Synopsis

Two brothers. One mute, the other his lifelong protector.

Year after year, their family visits the same sacred shrine on a desolate strip of coastline known as the Loney, in desperate hope of a cure.

In the long hours of waiting, the boys are left alone. And they cannot resist the causeway revealed with every turn of the treacherous tide, the old house they glimpse at its end . . .

Many years on, Hanny is a grown man no longer in need of his brother’s care.

But then the child’s body is found.

And the Loney always gives up its secrets, in the end.

My thoughts

This was a very difficult book read, not because of the subject matter but because of the writing style and the fact that it peppered with religious, specifically catholic references. At the religious imagery permeates the entire story and is very off putting.

This made the book difficult to read none of the characters are particularly sympathetic or likeable and in parts I had no idea what was going on.

The blurb on the back of the book made only the mention of visiting a shrine and I did not know that the book would have all this religious stuff in it, had I known I probably wouldn’t have bought it at all. The premise was good but I found very hard to get to the actual plot

I personally don’t get the fuss and hype that has surrounded this book as I felt it was an average book with average writing (not that I could do any better). It’s hard to describe my feelings about this book because in one way I liked it but in another I didn’t, maybe it is a book I should re-read in a while as I may get more out of it on a second reading.

3/5