EARTH: REVIEW

 

All in all, I found “Earth” a great read, thoroughly intriguing and engaging, definitely worth a read. (Review by Barry Meehan)

One of my fellow reviewers at artSMart is always the first to raise a hand when a review is needed for a new John Boyne offering. So when one arrived from Penguin Random House, she was hugely put out that she couldn’t read it, as she was about to hop on an aeroplane on her way to New Zealand for a visit to family.

And so it came to pass that I was presented with my first John Boyne novel to review, and I must say that I’m glad it turned out the way it did. Earth is more of a novella than a novel (166 pages, with not a lot of text on each) but it was a lot more intriguing and readable than many of the tomes that come my way to be reviewed.

It would be very difficult to go into detail re the plot of Earth, as there are several plot twists that would act as “spoiler alerts” if mentioned in any detail. Suffice it to say that the novella tells the story of two young professional footballers, one of them accused of raping a young girl after a party, the second aiding and abetting his mate. Did they do what they’re accused of, or not – that is the question. Readers will have to decide for themselves after reading the evidence as presented at the court case, which is the focal point of the narrative.

Flashbacks provide insight into the way the young narrator of the tale (one of the footballers, who really wanted to be an artist!) has turned out the way he has. For his part in the saga, is he as guilty of being an accessory as his compatriot is of being the rapist? Or are they both falsely accused?

Different characters pop up along the way to add to the proceedings, including the narrator’s football-mad father, his long-suffering mother, the toffee-nosed parents of the primary accused and a really nasty piece of work who must be referred to as “Sir”. (No prizes for guessing the identity of this evil and very debauched character!

All in all, I found Earth a great read, thoroughly intriguing and engaging, definitely worth a read. – Barry Meehan

Earth is published by Penguin Random House UK. ISBN  978-0-8575-2983-11776390350