The Cantankerous Molly Darling

by Alvy Carragher

Perfect for fans of Louise Rennison!

Molly Darling wants life to be as simple as wellies and porridge - this is rural Ireland after all. Instead, Mum's hiding in the attic; Dad's run away, leaving only a PowerPoint to explain; her sister has a ham sandwich for a fianc�; there's a boy and THE silence; her BFF will stop at nothing to go viral; and the chickens are missing. It's enough to make any girl cantankerous. But she'll fix it all. Easy, right?

Genres: Family, Young Adult, Contemporary

384 pages, Paperback

Published June 6, 2019

Reviews

[Amanda Paget · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was endearingly ridiculous.
Molly's family is incredibly dysfunctional. Her mum is selfish and her sister is trying to be something she is not.
Molly is trying her best to go with flow... However through a series of unfortunate events she ends up being a criminal vegan who drinks vinegar at activist meetings.
This book was laugh out loud funny - Molly understands the ridiculousness of her situation and sort of just embraces it. But the story also delves into actual issues and it does this really well. Molly's family is broken, her best friend cares a lot about how she is perceived on social media, and she faces bullies.
This makes the story feel relatable. This stuff happens to everyone and it is not really okay but you get through it.
What I can't relate to is a bloke called Fiachra... I understand it's gaelic (because I had to google how to say it) but I don't think I could date a guy called Fiachra and say his name with a straight face. Sorry Fiachra... I'm sure you'll love him.
Definitely one of my favourite books this year - I have already agressively forced someone else to borrow it and read it.

[zoeduck · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love the words

[amb ☽☾ · Rating 2 out of 5]

⭐️1.75

Somehow, from the blurb I didn’t gather that the main character is 14 years old. So that was a big disappointment. Most of the characters aren’t even remotely likable, except for the mom’s boyfriend (who’s obviously hated by the main character for no reason), and the dad’s girlfriend. The word ‘cantankerous’ gets forced into random conversations, as if the author had to add them in later to justify the title. I also wish the author’d made more use of the Irish setting of the book - there’s so much culture there, why not include it in the story? Except for the Irish lessons in school, the book could have taken place in any random country in the world. Tess, the main character’s best friend, is so obsessed with going viral that every breath she takes is for that sole purpose. Nothing she does is genuine and she’s a shit friend, but somehow the main character feels like she’s the one who should apologize. Lastly, some very terrible things were forgiven way too easily. It’s okay to not forgive someone who did something horrible to you, you know.

But really, is NOBODY gonna mention the sisters called “Molly and Polly”?!?! NOBODY????

[Amy (Golden Books Girl) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the story of the eponymous Molly Darling, a girl who lives on a farm in rural Ireland and whose family has been pretty much shattered by her dad leaving them, which is made even worse by the fact that he only leaves a Powerpoint as his explanation. Now, a while later, her sister Polly is marrying someone neither Molly or her mum approves of, and Molly’s beloved chickens have vanished, and it is three threads that make up the majority of the plot. I really liked Molly and the various members of her family who are very complicated but still loving, her friend Tess is brilliant , Claire is great as an adversary and I had a very soft spot for Fiachra- in short, this book has an excellent ensemble cast as well as a thoroughly likable protagonist. The rural Irish setting is a lot of fun, the plot zips along at a great pace both in terms of the family drama side of things and the attempts to rescue Molly’s chickens and I think it struck a great balance between the more serious things that are worrying Molly and the madcap humour of other parts. Something else I loved about this was how much it reminded me of books like the Electra Brown books and also a bit of the Ally’s World series, which is quite individual to me of course, but I imagine it would provoke similar feelings based on a similar series you’ve read, such as Georgia Nicholson for example. This would definitely be a good choice if you’re looking for something to make you laugh every time you curl up with it, and also something where you’ll adore the characters! 4.5/5

[Kirsty Stanley · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars

This is such a fun book, from the very first line you know you are going to be in for something different.

The Molly Darling of the title is an Irish teen who has every right to be cantankerous. She lives on a run down farm, her parents are separated, her mum is throwing herself into her art and her new boyfriend, and neglecting Molly and her sister Polly.

To top it off Molly’s pet chickens have “just disappeared”. The chickens were the only bit of normality in her life, giving her companionship and routine. And they form much more of the plot than you might be expecting. Like Molly, and everyone on social media, you will fall in love with Lady Macbeth the rooster that is at heart a chicken. Will they get their peaceful ever after?

Mum’s new boyfriend happens to be the father of one of the hot boys in school and complicated relationships with boys, friends, enemies and veganism abound. Polly’s imminent wedding brings their absent father back into the mix too!

The rural setting of the farm gives a unique backdrop to daring chicken rescues, activist meetings in a chicken shed and a family farm house with a teetering Great Wall of Books on the stairs. With the addition of viral and doctored social media videos you just know the peace and tranquility is going to be toppled.

Alvy Carragher writes with wit, warmth and humour and this book is just simply a joy to read.

Thanks to Laura and Chicken House Books for my #gifted copy for the purposes of an honest review.

[Eve L-A Witherington · Rating 4 out of 5]

All Molly wants in life is her beloved chickens to be safe, her dad to never have left, her mum to have kept up running their farm and her sister not to marry a boring guy who's nothing like the real her.



Instead, Molly faces stealing back her beloved chicken becoming a vegan trying to get said chickens back and getting her sisters ex boyfriend to come back to maybe stop her sister making the biggest mistake of her life.



Meanwhile she has to deal with her now arty mum having a boyfriend, then her dad shows up for her sisters wedding, awkward.



Welcome to the life of Molly Darling, nothing is as it seems, a little bit crazy but a whole lot of fun!



Molly is a fun and caring character and I loved this book so much especially being set in Ireland and her feisty nature not willing to give up on her chickens despite anything! It was refreshing to read a YA without a love story being the main focus and instead the love for a pet, I can relate!

[Giulia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I haven't read YA fiction in a while but from the first few lines, I knew I was going to enjoy the adventurous of Molly Darling, her wacky family, and friends (and how can I forget - her chickens!) Although there are a good three plots going on, the story greatly merges all of them to create a heartfelt and humorous tale. Alvy Carragher's writing is witty, smart and humorous.

I also enjoyed that Alvy Carragher highlights the use of 'modern' language, where Molly and her friends would use phrases as "can't even", even though at moments I cringed, it is a reality that most people (myself included) constantly change and modify the way we communicate and I appreciated that Carragher brought this out (maybe unintentionally, but as an ex-English student, sometimes I over-analyze!)
Anyone looking for a book to dig into, to laugh and enjoy this book is just the one :)

[Sandy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a book full of adventures about Molly and the chickens. Molly’s family is all out of kilter since her parents split. But somehow her Mum has zoned Molly and her older sister out. She is doing her own thing and not realising how much she needs to take notice. Molly ‘s solace is her chickens.
But one morning they aren’t there...and life gets seriously out of control. To top it all off, her sister Polly is on one of her cleaning binges. And she tells Molly she is getting married on Saturday!...To her boyfriend who everybody knows is Not right, for one thing he is always going on about Mammy says this and Mammy says that. And of course Molly’s Mum doesn’t know.
So all the worrying about Polly and all the increasingly weird stuff about the chickens are building up and up on Molly’s shoulders.

[Margaret · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was very middle of the road for me, some bits I found hilarious and others were a little boring. I was ridiculously happy with the chicken outcome and I loved how devoted Molly was to all of them. I liked seeing Molly, Polly and their mum's different ways of dealing with their dad leaving - I can't say I agree with what Anne and Polly did. I didn't really enjoy the romance though because it felt like it came out of nowhere. I was under the impression that Molly and Fiachra didn't really like each other but were made to just so that there was a romance.

[Lea · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book made me feel like a teen again! The suspected love triangles, the family turmoil, the feeling that nobody else Understands what I’m going through. There were many laugh-out-loud moments in this story as interpersonal tensions build and unfold. I appreciate the consistently critical mind of this endearing young girl, juggling wacky and real struggles day after day, all while keeping an open heart for her family and of course, those dear chickens!

[Tom Rowley · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a wonderful book - funny, charming, wise and moving. The storytelling is effortlessly good, the characters really pop instantly. I ended up finishing it in a day and a half, as the momentum of the story was so well paced. I'd very much recommend it, even if you feel like you're older than the target audience.

[jessica]

DNF'd at around the 100 page mark. Wasn't bad by any means. A funny, contemporary, YA family drama that I'd recommend to fans of Caitlin Moran. At best, it would have gotten 3 stars from me. I have far too many unread books on my shelves to finish one I'm just going to find 'alright'. And to be quite honest, I only bought this because the eponymous protagonist has the same surname as I do...

[Elly · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's a bit like a early Cathy Cassidy book with %20 more crack. (In a good way) there's lots of chickens. I want a count of how many times the word chicken is used in this book.
A fun, easy read.

[Linden · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5
Very cute!!! Mud and rain, chickens and donkeys, tea and cake. Family changes and growing up. Sweet.

[molly · Rating 4 out of 5]

pretty damn cute. her and f___ took FAR TOO LONG to get together. the ending wrapped it up all nice and I’m happy about that ending. I ended up getting pretty attached to Brian. who’d have thought.

[Emeline · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing book. I couldn't put it down. I am a fantasy sort of person, but I still loved it!

[m · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25 ⭐

[Mary Judy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Alvy Carragher has really captures the essence of life as a teenage girl in rural Ireland with a wink, a gasp and laugh-out-loud humour. Molly is a clever, funny, exasperated character caught in the middle of family drama (and as it turns out, a bit of a crime spree) whose voice rings clear as a bell and feelings that are endlessly easy to identify with. She has a fine eye for observation and a strong sense of the ridiculousness of her situation as all the family and social dramas that have been simmering under the surface erupt one after another. The inclusion of the contemporary passion for putting everything on the internet display with great accuracy that nothing, absolutely nothing is private anymore. And it can all be doctored to suit prevailing impressions. All in a small rural Irish community; but hey, if it can happen there...With a rolling pace, many twists and turns and a real sense of honesty and humour, the story is simply impossible to put down. The sense of adventure, mystery and deeds of ne'er-do-well add to the drama and the hilarity as poor, cantankerous Molly just wants to get her chickens back and live a normal life! Perfect for fans of Louise Rennisons' Georgia Nicholson books and Helen Baileys' Electra Brown books. Funny, well-written, just brilliant and very insightful.