would appear that fifteen year old Aggie grabbed hold of me with both hands and I couldn’t bring myself to let her go.
This first person narrative in a regional dialect offers a personal account of this young girl’s life, who is quite accepting of her current dire circumstances, until one day she walks out the door, passed the landlocked boat that rots a little more each year, and she just kept on walking.
With only the clothes on her back, Aggie uses her limited wily ways to entice rides from the unsuspecting public to place as much distance between her and the farm as she can, and yet she has no idea where she’s going, only a desire to not return home. Her implanted memories of past events are recalled on route until the impression of the life she has been fed over time dissipates onto the harsh reality on the street.
Constantly looking over her shoulder, running from one disastrous situation to the next, she slowly engages in a steep learning curve to not have to rely on others to further her progression. No matter how small her goal, until she can confront her past, present, and what the future holds, she will never take hold life’s reigns to arrive at the place she needs to be.
Her temporary survival technique sees her befriending a catalogue of fascinating and troubled characters, each having their own terrors to keep them company. I grew especially fond of Marj (initially known as The Beast Lady), whose aggression is a force of its own, but whose dream is to manufacture and sell her hand crafted souvenirs to tourists to raise much needed funds. She believes the little Crucifixes and Armadillos she creates from blown out tyres is her trip out of this hellhole of a life. And then there’s the road kill she lovingly places in the back of her car until she can find a suitable place to lay them to rest. She’s goes out of her way to look out for the little creatures, even if no one else does.
The majority of Aggie’s acquaintances are also burdened by common fear; they hide behind the only protective armour they have, which is retreating into their own shells to prevent the disclosure of any potential weak spot. One by one these lone survivors unwittingly fill the void in Aggie’s young life, even if they choose to move on, disappoint her, or threaten to rock the boat at some point.
Despite its desperate nature, Armadillos is an encouraging story of hope, even if it is tormentingly evasive at times. This is a hard hitting novel, and one that will stay with you for some time.
(My thanks to the publisher, Legend Press, for providing a copy of this book in exchange for review.)
March 30, 2016
Armadillos by P. K. Lynch is a highly recommended story of a teenage survivor.
Fifteen year old Aggie has been told by her older sister JoJo that they are "subs" in a "sub" family. It seems that what that means is that JoJo and Aggie must accept the sexual abuse by their father and brother on a weekly basis. On some deep level she knows the abuse is wrong, but knows no other life and JoJo seems to think they need to just accept it. One day something propels Aggie to walk away. She leaves the house and just keeps walking, escaping the abuse as her mother and other brother have done.
As a teenage runaway, Aggie engages in dangerous behavior, hitchhiking and then extorting money from her rides. She makes her way to a city and aligns herself with a group of misfits through Freak, another teen runaway she met on the streets. Freak brings her home to a squat, a house being inhabited by a group of misfits. This quasi-family of bohemian squatters represents a safe place and become a sort of dysfunctional family for Aggie. But Aggie keeps having disturbing dreams and worries about what is happening to JoJo. She wants to find a way to help her sister escape too.
Freak is not the friend that Aggie thinks she is, however. Things become more complicated and Aggie suddenly finds herself involved in a dangerous situation not of her making from which there is no good way to escape.
In terms of content, Armadillos is not an easy novel to read. It is heartbreaking - opening with a family where chronic, systematic sexual abuse is the norm. Then Aggie walks away with nothing and no plan... when what the world may offer her could be just as bad as what she's leaving. I couldn't help but wish Aggie found a shelter for abused women and children, that the information was available to her that there are safe places she could go where she would be believed. And that officials - law enforcement, hospitals, etc., don't represent the enemy. I desperately wanted her to tell her story to someone who could help her.
This is a very well written debut novel. Even though the content is tragic, Lynch accurately describes the setting and captures dialect of Texas. The plot flows well and the narrative is compelling. There are a few plot points that felt too... convenient. While I took note of them, I overlooked them because the writing is so good, expressive and lyrical. Lynch's writing combined with the storyline created an urgency that made it imperative to keep reading to find out what happened next.
Disclosure: My Kindle edition was courtesy of Legend Press for review purposes.
Fifteen year old Aggie has been told by her older sister JoJo that they are "subs" in a "sub" family. It seems that what that means is that JoJo and Aggie must accept the sexual abuse by their father and brother on a weekly basis. On some deep level she knows the abuse is wrong, but knows no other life and JoJo seems to think they need to just accept it. One day something propels Aggie to walk away. She leaves the house and just keeps walking, escaping the abuse as her mother and other brother have done.
As a teenage runaway, Aggie engages in dangerous behavior, hitchhiking and then extorting money from her rides. She makes her way to a city and aligns herself with a group of misfits through Freak, another teen runaway she met on the streets. Freak brings her home to a squat, a house being inhabited by a group of misfits. This quasi-family of bohemian squatters represents a safe place and become a sort of dysfunctional family for Aggie. But Aggie keeps having disturbing dreams and worries about what is happening to JoJo. She wants to find a way to help her sister escape too.
Freak is not the friend that Aggie thinks she is, however. Things become more complicated and Aggie suddenly finds herself involved in a dangerous situation not of her making from which there is no good way to escape.
In terms of content, Armadillos is not an easy novel to read. It is heartbreaking - opening with a family where chronic, systematic sexual abuse is the norm. Then Aggie walks away with nothing and no plan... when what the world may offer her could be just as bad as what she's leaving. I couldn't help but wish Aggie found a shelter for abused women and children, that the information was available to her that there are safe places she could go where she would be believed. And that officials - law enforcement, hospitals, etc., don't represent the enemy. I desperately wanted her to tell her story to someone who could help her.
This is a very well written debut novel. Even though the content is tragic, Lynch accurately describes the setting and captures dialect of Texas. The plot flows well and the narrative is compelling. There are a few plot points that felt too... convenient. While I took note of them, I overlooked them because the writing is so good, expressive and lyrical. Lynch's writing combined with the storyline created an urgency that made it imperative to keep reading to find out what happened next.
Disclosure: My Kindle edition was courtesy of Legend Press for review purposes.
April 20, 2016
I feel in love with this book straight away! I've hit a bad run of books recently where I haven't really gotten in to them/ enjoyed them but this book reaffirmed my love of literature. Domestic/ sexual abuse is featuring heavily in books at them moment, being the main plot vein for multiple best sellers so this book is right on trend and, I think, does justice to the content.
Can't believe this is a debut novel, there's a skill to it that you normal expect to see after the author having written several novels but Lynch gets it bang on first time. The setting is beautifully described, you sense the rural 'sub' life that Aggie finds herself trapped in and you live the harsh, gritty experiences that she must then face in order to survive. I really warmed to the characters- Freak's selfishness and childishness was annoying but that's the sign of good writing, we felt exactly what Lynch wanted us to feel. There was a good mix with the protagonist, she wasn't the self pitying type but someone hardened to emotion after years of abuse by those who were supposed to protect her and I thought Lynch perfectly captured the essence of a teenager having to mature at a young age. I had guessed the reveal at the end of the book but as another reviewer noted, you had been led to that conclusion so that it made sense- rather than do what several novels try to do and have a 'big' reveal that comes from nowhere, doesn't suit the plot and leaves you feeling dissatisfied. Even the fact that Jojo doesn't leave with her in the end, it was true to the characters and what would most likely have happened. It's obvious that Lynch did her research and she should be proud of what she's produced, an honest account that grips the reader but also can entertain them without taking away from the serious nature of the subject content. My only criticism is that the final scene with Duke felt a little far fetched- I don't think it was needed and honestly I felt like Aggie could have reached the place where she was ready to face her family again without this James Bond esc moment thrown in.
Like I've said this was the first book in a while that I couldn't put down and have been left with a satisfied feeling of a book well written. Can't wait to see what this author does next, I can see good things in her literary career if this book is anything to go by.
Can't believe this is a debut novel, there's a skill to it that you normal expect to see after the author having written several novels but Lynch gets it bang on first time. The setting is beautifully described, you sense the rural 'sub' life that Aggie finds herself trapped in and you live the harsh, gritty experiences that she must then face in order to survive. I really warmed to the characters- Freak's selfishness and childishness was annoying but that's the sign of good writing, we felt exactly what Lynch wanted us to feel. There was a good mix with the protagonist, she wasn't the self pitying type but someone hardened to emotion after years of abuse by those who were supposed to protect her and I thought Lynch perfectly captured the essence of a teenager having to mature at a young age. I had guessed the reveal at the end of the book but as another reviewer noted, you had been led to that conclusion so that it made sense- rather than do what several novels try to do and have a 'big' reveal that comes from nowhere, doesn't suit the plot and leaves you feeling dissatisfied. Even the fact that Jojo doesn't leave with her in the end, it was true to the characters and what would most likely have happened. It's obvious that Lynch did her research and she should be proud of what she's produced, an honest account that grips the reader but also can entertain them without taking away from the serious nature of the subject content. My only criticism is that the final scene with Duke felt a little far fetched- I don't think it was needed and honestly I felt like Aggie could have reached the place where she was ready to face her family again without this James Bond esc moment thrown in.
Like I've said this was the first book in a while that I couldn't put down and have been left with a satisfied feeling of a book well written. Can't wait to see what this author does next, I can see good things in her literary career if this book is anything to go by.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 29, 2017
Please read all of my reviews at http://ultraviolentlit.blogspot.ca!
Aggie and her sister JoJo live on a farm in Texas with their father and brother, both of whom are physically and sexually abusive. JoJo tries to protect her younger sister as much as she can, but she isn’t always successful. At fifteen, Aggie has never known anything different in her life, but she still dreams of escape. One day, she walks out the front door as usual – but for once, she just keeps walking.
With no experience in the outside world, and no preparation for her journey, Aggie ends up walking the highway, hitchhiking with anyone who will pick her up. She seems to have no fear, extorting money from the men who pick her up by threatening them that she will say they kidnapped her. Aggie meets many people as damaged as she is, and forges connections from their shared history of abuse. Eventually, she ends up becoming a part of a new dysfunctional family – a group of squatters who each have their own dark problems.
As she settles in with her new group of friends, Aggie finds herself embroiled in a crisis involving drugs and stolen money. Living with her group of misfit friends in a derelict house, Aggie sees no alternative but to help them. This is a gritty coming of age story, shadowed by the difficult subject matter of systemic abuse and highlighting the fact that most victims have nowhere to turn for help. Aggie’s journey is one of self-discovery, as she searches for a better life – but instead of finding it, she just experiences different forms of abuse.
Aggie is a strong character, and her unique opinions and distinct speech patterns make her seem very human – but she never seemed able to empathize with others. After her traumatic experiences with her friends, Aggie eventually realizes that she must return home to confront her past. However, instead of facing her fears, she learns new shocking secrets about her family. Some scenes are too convenient and obvious, but the overall plot has a good flow and quickly moves forward. Aggie is a difficult character, but she grows into a strong woman throughout her tough experiences. I wasn’t always able to suspend disbelief during Aggie’s unusual journey, but it was interesting to be along for the ride.
I received this book from Legends Press and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Aggie and her sister JoJo live on a farm in Texas with their father and brother, both of whom are physically and sexually abusive. JoJo tries to protect her younger sister as much as she can, but she isn’t always successful. At fifteen, Aggie has never known anything different in her life, but she still dreams of escape. One day, she walks out the front door as usual – but for once, she just keeps walking.
With no experience in the outside world, and no preparation for her journey, Aggie ends up walking the highway, hitchhiking with anyone who will pick her up. She seems to have no fear, extorting money from the men who pick her up by threatening them that she will say they kidnapped her. Aggie meets many people as damaged as she is, and forges connections from their shared history of abuse. Eventually, she ends up becoming a part of a new dysfunctional family – a group of squatters who each have their own dark problems.
As she settles in with her new group of friends, Aggie finds herself embroiled in a crisis involving drugs and stolen money. Living with her group of misfit friends in a derelict house, Aggie sees no alternative but to help them. This is a gritty coming of age story, shadowed by the difficult subject matter of systemic abuse and highlighting the fact that most victims have nowhere to turn for help. Aggie’s journey is one of self-discovery, as she searches for a better life – but instead of finding it, she just experiences different forms of abuse.
Aggie is a strong character, and her unique opinions and distinct speech patterns make her seem very human – but she never seemed able to empathize with others. After her traumatic experiences with her friends, Aggie eventually realizes that she must return home to confront her past. However, instead of facing her fears, she learns new shocking secrets about her family. Some scenes are too convenient and obvious, but the overall plot has a good flow and quickly moves forward. Aggie is a difficult character, but she grows into a strong woman throughout her tough experiences. I wasn’t always able to suspend disbelief during Aggie’s unusual journey, but it was interesting to be along for the ride.
I received this book from Legends Press and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
April 22, 2016
Set in a barren Texan landscape, Armadillos captures the notion of survival by providing a glimpse into the ugly side of life. The novel follows Aggie, a dauntless 15 year old who escapes from her abusive home. Lynch portrays the harshness of reality as Aggie, tries but fails to run from her past.
The novel is voiced from Aggie’s perspective, where we learn about her traumatic childhood and the dark secrets that lie within her home; this is the most engaging part of the book. Not only is Aggie a character that we sympathise with, she is also admirable and intelligent in the way in which she survives on nothing but her wits and instincts. After various hitchhikes, Aggie ends up in Dallas, where she befriends some squatters and finds friendship and security.
What I really liked was the relationship between Aggie and Marj. Throughout the novel, Aggie mentions her mother quite a lot, who left when she was a child. She strikes up an unlikely friendship with Marj who ends up becoming a mother figure to Aggie. This relationship was the one I was most drawn to because it was real and genuine. When we’re first introduced to Marj, she’s ill-mannered and aggressive and immediately becomes dislikeable but this couldn’t be further from the truth. We see glimpses of her softer side in the way in which she takes care of the armadillos that are left abandoned on the street; she takes responsibility in looking after these creatures, the same way she looks after Aggie.
At the end of the novel, Aggie is left with no choice but to confront her past and discover some horrible, but essential home truths in order for her to receive closure. The most commendable trait that Aggie possesses is that not once does she allow herself to be the victim; instead she develops into a strong character that has mastered the art of survival by the end.
Armadillos is a powerful story that deals with hard-hitting issues and is filled with emotion. The prose is excellent as events and scenes are described with such depth. Aggie is a true survivor who Lynch magnificently brings to life in this brilliant debut.
The novel is voiced from Aggie’s perspective, where we learn about her traumatic childhood and the dark secrets that lie within her home; this is the most engaging part of the book. Not only is Aggie a character that we sympathise with, she is also admirable and intelligent in the way in which she survives on nothing but her wits and instincts. After various hitchhikes, Aggie ends up in Dallas, where she befriends some squatters and finds friendship and security.
What I really liked was the relationship between Aggie and Marj. Throughout the novel, Aggie mentions her mother quite a lot, who left when she was a child. She strikes up an unlikely friendship with Marj who ends up becoming a mother figure to Aggie. This relationship was the one I was most drawn to because it was real and genuine. When we’re first introduced to Marj, she’s ill-mannered and aggressive and immediately becomes dislikeable but this couldn’t be further from the truth. We see glimpses of her softer side in the way in which she takes care of the armadillos that are left abandoned on the street; she takes responsibility in looking after these creatures, the same way she looks after Aggie.
At the end of the novel, Aggie is left with no choice but to confront her past and discover some horrible, but essential home truths in order for her to receive closure. The most commendable trait that Aggie possesses is that not once does she allow herself to be the victim; instead she develops into a strong character that has mastered the art of survival by the end.
Armadillos is a powerful story that deals with hard-hitting issues and is filled with emotion. The prose is excellent as events and scenes are described with such depth. Aggie is a true survivor who Lynch magnificently brings to life in this brilliant debut.
April 1, 2018
In the novel, the character Marjorie states ‘some creatures do better away from their natural habitat’ and I find it's a fitting sentiment for what Armadillos represents as a whole.
The narrative focuses on a ‘sub’ person Aggie who manages to escape from the clutches of backwards family where she has been abused and knows she has never belonged. It follows her quest for survival where she comes across types of people she has never met, demonstrating that acceptance can come in the most unusual ways.
It shows the great lengths that some people have to endure and the strength that is born from such harrowing experiences, none of which are their fault. But at no point does Aggie allow herself to become a victim or to wallow in self pity, something we all have done at some point, usually over the most trivial thing. Instead she remains level headed and shows great development by managing to face her fears when necessary rather than running, something I found refreshing.
It also handles suffering in a matter of fact way in regards to Aggie but romanticises it in the form of Freak which I think written beautifully as it shows how different people handle trauma as there is not a simple route of dealing with it.
Furthermore the relationships she forges throughout add another aspect to the already brilliant narrative. The characters she chooses as companions have all suffered in some way and show how different people can be born out of it. So although Aggie comes across complex people, they are also the most thoughtful and it demonstrates that unlikely friendships are sometimes the strongest.
To me even the aesthetic of the cover works perfectly with the content. Armadillos is a first rate piece of work, an outstanding debut I urge anyone to read.
August 1, 2016
This slow-burning story of Aggie, a young girl who escapes her Texas backwoods home by simply opening the door and walking away from years of chilling and deliberate abuse, is one that gradually settles itself into your bones and compels you to read on no matter how depressing the situations she inevitably lands in. Aggie, because of her poor, deprived background, is doomed to stumble from one risky, marginal situation into another. And all the while she's haunted by the guilt of leaving her sister JoJo but driven by the idea that the world must have something else to offer her and maybe she'll find somewhere to belong. Eventually she lands in a "family" of sorts - a squat populated by a crazy collection of misfits and runaways. There she befriends Freak, a whacked-out self-cutter and "The Beast Woman" who fashions odd knick-knacks out of old tires and gives dignified burials to armadillos found as roadkill - an obvious metaphor for Aggie and her tireless drive to survive despite all the abuses hurled against her tough shell as well as to confront the abuse she endured at the hands of her father and brother. The author relates the horrors of Aggie's life with effective, unsentimental detachment that makes it all the more powerful. Though I enjoyed the book and the characters I did feel something was a little "off" and when I discovered the author was Scottish and hadn't lived in Texas I realized the voice of the characters and the whole "feel" of the setting didn't have quite the authenticity it needed. Despite this I would recommend the book as very compelling and well written.
**I was given a free Kindle copy of this book by Legend Press in return for an honest review.*
**I was given a free Kindle copy of this book by Legend Press in return for an honest review.*
April 7, 2016
The main strand of the story is laid out in the first chapter – after regular sexual abuse by her father and brother, Aggie runs away, abandoning the sister she loves. As she struggles to survive on her wits, we learn more of her harrowing young life, the secrets held within the four walls of home and the fierce affection of her sister. This is the most engaging part of the book, leading the reader into a narrow and confusing world of dog-eat-dog.
Of less interest, I found, were the characters she met and lived with. All severely flawed like Aggie, their backgrounds were unexplained, making them sketchy, incomplete. Freak featured largest here, and yet we knew almost nothing about what led her to live so far on the edge. I felt as if Freak, Ade and Marj were each a story waiting to happen, but they never did and two of them just faded away near the end. The scene with Duke felt both predictable and pointless – almost as if a splash of drama was needed, but it didn’t really fit.
This is a good debut novel. It began with great promise, but it needed more character development and a more conclusive ending – it just seemed to end at a point in time without anything being resolved. I’m sure that was the intention, but it felt a little unsatisfactory. It also seemed at times to show that those in desperate situations lose their humanity and at others that humanity shines through no matter what. It therefore had a confusing message – or perhaps no message.
Of less interest, I found, were the characters she met and lived with. All severely flawed like Aggie, their backgrounds were unexplained, making them sketchy, incomplete. Freak featured largest here, and yet we knew almost nothing about what led her to live so far on the edge. I felt as if Freak, Ade and Marj were each a story waiting to happen, but they never did and two of them just faded away near the end. The scene with Duke felt both predictable and pointless – almost as if a splash of drama was needed, but it didn’t really fit.
This is a good debut novel. It began with great promise, but it needed more character development and a more conclusive ending – it just seemed to end at a point in time without anything being resolved. I’m sure that was the intention, but it felt a little unsatisfactory. It also seemed at times to show that those in desperate situations lose their humanity and at others that humanity shines through no matter what. It therefore had a confusing message – or perhaps no message.
April 6, 2016
Aggie is 15 years old and lives with her family (consisting of Pop, Cy, Ash and Jojo) on a sheep farm in a sub of Texas. One day Aggie just runs away from her family, making her way to a group of people who are kind of like her: lonely, lost and without food. To get there Aggie had to go great distances (literally, with all the blisters on her feet), from truck drivers who took her with them along the way, to working in a pizzeria, to basically live on the street.
That's when she met Freak and they started to become good friends. Freak was actually the one who introduced Aggie to the group of people she lived with ever after. Of course there were some fights, abuse and disputes along the way and I can tell you: it's intense. It goes to show as well how quickly you can make friends when you have nothing left to lose.
I think "Armadillos" is a brilliant first novel by P.K. Lynch. Not really what I expected (since I just went with the cover and didn't read the synopsis) but still good! It's definitely not an easy read since you might think about this story for quite a while and also the "plot-twist" was a bit shocking. But I can recommend this to you if you're looking for a book where girl power and friendship is the key!
Thank you so much Legend Press for sending me this book <3
That's when she met Freak and they started to become good friends. Freak was actually the one who introduced Aggie to the group of people she lived with ever after. Of course there were some fights, abuse and disputes along the way and I can tell you: it's intense. It goes to show as well how quickly you can make friends when you have nothing left to lose.
I think "Armadillos" is a brilliant first novel by P.K. Lynch. Not really what I expected (since I just went with the cover and didn't read the synopsis) but still good! It's definitely not an easy read since you might think about this story for quite a while and also the "plot-twist" was a bit shocking. But I can recommend this to you if you're looking for a book where girl power and friendship is the key!
Thank you so much Legend Press for sending me this book <3
March 26, 2016
**Received from publisher in exchange for an honest review**
Armadillos is a haunting, dramatic debut novel about a young girl named Aggie who runs away from her abusive family and travels across Texas. The story was sad to say the least. There were light moments but I found it to be pretty murky throughout.
The writing was really impressive. The Texas dialect was captured and formed into rhythmic sentences that kept me reading. The content of the story was so hard to swallow, there were moments when I didn't think I wanted to finish but the writing kept me going.
P.K. Lynch painted a very vivid picture of Texas and all of the characters that Aggie came across. Although the conclusion of Armadillos wasn't pleasant, receiving clarity was really satisfying. This book wouldn't be a normal choice for me but I have absolutely no regrets reading it.
April 5, 2016
Thanks to Legend Press for the advanced reading copy.
From the outset, Aggie's story is heartbreaking and shocking, but told in a matter-of-fact manner rather than being melodramatic. Brought up to believe that her family's behaviour is normal, Aggie knows she doesn't like it, and leaves.
Armadillos is a tough story but easy to read, written beautifully, with Aggie's Texan drawl in my head from the beginning. Despite her sheltered upbringing, she proves to be an intelligent kid who knows how to get what she wants. She doesn't like conning people, but it's a means to an end for her.
Then she meets a girl called Freak, and is introduced to a new 'family', all with their own problems.
It's a brilliant tale of survival, of friendship and self-discovery. The words flow naturally on the page, drawing us in to Aggie's world of hurt and pain, and her relationships with the larger than life yet utterly believable supporting characters.
I really did enjoy reading this book, and highly recommend it.
From the outset, Aggie's story is heartbreaking and shocking, but told in a matter-of-fact manner rather than being melodramatic. Brought up to believe that her family's behaviour is normal, Aggie knows she doesn't like it, and leaves.
Armadillos is a tough story but easy to read, written beautifully, with Aggie's Texan drawl in my head from the beginning. Despite her sheltered upbringing, she proves to be an intelligent kid who knows how to get what she wants. She doesn't like conning people, but it's a means to an end for her.
Then she meets a girl called Freak, and is introduced to a new 'family', all with their own problems.
It's a brilliant tale of survival, of friendship and self-discovery. The words flow naturally on the page, drawing us in to Aggie's world of hurt and pain, and her relationships with the larger than life yet utterly believable supporting characters.
I really did enjoy reading this book, and highly recommend it.
April 8, 2016
Despite a fairly uninspiring cover, what a gem of a book this turned out to be. Actress turned author, Pauline Lynch has taken on the persona of a teenage mid American girl who is brought up in a rather poor farmstead where she suffers abuse. This leads to her escaping and going on a kind of road trip leading to a squat where an assortment of colourful characters reside. Here we come across a nod to Ms Lynch's Scottish background with one of the residents. It is astonishing that I had no idea that the author was Scottish until I read about her background after finishing the book - I would otherwise sworn she was American. A brilliant portrayal with an ending which is quite shocking, but really rounds off the book nicely. This is a debut novel and the prose simply flows across the page and is a real page turner. I found it hard to put down and became totally absorbed in both the characters and the setting. It is already the winner of The Sceptre Prize and deservedly so. More please, Pauline.
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