This book got tons of accolades, and I can see why — the portrayal of post-industrial working-class Glasgow is layered and immersive. Where this book lacked for me was the main characters. I just didn’t care what happened to any of them. I wanted to empathize with Agnes, but the author kept her at arm’s length, to the point where I felt pity, but not real empathy as a real person with real struggles. The title character is a secondary character in the first place, but is written as so precocious as to ring untrue. Overall, this just didn’t do much for me, and it felt like a chore to finish.