'A clever multiple-narrative account of teenage kicks and sectarian strife in early 80s Northern Ireland . . . this debut marks out Quigley as a writer of compassion and humour' Guardian
The end of the school year is approaching, and siblings Paddy and Liz McLaughlin, Christy Meehan, Kevin Thompson and their friends will soon have to decide what they're going to do with the rest of their lives. But it's hard to focus when there's the allure of their favourite hangout place, the dingy 'Cave', where they go to drink and flirt and smoke. Most days, Christy, Paddy and Kevin lie around listening to Dexys and Joy Division. Through a fog of marijuana, beer and budding romance, the future is distant and unreal.
But this is Derry in 1981, and they can't ignore the turmoil of the outside world. A friend is killed, and Christy and Paddy, stunned out of their stupor, take matters into their own hands. Some choices are irreversible, and choosing to fight will take hold of their lives in ways they never imagined.
With humour and compassion, Geraldine Quigley reveals the sometimes slippery reasons behind the decisions we make, and the unexpected and intractable ways they shape our lives.
'A novel that is warm but also unsettling and exhilarating. That's some feat' Roddy Doyle
'A poignant and powerful coming-of-age story' Sunday Mirror
Imprint: Penguin
Published: 10/01/2019
ISBN: 9780241354148
Length: 288 Pages
RRP: £8.99
Warm but also unsettling and exhilarating. That's some feat, but Geraldine Quigley has managed to make it seem easy
A clever, compassionate and humorous look at teenage kicks and sectarian strife in early 80s Northern Ireland
A sensitive and powerful coming-of-age novel
Worth checking out for its loving attention to how it feels to be young and in love in a time of turmoil
A poignant and powerful coming-of-age story
A vivid debut. Geraldine's depiction of what could draw ordinary kids into a paramilitary organisation feels utterly convincing . . . her dialogue feels sparky and alive
A classic coming of age tale . . . pitch perfect
A beguiling, confident debut
Both funny and moving, Music Love Drugs War is a poignant coming-of-age novel ... pitches tender depictions of friendship and love against the stark backdrop of war, hunger strikes, rioting and plastic bullets
If you happened to like Derry Girls, you're in for a treat with Music Love Drugs War