There’s Something I have to Tell You is a superbly crafted mystery, a seriously clever debut. It is an original tale highlighting the volatility of family relationships and the invisible ties that hold them together, written with a controlled and expert hand. Bravo Michelle McDonagh! As the Gardaí investigate further, family secrets come to the surface and no one is immune from suspicion. A minor thing though is that I, personally, would have liked to read more about how Chasten and his husband Peter met and fell in love, not just being told about it in such a matter-of-fact kind of way that felt different from the other parts of the story. It would have added a lot to the story if it had included more of their first meetings, letting us readers feel the attraction and butterflies, and seeing it evolve into their current HEA. I would also have liked to know more about Chasten’s experiences after coming out and learning to be comfortable as a gay man before meeting Peter. But I’m guessing that those parts were included in the full memoir for adults and had been edited away to keep this story shorter and more focused on the early ages. Which makes complete sense, and also makes me want to read the full memoir to find out! Readable and compelling, this book also includes resources for mental health and LGBTQ+ support. The political stuff, tho relatively sparse, serves to underscore the more important lessons of self-esteem and self-acceptance. It does genuinely feel like Mr Buttigieg is using his platform not for any personal or political gain but to offer a message of hope for vulnerable kids. It's really great to read.

I want to say I loved this book but I am afraid I didn’t, which is a real shame as I loved My Lies, Your Lies. But this was too predictable. I guessed the twist right at the beginning and I was waiting for other great reveals which just didn’t happen. This family drama/whodunit is told, in third person narrative alternating between events leading up to, and subsequent to the fateful day. Chapters are told from the perspective of various members of the Kennedy clan, all of whom have something that they'd rather the investigating officers didn't know. Words matter. Actions matter more. Everyone has a responsibility to create a society that is tolerant, respectful, inclusive, and productive. Name calling, bullying, actively creating barriers against folks we disagree with makes for a small table and a hostile environment. It also diminishes people into two dimensional stereotypes instead of the complex human beings they are. Perhaps my son would, one day, prefer to be blown by a stranger in a toilet, or perhaps he would like to be spanked while being fellated by a Negro transvestite.” There was potential for a more intriguing twist although I suppose had I read the book in its entirety rather than day by day staves until reaching the end, it was an OK twist. I loved the last line of the book too!There are family secrets aplenty, and and those who fear the discovery of them, but is it really reasonable to think that Jimmy and Ursula's awful deaths could be laid at the door of any of their nearest and dearest? A favourite conversation with Valentin concerned moral absolutes and ideas he’d found in Balzac, Nietzsche, Turgenev and Dostoevsky about nihilism and murder. This is a very easy read and has been pitched at the YA/Teen cohort of readers. I found Chasten to be very funny, I don't know if the 'kids these days' will be vibing it but I assume that is what editors are for. Is the content groundbreaking? No. But will it help Queer youth across the globe? Absolutely.

How I loved being with the unassailable men. Me, the eager little kid, they would patronise as I tried to please them with jokes, tough talk and a swaggering walk. Often Wolf and Valentin spoke in French or German… A collection of poems and prose to cradle, comfort, guide and hold space for emotions big and small. Fans of Yung Pueblo, Courtney Peppernell, and Brene Brown are sure to enjoy. I Have to Tell You Something is Zara Bas’s first book of pieces written from the most tender depths of a healing heart exploring themes of love, loss, grief, loneliness and self-worth. Split into two sections of soft and hard truths, these are the words your inner child needed to hear. I Have to Tell You Something by Zara Bas – eBook Details

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Ursula is written as a strong feminine character, who tried to hard to overcome poverty, shame and trauma, but which undoubtly remains broken and with no will or widsom in realising what that can impregnate on her life.

Even though Chasten is the husband of the former Democratic presidential candidate (Peter Buttegieg) this book was not a political one, but a personal story meant to give courage and inspiration to teenagers today by sharing the good and the bad, the hardship, fear and pain, as well as the joy and the relief, on the journey of being true to yourself. And it certainly succeeded in that! I Have Something to Tell You was a truly hopeful and earnest story. I enjoyed the direct conversational writing style and how Chasten used a lot of his humor when telling it, and how he wasn’t afraid of showing his own shortcomings nor shy away from awkward situations. It was also really heartwarming to see the love for and from his family even though they all went through a bit of a rough path after he came out. I loved this amazing debut move by yet another talented Irish author. Set on a farm in the west of Ireland, McDonagh tells a gripping story. Unfortunately, that’s the only positive I can find. Mostly I was getting frustrated about Jay’s relationship with her husband which was essentially lots of putting off have a discussion after he said ‘I have something to tell you’. That’s never a good conversation starter for a relationship, but when he says that he’s saying it’s a conversation that needs to happen at a time in the future, a time that keeps getting put off to go for dinners or drinks with friends instead. Meanwhile, Christina, the victims' fragile daughter, is carrying a private pain she's never been able to speak about. There's Something I Have To Tell You had me gripped from start to finish. My engagement with, and enjoyment of, this book was definitely enhanced by my familiarity with the settings, characters and cultural references. The story is set on a working farm and farm park in Co. Galway, and it was easy to picture this as the one my grandson often visits. The Kennedys could be my neighbours. The description of University Hospital Galway could only have been written by someone who has been there, and who, in Ireland, isn't familiar with the gossips, the begrudgers and the folks with 'notions'?Everyone is walking a unique path. This story is not just about Chasten feeling different than the cultural archetypes his childhood community valued because he was gay. This is a story where every teen who has felt out of step with the “mainstream,” every child who has been teased because of their appearance, their disability, their social awkwardness, every adolescent trying to make sense of who they are can see themselves. And know that they are not alone. It will get better. I Have Something to Tell You explores a variety of topics… murder, infidelity, love and trust to name a few. This is a remarkable tangled web of a story and I was thoroughly engrossed from the opening chapters. I loved being the fly on the wall in the successful lawyer, Jessica (Jay) Wells's family and watching their dramas and dynamics impacting Jay's professional life. Well I didn't passionately hate it but I didn't like it either. I wouldn't even say it was okay. More on the meh said. Review to come soon.