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Rockadoon Shore Export
Author(s): Rory Gleeson ISBN: 9781473634084 Binding: Paperback Published: 2017-01-10 Cath is worried about her friends. DanDan is struggling with the death of his ex, Lucy is drinking way too much and Steph has become closed off. A weekend away is just what they need. They travel out to Rockadoon Lodge, to the wilds in the west of Ireland. But the weekend doesn't go to plan. JJ is more concerned with getting high than spending time with them, while Merc is humiliated and seeks revenge. And when their elderly neighbour Malachy arrives on their doorstep in the dead of night with a gun in his hands, nothing will be the same again for any of them . . . Honest, moving and human, Rockadoon Shore is a novel about friendship and youth, about missed opportunities and lost love, and about the realities of growing up and growing old in modern-day Ireland. Highly energetic and tensely humorous, it heralds a new and exciting voice in contemporary Irish fiction.
- GenresFiction
304 pages, Paperback
Published January 1, 2017
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185 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
January 7, 2017
Cath is worried about her friends. DanDan's struggling with the death of his ex, Lucy's drinking and Steph has become closed off. A weekend away is just what they need so off to Rockadoon Lodge they go. The weekend does not go to plan. Their elderly neighbour Malachy arrives on their doorstep in the middle of the night with a gun. Nothing will be the same again for any of them.
A tale of friendship, missed opportunities and lost love. Of growing old in modern-day Ireland.
I would like to thank NetGalley, John Murray Press and the author Rory Gleeson for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.
A tale of friendship, missed opportunities and lost love. Of growing old in modern-day Ireland.
I would like to thank NetGalley, John Murray Press and the author Rory Gleeson for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.
March 3, 2017
Check out my full review on Confessions of a Book Geek:
https://confessionsofabookgeek.com/20...
It’s not like me to be so negative about a book. But honestly, what did I just read?! It started out so well – the cover was enticing, the blurb delicious, and I was really excited for what promised to be a fantastic Irish YA novel. Sigh. It all went downhill from there.
This book is told from 7 points of view, in alternate chapters. This wasn't a problem. Usually with so many view points you would expect it to get confusing. But it doesn't. It's just negative, dull, and boring. Even when the "dramatic" bits happen, it reads like a bad Christmas special for a soap opera.
I didn't connect with any of the characters at all, on any level. I wasn't rooting for them, I couldn't relate to them, none of them were likeable/redeemable, they lacked depth and the promised wit/humour. There was angst upon angst, and dramatic story-line piled on top of dramatic story-line, all involving self-absorbed, vapid, and rather uninteresting characters. It felt like an attempt at making John Green's characters darker, more flawed, drunk and/or high, and Irish.
On a slightly more positive note - this book includes alcohol, drugs, cursing, and sex, and it is unapologetic about it. This, I enjoyed. It’s refreshing to read a book with older teens that depicts a bit of debauchery.
I really struggled to finish this book, and almost put it down on a few occasions. However, to write a complete review, I had to finish it. This novel is told in third person, and the dialogue doesn’t use speech marks, just “-” before each new line. On a personal reading and enjoyment level, I found this irritating.
Malachy’s chapters also flash back to the past a lot, to his youth, which on the one hand was a nice incorporation in to the contemporary story being told through the 6 friends, but on the other hand kind of felt like it never really went anywhere and ultimately I was left confused by that ending. Overall, the tone was pretty sinister and dark, and I was left deflated, wishing I had have stopped reading it after all.
I was provided with a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of this book.
https://confessionsofabookgeek.com/20...
It’s not like me to be so negative about a book. But honestly, what did I just read?! It started out so well – the cover was enticing, the blurb delicious, and I was really excited for what promised to be a fantastic Irish YA novel. Sigh. It all went downhill from there.
This book is told from 7 points of view, in alternate chapters. This wasn't a problem. Usually with so many view points you would expect it to get confusing. But it doesn't. It's just negative, dull, and boring. Even when the "dramatic" bits happen, it reads like a bad Christmas special for a soap opera.
I didn't connect with any of the characters at all, on any level. I wasn't rooting for them, I couldn't relate to them, none of them were likeable/redeemable, they lacked depth and the promised wit/humour. There was angst upon angst, and dramatic story-line piled on top of dramatic story-line, all involving self-absorbed, vapid, and rather uninteresting characters. It felt like an attempt at making John Green's characters darker, more flawed, drunk and/or high, and Irish.
On a slightly more positive note - this book includes alcohol, drugs, cursing, and sex, and it is unapologetic about it. This, I enjoyed. It’s refreshing to read a book with older teens that depicts a bit of debauchery.
I really struggled to finish this book, and almost put it down on a few occasions. However, to write a complete review, I had to finish it. This novel is told in third person, and the dialogue doesn’t use speech marks, just “-” before each new line. On a personal reading and enjoyment level, I found this irritating.
Malachy’s chapters also flash back to the past a lot, to his youth, which on the one hand was a nice incorporation in to the contemporary story being told through the 6 friends, but on the other hand kind of felt like it never really went anywhere and ultimately I was left confused by that ending. Overall, the tone was pretty sinister and dark, and I was left deflated, wishing I had have stopped reading it after all.
I was provided with a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of this book.
May 6, 2017
I confess I am torn about how to rate this book. It’s better than three stars, but not quite worth the four I’ve given it. It starts out so well and promises much but never really gets where it seems to want to go.
It starts well, with six friends from university arriving at a remote house in rural Ireland to spend the weekend together. The story is told through the words, thoughts, feelings and inner-dialogue of seven individuals - the six friends and Malachy, an old man who lives in the next house, secretly watching the group, whose antics bring back unwelcome memories for Malachy who feels he has missed all his chances and thrown his life away. There is sex, drink and drugs aplenty; it doesn’t go well - we wouldn't really expect it to. The trouble is that, while events unfold, not a great deal really happens. In essence, this is a character study of individuals coming together as a group, but who remain essentially apart; none of them really understands their fellows; misunderstanding between people is the central theme of this tale, or so it seemed to me. The characters lead the narrative, but in order to keep interest flowing, you need more action as well as all the talk. Most of the story is told in dialogue, and when five drunk and drugged-up people are having a big ole’ sweary row, a barely-readable slanging match, it gets a bit samey and a wee bit dull.
And in the end - it just ends, with no real conclusion, no tying of loose ends at all. A Big Thing happens and then it all drizzles to a stop. Malachy’s story in particular felt unfinished. As the only character not a member of the group, his story should have been the backbone, what tied it or held it all together, but instead, it felt superfluous. His tiny part in the house’s - and Cath’s - story, felt ultimately rather pointless and his end meaningless. I suspect that watching over the old house had become the point of his life and so, by the end, he realised his life had no point - but that is just me, conjecturing, it’s not in the book. Merc too, started well but his story just petered out; he ended up feeling like a device to advance the story’s end. The whole thing needed fleshing out. Telling a tale through seven separate narratives is quite a feat of storytelling, but we really needed more substance, and Malachy should have had the starring role to that effect, but his story really wasn’t strong enough or effective enough to do it.
In short: definitely worth a read; there’s much to like here. It is a first novel from a young author and that does tell. I expect Rory Gleeson’s next novel will be more polished and rounded and I really look forward to reading it.
It starts well, with six friends from university arriving at a remote house in rural Ireland to spend the weekend together. The story is told through the words, thoughts, feelings and inner-dialogue of seven individuals - the six friends and Malachy, an old man who lives in the next house, secretly watching the group, whose antics bring back unwelcome memories for Malachy who feels he has missed all his chances and thrown his life away. There is sex, drink and drugs aplenty; it doesn’t go well - we wouldn't really expect it to. The trouble is that, while events unfold, not a great deal really happens. In essence, this is a character study of individuals coming together as a group, but who remain essentially apart; none of them really understands their fellows; misunderstanding between people is the central theme of this tale, or so it seemed to me. The characters lead the narrative, but in order to keep interest flowing, you need more action as well as all the talk. Most of the story is told in dialogue, and when five drunk and drugged-up people are having a big ole’ sweary row, a barely-readable slanging match, it gets a bit samey and a wee bit dull.
And in the end - it just ends, with no real conclusion, no tying of loose ends at all. A Big Thing happens and then it all drizzles to a stop. Malachy’s story in particular felt unfinished. As the only character not a member of the group, his story should have been the backbone, what tied it or held it all together, but instead, it felt superfluous. His tiny part in the house’s - and Cath’s - story, felt ultimately rather pointless and his end meaningless. I suspect that watching over the old house had become the point of his life and so, by the end, he realised his life had no point - but that is just me, conjecturing, it’s not in the book. Merc too, started well but his story just petered out; he ended up feeling like a device to advance the story’s end. The whole thing needed fleshing out. Telling a tale through seven separate narratives is quite a feat of storytelling, but we really needed more substance, and Malachy should have had the starring role to that effect, but his story really wasn’t strong enough or effective enough to do it.
In short: definitely worth a read; there’s much to like here. It is a first novel from a young author and that does tell. I expect Rory Gleeson’s next novel will be more polished and rounded and I really look forward to reading it.
July 29, 2017
Rockadoon Shore is an enjoyable novel about a group of young university friends who go to spend a weekend away at Rockadoon Lodge in the Irish countryside. Their planned break of drink, drugs, and hilarity goes somewhat awry as they fight and push their friendships to breaking point, all whilst a nearby old man watches from his house and remembers the house's past.
The novel feels like a cross between Skins and an Iain Banks novel given an Irish setting, with the hotheadedness of youth combined with a strange house and nearby lake. The action takes place entirely over one weekend, but by cutting between the characters, it doesn't feel drawn out. However, the drama falls a little flat and the characters not as compelling as this kind of novel perhaps requires, meaning that though the novel is a decent read, it doesn't feel like it has a lasting effect on the reader.
The novel feels like a cross between Skins and an Iain Banks novel given an Irish setting, with the hotheadedness of youth combined with a strange house and nearby lake. The action takes place entirely over one weekend, but by cutting between the characters, it doesn't feel drawn out. However, the drama falls a little flat and the characters not as compelling as this kind of novel perhaps requires, meaning that though the novel is a decent read, it doesn't feel like it has a lasting effect on the reader.
August 19, 2018
While I really enjoyed reading this story (and I took my time with it), I have to admit not much happened and it almost felt like a play. Yes, there was a resolution of sorts, but one character in particular got the short end of the stick.
Having said that, this was much better than I anticipated from a first time author (who I read for a very specific reason...). He's a great writer, which was a pleasant suprise. The story follows 7 characters and they were all so well done, even if more than half of them were unlikable in some way.
I had a sense of dread throughout the book–what terrible thing would happen?–but the event didn't arrive in the way I expected. A terrible thing did happen to someone, but it felt like a dramatic addition to add some pizzazz. I wasn't wild about that.
Even still, a good read about selfish youths. Some grew, some didn't. But it seemed real!
Having said that, this was much better than I anticipated from a first time author (who I read for a very specific reason...). He's a great writer, which was a pleasant suprise. The story follows 7 characters and they were all so well done, even if more than half of them were unlikable in some way.
I had a sense of dread throughout the book–what terrible thing would happen?–but the event didn't arrive in the way I expected. A terrible thing did happen to someone, but it felt like a dramatic addition to add some pizzazz. I wasn't wild about that.
Even still, a good read about selfish youths. Some grew, some didn't. But it seemed real!
December 21, 2025
I have absolutely no idea what the point of this story is.
It started our promising but soon became boring.
The attempt at back story for JJ and Steph fell flat because there were too many characters in the narrative and not enough air time to go into detail.
It was difficult to read so many lines of quick-fire dialogue, as it wasn't clear who was speaking. I often had to go back to the start of the dialogue and track each comment!
Malachy's story was weird and just didn't go anywhere; not enough to warrant that ending anyway.
I skimmed the second half.
It started our promising but soon became boring.
The attempt at back story for JJ and Steph fell flat because there were too many characters in the narrative and not enough air time to go into detail.
It was difficult to read so many lines of quick-fire dialogue, as it wasn't clear who was speaking. I often had to go back to the start of the dialogue and track each comment!
Malachy's story was weird and just didn't go anywhere; not enough to warrant that ending anyway.
I skimmed the second half.
August 11, 2017
When I started reading this book, I found it hard to sympathise with the main characters and found the short chapters hard to get used to. By the end, though, I was hooked. This book is painfully honest about the anxieties of growing up and finding a place in the world and is unflinching in its portrayal of the damage we do to each other without realising. Uncomfortable reading at times but leaves you thinking a long time afterwards.
June 12, 2017
Being in my 50s, the theme of the novel is nothing to me, really, but I gave it five stars because of the quality of the writing, despite the 'annoying' aspect of each chapter being written by a different character (every modern novel seems to follow the same structure!). Anyway, a writer to follow...
February 21, 2017
Absolutely loved it- very gripping and interesting story. Could barely put it down.
April 2, 2020
I loved it so much I couldn't put it down from the minute I started to read it. The story was deep and unpredictable. I hope to read more from such an amazing author like Rory Gleeson!
April 8, 2025
Not for me unfortunately. Found it dragged and predictable. Had high hopes because the gleeson family are so talented but didn't translate here. Wanted 1.5 stars but rounded up.
March 20, 2017
I was looking forward to reading this as the write up sounded promising.
Indeed it started very well - 6 very different young people stay at the Lodge.
They'd got enough money for food, drink and petrol for a 2 night stay and were hoping to have a good time.
Unfortunately the characters and their backgrounds were not believable. I didn't warm to any of them.
The f word peppered throughout the story didn't endear itself to me either, most unnecessary.
Sad to say I didn't finish the book so don't know how it all ended.
I was given a digital copy of this book by the publisher John Murray Press via Netgalley in return for an honest unbiased review.
Indeed it started very well - 6 very different young people stay at the Lodge.
They'd got enough money for food, drink and petrol for a 2 night stay and were hoping to have a good time.
Unfortunately the characters and their backgrounds were not believable. I didn't warm to any of them.
The f word peppered throughout the story didn't endear itself to me either, most unnecessary.
Sad to say I didn't finish the book so don't know how it all ended.
I was given a digital copy of this book by the publisher John Murray Press via Netgalley in return for an honest unbiased review.
February 19, 2017
Reviews can also be found on my blog Escapades of a Bookworm
I really wanted to like this book. A teenage weekend away that doesn’t go to plan. This weekend is an opportunity to become closer as friends and find out who they truly are. Instead we end up with a bunch of self-pitying, selfish and unlikable people.
Each character takes turns telling a chapter. Each moaning about something. And each refusing to have any morals and just going for what they want. Also everything is in the third person, there is no direct speech or speech marks. Making for a confusing time every page. Which to be honest really frustrated me. I just felt that I couldn’t get into this book and really get to know the characters.
And it felt like reading a script. Impossible to know who was talking and using up too much concentration. And after a while I felt that I really didn’t care who it was. Pathetic and whiny. These teenagers don’t know what they want in life and who they want to be. None of them really face up to their problems or accept that there they have issues. Lucy, the alcoholic in this story, keeps drinking despite being told multiple times to stop. Merc hates being humiliated and seeks revenge in a brutal fashion. Only JJ seems keen to change and he has no personality.
I just couldn’t care less. And waiting for something to happen was horrendously slow. And when things, finally happened it was such a let down, that I don’t know why I bothered to read Rockadoon Shore.
This may appeal to many people, but if you are looking for a bit of escapism and an intriguing story then this certainty is not the book for you.
I really wanted to like this book. A teenage weekend away that doesn’t go to plan. This weekend is an opportunity to become closer as friends and find out who they truly are. Instead we end up with a bunch of self-pitying, selfish and unlikable people.
Each character takes turns telling a chapter. Each moaning about something. And each refusing to have any morals and just going for what they want. Also everything is in the third person, there is no direct speech or speech marks. Making for a confusing time every page. Which to be honest really frustrated me. I just felt that I couldn’t get into this book and really get to know the characters.
And it felt like reading a script. Impossible to know who was talking and using up too much concentration. And after a while I felt that I really didn’t care who it was. Pathetic and whiny. These teenagers don’t know what they want in life and who they want to be. None of them really face up to their problems or accept that there they have issues. Lucy, the alcoholic in this story, keeps drinking despite being told multiple times to stop. Merc hates being humiliated and seeks revenge in a brutal fashion. Only JJ seems keen to change and he has no personality.
I just couldn’t care less. And waiting for something to happen was horrendously slow. And when things, finally happened it was such a let down, that I don’t know why I bothered to read Rockadoon Shore.
This may appeal to many people, but if you are looking for a bit of escapism and an intriguing story then this certainty is not the book for you.
February 7, 2017
I actually really really enjoyed this book! I tend to shy away from books with a lot of drinking or drugs in them because it makes me uncomfortable, and a lot of the time it's just entirely an idealistic view of college students wanting to have fun.
Rockadoon Shore is a book about 6 friends who go away for a weekend in the Irish countryside. Each of these characters has their own POV, along with a 7th external narrative from a character by the name of Malachy. The book is told in 3rd person but the inclusion of chapters which are alternatingly focused on different characters was a choice that I (unexpectedly) enjoyed. You got to see the varying perspectives of the events throughout and how no friendship can really come without its bumps and flaws.
In a nutshell, this story is about getting drunk, getting high, having sex and broken relationships.
At the beginning of this book, I was convinced that I knew all of the characters pretty well after a few chapters from each of their perspectives. Gleeson was able to encompass a unique physical and mental description for each and every character. They were all different and all viewed their live's in different ways - yet, they were a group of friends that seemed unbreakable.
Not one of the characters really turned out how I expected them to. Their characters arcs were full and meaningful - the exact people I hated at the beginning were the ones I ended up loving the most. This book was written in a way that realistically reflected the unpredictability of life and really how any which way it can go.
The writing was fun and although I did have to grow used to the different way speech was represented it wasn't something that took away from the story. I think the use of a "-" instead of speech marks is probably more common, I just haven't actually read a book with it before!
It really didn't feel like this took place over a weekend for me - so much was filled into the pages of this novel I didn't even notice when I'd gotten to page 200! A brilliantly fast-paced novel about friendship and having fun (even if it doesn't always go the right way).
Rockadoon Shore is a book about 6 friends who go away for a weekend in the Irish countryside. Each of these characters has their own POV, along with a 7th external narrative from a character by the name of Malachy. The book is told in 3rd person but the inclusion of chapters which are alternatingly focused on different characters was a choice that I (unexpectedly) enjoyed. You got to see the varying perspectives of the events throughout and how no friendship can really come without its bumps and flaws.
In a nutshell, this story is about getting drunk, getting high, having sex and broken relationships.
At the beginning of this book, I was convinced that I knew all of the characters pretty well after a few chapters from each of their perspectives. Gleeson was able to encompass a unique physical and mental description for each and every character. They were all different and all viewed their live's in different ways - yet, they were a group of friends that seemed unbreakable.
Not one of the characters really turned out how I expected them to. Their characters arcs were full and meaningful - the exact people I hated at the beginning were the ones I ended up loving the most. This book was written in a way that realistically reflected the unpredictability of life and really how any which way it can go.
The writing was fun and although I did have to grow used to the different way speech was represented it wasn't something that took away from the story. I think the use of a "-" instead of speech marks is probably more common, I just haven't actually read a book with it before!
It really didn't feel like this took place over a weekend for me - so much was filled into the pages of this novel I didn't even notice when I'd gotten to page 200! A brilliantly fast-paced novel about friendship and having fun (even if it doesn't always go the right way).
February 7, 2017
This is going to be a hard review to write, but anyway, here goes.
Please note, I am not looking for sympathy or attention with this review, it’s 100% my thoughts on the book.
In some ways, the book was a reflection on some of the antics my younger sister gets up to, especially in regards to the drinking and drugs.
This book follows 7 main characters. 6 of these characters are a group of college students who have come to Rockadoon for a weekend away. So, what trouble can they cause?
This is a story about sex, drugs & booze, loss and friendships.
There were 2 characters I really felt for in this book. DanDan and Malachy for both different reasons.
Throughout the book, I started to like and dislike DanDan, he is a right tool, especially when it comes to women.
What I liked about the book was that it is well written and is aimed at young adults, although anyone can read this book. I was expecting more but I had to keep reminding my self this was a YA book and therefore, my standards were to high.
What I disliked about the book was when the characters were talking amongst themselves, you have to really concentrate to know who is talking to who, it felt like I was reading from a script.
So whilst this book reflects on some the issues teenagers, college students etc.. go through, it’s not something I would dream of doing. Ever. There are so many different addictions you can have and some more healthier than some.
I hope I haven’t bored you all with my ramblings and I hope that you’ll consider giving this book a read.
Please note, I am not looking for sympathy or attention with this review, it’s 100% my thoughts on the book.
In some ways, the book was a reflection on some of the antics my younger sister gets up to, especially in regards to the drinking and drugs.
This book follows 7 main characters. 6 of these characters are a group of college students who have come to Rockadoon for a weekend away. So, what trouble can they cause?
This is a story about sex, drugs & booze, loss and friendships.
There were 2 characters I really felt for in this book. DanDan and Malachy for both different reasons.
Throughout the book, I started to like and dislike DanDan, he is a right tool, especially when it comes to women.
What I liked about the book was that it is well written and is aimed at young adults, although anyone can read this book. I was expecting more but I had to keep reminding my self this was a YA book and therefore, my standards were to high.
What I disliked about the book was when the characters were talking amongst themselves, you have to really concentrate to know who is talking to who, it felt like I was reading from a script.
So whilst this book reflects on some the issues teenagers, college students etc.. go through, it’s not something I would dream of doing. Ever. There are so many different addictions you can have and some more healthier than some.
I hope I haven’t bored you all with my ramblings and I hope that you’ll consider giving this book a read.
February 14, 2017
Very disappointing. I did want to love it. The publisher's should recommended that booksellers apply a young adult sticker to the front cover.
January 19, 2017
Got this via a Goodreads giveaway. It's a well written and nicely observed book about a group of 'friends' and all the action takes place in one weekend away. Some of the self obsession of youth really resonated for me - both what I've observed and experienced. The addition of an external observer both adds to the story - and at times pulled me away from it a bit, just as the intensity was building. Having said that a cruel but beautiful observation of how people are at times with themselves and each other - well worth a read.
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February 1, 2017One that makes you think do we know our friends? secrets, lies, truths unsaid, isolation and how it affects us, all told over one weekend of throw away sex, drugs and planty of booze. Loved it!
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