Debbie has various encounters with the psychology and psychiatry services, which she describes thusly.

Eighteen-year-old Debbie was raised on her family’s rural dairy farm, forty minutes and a world away from Dublin. She lives with her mother, Maeve, a skittish woman who takes to her bed for days on end, claims not to know who Debbie’s father is, and believes her dreams are prophecies. Rounding out their small family is Maeve’s brother Billy, who lives in a caravan behind their house, drinks too much, and likes to impersonate famous dead writers online. Though they may have their quirks, the Whites’ fierce love for one another is never in doubt. this is another contemporary, coming of age tale which follows debbie, an 18 year old who lives on a dairy farm as she navigates her 1st year at university, while also trying to handle her eccentric and troubled mother and uncle. if you know me you know i love a coming of age story, so this premise was right up my street. the writing was beautiful and lyrical but also raw, perfectly capturing the mindset of what it’s like to be a young woman figuring out life and trying to survive university (perfect for fans of sally rooney and naosie dolan in that regard). it also had a small magical realism element related to dreams which i definitely think added something unique to the story, even though i do wish it was developed a bit more. i also really enjoyed the irish slang in the dialogue and the exploration of some of the folklore, i found it all so interesting to read about! nealon also touches on several themes in this book too, like mental illness, family dynamics, friendship, identity, alcoholism, the pressure of university, and more.

Little Critter: Going To The Sea Park

Snowflake hat mich in vielerlei Hinsicht positiv überrascht. Am Anfang dachte ich, es wäre die typische Geschichte einer jungen Frau vom Lande, die völlig naiv an die Uni kommt, sich dort zurechtfinden muss und dabei kaum Unterstützung von zu Hause erhält. Das ist es zum Teil auch. Allerdings ist dies nur der äußere Rahmen, denn die Geschichte geht viel tiefer. SO GROSS. There’s also two – TWO! – scenes describing Debbie raw-shaving her pubes. Why did I need to read this once, let alone twice?! She has the internet, she has a MACBOOK (despite her supposed poverty). GOOGLE. IT.

This book is raw, dark and heartwarming all at the same time, and I absolutely loved it. I think Louise Nealon captured a girl on the cusp of the rest of her life so well, this absolute fine line between childhood and adulthood. A girl who absolutely does not know herself at all, does not know how to look after herself, and just needs to be kinder and more understanding to herself in all ways. This is very much a coming of age type novel, interspersed with some magical realism in a way thanks to Debbie and her mother's penchant for prophesising dreams, and Uncle Billy's reputation as a wise man. But is it really magical realism, or just a family with a bloodline that mean they are more sensitive to those around them, and the knowledge of the other plane of the world others have forgotten. Everyone knows St Pats [sic: should be St Pat’s]. It’s the place where alcoholics and anorexics go to surrender.”

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But really, [Alice] shouldn’t belong to anyone, least of all Lewis Carroll. She exists independently of him.’ This is a description of the local therapist in Debbie’s home town. There are so many problems in these two sentences alone. The ONE thing everyone loves? Everyone? And is that really Audrey’s problem? Or is it the problem of the people around her? In addition, this is presented as received wisdom from Debbie’s neighbours. Debbie does not question this in any way. Yet she’s apparently very smart? I guess in the ‘I am very intelligent’ meme sense only. This story can be enjoyed as a fun story about the little snowflake, as an explanation for where snow comes from, and/or as a larger education about the water cycle. I think this is the best book I have seen to teach the water cycle to young children so far! The happy little snowflake and friends bring these lessons in a very approachable way with so much fun. Nealon consistently refuses to use contractions, for no reason. It can’t be in service of rendering accurate Hiberno-English, because that would require more contractions, not less.

Nealon’s writing is sparse and when that’s coupled with a melancholic tone and the Irish setting, the inevitable comparison to Sally Rooney will be made. While i feel like it’s in a league of its own and not all upcoming female Irish writers should be dubbed ‘the next Rooney’, i can see the overlap between the two authors. Snowflake is a note to self to cherish your family and friends - and the moments spend alone with ourselves. Lousie Nealon is an Irish author that you shouldn't miss out on. Aside from the two main reasons I bought this book – supporting Irish authors and keeping up with the zeitgeist – I genuinely thought this might actually hit my buttons. I too was once a sheltered country girl going to the big city for college and feeling horribly lost from day one. However, right from the start I lost sympathy with Debbie. Louise Harland narrated the book and there could not have been a better person. She epitomises Debbie and really brings her character and little quirks to life.

Little Critter—My First I Can Read!™: What a Good Kitty

In an interview with the Irish Times, author Louise Nealon provided the roots of the novel as being personal. When she was 18, she awoke in the middle of the night convinced she was dreaming someone else’s dream. This was immediately dismissed as delusions. In Ireland, psychiatry is not thought of as being necessary, although it’s improving. Nealon wanted to write a story about the silence of mental illness in Ireland because for her, psychiatry didn’t help her, but reading literature did. Even I wasn’t this much of a dope. The ‘exceptionally smart’ Debbie also doesn’t realise she has to register for her course online and has to ask directions to Trinity. From Grafton Street. Um, okay.

The rest of the book is just a series of events in the lives of Debbie’s bipolar mother and depressed uncle. Debbie herself may or may not have mental health issues, but the topic is treated with such disdain and scorn that it’s hard to say where either Nealon comes down on it. It's disturbingly possible that she's on the side of the people who coined the snowflake [derogatory] version of the title.

Little Critter: Just a Big Storm

First, thank you GR friend Peter for reviewing “Snowflake” by Louise Nealon and gushing over her honest representation of the country/farm folk in Kildare County in Ireland. According to Peter, who hails from that area, there is little literature reflecting the lives of the people in that area. One main reason I read is to learn about something I did not previously been acquainted. I wanted to give this novel a shot because I was very curious. This is really very mean. We are not given any context for her being so rude, especially when she states that she was the go-to person for ‘the shift’ all through school. She employed no entry requirements before, so this random dude who knows her by reputation can’t really be blamed for asking. Also ONE PARAGRAPH LATER: Stars | SNOWFLAKE BY LOUISE NEALON is the coming-of-age story you (probably) didn’t know you needed (or maybe you already knew). If you’ve been following my stories, you’d know how much i’d been taken by it - and it’s all for good reasons! What I loved: This book is full of great things- beyond the lessons and educational elements, there are lovely illustrations with animals, diverse children, and plenty of the little snowflake. The text is also rhyming, making it fun to read aloud and listen to. There is also a nice addition of the full cycle at the end of the book that lays out all the text in even simpler terms. While toddlers may not fully understand the process, this makes it easier to grasp and is a great introduction! Veľmi dobre je tu zvládnutá téma dospievania. Nie je to zabalené do cukrovej vaty, proste poukazuje na to, že ten prechod zo strednej na vysokú nie je taký plynulý ako sa zdá. A môže byť miestami dosť krutý. Plus hlavná postava pochádza z dedinky neďaleko veľkého mesta a neskutočne sa mi páčilo ako sa to prelínalo/kontrastovalo spolu.