I am struggling with writing this review, book friends. I have a love/hate relationship with this book, and don’t know where to begin. CONFESSIONS by Catherine Airey started off super strong and was giving me the five star feels—I couldn’t put it down! It opens with a young woman’s reaction to the 9/11 attacks that I found completely mesmerizing. Then the timeline and POV quickly switches which left me feeling cheated and wanting more. I’m finding it difficult to describe this novel—there’s a lot going on! So many storylines, time frames, settings, and even formats that quickly change throughout. The beginning absolutely blew me away, the middle kinda lost me, but the conclusion made up for it.

READ THIS IF YOU ENJOY:

- Multiple POVs and timelines
- NYC and Ireland settings
- Multigenerational stories
- Mother/daughter relationships
- Sisterhood and sibling rivalry
- Family drama and dynamics
- Video games
- Complex characters
- Politics and activism
- Mental health representation
- Reflections on the 9/11 attacks

In all honesty, there was just too much timeline jumping and switching of perspectives for my liking. It was rather off-putting. Just when I was getting into a character’s storyline and making a solid connection, everything changed. Whether that be the POV, time frame, or format. I found it quite irritating and sometimes confusing.

With all that said, the writing was superb, unique, and captivating. There’s no doubt in my mind that Airey is an extremely talented writer. One thing for sure is that I’ll never forget this novel. It’s much too quirky and unique! I can’t wait to read more from the author in the future. 3.5/5 stars for CONFESSIONS!

Pre-Publishing Day Review: Confessions by Catherine Ailey (publishing 1/14)

I tend to avoid books that involve 9/11, but the description of this book was so compelling that I knew I wanted to read it anyway, and I’m SO glad I did. Anytime a book is compared to Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow and The Goldfinch, I’m IN.

This is a multi-generational family saga, set partially in New York but largely in Ireland. This is a sweeping book—we follow four different women, all of whom are related to one another in some way, from the 1970s to the present day—but also a quiet, introspective one. It’s at times haunting (it seems appropriate that much of the book takes place inside a house that’s rumored to be haunted); trauma and loss loom large in this story. But it’s also a really beautiful look at relationships, familial and romantic, and a meditation on how the choices we make reverberate for years (even generations).

While I understand the comparisons to Tomorrow x3 and The Goldfinch, I actually think Claire Lombardo is a better comp for this title. A compelling story about a complicated, imperfect family. Five stars for this one; I’ll be thinking of these characters for a long time. This is Ailey’s debut novel, and I can’t wait to see where she goes next.

Thank you to @marinerbooks and @netgalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

This book immediately sucked me in with its immediate wow factor within the first couple of pages. A multi-generational story of women in both Ireland and the US, Confessions focuses on family and choices. While the first 1/3 had me staying up too late reading, the middle lagged a bit for me. Airey tries to do a lot in this novel interjecting a video game choose your own adventure into the mix. It took me out of the flow of the stories of the women. This one tugs at the heart and I'm so glad I read it. Grateful to the publisher for the advanced copy.

80/1oo or 4.0 stars

I was hooked within the first chapter and that feeling did not let go until the end! This was a great story.

This was such an interesting and engaging story! The characters were so well written and I loved the complexity within each of our main characters and their connections to each other.

I will be on the look for the author's next book because this was great!

This melancholy novel moves back and forth in time to tell the story of three generations of Irish women, each of whom has a voice and all of whom are affected in some way by mental illness. Cora is 16 in 2001 when her father Michael is killed on 11 September. Her mother Maire died when she was 8 so now she's back in Ireland to live with her aunt Roisin. And then her daughter Lyra picks things up in 2018 but it all loops back again to when Maire went to New York to study art. The trauma here is immense, the issues this family struggles with oppressive. It's a lot. That said it's also atmospheric and immersive and if the ending is a little.....no spoilers. Thanks to the publisher for the ARC. This is a big book that reads quickly and you will be rooting for all of these women.

This is a really beautiful multi-generational story of women that flips between the 20th and 21st generations in order to weave together the story of women both in the US and Ireland.

Starting off in 2001, the world completely changes as we know it and for 16 year old Cora the change is intense. She places photos up of her missing father, and struggles with coming to terms with losing him after she already lost her mom some years prior. Her life is change when an estranged aunt from Ireland reaches out and ultimately becomes her legal guardian. What comes next is an intricately weaved story of power, tragedy, trauma, and ultimately love in the face of grave challenges. The way that Catherine writes immediately hooks you in and the story is so immersive that it's deep and I at times felt overwhelmed with emotions.

The characters were each written with their own voice, and I absolutely loved how each was so unique to the other. I do find myself enjoying Lyca far more than the others, but I think that was because of the fact that she has far less trauma and angst in her life than the other women.

This is one hell of a debut novel and the way the author engages the reader and truly captures such a complex story and gently weaves the stories all together shows great skill and I'm beyond eager to see where this author goes in her future works.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin General UK for this e-arc in exchange for my honest review.

Confessions by Catherine Airey is an intense novel. Starting with the tragedy of 9/11 it draws you in as Cora, who has already lost her mother, loses her father when the towers fall. Her aunt in Ireland asks her to come and she does and this is where the novel became much less compelling for me. As it takes you through the daily history, I found that I couldn't get into these other characters and I had a hard time finishing the novel. I just lost interest. Thank you to the author, publisher and Netgalley for an ARC of this novel in exchange for my honest review.

Absolutely loved this one. The setting of NY in the days after 9/11 contrasted well with the depiction of growing up in the 1970s in a rural Irish community. I found the old house intriguing and loved following its occupants throughout the story.

A strong debut. Perfect for fans of The Hours. I loved the structure and multiple narrators—Roisin was my favorite. I typically prefer more dialogue than some chapters had but I was transfixed by the authors voice and could not put it down. Read it in one sitting (thanks to holiday break).

A gorgeous and very dark emotional read. Lots going on, and written from multiple perspectives. But the writing works well and doesn’t feel overwhelming. My only qualm was that the ending felt fake and unsatisfying. Wish it had taken a different turn.

The beginning of the book was good. The middle was slow and totally lost my interest and I couldn't get into the story.

This is a debut that follows three generations of women from New York to rural Ireland and back again. It starts off with the 2001 Twin Towers collapse. Cora Brady has already lost her mother and now she has lost her father who was working in the Twin Towers when it collapsed. Cora's aunt in Ireland wants Cora to come and live with her in Ireland.

This was written in second person which was a miss for me. There was such a disconnect with the POV style. Just couldn't get into the book.

Thank you NetGalley and Mariner Books for the ARC for my honest review.

“Confessions” by Catherine Airey had me hooked from the first page. I’m so impressed by this debut novel. The story shows important times in the lives of 3 generations of women. It is an exploration of their shared/inherited trauma and how their lives parallel each other. I enjoyed the way the parts focused on a different member and the glimpses at their connections throughout. The video game through line was interesting, but not sure it was necessary. I was engrossed, but this story is also very sad. The characters were really not good people, but written in a way where I empathized with them and rooted for them to do better. I have a feeling this will be a book I revisit in the future and pick up in new insights. Thank you NetGalley for the eARC! I can’t wait to see what this author writes next.

Confessions is an excellent debut and beautifully written book. I hope it gets the hype it deserves in 2025.
This book is comprised of interlocking stories of sisters and mothers and daughters and some of the men in their lives. It moves back and forth in time and moves between a small town in Ireland and New York City. Themes of family, identity and belonging are explored through the different characters, a house and a video game that bond them together. The structure of the story is very unique and I enjoyed learning about each character from their own perspective.
Thank you to Netgalley and Mariner Books/HarperCollins for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I thought that Confessions by Catherine Airey was well written and had interesting characters and family dynamics...but I couldn't get myself invested in the story. I enjoyed the very beginning and the very end, but found myself completely able to walk away from the book for the entire middle section. I thought the middle points of view changing was confusing.

This probably would've been a DNF for me, but I went to the end section to wrap it up and didn't hate it.

I did love The Goldfinch but didn't love Tomorrow Tomorrow and Tomorrow, for whatever that is worth.

Thank you to NetGalley and Mariner Books for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 rounded up to 4.

The word 'confession' has an overall heavy connotation and this book was HEAVY from start to finish. It swaps perspectives and timelines and moves between New York and a small town in Ireland.

I really enjoyed how the stories wove into one another and intersected. The characters were dealing with serious emotions, feelings and circumstances beyond their control. They definitely had their own unique way of dealing with life and the hands they were dealt.

There were four main characters throughout the story. None of them were particularly loveable and I certainly didn't feel a connection to any of them. I felt FOR them, but not about them.

I'm not sure if this would be considered a spoiler, so stop reading right here if you haven't finished the book. The video game. I'm sure it had some deep and significant reason for being included, but I'm not sure exactly what. I think it's misleading to include in the synopsis, especially if you're someone who likes video games and go into the book thinking you'll get video game content. I understand how it connects the women, I'm just not sure why it's really relevant.

My god, this book was just perfect. I didn’t know what to expect going in but I know it far exceeded those expectations. An actual masterpiece, in my eyes.

I love books that follow families across generations when it’s done well and it was done masterfully in Confessions. We see the way sisters, Roisin and Maire’s decisions affect their lineage for decades spanning from Ireland to New York City and back again.

Devastating, beautiful, mesmerizing - exploring motherhood, sisterhood, love, grief, betrayal.

The fact that this is Catherine Aireys debut and can go toe to toe with the best modern classics blows my mind. I truly can’t wait to read whatever she puts out in the future.

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC!

I can't believe this was a debut novel. I was captivated from the very beginning and all the way to the end. This novel follows three generations of women between New York and Ireland. The characters and their story are woven together in a beautiful and emotional way. It's full of details, history, love and secrets. I absolutely adored this story and I look forward to reading more from Catherine Airey.

Not sure if this is really for me, but I think it's still very good book. I like the pacing, it was done very well and the settings were pretty good and well done. However, some of the shifting perspectives didn't do it for me, and it did get to a point where some of it just did not connect or make sense anymore.
I do think that for those who can really connect with this story it will mean something to them. It was overall, a good read.

Really hooked by Cora and the beginning of the book, which was so evocative and beautifully written. Lost steam when it jumped to other characters and eras.

I was so excited when I first heard about this book as it was lauded as the next Goldfinch/ Tomorrow+Tomorrow+Tomorrow — but I struggled through it. I was initially drawn in by the first section of this book, Cora's story, which was compelling and well-written. The author definitely has a way to put the reader directly into the story. However, when the point of view shifted, I found myself at a loss to stay engaged and kept picking up other books. The pacing felt slow, and the new perspectives didn’t capture my interest as much as the beginning. It also focuses on a variety of themes that were not interesting to me (intergenerational trauma, reproductive rights, complex familial relationships). I can see how it might appeal to readers — Unfortunately, it just wasn’t the right fit for me.