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It's hard to talk about this book without revealing too much. I read this book in three days on vacation. There were times it was absolutely impossible to put it down to go and do vacation things! I love Irish writers and have many friends in Dublin, and Birchall's tone felt so true to the Dublin I know. The personalities are strong and unforgettable. I was struck by the humor and the sadness, the unexpected and the ending. One of the few books lately I've felt worthy of a review. So wish I could read it again or more by this author!!

Amy BattisI love Irish writers and have many friends in Dublin

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This was truly different than anything I've ever read. It's a story told from multiple POV's throughout the book, but the author has done it in such a way that it's very easy to follow. I was a little thrown by the first-person telling at first, but once I got used to the different sections and each individual character, I really enjoyed the fact that it was written that way.
It's an interesting concept - essentially avenging a friend's death by daring each other to do outrageous things - I found that the characters I initially didn't like ended up becoming my favorites.
I think the story got a little rushed at the end. There's a pretty significant event that happens about 75% of the way through, and I wish that whole thing had been stretched out a bit more. I wanted to dive deep into the characters' thoughts and reactions about it. Regardless, it was a story that I enjoyed reading and that made me think.

JessicaDark & thoughtful - kept me interested all the way to the end.

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At this risk of being over-dramatic, this book had a bit of Steinbeck in Grapes of Wrath, a bit of Catcher in the Rye and healthy doses of simply original and descriptive story line of the unsatisfied lives of four young men following a tragic and stupid event the left one of their friends dead 15 years earlier. While one review knocked the book for being vulgar, an author cannot put dialogue in the mouths of worldly men that would be uttered by Sunday school teachers and expect to be believable. Gritty, tough, even a touch of Death of a Salesman. What a great writer is Birchall and I will look for more of his books.

Ken RossignolGritty and tough

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Five friends have just finished school and spend a lazy, sunny afternoon by the lake.
Only four of them return home that night.
15 years later, they still see each other more or less regularly. They never talk about Michael's death, but meet on its anniversary every year.
Their lives have taken them in very different directions, but that afternoon by the lake has left its mark on each of them.
Each of them has tried to find a way to cope with what happened back then, with various degrees of success.
Now one of them suggests a course of action to reach closure and enable them all to finally get on with their lives.
The others agree, and a chain of events starts that ends in drama... and a glimmer of hope.
Even though not everything about this book met my taste, it was a good read. The stories of the four young men were holding my attention, and I wanted to read on and find out what was going to happen next.

Meks LibrarianHolds your attention from first to last

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A thoroughly enjoyable read with a great set of characters. Surviving Michael was a refreshing read which I found hard to put down. The characters are all believable and as the book progressed, the personality of each character emerged. The story line was excellent - never boring - with a real twist at the end. I've just bought this authors' previous book and now can't wait for the next one. Keep 'em coming Mr Birchall please.

MichaelaVery Good