All The Bad Apples

On the morning of her seventeenth birthday Deena Rys comes out to her unconventional family. Branded as a bad apple by her distant father and bullied in school for her sexual orientation, she seeks her eldest sister Mandy’s comfort. However, the next evening Mandy is missing and presumed dead. Deena begins an adventure into her family’s past in the hope of breaking a family curse which affects Rys women who contradict societal norms. The curse provides a magical backdrop and additional excitement in an already fast-paced narrative.

Moïra Fowley-Doyle’s All The Bad Apples at times feels overwhelming, but it succeeds in creating a commentary on the historical perception of women coinciding with the contemporary situation of women. Perhaps Fowley-Doyle has taken on too much, nevertheless, the supernatural element allows for the novel to take on a surreal undertone providing a different platform for tackling big contemporary issues. Deena is far from a stereotypically flawed teenage protagonist, she is a modern, refreshing and appealing character who invites the reader into her world.

I was excited by the confrontational attitude of the narrative as Fowley- Doyle does not shy away from the biggest topics of today. While there were times when it felt the novel was overreaching, it is clear the characters are serving a greater purpose by shedding a stimulating light on issues which many young people today face. This novel is for curious, intuitive and opinionated young people who wish to explore a magical female-centred text.

Lorna O’Dea