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Making Turquoise

Claire McFall (Goodreads Author)

4.50 · Rating details · 32 ratings · 29 reviews

**All proceeds from the sale of this book up to 31/07/2020 will be donated to food banks dealing with the devastating effects of the coronavirus. **

Liam

Hayley, she just doesn’t get it. Doesn’t get that doors which are open for her, are closed for me. Doesn’t get that I’m following in my dad’s footsteps, Aiden’s footsteps, even if the shoes don’t fit. She tells me we can be ...more

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Published April 10th 2020 by Claire McFall

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· 32 ratings · 29 reviews

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Sep 16, 2020 Michele rated it it was amazing

Shelves: netgalley, 2020-reads, arc, after-heartbreak, abuse, 2nd-chance-romances, another-country, bully, coming-of-age, friends-to-lovers

4 1/2 Colorful Stars!

Making Turquoise ....what a wonderfully written story. Green + Blue = Turquoise and it's such a beautiful color. Sadly, in this book, people didn't want "Green" and "Blue" to mix. They were very polarized. If you were Green, you didn't hang out with Blue and you certainly didn't start a romance with one. Apparently Green and Blue correlate to which football team you support and the rivalry is extreme..

Hayley and Liam meet when they are eleven and become friends. They dr ...more

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Apr 18, 2020 Savannah Worman (Sav’s Review) rated it really liked it

Making Turquoise is a modern day Romeo and Juliet. This book is gritty, painful, and also hopeful. It leaves the reader feeling a bit of sorrow but also faith that life will get better.

This book is mainly about Hayley and Liam. They grow up as friends and fall in love, but their relationship faces many hardships, such as classism, rivalry, and loss. But, when it seems like they couldn’t get further from each other, Hayley’s brother, Callum, is murdered. The two prime suspects are Aiden, Liam’s b ...more

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Apr 08, 2020 Laura rated it it was amazing

From onceuponapageturn.blogspot.com :
Claire McFall’s "Making Turquoise" is a beautifully written and heart-breaking story, a mix of Y.A. contemporary fiction, romance, social injustice and domestic abuse. It follows Hayley Thomson, a sheltered yet rebellious girl from a Protestant (or “Blue”) family and her best friend, Liam McGaffney, a kind-hearted and similarly rebellious boy from a Catholic (“Green”) background. From the very beginning, their friendship is met with judgement and prejudice a From onceuponapageturn.blogspot.com :
Claire McFall’s "Making Turquoise" is a beautifully written and heart-breaking story, a mix of Y.A. contemporary fiction, romance, social injustice and domestic abuse. It follows Hayley Thomson, a sheltered yet rebellious girl from a Protestant (or “Blue”) family and her best friend, Liam McGaffney, a kind-hearted and similarly rebellious boy from a Catholic (“Green”) background. From the very beginning, their friendship is met with judgement and prejudice and they find themselves ripped apart on more than one occasion. They struggle to find their way back to each other but sometimes prejudice and family hostility are too much to overcome. McFall’s novel is one of love, family and obligation. It’s a journey filled with struggle and hardship but it also does a fantastic job of tackling social issues in a way that has rarely been done before in this genre.

One of the main strengths of this novel is the characterisation, but particularly the character development. Many of the major characters start off in a weak, if not feeble condition. They are oppressed by the ones they love; they are victims of abuse, prejudice or poor socio-economic conditions. But despite these circumstances, they overcome their struggle. They take their hardships in their stride and they grow. Let’s look at Hayley Thomson, our sheltered yet rebellious heroine. When the story begins, Hayley is living under the guidance of her strict and controlling parents and seems to be the root of her brother Callum’s annoyances. Her age and naivety prompt others to look upon her with judgement and harsh criticism and quite frequently, she finds herself losing control and being moulded into the perfect “Hun” (Protestant). However, as the story progresses, Hayley learns to grow and fights back against the violent and abusive forces that try to control her. Her bravery only strengthens as the novel goes on and she eventually grows into a confident, strong and inspiring young woman.

Her twin brother, Callum, undergoes a similar journey. He evolves from a petulant, dismissive teenage boy to a loving and concerned brother. While he was initially dismissive and resentful of Hayley, he learns to understand his sister’s feelings and emotions. Though he disagrees with her personal choices, he defends them publicly and puts his sister above all else in his life, including his relationships, friends and future. Callum is a great character and his character development aids the development of many relationships in the novel as well as the overall plot.

While these characters are admirable and inspiring, it is the character of Liam McGaffney that is sure to steal reader’s hearts. When Liam first meets Hayley, he establishes his character as the hero-type and a confidante for Hayley, something that only grows as the plot develops. However, Liam is limited by his family. While Hayley is a source of comfort in his lonely life, Liam lives under the thumb of his violent and erratic older brother, Aiden. He is held back by his family and socio-economic background but particularly his religious associations. As a Catholic, or a “Green” or “Tim”, Liam is viewed, in his town, with intense scrutiny and hostility. He is a regular victim of verbal and, quite often, physical abuse and is met with prejudice not only in the town but also by Hayley’s family. However, despite these struggles, Liam presses forward. He fights to stay afloat, to stay out of trouble and more importantly, to keep Hayley safe and in his life. As the book goes on, he learns to defy the odds and stand up against the social injustices he faces, establishing for himself a strong and proud character.

One of the most important parts of this novel is its ability to tackle important social issues. From the outset, McFall highlights the dangers of sectarian violence and the impact it can particularly have on young minds and in a social setting. She shows that religious persecution is barbaric and prejudice can only lead to division and hardship. She also very delicately handles the issues of teenage pregnancy and abortion, but I won’t say much more on that. However, McFall highlights the importance of choice and emphasises that a woman’s body is her own and she has every right to control it. Drug usage, violence, emotional, physical and sexual abuse are also handled rather well in the novel, while also maintaining the innocence and hopefulness of typical Y.A. novels.

Usually, I would make a recommendation or suggest something the author could have done differently but quite frankly, I’m stumped. This is a great novel and is sure to appeal to fans of Y.A., romance and contemporary fiction. With similarities to "Where Rainbows End" by Cecilia Ahern or "The Secret of Callie and Kayden" by Jessica Sorensen, "Making Turquoise" is beautiful and addictive and it will remind readers of the importance of tolerance, especially in trying times like these.

All in all, 10/10. ...more

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Nov 03, 2020 Jamie Rose added it

Shelves: read-2020, arcs

The book paints a pretty grim picture of life in the Glasgow neighbourhood where it's set, with tensions between Protestants and Catholics, poverty, violence, drugs and crime all having a strong influence on the characters' growth and choices. As a setting for a forbidden love story, it's got all the ingredients, and I really felt for the characters as they navigated one pain and unfairness after another. I found the pacing a little off, with perhaps too much time & attention spent on the younge ...more

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Apr 10, 2020 Causette de Maman rated it it was amazing

Today I wish to make you discover a rather special new e-book as
All proceeds from this book up to 31/07/2020 will be donated to food banks to help in the face of the devastating effect of the coronavirus.
I decided to help get this novel known as widely as possible
My summary of the book :
Liam and Hayley meet each other when they are 11. They live in a small town near Glasgow. They immediately become friends. BUT they belong to two differnt worlds, two ennemy clans.
Hayley is from a protestant “blu ...more

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May 20, 2020 Alexys_Tenshi rated it it was amazing

Shelves: netgalley, pdf

**I received this arc in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley**

I don't know how describe this book. I've finished it in one day and it made me cry.

Making Turquoise tells about Hayley Thomson and Liam McGaffney, their friendship, their love, their problems... like a modern Romeo & Juliet.

From the beginning I was intrigued by the events. You start from the final and you go back in time, to when the protagonists are 11 years old to adulthood. (21y/o).
Hayley is from a protestant “blue-nose” ...more

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Apr 12, 2020 Jeff Bowles rated it it was amazing

I was really impressed by this book. I enjoyed it quite a bit, and I think it's wonderful the author chose to donate her proceeds to COVID-19 relief up through the end of July 2020. That's an incredibly good cause for an incredibly good book.

What I really liked most about "Making Turquoise" was just how unflinching it was in its portrayal of the lives of young people and what it can be like to sort of have to fend for yourself or feel like you're dealing with incredibly serious issues and situa ...more

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Apr 18, 2020 Jessica Reads It rated it it was ok

I received this arc in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley.

Haley and Liam are childhood friends from opposite sides of the track. There is a lot of emphasis on the cultural rifts between the Proddies (posh) and the Tims (poor) reflected in the types of schools, housing, clothing, etc.

Liam has really drawn the short end of the stick with a dad in jail, drug addict brother (Aiden) and an alcoholic mother trying to make ends meet. His relationship with Hayley seems to be the one bright sh ...more

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May 05, 2020 Kate rated it really liked it

Shelves: arcs, fiction, women-authors, young-adult

This book is about the relations between Celtic fans and Rangers fans - or the lack thereof. And unless you know the phrases 'Tim' and 'Hun' (from the blurb) refer to those two things, you are going to be lost for a fair bit of time before this book starts making sense. Luckily though, I've told you, so you will understand slightly better. But rather than me spend my review talking about the intricacies of football club rivalries which you can, and should, do a little reading up on; I'll actuall ...more

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Apr 11, 2020 Caitlin rated it it was amazing

Shelves: bought-in-2020, read-in-2020

Wow. Not only is this such a great cause, but it is an amazing book too. I read the Ferryman series by Claire McFall, and loved it, so I had high expectations going into this one and I wasn't disappointed. It deals with more mature themes than the Ferryman series, such as teen pregnancy and drug usage, so I would say to take that into account before going into the book, but I highly recommend that you read it. It starts off with what is, in effect, the main event of the book, but then it goes ba ...more

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Jun 20, 2020 Abbey Wilson rated it it was amazing

Thank you Netgalley for another fantastic read.
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Making Turquoise by Claire McFall is this generations modern twist on a Romeo & Juliet style of love story. Told from the viewpoints of twins Hayley and Callum, as well as Aiden and his younger brother Liam, we follow the four from childhood to adolescence and then the cusp of adulthood. Hayley and Liam meet as children but find themselves on opposing sides. Tim vs Hun, blue vs green. But the McGaffney brothers are trouble and the apple doesn't ...more

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May 18, 2020 Lindsay Montague rated it really liked it

Shelves: 2020-releases, ya, netgalley

***TRIGGER WARNING***
Parental abuse, assault, teen pregnancy, abortion, death of a loved one

I think it was really smart to set up the novel by looking at our four characters from the ages of 11 to 21 to see how they grew as people and as they grew in relation to one another. I thought the connection between Liam and Hayley was indescribable, from meeting as pre-teens to their relationship as young adults.

I also really enjoyed the sibling relationship between twins Hayley and Callum. They went t ...more

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May 31, 2020 Christine Boal rated it really liked it

Liam & Hayley have always had a friendship that was dogged by the religious divide in Larkhall, Glasgow. They only see each other as friends but those around them cannot see past Liam being a ‘Tic & Hayley a Hun. As their relationship grows closer things only get worse & there is a downward spiral of threats, intimidation & violence. This culminates in the death of Hayley’s twin brother, Callum, - no spoiler alert since you find this out right at the beginning of the book - but did Liam stab Cal ...more

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Apr 26, 2020 Victoria Williamson rated it it was amazing

This is an insightful and gripping book about teenagers growing up on opposite sides of the invisible but very real divide that lies at the heart of life in Glasgow. Pulling no punches, the realism keeps the reader hooked as the plot unfolds over a decade of the main characters' lives, showing how their choices and opportunities are often shaped and limited by forces outwith their control that dictate whether they are 'blue' or 'green', and therefore who they can befriend, and worse, who they ar ...more

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Apr 25, 2020 Katie rated it it was amazing

The story of two people from different communities falling in love isn't a new one, but Claire gives is a new and exciting twist in Making Turquoise. She portrays the sectarian tension in this book with skill and empathy - these characters aren't bad people, but people who have grown up in communities where sticking with your side is part of the culture, and they don't know any different. When Liam and Hayley fall in love, everyone is against them, and their struggle to make it work keeps you on ...more

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Apr 07, 2020 Chris Bowles rated it it was amazing

Shelves: young-adult

This is for such a good cause, but it's also a great read! It's gritty & hard hitting, I'd say 13+.

Hayley and Liam are from opposite sides of the Sectarian divide. The book begins at Hayley's 21st party, where a tragic event occurs, and then we go back and follow Hayley, Liam, Hayley's twin Callum and Liam's no-good big brother Aiden through their childhood, tracking the insipid influence of bigotry and hate as they strive to grow up in post-industrial Scotland.

The book moves along at a fast p ...more

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Apr 09, 2020 S Ross rated it it was amazing

I really enjoyed reading this. The book starts with a tragedy and then fills in the backstory but it is not predictable. The characters grow on you and you want to see how it ends, even though you know one aspect of the end. The book explores adolescence in all its aspects of "dating" but, more importantly addresses the issue of religious affiliation and the tribal nature of that and the expression in sport. The casual issue of domestic abuse and familial violence is also a thread throughout the ...more

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Apr 10, 2020 Sophie Plowden rated it it was amazing

Making Turquoise is a coming-of-age story. The beginning hits you like a right hook, then shifts to the circumstances - the events, the characters, and the place - that shaped it. Though a sense of foreboding propels the narrative, it's the lives of the four main characters, growing up in the outskirts of sectarian Glasgow, that draw you in. This is a book for young adults and adults alike, that falls somewhere between Irvine Welsh and Romeo and Juliet. It's is a tender, troubling, and uplifting ...more

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Jul 02, 2020 Keerthana N rated it really liked it

Making Turquoise is romantic novel with a whodunit murder twist.
This book discusses and has a trigger warning for drug abuse, physical abuse, murder, abortion, and teen pregnancy.
The writing style is very clever,describing every character's development from their teens to adult age.
The book also depicts the sibling relationship and how it evolved.The ending was super splotchy to me .But overall it is a good read.

Thank you Netgalley,the author and the publisher for giving me an opportunity to re ...more

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Apr 16, 2020 beth {hiatus} F. rated it it was ok

Shelves: netgalley, on-hold-or-dnf

DNF. This is an okay book. The prose is okay, but I had troubles staying interested. The plot was interesting, I think, but it was a slow book. It has alternating POVs, through 4 people, which was pretty confusing, but once I got the hang of it, it was decent, I think.

A few things that concerns me is there is no low reviews (exception of mine) and as soon as I requested the book, the publisher sent it. The second isn't as concerning as the first but it did make me surprised. I do wish that the c ...more

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Apr 13, 2020 Susan Fiddes rated it it was amazing

A gritty tale based in the west of Scotland; fans of Claire McFall will love the questions and issues thrown up by this new novel - themes of love, loyalty, prejudice and religion intertwine with murder in this coming-of-age thriller.

Great cause too - all proceeds go to a food bank charity. Highly recommended reading.

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Apr 14, 2020 Jacqueline Brady rated it it was amazing

A twisty yarn that is set against a dark landscape of bigotry and violence. The lives of Hayley and Liam collide with dire consequences for both of their families. Glasgow’s tribal allegiances pulsate in the back drop of this love story. A gripping narrative that invites the reader to sympathise with the range of characters. We see the many challenges faced by star crossed lovers!

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Apr 08, 2020 Kara Mugleston rated it it was amazing

This book. Wow! It's like Romeo and Juliet meets Outsider. You're drawn in from the very beginning, and there's no way to put it down! So incredible! You feel Hayley's every hope, dream, and heartbreak as if it were your own. So, so fantastic. ...more

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Apr 07, 2020 Claire Marion rated it it was amazing

Shelves: young-adult

What a rollercoaster. Loved it.

Review to come.

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Apr 08, 2020 Cate D rated it it was amazing

Shelves: young-adult

Wow.

This book is pretty hard hitting, but I couldn't stop reading. And I can't decide who I love more: Liam, or Callum.

Both. I love them both. ...more

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Apr 10, 2020 Finlay rated it it was amazing

An amazing portrayal of the real issues caused by sectarianism in Glasgow.

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May 30, 2020 Amy Hutchinson rated it really liked it

This was written in a very interesting way and it was very interesting to see how the characters changed as they aged over time. I lost interest a couple of times but overall it was an enjoyable read

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Apr 13, 2020 Charlie B rated it it was amazing

Shelves: young-adult

Soooooo good. Heartbreaking and brilliant. It's like Romeo and Juliet but set now and in Scotland.

There are some more mature themes, so I think it's for 13+... but if you are over 13, read it! ...more

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Jun 02, 2020 Samantha Kelley rated it it was ok

his book opens up with a classic murder scene and the question of whodunit. Callum Thomson is found murdered at his 21st birthday party, that he shares with his twin sister Hayley. The two suspects are none other than the McGaffney brothers, Liam and Aiden.

Aiden has a history of being a big, fat bully and drug addict who loves to fight. Liam is Hayley's old lover, and old friend. So why would they murder Callum?

This book transports us through the different ages of our four main characters, star his book opens up with a classic murder scene and the question of whodunit. Callum Thomson is found murdered at his 21st birthday party, that he shares with his twin sister Hayley. The two suspects are none other than the McGaffney brothers, Liam and Aiden.

Aiden has a history of being a big, fat bully and drug addict who loves to fight. Liam is Hayley's old lover, and old friend. So why would they murder Callum?

This book transports us through the different ages of our four main characters, starting at 11 years old and ending at 21. Each chapter is a different age and we learn how the four of them are connected, and what happens that year that affects all four of them.

This book is dark. There is no happy ending to this story. There are serious topics discussed and a trigger warning for drug abuse, physical abuse, murder, abortion, and teen pregnancy.

Oh, and it takes place in Scotland, which runs very differently than the US. In Scotland, you can get arrested for having a knife on you, any type of knife, including a pocket knife. Also there is a huge rivalry between Tims and Proddys, which I had no idea what that even meant until I saw a fellow reviewer report that football is basically a religion over there and Tims like the Celtics and Proddys like the Rangers. (Yeah, I have no idea.. it seemed much more political to me than that).

The plot was clever in the fact that I enjoyed seeing how each chapter was a different age for our main characters and seeing how they connected with one another through the events of what happened at that time. I had an issue with the Tics vs. Proddys though. There was no explanation, for a reader like myself who does not know Scottish culture, what this meant. I went in thinking that it had to do with political parties (like Democrats vs. Republicans) and I had to do some research, which did not come up with anything, and had to find out what this meant through other book reviews. That really made me rate this book a little lower because there was no explanation in the plot about this, but yet was a HUGE part of the plot, especially when it came to Liam and Hayley's relationship.

I really enjoyed watching Hayley and Callum's relationship grow through everything that happened to them through each of the years of this book. I also saw a lot of growth in Liam, and his dedication to Hayley was astounding. I was really rooting for them throughout the entire novel.

I am rating this a solid 3. It does not mean that the book is bad, it just means that it was okay for me. Not having an explanation for some things made it hard for me to follow parts of the story, that appeared crucial in many chapters. This book was dark, and it dealt with some pretty heavy topics and I thought that the author did a good job portraying those topics as realistically and delicately at possible.

I liked that the story started and ending with Callum's murder, and the middle was all about how we got to that point and how the four of our main characters were connected. I absolutely hated Aiden, and Claire did a good job at writing him as a villain. ...more

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Stephanie rated it it was amazing
Jul 23, 2020

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About Claire McFall

Claire McFall

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Claire McFall's work is, in essence, all about first love and difficult decisions. Her novels take straightforward romantic narratives and hurl them into unusual and extreme settings, blurring accepted genre boundaries and creating new sub-genres of her own. She then charts her characters' reactions to these unfamiliar situations and the new and confusing feelings that beset them in a hyper-real, ...more