Frank – no ordinary sixteen-year-old – lives with his father outside a remote Scottish village. Their life is, to say the least, unconventional. Frank’s mother abandoned them years ago: his elder brother Eric is confined to a psychiatric hospital; and his father measures out his eccentricities on an imperial scale. Frank has turned to strange acts of violence to vent his frustrations. In the bizarre daily rituals there is some solace. But when news comes of Eric’s escape from the hospital Frank has to prepare the ground for his brother’s inevitable return – an event that explodes the mysteries of the past and changes Frank utterly.
This book is one of those books you put down after finishing it and say, out loud to yourself, what the f**k did I just read.
I’d never read an Iain Banks book, and this was not necessarily one I’d have picked up for myself. However, I recently borrowed a few of my friends most-loved books, and this is one of the books he lent to me.
This book is clever, it is visceral, it is dark and twisting and twisted, and I honestly do not think it will ever leave me. It’s been a week or so since I finished this book, and it probably pops into my head at least once a day. Although most of this story is the day to day life of a teenager, it is the life of a rather messed up teenager. It focuses on some very difficult and hard topics, and is not one for the faint of heart.
However, there is something so compelling about this book. Despite the dark themes, I constantly wanted to pick it up while I was reading it. Although this one doesn’t necessarily read as a thriller or mystery, there is this constant feeling of walking up a mountain and knowing there will be something incredible at the top. There’s a sense of such intrigue to this story and the payoff is just brilliant.
Yes, this book is dark and shocking and twisted and I cannot say I necessarily found it an ‘enjoyable’ read. It is disgusting and it gets under your skin. But it is undeniably, one of the cleverest books I have ever read, and I don’t think I’ll ever forget it. For that, it was definitely a 5 star read for me.
★★★★★
5 out of 5 stars
-Beth
May your shelves forever overflow with books! ☽
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