Reviews tagging 'Murder'

Pig Iron by Benjamin Myers

1 review

bengibbreid's review against another edition

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challenging dark reflective sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

It's a heavy read with some really dark moments. I found myself spurred on by the internal voice of John-John and the quirks of his Northeast voice like something out of a, whatsit film. Yeah, noir. Proper moody.
Ultimately I find the story a tragedy, despite teases of hope. It's a downer of a read and I'd recommend taking stock of your day before diving in - I found it bitterly rancid in its portrayal of scenes involving paedophiles, child abuse and incest. I get that it's a book set in the grim reality in which we exist, but I found it hard to read - I'm still reeling from it. 
Anyhow, the tale of an optimistic ex-con traveller who is dealing with his past has a lot of traction and mellow reflections of vibrant life, albeit a life threatened by the horrid deeds of people at every turn.

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