Benjamin Wood’s Seascraper spans a single day which sees Thomas Flett lifted out of his hardscrabble life for a few brief hours. Heading back to the shack he shares with his mother once he’s sold the day’s shellfish catch, he finds her with an American man who has a proposition for him. Edgar is a movie director, intent on filming a novel for which Thomas’s stretch of beach offers the perfect location and prepared to pay handsomely for his help. Wood’s descriptions of the bleak landscape and the difficulties Thomas endures are vividly cinematic. He and his mother lead a hand-to-mouth life with little hope of change, but he dreams of becoming a musician. Things may not quite turn out the way he expected but there’s hope for Thomas at the end of this atmospheric, dreamlike novella.
Set in Oslo, Oliver Lovrenski’s Back in the Day follows four bright, disadvantaged boys through their school days onto the streets and into a life that will likely lead to an early death. By fifteen they’re carrying knives, dealing drugs and sampling the merchandise. Lovrenski tells the boys’ stories through Ivor, whose Croatian background he shares, delivering his narrative in brief vibrant fragments written in lower case with little punctuation and in a slang that takes some getting used to, but persistence pays off. It’s a tough but rewarding, intensely moving read. Kudos to Nichola Smalley for a fine translation which can’t have been easy.
There’s a coming-of-age theme running through Seán Hewitt’s Open, Heaven which sees a deep bond form between two teenage boys. James is eager to begin his life away from the expectations of his family and the small village in which he lives. Luke has been sent to live with his aunt and uncle on a nearby farm, his reputation for danger masking his anxieties and hopes. ‘James falls deeply for Luke, yet he is never sure of Luke’s true feelings. And as the end of summer nears, he has a choice to make – will he risk everything for the possibility of love?’ asks the blurb. Very much like the sound of that particularly as Hewitt is both a poet and Irish.
Louise Hegarty’s inventive debut, Fair Play, sees Abigail preparing her annual mystery weekend to celebrate her brother’s birthday. After the crime’s solved, their guests take themselves off to bed some drunker than others. Next morning, the group are horrified to discover that Benjamin has died in the night aged only thirty-three. The police arrive then, oddly, a celebrated detective turns up called in by Abigail to solve the mystery of her brother’s death. Hegarty’s novel turns into a pastiche locked room mystery interspersed with Abigail’s struggles to accept Benjamin’s death. Quite a risky idea for any novel, let alone a debut, but it worked for me on the whole.
I’ve been wondering about reading another Taylor Jenkins Reid having ripped through Daisy Jones & the Six. Atmosphere is set in the ‘80s, a time when the space shuttle programme was at full throttle. Joan Goodwin starts her astronaut training at Houston’s Johnson Space Centre alongside a group of fellow elite candidates. Reid’s novel follows her into space as part of the STS-LR9 mission in December 1984 which does not go as planned. Perhaps not an obvious choice for me but Annabel’s review is very persuasive. You can read it here.
That’s it for the first batch of April’s paperbacks. A click on a title will take you either to my review or to a more detailed synopsis should you want to know more. If you’d like to catch up with new fiction, it’s here and here.
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I enjoyed Atmosphere, the first book I’ve read by the author.
I thought Seascraper was a wonderful book, so atmospheric. It won the Winston Graham Historical Prize last Thursday and, as a member of the judging panel, it was great to chat with Benjamin and his wife after the ceremony. He was genuinely moved to have won.
I was so pleased to see that Seascraper had won, Cathy. He’s clearly a modest guy!
And he has also won the Nero Prize
Seascraper is in my TBR, I must get to it! Also very excited about the Seethaler.
There’s another Seethaler on the way but very different. I think you’ll love Seascraper!
Loved Seascraper and Atmosphere – thank you for the link on the latter.
You’re welcome!
Your first three choices were all Must Reads for me in 2025. All so different, but all rewarding. The Seán Hewitt sounds like a Must Read too: less sure about the other two. I can take or leave space shuttle programes and murder mystery weekends (I’m just looking for excuses ot to add to the TBR, you understand).
I know the TBR is threatening to topple. I think, you’ve already read the pick of the bunch although I have hopes for the Hewitt.
I just read Fair Play for Reading Ireland Month! That cover of Back in the Day is very similar to the one for Close to Home by Michael Magee. Of these, the Hewitt appeals most.
The Magee and Lovrenski are a good match. Hope you enjoyed Fair Play. I’ll look out for your review.
A great selection with some enticing titles. I have just finished Seascraper. A beautiful, atmospheric and filmic type of story. I can still smell the seascape. Great to see a couple of Irish authors here, although I haven’t read either book yet. I am in the middle of Parrott’s Ex-Wife. Very entertaining.
Seascraper’s beautiful, isn’t it. I read The Young Accomplice last year which couldn’t be more different. Glad you’re enjoying Ex-wife. I like that Faber Modern Classic imprint.
Loved Seascraper but Atmosphere wasn’t for me in spite of loving here other books.
Always pleased when Seascraper gets some attention. Is there another Reid you’d particularly recommend other than Daisy?