The storytelling and writing in this book was good. The atmosphere was depicted so well. This book deals a lot with grief. The characters were well developed and believable

The ending slightly let it down, but none the less the book has a greeat mix of characters, all from different walks of life, and it was a page turner for me.

This was a beautiful read, Jan Carson's writing is just as incredible as in Fire Starters, a story told from the heart. I can recommend it if you're already a Jan Carson fan, otherwise... maybe try FS first. This was a bit too preachy for me, the religious tone of the novel outshone its other themes, which I had loved so much more. I love magical realism and don't mind things being left rather unexplained but this was a bit too much left unclear. A good, solid read and an enthralling one too, but not one that will stay in my heart.

This book was fantastic. It depicts a country that had been rocked by civil war for years, with adults who had grown cynical and weary of such events, and youngsters who still don't really get it. It portrayed it all in a mood and location that perfectly captured this overall feeling. It's one of the first books I've read that so subtly but effectively depicts the conflict between the Protestant and Catholic communities in Northern Ireland.

The Raptures by Jan Carson

After my initial feeling that I was reading a YA book and a slight disconnect with some of the narrative perspectives, I ended up thoroughly enjoying this book.
Ballylack in Northern Ireland is a rural community. The ever-present ‘Troubles’ loom menacingly as a backdrop and religious fervour and mis-trust of others abound.
But when a class of ten and eleven year olds start falling desperately ill and dying from a mysterious illness, the often dis-jointed community need to start pulling together.
Hannah Adger is one of the school children whose class-mates are dying. She comes from a heavily religious ‘born again’ family, which already makes her an outsider amongst her peers. Hannah’s family’s answer to the epidemic is 24 hour prayer and fasting.
Avoiding spoilers and ruining the ending - I’ll just say that it’s ALL about personal connections and relationships (Hannah’s relationship with Granda Pete is just beautiful). Life works when these relationships aren’t hindered by outside interferences and the conflicts that religion, politics, fear of the different/unknown bring separate far too many families.
* Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for the ARC.

Great characterisation, funny dialogue, and a brilliant premise. This is going to be a huge hit. What an incredible book – everyone should read it.

I really enjoy Jan Carson's writing so I was very eager to get my hands on this book. I thoroughly enjoyed it. I found it a little predictable at times as I guess what would happen next but I didn't particularly mind as the writing was so good and the story was so engaging. It was on point, it truly reflected real life dilemmas of a pre teen at the time and I have to say I found to be very very, laugh aloud funny at times. We saw the beautiful relationship the lead character Hannah had with her grandad and also the influence that the religious affiliations had on life in northern Ireland as she was growing up. It is a really enjoyable, worthwhile read that I highly recommend.

I had heard wonderful things about this title but unfortunately after persevering several times I could not get into it.

It was a hard concept but really liked the execution! Sad but thought-provoking, really recommend it!

10 year old Hannah lives with her born-again Christian family in a small town in Northern Ireland; she's not allowed to do lots of things her friends do like go to the cinema or to 'pagan' sites like the local wishing tree, but she is used to being on the edge of things, and understands the way it is.
At the end of the summer term, one of her classmates shows signs of a sudden horrible illness which ends in his death. After he passes, Hannah sees him in her house and has a conversation with him but doesn't tell anyone else. People are sad about it but generally move on with their lives, until another child has the same symptoms and ends in the same sad way, They too visit Hannah for a discussion about where they are now and how life is

I found this book fascinating, small town Ireland with long held grudges and loyalties, the religious divide, the influence of religion. the way that the villages treated incomers and how they felt it turn, all in a much more innocent pre-internet world. I didnt know what to expect as it developed, and the ending was unexpected

Definitely recommend

Wow this was a great unique story I loved it. Several children from the same class start dying of a mysterious illness. The only student who seems to be avoiding the effects of the disease is Hannah, a girl from a born-again Christian background. I was drawn in from the very beginning.

i told my mum and dad the plot of this book and i think things like this help them work out why i'm so anxious all of the time

saying that, yes it was a bit sinister and terrifying, these kids dropping down ill, but i actually really liked the small town community, the way they grieved together, turned against outsiders together, reasoned with each other together.

i got really wrapped up in it and there was one really well told part that felt so realistic my heart was in my throat, and yet i was oddly sad that it ultimately ended differently

i've read a few books about the troubles and i quite liked how they were quite far in the distance, still very much there, but this community had other things to worry about atm

Disclaimer: I’m not mad-keen on novels narrated by children, but this one is really special.
What starts as a humorous story of life growing up in Northern Ireland during the Troubles in the 90s, told through the narrator 10-year old Hannah Adger, turns into something much much darker.
The other children in Hannah’s class at school start to fall seriously ill. But what is the cause and will Hannah - from a religious family- be spared?
The characterisation is so strong, the voices so clear and funny, that this a joy to read.
Carson is such an accomplished writer, you’ll feel safe in her hands from page one.
Recommended: a humorous and skilled page-turner.

Another great read from Jan. The Raptures tells the story of a mysterious illness in N.I. in the 90s. It has ghosts, religion, and The Troubles thrown in too! Not one I'll be forgetting quickly.

What a cracking read The Raptures is!

I did an early review on my Instagram of "the first eleven minutes" (it's my thing) and mentioned how totally mesmerised I was with it. I laughed out loud countless times in those opening pages as youngster Hannah Adger (banned from attending the Cinema by her religious parents because the very word begins with "Sin"/Too stressed to attend a classmate's party as it's a Disco and she doesn't know how to dance) describes her life as an 11 year old in early 90s Northern Ireland and the "Troubles" leading up to the infamous "Twelfth" - the anniversary of the Battle of the Boyne.

But after the opening chapter things take an unexpected turn and (as the author commented recently to me) "the first eleven minutes is quite different from the next eleven". So true.

What follows is a curious summer as Hannah's classmates succumb to a mysterious illness and start dropping like flies. What is causing the life-threatening conditions and where has it originated from? And why are her dead friends suddenly appearing to her (older and wiser) to tell them what's up in the afterlife? And even though Hannah hasn't been affected – how long till she is?

It's a really fine piece of writing from Jan Carson dealing with a multitude of issues including the diversity of beliefs within Hannah's family – which almost causes catastrophic consequences.

And even in the afterlife without the barriers of everyday life, things aren't running smoothly for her friends.

If I had to describe The Raptures to anyone in one sentence I'd go for "Derry Girls meets The Sixth Sense". Do yourself a favour and add it to your TBR list.

Yet another masterpiece by Northern Irish writer Jan Carson, one of my favourite contemporary novelists. A strange epidemics that takes the lives of a group of school children in the same class except fo Hannah, who gets to see thir ghosts after their death – a bit older. Veering between the absurdist, the Agatha-Christie-sque detective tale, magic realism, the comedic and the tragic with Carson’s trademark subtle, wry understated dark humour, The Raptures offers a marvellous portrait of a Prostestant town steeped in fanaticism and provincialism, where immigrants are like strange apparitions, as well as of the Ireland of the Troubles and the burden of it all. Carson is a true chronicler of Northern Irish life, visionary and acute. Like in other novels, I love the magic realism element and focus on children as those who bear the brunt of that legacy. Weird and mesmerizing.

My thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Raptures is set in the village of Ballylack in the 90’s and follows eleven year old Hannah Adger, who is looking forward to her summer holidays. However, when her classmate Ross dies due to a violent illness, this summer becomes one like no other. As more children from her class become sick with this mysterious illness, questions arise as to what - or who - is responsible for this, leading to uncertainty and conflict in the village. Hannah experiences guilt as she remains healthy while her classmates become seriously ill. Feeling afraid, she prays. What happens next will force her to question everything she believes.

This book!!! The Raptures provides the reader with such an array of emotions. It felt like a combination of wit, thriller and mystery all wrapped into one book. Carson’s writing had me hooked immediately. Whilst the plot is grim, especially considering the times we are living in, her writing is engaging and thoroughly enjoyable. I became fond of Hannah’s character very quickly. She is filled with so much empathy and I think Carson captured that sense of childhood innocence in her beautifully.

Along with the gripping plot, Carson gives a retrospective examination on the impact of the Troubles (particularly on a small village), as well as issues of race, gender and faith, in such a clever and provoking manner. The way those things weave into the story itself so seamlessly, making this book a captivating read. I don’t want to say any more because I don’t want to give anything away but this is definitely one to watch out for this year!

Huge thank you to DoubleDay & NetGalley for allowing me to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I’m not going to lie, I requested a copy of The Raptures because of the cover. I’m also not lying when I say I am really glad I did. I absolutely loved this book and, unless it’s a really, really, good year for reading, I’m going to go out on a limb and say it will probably make it into my top ten reads for 2022.

Why? The writing is spot on for a start – there wasn’t a word I felt shouldn’t be there. The story is compelling – even though in many ways, nothing happens for whole chunks of time (the anticipation of what was coming next kept me reading). And the characters are fascinating, with lots of quirks that could make them annoying but – instead – makes them real.

I felt at home in Ballylack. I could picture the people, the places, and the terror they were going through as the illness takes hold of their community and starts taking their children. I know I can’t go back there, but I am really glad I got to visit.

Reading The Raptures, I was reminded of The Vegetarian by Han Kang. Not that they are similar in style or subject. But they way they made me feel. Both took me out of myself in a way books rarely do nowadays (probably because I read too much crime fiction, which is formulaic) and reminded me why I love reading.

Highly recommended. Five stars!

"A dead child is always a horrific thing."

And Carson's novel was full of them. But was it a story about "dead children"?
I think not.

The story is set in Ballylack, a small village in Northern Ireland during the era of the Troubles. A class of preparatory school children start showing symptoms of a grave illness and the children die one after another. At some point along the narrative, maybe 20% in, we get to figure out the source of the illness, not because the author tells us, but because—I think— she wants us to figure it out early on. And I wonder, why haven't the families of the rest of the children, who were given the same information as we were, figure it out themselves?

The onset of the story is told by 11 year old Hannah Adger, a girl from a strict Protestant family. We get to take a look at Ballylack from her point of view. It was interesting to tell the truth. Hannah is just starting to figure out the world around her: her community, the Troubles, her strict family dynamics and so on. But save for that first chapter, we swiftly shift onto a third person narrative for the rest of the book except for the very end. And that shift confused me quite a bit. Maybe because the narrator pendulated too much between a bird's eye view on Bally lack and an ant's eye view on some of its inhabitants within the same chapter. Some chapters were really crammed with social commentary and suddenly a detailed description of one character pops up within the lines. Some relationships stood out in the story, like Hannah and her Granda, but many elements incorporated didn't evolve throughout to give meaning to their addition. Take the town's gossipmonger for instance.

"Women like Meta Nugent don't even realize they're telling lies. They begin with the odd exaggeration—something to take the dull edge off their dreary existence— then very quickly loose the run of themselves, adding embellishing and distorting until there isn't a word of truth in what they've said. {...} Meta Nugent actually believes her own claptrap."

But what was Meta Nugent's part in the story? What did she maliciously or inadvertently do?

What I believe the author was bent on doing here is to explore the small town dynamics in Northern Ireland; she tries to convey the nuances of Northern Irish religions and their marriage with politics even in small communities; she also tries, not without difficulty, to paint a portrait of multiculturalism within a heavily traditional societal framework. All this while also attempting to incorporate a supernatural element that sadly did not add much, if anything, to the story. Not to mention that towards the end, we get the big revelation, in which the culprit is known, in a way that was too straightforward in my opinion. We are actually told everything in one bulk at a later point in the story that makes us wonder what was the point of the bulk we just read through if we were going to be handed the truth like that.

To be honest, I liked the writing very much. The author is definitely knowledgeable and competent in traversing many topics. But I can't help but think that this book had the elements of a more fulfilling read if it wasn't for the way it was put together.

Many thanks to Netgalley and Doubleday books for my eGalley!

Jan Carson is excellent at capturing the claustrophobic atmosphere of Northern Ireland, especially in the small village pictured here. Written from the perspective of 11 year old Hannah this is the story of her and her classmates as they begin dying. Once again Carson takes the ordinary moments and elevates them through her magic realism lens, although I found this more effective in her previous book the Fire Eaters. I worked out quite early on where the story was going, following the crumbs that the author leaves, which gave me a chance to appreciate all the different characters. I really enjoyed the relationship between Hannah and her grandfather, it was lovely and totally believable. Her fear and confusion was also very realistic. We also get an insight into an extreme version of religious belief and the impact upon Hannah and her family, particularly when it intersects with local customs. An interesting book that vividly captures aspects of Northern Irish life.

With thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.