Honestly, this could have been set in my hometown. Our high school was a real mix, everyone went there regardless of background and we formed the unlikeliest of friendships. There’s an equivalent to Brennan’s where we always ended up reuniting with friends at New Year, wide sweeping beaches, the feeling of no longer belonging at home and then just not belonging anywhere.
Someone upthread said they thought Marianne’s character was unrealistic for a small town but I can think of several Mariannes from my home town who shed their skin and blossomed once they left and were free of the small town constraints.
My experience is that my small town, especially like mine, was pretty good at social control and keeping everyone in their place. Going away to university meant suddenly losing your place, an in between place instead.
About Marianne, people would have said ‘oh you know her, she lives in the Big House, her mother’s a strange one, a real cold fish, never smiles, lovely clothes though and well, you know what they say about the brother’. And Marianne would have been judged on that.
A lot of subtle behaviour moderation to avoid that being reflected on your family.