A good book with some characters and story arcs more interesting than others - a bit unbalanced. The stories and characters that worked worked really well and elicited a lot of empathy.

I really wanted to enjoy this more than I did. After reading the synopsis I was excited about the idea of this book, especially having read it just after traveling in London! Unfortunately for me it fell a bit short, like a few others I found the characters and their interweaving lives hard to follow even by the end of the book. There were a few moments in the writing style that stood out to me but overall I was left wanting more. All in all, I didn’t love but I also didn’t hate this one.

In London, three people find themselves at a crossroads. Maggie and Ed have been together for years. Maggie is pregnant, and she and Ed are preparing to leave London for their hometown. But Maggie is increasingly wrestling with whether she is ready to give up her life in London. Ed, however, is eager to start a family with Maggie. But he too is struggling with aspects of his past, including a secret history he shares with Maggie's best friend, Phil. For his part, Phil hates his job and most looks forward to the time he spends with his housemate, Keith. But Keith already had a boyfriend, and Phil is constantly struggling with his place in Keith's life.

Over the course of a weekend, Maggie, Ed, and Keith are each forced to finally address aspects of their past they had thought they had long ago put behind them and decide what it means for their futures, individually and together.

This is a thoughtful, well-written novel. Through the interconnected stories of the three main characters, the author captures the joy, challenges, and heartbreak that so often characterize people's lives as they move deeper into adulthood.

Highly recommended!

I really enjoyed reading about this cast of characters and the very real/relatable problems and introspections. I was both close to tears and laughing out loud one on page after another. At its core, this book is all about the interpersonal relationships between a group of friends, which is something that I think all readers could at one way or another relate to. At times, I do feel like this book was trying to do too much in terms of going so deep into the characterizations of every single person mentioned, but all the characters were interesting to me so I didn't really mind.

Highly recommend this book for people who don't require a fast-moving plot and love deep dives into characters!

“Love isn’t a feeling. It’s not the butterflies in your tummy you get in the giddy early days of a relationship. The butterflies don’t last. Love is something you deliberately decide to do through repeated actions of care. Love is something you make.”

What a beautiful, messy, vulnerable story. I honestly love a plot with characters that all intertwine in a really lovely way. I want to give each character a veryyyy long hug and tell them it’s going to be ok. This was emotional and raw and really showed what it means to be a human. What incredible and gorgeous writing and storytelling Oisín shared as a debut! Definitely for fans of Sally Rooney or Coco Mellors {and also Chapell Roan🫶🏼} loved it!

Thank you NetGalley for the digital ARC!

Evenings and Weekends was, on paper, everything I usually look for in a book, and it was so close to being a home run read for me. Unfortunately, the execution fell a little flat, and I'm not sure this is one that I would return to. McKenna penned a story that was very much a character study of several individuals who were all connected in various ways (childhood friends, mother and son, lovers, acquaintances). Typically I enjoy this type of story, but I felt there were simply *too many* characters. I found myself constantly losing track of which story belonged to whom. In fact, I spent so much time trying to piece together the characters' back stories that I was often distracted from what was happening in the actual story.

There was one aspect of the writing that I felt was executed perfectly, which is why I am ultimately giving this book four stars. McKenna does a phenomenal job of showing how little miscommunications and hesitations can create significant divides and misunderstandings between people. This was perhaps best illustrated in a truly heartbreaking scene between an adult character and his terminally ill mother, as they both fail to communicate to one another what they really want to say. This scene could have stood alone as a five-star short story, and it is the reason I would return to Oisin McKenna's writing again in the future.

Thank you to NetGalley for my advanced reader copy.

This is a perfect summer book, with almost the whole plot taking place over the course of one hot hot summer day you can’t help but feel immersed in the characters’ world and lives when reading it. I loved the way the narration slipped between characters and how we were able to get deep and rich backstories all without feeling like we’d deviated from the actual plot. I received an ARC of this novel through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

If you're Sally Rooney fan and a complicated gay with straight friends this is for you. I enjoyed it, solid 4/5.

Really loving all of the Irish LitFic we've been blessed with over the last few years. Oisin McKenna is an excellent addition. This was such a pleasure to read, I can't believe it's her debut novel.

Devoured this over a beach weekend. Had tones of sexuality linking to Just Kids by Patti Smith, and Good Material by Dolly Alderton. Modern love, polyamory, and fluid sexuality will lead to so many unique narratives of values. I hope all audiences queer, or straight read this. Wonderful.

If you enjoy "bottle episodes" of great TV--think shows like The Bear or The Leftovers where you spend one whole episode focusing on one short person or period of time, you are in for an absolute pleasure. The lack of breadth of time is balanced by incredibly thoughtful and intricate character studies. If you're interested in people over plot (not to say this one is boring! but no silly reveals at the end!), you will enjoy spending time with this unique cadre of people. You very well may see yourself or someone you once knew in the cast of characters.

Oisin McKenna’s debut novel, Evenings and Weekends, is packed with a remarkable cast of characters. Early on, I found myself scribbling out a kind of family tree to keep track of everyone, and it was well worth the effort. The characters are incredibly vivid and multi-dimensional, and what’s striking is that there are no villains here—just people trying to figure out who they are and what they need from life.

London plays a big role in the story, almost like another character. The city’s energy and excitement are palpable, and it feeds into the story’s intensity, especially with the unusual event of a whale stranded in the Thames, which brings many of the characters into focus.

The novel delves into the messiness of relationships and personal struggles. Maggie, who’s pregnant with Ed’s child, is planning to leave London to raise the baby. Ed is worried Maggie will uncover secrets from his past, particularly since Phil, Maggie’s close friend, has had a fling with him and might spill the beans. Phil is also in love with his housemate Keith, who has his own boyfriend, Louis—who might have feelings for Phil too!

With so many characters and interwoven storylines, it can be a bit tricky to follow at first. However, McKenna keeps things moving smoothly, and I found myself quickly drawn into each character’s journey and their search for the future. This novel is an impressive debut from a fresh new voice.

3.5 stars. Evenings and Weekends takes place over one sweltering June weekend in London. We meet Maggie, Ed and Phil and explore how their lives fall apart and come together. We also hear the perspectives of their various family members and love interests.
This book is a little hard to review. The characters and sense of place are very vivid. The book is interesting and easy to read. There is, however, really no plot at all. If you enjoy an intense character study with minimal plot this may be the book for you.
Thank you to Mariner Books and Netgalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this book. Perfect for fans of Sally Rooney, it follows a group of late 20-somethings/30-year-olds over the course of what proves to be a pivotal weekend in each of their lives. Over the oppressively warm few days, longtime couple Maggie and Ed, expecting their first baby together, ponder the future of their family, while Maggie's BFF Phil, with whom Ed has his own secret history, is trying to turn his casual romance with roommate Keith into something more. All the while, there's a whale beached ashore the Thames and the city just can't get enough of the rescue efforts. These kind of narrative stories, where there isn't a central plot point easily called out in a blurb, can often seem aimless and meandering but Oisín McKenna did a great job threading together the stories of a wide-ranging group of friends—connected to central the trio from their shared hometown or life in the city—as they reach the cusp of what's next in their lives.

on paper, this should not have worked so well for me - vibes-y debut lit fic about messy millennial queer-ish londoners (and, shockingly, some of their parents!) trying to find themselves, prepare for the next stage of their lives, and work, live, and love in a city that is both life-affirming and soul-crushing - all while london is gripped by a whale in the thames during a historic heatwave?? a book that could’ve easily been passé, cheesy or poorly written was, in fact, none of those things. instead, oisin mckenna’s novel hit that sweet spot for me of sharp, soapy, and also genuinely funny - a tough combo to pull off but one that i’m supremely charmed by when executed well.

while the comps to sally rooney and torrey peters are more marketing than accurate (EVENINGS AND WEEKENDS is not as psychological as rooney or as melodramatic as peters), i do think this novel occupies a solid middle ground between the two. it’s incredibly perceptive, reflective without being twee, and hits the right notes about queer urban millennial life without feeling unsubtle, all with an irish twinge: the aimless ennui and the class consciousness and the sexual fluidity and the Big Questions about the future; the burden of long-held secrets, unspoken desires, unprocessed traumas, and simply making rent. the multi-POV ensemble cast gave depth to a novel that takes place almost entirely in one weekend, but some of the character subplots never pan out (though i didn’t mind given the strength of the MCs voices). and admittedly, the whale was more of a gimmicky bit that the book probably didn’t *need*, but it often felt right as a symbol of london’s stickiness - humid summer days of airless tube rides, cramped flats and sexual static crackling in the ether, but also the inscrutable emotional pull of the city that draws this novel’s characters in even as the stability and affordability of the suburbs beckon.

i will certainly read whatever mckenna pubs next, but this was such a strong debut that you can’t go wrong with picking up this summer. thank you to the publisher for the e-arc!

The writing in this was phenomenal. I just wish it had a tighter focus on a smaller group of characters, because as much as I was invested in some, others I could have done without their POV. I will be picking up anything by this author -- what talent!

EVENINGS & WEEKENDS is a fever dream and a messy millennial novel and I devoured it in 48 hours.

The story opens with a whale inexplicably swimming into the Thames, inciting a tension that bubbles through a weekend heatwave in London.

This weekend is ordinary on the surface, but steadily transforms into a series of pinnacle moments for the characters, a central group of friends. The friends examine big questions about their lives and sexuality and purpose. They measure their current reality against their previous and future hopes and dreams. It is wonderfully introspective and emotional.

The dialogue and dynamics are inviting and pithy, balancing the deep emotion and creating a warmth that kept me turning the pages for as long and as fast as possible.

A bonus: London is my favorite city in the world and the sense of place in this story is impeccable. So many lines are a love story to the neighborhood— and holding tight to calling a city home.

I highly recommend this one to fellow fans of Irish lit, including and especially Sally Rooney, Megan Nolan, and THE RACHEL INCIDENT.

Content Warnings: Rape, homophobia, death, illness, suicidal thoughts
Representation: Gay, mlm, wlw, questioning
Favorite Quote: “She knew she’s found something good when she knew she couldn’t stand to lose it.”
Evenings and Weekends is a “quintessentially British” and quintessentially Millennial novel that regularly alternates between a large ensemble of characters. These characters make up an interconnected social web—connected through romantic, platonic, and familial ties—with the backdrop of London 2019 amidst a particularly hot summer where the news everyone is talking about is a whale stuck in the Thames. The main characters have their own news to share, however, as their lives fundamentally change over the course of this sweltering summer.
On the verge of a big move out of London, back to her rural hometown, Maggie struggles to share the news of this move, spurred on by her pregnancy, to her best friend Phil. Likewise, Phil has doubts about Maggie’s boyfriend Ed that he is unsure how to share with Maggie. All the while Phil is navigating a budding relationship with his roommate who is in an open relationship with his longtime boyfriend.
On top of these focal points, the novel also follows Phil’s mother, who has just been diagnosed with cancer, Ed’s mother, who is grieving the loss of her husband, Phil’s brother Callum, a drug dealer set to be married before the end of the summer, and a marine biologist covering the story of the stuck whale in the Thames and gaining fame from her uncanny resemblance to the late Princess Diana.
These alternating perspectives present readers with the challenge of keeping track of who is who. Midway through the novel, I felt I had gained a grasp on the many characters’ stories and their relation to one another, but by then I had spent half the novel piecing these storylines together and had only a surface-level sense of any particular character. This dilemma was not resolved by the end of my reading experience as I hoped.
Though I can appreciate a slice-of-life story that doesn’t dwell too much on every detail being extremely impactful, this book took its non-commitment to a plot to a point where I was questioning why I was following these characters. None were developed enough for a reader to become invested in their lives and most of the plotlines’ resolutions were exactly what they had clearly been leading up to for the entire book.
3.5⭐️

Beached In London

Oisin McKenna’s debut novel “Evenings and Weekends” is loaded with remarkable characters. Early on I had to jot down a roster, a family tree of sorts, as these people came on the scene. It was worth it. The cast here is amazing, populated by fascinating three-dimensional players. Strikingly, there are no bad guys here, just souls figuring out who they are and what they need for their lives.

London. Cities or locales are usually integral to the story– here London is a big player. The city charges and feeds those here. We feel the promise, the excitement, everyone’s expectations pumped up. The intensity is magnified by the sensation over a whale trapped in the Thames, an event drawing most of these players in.

There are couples scrambling to determine the futures of their relationships. Maggie is pregnant with Ed’s child, and they are planning on raising the baby outside of London. Ed is afraid Maggie is going to find out secrets in his past. Maggie’s close friend, Phil, has had a sexual experience with Ed and may tell Maggie. Phil is in love with his housemate, Keith– who also has a boyfriend, Louis (who may be harboring feelings for Phil!).

So, there are a lot of characters and interweaving relationships going on here… a little reminiscent of a movie like “Love, Actually.” My favorite is Rosaleen– Phil’s mom. She has been diagnosed with terminal cancer. She has to find the right way to let Phil know. She has to make sense of her life’s journey. She also has to embrace Pauline, her close friend whose death years ago has haunted her.

Yes, it was a little difficult to keep track of these people as they first appeared. With so many different threads going, it would seem likely to be the stuff of a soap opera. Somehow, the pages kept turning rapidly and I bought into each character’s struggle to navigate a future. An inspired novel by a new voice.

Thank you to Mariner Books and NetGalley for providing an advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review. #EveningsandWeekends #NetGalley

This book was full of interesting characters that took several chapters to get straight but once the connections were clear, the book became hard to put down. The stories all interweave around one weekend in London a few years ago on a hot weekend. They are characters I don't often see in books but want to read more about. I loved reading this book. Give it time to come to build and it will be well worth it!