I was blown away by this novel, a telling of a young man's struggle to redirect the path his life has taken. Sean forged his way through school in Belfast, journeyed to Liverpool to get his degree in English Lit, and returned home only to find himself tangled up in a world without opportunity. Things get worse when he finds himself on trial for assaulting a guy at a party, his first brush with the law. The setting is Belfast after The Troubles, an era that was supposed to hold so much promise.

What a beautiful world this will be
What a glorious time to be free-- Donald Fagen

Sean is having difficulty keeping even the most menial job, faces eviction from his dilapidated flat, and is having a hard time imagining a future beyond the vodka-and-cocaine-filled nightly parties. His best friend Ryan is urging Sean to escape with him to Australia. His love interest, Mairead, may be seeing someone else and is planning her own escape--to Berlin. Everyone's option is escaping-- traditionally the only alternative in Irish culture.

Recently, in reviewing plotlines of Irish works such as this one, or Donal Ryan's "Queen of Dirt Island," or Colin Barrett's "Homesickness," I realize they may sound bleak and filled with desperation. Each of these books, however, are fueled with tremendous humor and hope. "Close to Home" presents us with a young man determined to take accountability for his actions and formulate his own future.

Thank you to Michael Magee, in his first novel, for giving a portrayal of post-Troubles Belfast.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

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