This book was quite different than I expected. Thought it was going to be a murder mystery and it was more of a coming of age novel. Liked it either way.

Ordinary Human Failings was a wonderful book at a young girl's experience during the troubles. It was introspective at times and just really well done.

This much I know: <b>something's</b> in that Irish water. Fans of Sally Rooney, Naoise Dolan, and Claire Keegan will find familiar territory here in Megan Nolan's latest – a keen exploration of human complexities and the messy entanglements of love and family.

<i>Ordinary Human Failings, </i>Nolan's sophomore novel, isn't your typical crime novel. Sure, a tragedy sets the plot in motion, but Nolan delves deeper, offering a 360-degree view of how this heinous act ripples outwards, fracturing the lives of those it touches. Having loved her debut novel, I was thrilled to see Nolan continue her streak and grip me to the intricacies of her characters.

While excellent on it's own, Ordinary Human Failings is truly brought to life by Jessica Regan's narration. Anything with her voice on it has become an auto add-to-audiobook-cart for me.

Ordinary Human Failings is one of my very favorite types of novels, one that on the surface disguises itself as a sinister murder mystery, but is really about so much more 💚

Set in 1990s London, the Greens move from Ireland to England due to a daughter’s unplanned pregnancy and are swiftly labeled as “bad apples”. This reputation comes with all kinds of problems, none of which compare to when they become the top suspects in the mysterious death of a young girl.

What I love most in this novel is the really messy family story. It is a complicated (and sometimes toxic) dynamic. It is marred by alcoholism and financial troubles and secrets. But, it is held together by scrappy individuals who are committed to creating a home and a sense of belonging while living in a country where they perpetually feel like outsiders.

Beyond family dynamics, there is also a central scathing - and fascinating - look at tabloid journalism. All of this is encased in truly stellar writing, which made for an unputdownable read.

Overall: come for the mystery, stay for everything else. The story is gloomy - and has hints of one of my most beloved Irish authors, Claire Keegan. I highly recommend you pick it up!

I want to say a big thank you to Netgalley for an advanced ARC of this audiobook

Listening to this was Interesting and enjoyed it, the greens are a family who are affected by internalgenerational trauma, loss, as well as lack f0 opportunities within their home town in London. The characters talked about in this book have beautiful writing that helps u to see the pain each character is feeling within the pages of this book (this was the first book I read by this author). Though her writing she also explores the ethics and how journalism is done though a character called Tom.

The book is a beautiful but also a upsetting look into how humans can be through many circumstances and how human failings is part of us all, no matter how big or small we all fail but at the same time her writing gives a sense of hope.

“Ordinary Human Failings” – Megan Nolan (narrated by Jessica Regan)

My thanks to @netgalley and @hachetteaudio for my copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review. Have to say, I enjoyed it more than I thought I might!

“Ordinary Human Failings” seems to be pitched as a crime novel but is much closer to an intergenerational family saga, focused on the Greens and their migration to London in the 1980s and 1990s. When a child goes missing on their estate, local blame is cast almost immediately on them and especially Lucy, the 10-year-old daughter of young mother Carmel. A young, ambitious tabloid journalist, Tom, gets wind of the story and looks to use it to advance his career in a cutthroat industry where “ordinary human failings” are not tolerated.

The book starts to open up about their past in Ireland and their reasons for leaving their previous lives, from the alcoholism of Carmel’s brother Ritchie (something that seems to afflict other members of the family), to the deep-seated institutional shame felt by Carmel at her teenage pregnancy. These “ordinary human failings” have far darker consequences than those for tabloid employees, and the constant struggles against trauma and systems ultimately trickle down to Lucy, the youngest Green and the one who bears the greatest weight on her shoulders.

It's a fantastic exploration of class and character set at a time which seems to be little-explored current novelists, that weird Major government time between the realization of 80s excess and the rise of 90s optimism in the UK. All the characters are fully realized and multi-layered, to the point where we almost reach sympathy for the unlikeliest of slimeballs, and you really feel for every human being portrayed. Full props as well to the narration of the audiobook, which is uniformly excellent.

100% recommendation from me in whatever format you can find this.

London, 1990: the tragic suspicious death of a child shocked everyone and people, looking for answers and justice, point fingers at an Irish family and their 10 year old daughter. While the investigation is in progress, timelines switch back and forth from the present to the 80s as we learn about this family's struggles with alcoholism and its devastating effects.

In Ordinary Human Failings, Megan Nolan explores the impact of choices, society and poverty on people's lives. It's a heartbreaking story, written in a beautiful, honest and visceral way.
I admit I found myself lost at times, mostly because I struggled with keeping track of all the characters involved in this story, but I consider this a limit I have (especially because I listened the audiobook) rather than a storytelling issue.

What I loved the most was the narration of this audiobook: Jessica Regan did a fantastic job, especially in the most emotional scenes, and I really enjoyed listening to her voice and her beautiful accent. Ordinary Human Failings is not a book I would easily recommend, since it's quite heavy and sad, but I enjoyed it and I'm glad I read it.

* I'd like to thank Megan Nolan, Hachette Audio and NetGalley for providing this ALC in exchange for my honest review.

Ordinary Human Failings tells the story of the a 1990 murder in London. When a young child goes missing and is subsequently found murdered, suspicion turns to the last person to see her, a 10 year old girl from the housing estate.

The 10 year old girl is the daughter of a very young mother, an Irish immigrant, who fled Ireland with her family a decade prior when she became pregnant.

We also follow the story of a local reporter who lucks into being nearby when the child is found and his role and interactions with the family of the girl ultimately accused of killing her neighbor.

While the story is set up like a thriller or a crime novel, it's really an exploration of class and character. Our inclinations towards withdrawal and willful ignorance. The characters are beautifully drawn by Nolan, in a very small amount of pages, and you will leave the book considering it for some time.

I was fortunate to receive an advanced audio version of the book and the production was FANTASTIC. I immediately went looking to see if I could find other work by this narrator. There are some aspects of the book that I feel might have been difficult to work with in an audio production, scenes in police interviews for example, but the narrator did a great job of making it flow. The different actors for different characters were excellent, especially considering the author was managing multiple Irish and English characters of different ages and backgrounds. Thanks so much to the publisher for the chance to listen to this version.

this was such an interesting read! Nolan’s way of writing about an Irish family with a devastating history (along with the narrator’s voice in this audiobook) kept me engaged all throughout. as a hesitant fan of true crime type of stories this one definitely made me see why so many people are interested in books similar to this! I really appreciated how Nolan was able to give us insight into who each character was and how their life was affected by this crime instead of just focusing on the crime itself. overall this was an engaging read and I’ll be picking up Nolan’s other release!

Honestly this was a slight dull and slightly sad story of a mother who had a child to young and that child ended up a killer and the murder she committed rocked a small town… until it didn’t and she just left and nothing happened. They literally just moved away. I know. No pay off at all. It was well written though and did keep me engaged

Format: audiobook ~ Narrator: Jessica Regan
Content: 5 stars ~ Narration: 5 stars

In the novel, we follow the case of 10-year-old Lucy, who is suspected of murdering a small child. Tom is a tabloid journalist. He intends to learn as much as possible from Lucy’s family. So, he pays for the hotel for the family and a limitless supply of alcohol. Of course, with the hidden motive of getting exclusive newsworthy information. A story from the past then unfolds. We learn the story of the family and the stories of individual members: Carmel (Lucy’s mother), Richie (Lucy’s uncle and Carmel’s brother), and John (Carmel’s father). Problems, weaknesses, and failings of ordinary people.

Inspired by some true crime cases. Ordinary Human Failings is a shocking story but sounds realistic and ordinary enough that it really could be a true crime story. I read Megan Nolan for the first time, and I must say that I was pleasantly surprised by the novel.

Thanks to Hachette Audio for the advance copy and this opportunity! This is a voluntary review and all opinions are my own.

𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬𝘴 𝘵𝘰 @𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘵𝘭𝘦𝘣𝘳𝘰𝘸𝘯 𝘢𝘯𝘥 @𝘩𝘢𝘤𝘩𝘦𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘢𝘶𝘥𝘪𝘰 #𝘨𝘪𝘧𝘵𝘦𝘥.) Let’s talk about the power of format and why audiobooks enrich my reading life. I started 𝗢𝗥𝗗𝗜𝗡𝗔𝗥𝗬 𝗛𝗨𝗠𝗔𝗡 𝗙𝗔𝗜𝗟𝗜𝗡𝗚𝗦 by Megan Nolan in print. I liked it well enough, but was having a hard time feeling much connection with the characters. I was lucky enough to also have a copy of the audiobook, so at about 30% decided to switch formats. For me with this particular book, that made all the difference. From the moment I let narrator Jessica Regan take over, I was hooked. That doesn’t always happen when I switch it up, but it happens a lot. So, think about making a change in formats when a book isn’t working as well as you’d like. Now, I’ll get off my soapbox!⁣⁣
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This is the story of an Irish family who’ve been living in London for about 10 years. As the story begins a 3-year old girl has been found dead near their apartment and 10-year old Lucy becomes a person of interest. Using this setup together with a very sketchy tabloid reporter, we come to know Lucy, her mom, uncle and grandfather. None have lived easy lives. Sadly, Lucy has suffered the most from their collective lack of direction and tenderness. ⁣⁣
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That’s all you need to know other than it’s a somber, but touching story coming to us from one of the wonderful 🇮🇪Irish authors we’ve been loving these last few years. This is Nolan’s sophomore novel. Her first, 𝘈𝘤𝘵𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘋𝘦𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯, was compared to Sally Rooney which I definitely saw. With 𝘖𝘳𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘳𝘺 𝘏𝘶𝘮𝘢𝘯 𝘍𝘢𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴, I’d say Louise Kennedy or Karl Geary would be more fitting comparisons, though Nolan’s voice and perspective are all her own. If you, like me, are a fan of these dark Irish stories, definitely give this a try. I’d recommend audio, but you decide! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I really enjoyed this one! From the Irish accents to the failings of those just trying their best, it had a lot to like.

Set in London in 1990, the tragic death of a child has everyone talking, and pointing fingers at a particular Irish family. While the police work to determine if the 10 year old daughter committed the crime, the reader is taken back through the generations. Nolan explores the subtle ways our choices shape our future, and the future of those to come.

I found myself a little lost at times, trying to keep track of all the characters and their relationship to each other. I am attributing that to the fact that I was listening to it and my attention might have been pulled other ways at times. Even when uncertain, I was never disengaged. I looked forward to my drive so that I could listen to it.

If you enjoy character driven family dramas and/or Irish literature, I think you will enjoy this one!

Thank you to NetGalley, Hachette Audio, and Little, Brown & Company for an ARC of this audiobook!

Ordinary Human Failings by Megan Nolan honestly examines an Irish family living in London as they contend with the possibility that a young family member, Lucy, may have been involved in a young child's death. Timelines switch back and forth from the time of the child's death in 1990 to the 1980's as we learn about Lucy's mother as a teen, Alcoholism pervades this family and its devastating effects are told in a searingly honest and deeply sad voice.
A slimy reporter sees a chance to break a story and manages to plant himself into the family, plying them with alcohol to get them to open up to him. I wanted to shake and yell at the family to wake up, pay attention, don't trust this reporter!
The writing is visceral, raw, honest and bleak. Highly recommend.

Admittedly the cover and title first drew me to this book, but I stayed for the gorgeous writing and storytelling. I am so happy I listened to this one because the narration was perfection in my opinion. You can’t lose with a lovely accent, but my preference is when the narrator essentially is reading to us instead of making up voices for certain characters. That can make it or break it for me. Thanks for allowing me to read this, I ordered a hard copy for my collection and added Acts of Desperation to my TBR before I even finished the book.

In "Ordinary Human Failings," we follow the Greens, and Irish family living in London during the 90's. Each member of the family faces their own challenges and traumas. We learn about Carmel, a young mom dealing with her troubled past; Ritchie, her alcoholic brother; and John, their grieving father. The story takes a dark turn when a little girl is killed, and suspicion falls on Carmel's young daughter, Lucy. The narrative is gripping, with Tom, a reporter, adding a unique perspective as he digs into the family's secrets with a plan for a breakout story.

The book is quite well-written and I enjoyed the narration, but the book is a heavy, sad read. It delves into the complexities of the family histories, revealing how their choices lead to a tragic event. The characters are portrayed realistically, and Megan Nolan skillfully explores the impact of society and poverty on people's lives.

⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2-This was a quick listen for me. I really liked @j.reegs as the narrator. Her voice was smooth and soft and really set the tone for the story. The title is so appropriate for the story. This family has been through so much and have been failed in so many ways by their community and even members of their family. Lucy grew up in a dysfunctional family with her detached mother and an alcoholic grandfather. Her grandmother showed her the most love and affection but she was taken from Lucy as well. This left her with so much emotional baggage and no skills for coping. After a girl from her school goes missing, and Lucy is the last person seen with her she becomes suspect number one. They don’t know if they should trust the police, the press, or even each other. Jessica Reagan does an excellent job or portraying the pain and angst in the characters voices. This was not my usual kind of read/listen, but I did enjoy it!

Thank you @NetGalley, @mmegannolan, and @HachetteAudio for this advance copy to listen to for an honest review!

The staggering depth and delicate layers of this novel are magnificent. This story compelled me forward and left me breathless.
This book is not just another old thriller. It is special and unique and truly on its own.
The story is tragic and beautiful and the characters are broken and honest.
It follows a family after a devastating death of a young child in their community.
There are some traumatic pregnancy scenes, and it was hard to read but also was such a big part of this fractured family.
Loved it! Looking forward to reading more of her.
Thank you NetGalley for the ARC

Carmel Green at 15 is bright, a good student, an avid reader, the daughter of John and Rose. Her half brother Ritchie is a good bit older the product of John's first marriage. We know early on, in 1990s London, that Carmel's ten year old daughter is Lucy, born out of wedlock, and conceived in Waterford, their hometown in Ireland. The whole family ended up moving to England shortly before Lucy's birth. This is a lovely but often sad book about how each family member wound up being the person she or he is, living rather separate existences within the house in a state of dysfunction -- at least until there is a terrible wake up call. We cause each other ordinary pain due to our ordinary human failings. We don't live up to our potential or our dreams or our plans due to our ordinary human failings. We miss or are totally negligent as to what we are doing to those nearest to us, those who need us most. For the Greens, when Rose, the kind caretaker in the family, the one who bore for others the trauma and problematic behavior died, no one regrouped. No one filled in. And then, a three year old in their housing complex dies and the much ignored and neglected Lucy seems to be involved. How do those who remain, John, Ritchie and Carmel respond? How do they interact with Tom, a reporter hellbent on getting the story of the family that possibly spawned a ten year old murderer? Along the way, we travel back to the life experiences of each member of the family in a kaleidoscope of moving and engrossing stories. This is a book that could have gotten boring, the way it's described here, but it never did. I listened to the audio version and very much enjoyed Jessica Regan's narration. This is not a very long book, but there is tremendous depth and humanity and sympathy for each person in each story told. And through all the sadness, we find hope that the chain of despair can be broken as unexpected people unexpectedly do better. Just. An Amazing book.

This book is about a family that has a lot of tragedies. They are an Irish immigrant family that live in London and the youngest member is blamed for a child going missing. A very compelling read, the audiobook was especially well narrated.
Thank you to Net Galley for a review copy