Do Youy want what I want by Denise Deegan

[Oonagh]

When Rory O'Neill is suddenly faced with his mortality, he realizes he has nothing to show for his thirty-six years on earth. More than anything, he would like a family. The woman he loves, his partner of four years, Louise does not - for good reason. Time is not on their side. Does Rory sacrifice his love for Louise or his desire to have a family?

Im a huge fan of Denise Deegan's Im in between whether i liked this or not. I could not really identify with the characters I loved the little chap in who was fostered. Rory and Orla just annoyed me and Louise just didnt warm to her at all. It had a great story line. Has it any one read it ?? im dying to see what other people think. Im passing this on to Claire so if any one wants to read it their more than welcome to it.

[lou]

I too am a huge fan of Denise Deegan and think she writes fantastically well without too much sentimentality and lots of originality. Denise manages to create a varety of charachters and because they are so different, as in life, you are bound not to like them all - that would make for a very boring book in my opinion.

I really liked the charachter of Orla who I thought was feisty. She could so easily have got bogged down with Owen leaving her and Jenna being difficult but she managed to salvage herself and did something about it. She went on the course and revisited her youth having a fling and came good in the end. She was also a loyal friend to Rory and was always there for him.

I love Denise''s books and the only problem for me is that they're not written quick enough!!!

[Mary]

I enjoyed this one too and it was quite unusual having a male viewpoint as the main character! I also loved the little guy who was fostered, a feisty young man!

[Oonagh]

I liked it was a male perpective as well.

[megan]

There was a review by Roisin Ingle in the Irish Times on Saturday. She said it was good but the ending was quite predictable. Do you agree?
I haven't read it yet but I can guess how it might end.

[Shirley]

There was also a review in Saturday's Indo and it got quite a good one - the reviewer said it was very fast paced, almost too fast sometimes!

[Oonagh]

yeah definetly predictable. they lacked chemistry too i think Rory and Louise

[katied]

There's a review in the Irish Emigrant www.emigrant.ie/

it says
Narrating the novel entirely through the present tense is not totally successful but where it does succeed is in the account ofthe birth of Grace;

[claire]

I read half of this book yesterday, you don't want to know what my house is like at the mo! I'm loving it so far

[claire]

finished it today, and I loved every minute of it

[Oonagh]

I was not too keen on this at all. looking back i was disappointed with it.

[claire]

what did you not like Oons

[Susanne O'Leary]

I have just finished reading this book. It was interesting that the main character was a man and I think Denise really succeeded putting herself in a man's clothes so to speak. The thoughts and feelings of Rory felt real. I also thought that the book highlighted the problems many men have with wanting a family and not finding a woman who shares that dream. A man's idea of a family is very often the kind he grew up in, i.e a household with children and a Mammy who stays at home. Not many women would feel like delivering that dream today.

The pace was wonderful and I kept turning the pages, wondering what would happen next. The present tense was a little awkward at first but then I got used to it and it fitted the story and gave it an immediate feel. The ending? A little predictable but satisfactory, I suppose.

All in all, a very enjoyable book and very well written.

[megan]

I began this book yesterday and finished it today. Even though I guessed what the ending would be I enjoyed the unpredictable journey of arriving there. I liked the way the pace built at the end, so much so that I didn't want to stop reading, to go to the loo! I have to agree with Oonagh, though; there was something missing in Rory and Louise's relationship. Perhaps it was deep love on her side for him. I didn't feel it. And, I get the feeling he would have survived quite well without her - once he had his child. I suppose I would have liked him to care more for her than he did.
I didn't fall in love with any of the characters - perhaps we can't always.