I picked this up from a local charity shop between lockdowns. The bright cover initially grabbed my attention and the synopsis sounded like fun so I decided it was worth a shot. Set in the mid 90's, the book follows the fortunes Vinny, a young man who spends his time either working in the local takeaway or in the pub with his mates. He knows he is unhappy with the way his life is going and he know he wants to change it but he doesn't know how. As a further issue, he lives in Northern Ireland along with all the complications that brings.A chance encounter with the other side (Vinny is nominally a Catholic) brings him a chance to potentially change things for the better, but can he make it work?

I really enjoyed this book and it probably made me laugh more than any other book ever has. The humour mainly based around Vinny's observations which are often crude and while I understand this will put some people off, it really resonated with me. I wouldn't say Vinny is someone I would get on with in real life, he's too much of a liability, but he is a great character. The time setting works well with me as I remember that period of my life well and did some of the things Vinny does. I could well see this being made into a movie along the lines of an Irving Welsh adaptation. ( )

Violent, sweary, debauched, hilarious and utterly heartbreaking. ( )