Two sisters go to school together in Galway. One is the nice girl, the "smart" one, the serious one. The other is a flirt, a beautiful teen who has no problem finding admirers. Juno is that one; but our narrator is Juliet, the girl who grows into her own on every plane, as she goes through the first unpredictable year of life on her own in the big city.

The sisters go through a lot --- sex, drugs, and rock 'n' roll are among the things that occupy their minds after school hours --- but it's less about their relationship than it is about how one young woman learns how valuable a person she is in the world as she comes out from under her sister's formidable wing.

JUNO & JULIET is the debut novel from Julian Gough, highly touted as a perfect fit with the readers of other writers such as Roddy Doyle and Melissa Bank. However, it feels like a quickly written memoir, with the author taking on the voice of a changing woman. It's a fun book, a light book, a book that seems as if it has been written by a girl going through the experience firsthand. As Juliet comes more and more into her own, the book grows more interesting. Ultimately, JUNO & JULIET will please readers because of Juliet's serene and intelligent presence.


   --- Reviewed by Jana Siciliano


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