"I lost so much time, then wished I could go back. But real life doesn’t let you go back. You have to do it wrong, to live with your mistakes and go on.”

Beginning on the morning of 11th September 2001, Confessions takes no prisoners as we first meet teenager Cora Brady bunking off school and dropping acid in the hours before the planes hit the Twin Towers, her father’s workplace. Having already lost her mother, Cora finds herself suddenly orphaned and alone in New York. She soon receives a letter from her mother’s estranged sister Róisín offering to look after her in Ireland despite the pair never meeting. With nothing else to lose but a family member to possibly gain, Cora books herself a flight and leaves for her parents’ homeland where she discovers more about her mother, and raises her own daughter Lyca who ends up unearthing all of the family secrets along the way.

Confessions is a hard-hitting multigenerational novel that beautifully explores some heavy themes such as abortion rights, misogyny, and sexual assault. The fact it’s a debut novel genuinely astounds me; it is incredibly captivating and moving and each of the characters is well-developed and complex. Can’t wait to see more from Catherine Airey. Thank you to Viking Books and Netgalley for the advanced copy of this one.

Sorry could not finish this book so disjointed and confusing and could not get into the story as it kept jumping around. and I could not connect with the characters.

This was not what I expected. Sadly it just didn't work for me.
The pacing felt very slow. But I also struggled to care for the characters backstory we were being told.

I got automatically approved for this book last week, and in all honesty knew nothing about it, but as a lover of contemporary fiction decided to pick it up straight away. And wow, I'm so glad I did.

First of all, how is this a debut? Constantly throughout this novel I found myself reminding myself that this is Airey's debut novel. Based on the depth, complexity, and sheer emotion in this novel, I find this fact simply astounding. I myself have been in a bit of a reading slump for a few months now, and after reading this book towards the end of December it is in the running to be my favourite book of the year, I loved it that much.

I went in blind with this one, knowing nothing about the plot, and the beauty and craft of it took me completely by surprise. Airey has mastered a beautiful family saga that is tragic and emotional, yet so wonderfully and intricately crafted. The way everything connected together was done so spectacularly, this was honestly such a pleasure to read, and I found myself so connected to the characters and not wanting it to end.

I'm finding it difficult to express how good this book was, and how much I loved it, but still just find myself dumb struck that this is a debut novel? Honestly, this novel is a testament to how brilliant this author is, and has me eager with anticipation for what she has in store for us all next.

Thank you so much to netgalley and the publisher for this ARC. I have preordered a physical copy of this sensation book to add to my bookshelves I enjoyed it that much.

I have to say that for the most part I absolutely loved this debut novel. I was drawn into the story and the characters were well established I would have given the book five stars however I felt the end w a bit contrived and there too many coincidences.

I liked the beginning of this, but then it seemed to change to a completely different story. It took me ages to work out who the characters were and how they were related to each other. The story of the game which ran through the plot did not interest me. I though there were too many issues; if the author had taken some out and stuck with a linear timeline, then the story of the family would have been interesting enough.. And how do you pronounce Maire? It said it almost rhymed with Laura, so Maura? I was saying Mare in my head, so a heads up would have been good. However, well done to the author for her first novel.

I have been waiting to get my hands on this one for months! I loved it, and I hated it. I will say the characters are interesting (some more than others), and I found myself at work desperate to get back to it so I could find out what happened next, and by the end of it I was glad I read it.

However, the cliches in this book nearly killed me. Pulling tabs of acid from the pages of Beloved? I nearly threw the book out the window. That and you can see how much the author is trying to touch on (so many) really important issues, but it felt more like ticking boxes rather than exploring them and using them to tell the story. Race? Here's a character who's not white. Abortion? Have an activist. Queerness? Have a lesbian. While for the time period she is writing about, in Ireland each of these issues are so complex, everything is just... smoothed over.

Overall, for a debut, it's pretty good. It will be easy to sell and I expect it will fly off the shelves. I will read all her future books, cause she's got serious talent... just leave Toni Morrison out of the next one?

Confessions is a multigenerational story following 4 women of the same family. It starts in September 2001 during 9/11. Cora’s father is killed in 9/11 and Cora spirals. She is an orphan after her mother died by suicide years ago. Cora is all alone in New York but she receives a letter from her aunt in Ireland. Cora moves to Ireland with her aunt and this unspools a lot of family secrets.

The first part of this with Cora in 2001 was really well done and emotional but then it switched to the other time periods and other POVs and I lost interest. This had a strong start but I’m not sure this author really knew what to do with the rest of the story. The writing got weaker as the book went on. That said, I think this book has an audience and I can see many people enjoying this particularly for people who enjoy stories following different types of women.

Wow! A very different read for me, I thoroughly loved it! What a story, mixing many different people, years and life stories! The author writes with such passion and really brings each person to life. Didn’t think i’d enjoy as much as I did! Recommended read

Confessions is nicely written and atmospheric, with some interesting characters and family dynamics. For me, though, that the stories of the protagonists are a bit samey (there’s a fine line between echo and repetition and for me it didn’t always fall the right way). I would have enjoyed Confessions more if it was shorter, given it was fairly clear where the story was going. It does tackle some big themes, and I don’t think it needed the device of the computer game to tie them together.

The story grips you in instantly as it starts off with Cara’s experience of September 11 2001. As she copes with the grief of losing her father in the attack, it’s revealed she has family in Donegal.

The writing is so beautiful, emotive and gripping. Cora’s families story transcends through generation’s and draws you into background of the people who raised her. Maire’s story is so deeply heartbreaking, it’s a tough read but you cannot help but want to read more about her life.

Each character feels fully developed yet realistic that the reader cannot help but feel fully immersed in the characters stories

The is a stunning debut novel, I will personally keeping an eye out for more of the authors releases.

An extraordinary, intense and accomplished exploration of multiple generations of women who live between New York and rural Ireland. There are so many fascinating threads and relationships, surprise connections and compassionate acts as the women live their lives against a background of changing women's rights over the generations. It's a story of lives lived and loves lost and lives carrying on, with some super characterisations and extraordinary creation of unusual situations that are all very relatable. Absorbing and enticing, the book couldn't go on long enough for me, super.

I thoroughly enjoyed the beginning stories of the two sisters in Ireland followed by Maire's life in New York then Cora's story after her father's death. I became confused when Cora moved to Ireland and suddenly Lyca appeared and Gaga. It felt as though I had missed part of the story. Things eventually unravelled, but I felt rather cheated by how the story was strangely told.

I can’t believe this is a debut! Confessions is a rich, layered novel about three generations of women, set between New York and the west coast of Ireland, spanning from the 1970s to 2023. As the title suggests, it’s a story of secrets, shame and religion, with a central focus on reproductive rights.

The novel begins on 11th September 2001, when Cora’s father dies in the 9/11 attacks, leaving her a 16-year-old orphan. When a letter arrives from an aunt she’s never heard of — the estranged sister of her mother, Máire, who tragically took her own life seven years earlier — Cora packs a suitcase and flees to Ireland, returning to her parents' birthplace and the location of the mysterious ‘Scream School’ which has fascinated her since childhood. In the second section, the perspective shifts to her aunt Róisín’s childhood, and we learn more about the imposing building in their hometown of Burtonport, as well as the dynamic between the two sisters. The novel continues in this way, unfolding the stories and secrets of the women in the family — Máire, Róisín, Cora, and her daughter, Lyca — while also offering insights into the life Cora’s father, Michael. Each section begins with a short, formally distinct extract from a text-based choose-your-own-adventure video game called Scream School, which invites the reader to decide how the story unfolds. While the reason for these passages is initially unclear, the game eventually becomes central to the story’s plot, and the school itself takes on a character-like role.

Moving back and forth across the Atlantic between the 1970s and the present day, the characters’ struggles, suffering and confessions paint a rich but disturbing picture of women’s rights — from mother and baby homes and backstreet abortions in Ireland to sexual violence, abuse and addiction across the pond. Airey deftly weaves these dark themes alongside moments of love, hope, art and beauty, often switching the perspective before the subject matter becomes too heavy. Plot and politics are part of the fabric of this novel, but it’s clear that character is of utmost importance to the writer. The five protagonists’ confessions reveal their fundamental humanity, as they keep secrets from one another out of love and fear, rather than malicious intent.

At its heart, Confessions is a moving family drama about two sisters who let their secrets come between them — a novel that underscores how every choice we make moves our future in a different direction. But how do we know which path to take? Life and novels cannot be done over like a video game; we only get one shot.

Thank you to NetGalley and Viking for the arc of this stunning debut.

Cora is living in NYC with her Father who works in the Twin Towers it is September 11th 2021 her Mother had died years ago so now she is an orphan .An Aunt she didn't know existed invites her to live with her in Ireland. The book follows 3 women across 3 generations between NYC and Ireland .A slow but beautiful story of Family friendship and choices .Thank you to NetGalley for my ARC.

Confessions follows three generations of women and their struggles with love, loss, and family secrets. The story begins in New York after 9/11, where Cora, a teenager, loses her father and is sent to live with her long-lost Aunt Róisín in Ireland. From there, we learn about her mother Máire, Aunt Róisín, and later, Cora’s daughter Lyca

The book explores powerful themes such as motherhood, mental health, and personal choice, blending in real events - 9/11 and Roe v. Wade. The shifting timelines can be a a bit confusing at times but it’s worth sticking with it till the end.

Whilst it’s a bit dark at times, it’s really a worthwhile read.

This book starts well as Cora copes with the death of her father in the Twin Tower massacre. Her mother is already deceased and by all indications, Cora is a troubled youth. Then she is invited back to live in Ireland where her family come from. The rest of the book goes back and forward between New York and Ireland and at times it can be confusing as to which generation the story is about and, indeed, which person. It is a tale of what happened to this family including unwanted pregnancies and off and on relationships. All the reader is doing is learning about this family. The story has no climax. I found difficulty in reaching the end.

Totally absorbing, heartbreaking, joyous and complicated, a family saga across three generations of women but a story for all of us in its way. I loved the interweaving of real events, notably 9/11, and how they can bring people together as well as split them apart and I loved the complexity of the characters making good and bad decisions, being real. A real triumph of a book.

What a fantastic debut novel. I’m always a bit nervous for a chunkier book but I feel like I flew through this and if you love your complex characters this one will be right up your street.

The book centres around three generations of women and the story is ever changing depending on the perspective. There is so much packed into this and definitely some dark themes explored; 9/11, abortion, women’s rights, sexual assault and religion to name a few. I was constantly guessing at what would happen and the author leaves us with mini cliffhangers to keep the suspense. It’s at parts an uncomfortable read and you know disaster is looming around the corner but I’m in awe at how immersed I felt in the story.

The characters are SO well developed and you feel the depths of emotion and injustice they experience. Confessions was so much more than I was expecting.

A well accomplished debut.

Told in part as diaries/memories from the POV of four women, across three generations.

A captivating book, though not for the faint hearted as the plot and relationships are so intricately woven that a quick read is impossible, with the movement between characters names and timelines at times so convoluted that the reader needs to take their time and absorb it all.

After an invested and enjoyable read, a disappointing ending for me.

3.5*

Thank you NetGalley and Penguin General UK.