The Carnival at Bray

This was my final read in the Morrison finalist award of The Hub Challenge and oh was it so, so GOOD! I rooted for Maggie as she traversed the many ups and downs of her sixteenth year. Uprooted from Chicago and jettisoned to Ireland, due to yet another one of her mother's marriages (failed relationship, results in another union), Maggie mourns leaving her grandmother, Ei, and her beloved godfather-uncle musician, Kevin. But life in Ireland holds surprises for Maggie-a constant friendship with nonagenarian, Dan Sean, falling deeply and truly in love with Eoin, questioning her relationship with her mother, and ultimately dealing with unbearable loss, all the while questioning who she really is. Maggie's voice was honest and full of contradictions. While she yearns for peace, a normal family, and acceptance--Maggie can't forget what her Uncle Kevin wrote: "Live and then Live some more." With Kurt Cobain tickets in hand from Uncle Kevin, Maggie embarks on a life changing adventure. I recommend this book for adults (adults will really get what Maggie (teens) wrestles with) and young adults will love the drama, angst, and romance of first love. Maggie is one rockin' protagonist, I will not forget!

The setting and the characters shine in this book. I want to know the characters and I want to visit Ireland (and the other locations). I'm not a huge music fan and wasn't into Nirvana, but the author made me understand the obsession some have with music.

Foley's language sparkles as the characters engage us and sweep us along with them in the events of this fast-paced story. This author really nails the settings of both the north side of Chicago and the east coast of Ireland, vividly bringing to life the smells, sounds, and weather peculiarities of these unique worlds.I hope this book crosses over into the adult market. Though it is certainly a coming-of-age novel that will appeal to the older young adult reader, its themes are universal. Foley's brilliant writing made it a great read for this grandmother!

Great plot with brilliant characters. Could have gone even deeper on the emotional side. I wanted to know more about what all of the characters were feeling, especially Eoin.

The Carnival at Bray weaves a story of love and friendship in the sophisticated, yet, very real voice of Maggie Lynch. Foley brilliantly tells the story of young Maggie Lynch who personifies every teenager's angsts- fitting in, finding love, rebellion, navigating friendships and becoming an adult. The story effortlessly takes us on this teenager's journey while providing delightful nostalgia for those of us lucky enough to be teens in the 90's. This page turner is so honest and real that I easily found myself transported and deeply immersed, something every good novel should provide its readers.

There's a magic in the pages of this novel that fills the reader with wonder as we follow young Maggie through a year in her life as a transplant to the seaside town of Bray so much so that one can almost smell the peat fires and hear the lilting voices of County Wicklow. Beautifully written, completely absorbing, and dramatically told, Jessie Ann Foley has carved out a spot for herself on my bookshelf for all time. I know that I'll be buying this book for nieces this Christmas and for years to come.

This book was fabulous! Carnival at Bray made me laugh and cry. I read this book standing up in my kitchen cooking for my three small kids because I couldn't put it down. Maggie's experiences of love, vulnerability, awkwardness, curiosity, and loss brought me back to my adolescence. Jessie Foley has an uncanny way of developing characters and settings. I found myself rereading sentences because they were so creative and utterly amusing. Carnival at Bray was an amazing heartwarming read. I'm so sad it's over.

This book was amazingly written. Between the development of characters, the mesmerizing prose and the story itself, it's clear that Jessie is going to be a writer that captivates audiences for a really long time. The cultural references of the time and the angst of the characters, I was brought back to my own high school experience. This novel is a great read for teens figuring out who they are, and adults who enjoy a great read and reliving their youth. Five Stars!