This book was so powerful and heartbreaking at the same time. I enjoyed the incorporation of the Banshee's found in Irish Folklore and the intertwining storylines between past and present. There is a lot of mystery found in both timelines and I thought Fowley-Doyle did an amazing job of weaving the two together.

"You speak your truth. You shatter the stigma. You hold your head up to the world and speak so that everyone else who was ever like you can recognize themselves. Can see that they aren't alone. Can see how the past will only keep repeating itself as long as we're kept powerless by our silence."

I did not realize how recent things have changed in Ireland when it comes to Women's and LGBTQA+ rights. I can't imagine living in a constant state of fear and shame. I can't imagine how scared the women in the Mother and Baby homes must have been. It is heartbreaking to learn that women have still been subjected to the shame of having children out of wedlock even if it was due to a violent act upon them.

I think this book is extremely important in sheading light on how even in 2022 women are still fighting for their rights. We see it a lot in America still, even me being in a very conservative state, but I don't have to live with even a sliver of the pressure women in Ireland are still faced with today.

In Moira's words "All the Bad Apples is built on equal parts hope and fury - it's about feminism and history, family and identity, and what happens when hidden truths are told."

This is a difficult read but a very important one and I definitely recommend it.

A completely underrated book that should be on every shelf possible! There's a curse, secret family history, mysterious disappearances, and SO MUCH MORE. This is a book that will stay with you long after you finish it, and I will be recommending it to everyone.

First Thought After Finishing: I can’t believe stories like these still happen for so many girls.

Irish history wrapped into a mystery? Yes please! But this story comes with so much more than a mystery infused with hints of magic. It’s a story of overcoming the past, of defying societal conventions and expectations, and of being proud of who you are.

Deena has been raised by her older sister to be a “nice, normal girl” so that she can escape the Rys family curse. It’s what her sister expects, it’s what her father expects, and it’s what she wants—except for when she’s with her other sister, Mandy. A wild enigma, Mandy offers Deena a glimpse into something that is more than a “nice, normal life.” Until the day that Mandy disappears, and everyone believes her to be dead—everyone except Deena. A letter that Mandy left behind sends Deena on a quest to discover the truth. Along with her best friend, she finds new people who also have a part in her history. But this is one story that doesn’t end the way that anyone was expecting.

From the beginning of this book, something felt just a bit unsettled, which made me dive right into the story to figure out what was going on. Mandy was an intriguing character, and Deena’s tenacious belief that Mandy was alive had me convinced as well. The story unfolded in alternating perspectives—the present, with Mandy’s letters, and flashbacks of the family history. The flashback scenes were both fascinating and horrifying, knowing that they were loosely based on reality. In many ways, they were like traffic accidents—hard to watch but impossible to look away from. In all honesty, the historical scenes were more compelling than the present tense, but piecing together the puzzle was so intriguing that I finished the book within a few hours.

The cast of characters was diverse and felt like a group that would be fun to hang out with. The adventure bound them all in a way that made them feel like they always belonged together. I especially liked Cale’s character. She was unapologetically herself in a way that was inspirational. It would be interesting to see a spinoff story involving her and Deena. The family members, on the other hand, often left a lot to be desired. Then again, that was probably the point.

This book inspired a lot of emotions, and not all of them were positive. But I am so glad that a book like this exists, because it should cause a reaction. Anyone reading this should want better for women and children all over the world. I can only hope that this book finds its way into the hands of people who need it—into the hands of anyone who has ever been considered a “bad apple.”

All the Bad Apples is the first book I’ve read by Moira Fowley-Doyle, but it won’t be the last. I can’t wait to see what adventure she creates and what emotions she inspires next.

Most Memorable Aspect: The haunting reality of the flashback scenes.

'All the Bad Apples' is a beautifully told story that blends past and present, revealing the same prejudice that exists in both times. The story is a layered one that speaks of several topics that include family, love, forgiveness, hate, fear, guilt, figuring out who you are, loving yourself, believing in yourself, and so many others. As soon as I read the book's description, I knew that I had to read it because it hinted at a family curse and a strange treasure hunt of sorts. I wasn't expecting to really love this novel as much as I did.

It's hard for me to pinpoint all the aspects of the book that I liked. It's a combination of several things that leads to an amazing story with true emotions and connections. The characters were all well written, even if some of the secondary characters were a bit stereotypical. I really liked Deena as the narrator. She's very realistic and easy to empathize with right from the beginning. She has strengths, weaknesses, and flaws that make her easy to identify with. The other characters are interesting and I liked getting to know each of them and watching their relationships with one another change and grow during the course of the story.

I can't say much about the plot because I don't do spoilers in my reviews. You get a pretty basic idea of what's going to happen just by reading the description, but it's so much more than that. The letters that Deena finds and follows to find Mandy are full of history and stories of their ancestors that were also cursed for being "bad apples." The major thing that got me with this book was the writing style. It's a major aspect for me personally and can literally make or break a book for me. I found that the author's choice of style was interesting and really worked for telling the stories of all of these people. I was able to really connect with Deena right from the beginning of the novel, especially because the main part of the story is told from her point of view. First person POV is my favorite by far because it lets me really get to know the narrator and feel a deep connection with them. However, the letters that Mandy sends Deena that contain the history of the family curse is done in the third person (which I normally don't like). But the author had this amazing way of writing these "letters" that detail the past where I fell right into their stories and lives almost as easily as if it had been done in the first person. I felt deeply connected with each of the individuals we meet and get to know, and my heart hurt for them when we learn their stories. I almost never get emotional invested in books that are written in anything besides the first person POV, so it proves to me the amazing talent the author has because I was feeling all the "feels" throughout the whole book - no matter the POV, narrator, or time frame. All I can say is that I ended up really loving this book, more than I thought I was going to, and I highly recommend it for people who are looking for something different than most stories out there right now and for fans of YA, fantasy, historical fiction, contemporary fiction, LGBTQ, mystery, and magical realism.

I have tried reading a book by Moira Fowley-Doyle before - namely the Accident season - and I found the writing style enjoyable but the plot extremely confusing and slow. The case was pretty much the same with All the bad apples. The premise sounds intriguing and unusual, however, I just could not get into the story.

All the Bad Apples by Moria Fowley-Doyle is not a book I would normally have read as it’s not in my “wheelhouse” but boy am I glad I did! Set in Ireland it tells the tale of the struggle that women to this day are facing. We meet the main characters, Deena, Rachel and Mandy (the latter two being twins and much older than Deena). There is much turmoil between Rachel and Mandy. Then Mandy is no longer there and it is thought that she is dead, but Deena won’t accept this. Deena then sets out to find Mandy and prove that she is not dead. Thus begins the journey of discovery of family mystery, workhouses, homes for unwed moms and all of this leads back to Deeana’s family. But how? To find the answers to this and other questions you will have as you read this really good book.
Thanks to netgalley for the ARC and the opportunity to read and write an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Set in Ireland, Deena is being raised by her much older sister, Rachel. The father bailed out when Deena was a baby. The story takes off when Rachel's twin, Mandy, is thought to be dead, and a funeral is held. Deena is sure Mandy is not dead. Following clues, Deena sets out on a quest to find Mandy. She and various friends and family members follow the quest to its conclusion. Oh, by the way, Deena is "different" and accidentally outs herself in her father's presence. As we follow the clues, we find workhouses, homes for unwed mothers, orphanages, and each one of these stops ties in with Deena's family. Deena discovers firsthand how the missteps of her female ancestors leads to families destroyed. This book gives voice to generations of oppressed women.

Sisters, mothers, lovers, and queers. About the bad apples, misbehaving girls and women and how society dealt with them. There is abuse, cruelty, rape and discrimination. A healthy dose of Irish mysticism, banshees, witches, and apple trees that grow and produce overnight - all come together to create a good story.

Moira Fowley-Doyle has a unique gift of being able to write the most captivating family dramas that have the perfect mix of magical realism. All of her novels are atmospheric and you can't help but feel the tension as the story progresses. Additionally, I love the history's she creates for her families and characters. There are so many twists and turns in this and I don't want to give too much away. Just know that there are curses and secrets and complicated relationships and more and more and more. Just like her other novels, this a must have for collections.

I received a free copy for an honest review.

This book had a lot of logical flaws, but it was actually very enjoyable.

This is one of the books that have some logical inconsistencies that may take you out of the experience. But because of how interesting the story is, you chose to ignore those inconsistencies so that you can just sit back and enjoy the book -"just let it slide".

For example, I personally enjoyed the way the book is structured - I loved the time jumps and the short stories administered into the book because they're actually really good. However, I could see many other readers disliking for being messy as well. I also want to acknowledge my appreciation for the scavenger style for the "mystery" aspect of the storyline. But ultimately it doesn't seem to make much logical sense and is not very realistic. It seems too over the top to make me believe that someone else (or myself0 in that situation would do the same things.

Despite these flaws, I still found myself liking the writing style and the symbolic message despite the logical plot holes because the short stories are just so entertaining and amazing to read. The author completely KILLED the historical tone in the book while still making the book easy to read.

Anyway, to sum up, this book definitely has its share of technical flaws. But because of this interesting writing style and meaningful storyline (and if you choose to overlook it), this book could be still of enjoyment to you. This is why I gave it four stars despite everything.

A fascinating new take on an ancient idea. Modern mythology at it's finest. Was impressed with how small the book started and then it all broke open wide at the end.

In the end some books aren't bad they just fall squarely into the: not for me category and after thinking about it for quite a while that's where I'm putting my split feelings on All the Bad Apples.

Though I do think if you're considering reading this you may want to ask yourself: how do you like your magical realism?

In the story we follow Deena whose older sister Mandy has disappeared and been declared dead. Deena is sure that she's not and this feeling is only reinforced when letters begin arriving and Deena follows Mandy's footsteps into the past in the hopes of breaking a family curse.

Sounds good right? I had read Spell Book of the Lost and Found by Fowley-Doyle and loved it so when I had the chance to participate in the Fantastic Flying Book Club blog tour for Apples I jumped at it.

But in the end despite some important historical facts that come out and are dealt with the book just was too much for me. The letters became eye-rolling in it's coincidences and when it seemed like the author was actually explaining that and going a certain way in the book I had some hope.

But then the modern story seems to go off a cliff of magical realism to the point where I was wondering if it shouldn't be more of a fantasy. There's some good diversity in the present story (Deena herself comes out to her family at the start of the story.) But I didn't really like any of the characters.

Even the story of Mandy's secret is like well, I know where this is going...

Okay, maybe not. Good play Fowley-Doyle.

I take that back she just stupidly read it wrong :/

I suppose I like my magical realism like I like my apples: somewhere in the middle but generally still not that soft.

So yeah, All the Bad Apples tells an important part of Irish history particularly concerning women and children and not that long ago either. But unfortunately the way it was told just didn't appeal to me and spoiled the experience.

Recommend: 50/50. I can't completely write this one off due to the story in the past as long as you have a good stomach for the modern day coincidences and magical elements that make the surround the tale.

A fascinating magical realism-ish book about a family curse and the hidden history of Ireland's treatment of young unwed mothers. This was gripping in many ways. Great for fans of creepy suspense with a side of girl power.

Deena is the youngest of three sisters by over a decade, living mostly with her dependable older sister Rachel but sometimes staying with her wild sister, Mandy. Their father pops in and out but doesn't live there at all, and their mother passed away years before, so it's just the two of them most of the time. But then Mandy goes missing and is presumed dead. It looks like she jumped from the cliffs and committed suicide, but Deena refuses to believe it's true. Everyone thinks she's just grief-striken, but she starts finding letters written by Mandy, which explain the family's Curse.

The book is written mostly from Deena's point of view, but also contains Mandy's letters explaining her ancestors and what they did to be branded as "bad apples." Deena is convinced that Mandy has gone to break the curse - but is it even real? And is Mandy still alive? And if it's all in her head, can you explain the long gray hairs that Deena just knows are from a banshee? And wait, since when does Mandy have a daughter?

My notes: This twisty and turny plot was a bit far-fetched and the resolution was a little much for me, but I couldn't stop reading this title. I thoroughly enjoyed Deena and thought her irrational behavior made perfect sense for someone going through a grieving process. A+, would recommend.
*Thank you to NetGalley for the eARC of this title, in exchange for an honest review.*

Fowley Doyle, Moira, All the Bad Apples. Pgs. 320. Kathy Dawson Books, 2019.
17-year-old Deena Rhys is gay. She attends a Catholic school and the rumors spark an unexpected visit form her absent, domineering father. On her 17th birthday, her older sister disappears. Her only clue is a note left by her sister. Mandy’s troubled past combined with the Rhys family curse leaves everyone to believe that Mandy is dead, but Deena is determined to find her. Could Mandy have gone in search of the curse’s roots? Is she really dead? Will Deena find Mandy or suffer a similar fate? Great writing and a stay on the edge of your seat plot. The author introduces strong female characters that will engage the reader. The themes of feminism and reproductive rights contain a political message that affects Ireland and others. The blend of magical realism with the themes will surprise readers. Very poignant, yet tastefully done, readers who enjoy magical realism, Moira Fowley-Doyle, and books with strong, female characters will enjoy reading this book.

Disclaimer: This book was received as a free e-galley from Netgalley and the publisher. Please note that the majority of the books that we (The Keepers of the Books) review are complementary copies from publishers and authors. We are not paid for these reviews. The copies are provided in exchange for an honest review, and all opinions are our own.

I have no idea where to start with this book. This book blew me away! I went into thinking that it was going to be a "follow the letter tail to find her sister" but it is so, so much more than that. We follow Deena but when her sister Mandy goes missing and then presumed dead she doesn't believe it. When a letter arrives for her from her sister she knows she has to follow what these letters say as she believes once she gets to the end of it she'll find her sister. But things do not go as planned. This road trip turns into a following Denna's family history. I enjoyed the part about her family history and how it ties into her life nowadays. The main part of the family history is heart-wrenching! The history of her family is set in the 1930s in Ireland and at times it made me so upset on how these women were treated; Catholic workhouses, no women's rights and more just made me want to do something to uplift women nowadays.
Deena's father is a horrible person, he made me want to rip out the pages he was on; I don't even want to say any more about him. Let's go on to other characters, I liked both of her sisters but Finn and Ida are two of my favorite characters who made me smile during this very raw, heart hitting book.

I do want to say that this book covers some heavy topics like abuse, discrimination that queer people and women suffered but it handles it so well without going over the topic or putting it in a negative light. This book felt like if you had The Wicked Deep and mixed in Summer of Salt. I love both of those books; this one felt similar because you have a heavy heart, sea, magical realism, and sisterhood!

I received an ARC of this novel from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

A novel about sisters, mothers, daughters, and family curses. I love the intertwining stories that weave through this novel.

I didn't finish this one. Though there was a lot to love here, including Deena's strong characterization, I didn't find myself as compelled as I would have hoped. I found that the romance between her and Cale fell flat and that the constant jumping back and forth in time pulled me out of the story. All in all, I didn't find myself compelled to finish it. The mystery wasn't strong enough for me.

WOW! This book has a bit of everything! It's part historical fiction, part fairy tale, part mystery, part "road trip", part coming of age story, part family drama. Geared to young adults and especially young women, what begins as the story of a young woman looking for her sister (the sister has supposedly committed suicide, but since her body was not found, her sister doesn't believe it) becomes a tale of a family curse that has afflicted multiple generations of women. Along the way, readers are treated (although that's probably not the correct term) to a story that reveals the history of women and children in Ireland over the last century and a half.

I loved the way the author incorporated magic, curses, and ghosts (banshees) into the story, and the way she added twists and turns in the plot to keep the reader guessing. Is this really a ghost story? Is Mandy really dead? I Deena chasing ghosts or is she becoming mentally unstable? How are these women really related & how does their family history impact their lives today? In the end you are left with a wonderfully engaging story based in true events from Ireland's history that impacts women even today.

NOTE: the last chapter is a bit didactic, but not to the point of overwelming the storyline. There is definitely a message here, and the afterward from the author better defines that, but the message of the novel flows smoothly from the plot and does not distract from the story itself. This is a great story and one I would highly recommend, especially for teen and young adult women.

this is my first time reading a moïra fowley-doyle novel, and there is something special and magical in her storytelling. i finished this book in one sitting, which may have something to do with my jet lag, but is mostly due to how gripping her writing is – i just can’t wait to see what happens next.

one of the best things about this book is how the story is structured and told. we are allowed little peeks at the past in mandy’s letters to deena (which later turn out to be forged by deena herself) along the way, and i loved finding out more about the history of deena’s family, as well as ireland bit by bit.

the parts about the magdalene laundries, physical abuse of pregnant teenagers and their children, as well as homophobia, were difficult to read. they made me so angry, and i was shocked that it’s my first time reading about the dark side of ireland’s history. the world needs to know about this. especially in this day and age, where abortion is still illegal in some parts of the world, we need to educate ourselves on the consequences the bans bring and how people’s lives and wellbeing are threatened as a result.

"the past will only keep repeating itself as long as we’re kept powerless by our silence."

and i love, love, looove the diversity. the protagonist, deena, is lesbian, and she has a bisexual and black best friend, finn. and afterwards they meet cale, who’s queer too. it’s heartwarming seeing them click immediately, right after meeting each other, and getting closer throughout this little impromptu road trip.

one thing i didn’t like about all the bad apples though, was that the romance is not yet fully developed. you can’t just give me an absolutely amazing kiss scene and leave me hanging! i was so excited and looking forward to how deena and cale’s relationship would turn out, and i was left disappointed and heartbroken. how dare you do this to me. i demand a sequel!

i highly recommend all the bad apples, especially if you’re a fan of magical realism and teenagers speaking out. it’s such a powerful book and i can’t wait for more people to read it.

This was a great story about discovering family secrets. Deena was a great character that was looking to see what happened to her older sister and finds out that the truth exposes everything. Smart, well-written and thought-provoking, this book had it all. Definitely one that will stay with you long after you’re done reading.