Brother

The book covers the life of Dominic and his relationship with his younger brother, Spencer, and their parents, girlfriends, other family members, and friends, to a lesser degree. There is love, betrayal, hatred, and even a little violence. It is very psychological and will keep you reading until the end.

It is well written and well edited; it’s a little dark in places but nothing too extreme, and there are also sad and happy moments. It is an easy-to-read contemporary novel based in Ireland. It is written in the first person, from Dominic´s point of view, and there are various flashbacks to the past when he is a child as well as plenty of background information on the main characters, helping the reader understand them. It could well be a true story, and a very thought-provoking one.

I enjoyed the parts when Dominic was reading the book with Babacar and the problems Babacar had to overcome, which I found very interesting. I also enjoyed the parts towards the end when Dominic was discovering the culprit of all the problems he was facing. I did find Dominic to be a weak person; he was easily manipulated by his old schoolboy friend Lar and, at times, even his own brother Spencer. This was the part that was the most unbelievable; it could be understandable under the circumstances, but at the end of the day Dominic is a decent guy with a dysfunctional family, and overall the characters where believable. There was just the right amount of descriptions and dialogue for me: not too much, not too little. The comparisons were great, and there was even some humor in places.

I didn´t find the book “gripping,” but it was a good solid read overall; recommended if you like contemporary novels regarding family problems and other issues.