A review by juliwi
Juventud salvaje by Anthony Breznican
5.0
I'm honoured to be a part of the blog tour for Brutal Youth by Anthony Breznican today! I spotted this book even before I was approached for the blog tour and I couldn't wait to get my hands on it and read it. It's a fascinating novel, one which is brutally honest as well both in style and in content. Thanks to St. Martin's Griffin for providing me with a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
Sometimes you read a book that grips you way faster than you expected. Breznican's Brutal Youth does exactly that. The 'brutal' in the novel's title doesn't just refer to the youth that populates its pages but also to the tone with which it addresses the reader. There truly is no way of escaping the brutality and cruelty of Saint Michael's except closing the book but that very quickly stops being a possibility. Breznican's prose doesn't shy away from being brutally honest, but that is exactly what makes this novel so gripping. It has snappy dialogue, great descriptions and a diverse catalogue of characters which are both great inventions but also very recognizable. To a certain extent this novel is reminiscent of some of the great 80s high-school movies such as Heathers and The Breakfast Club, both in its seeming ridiculousness and in its serious undertone.
Brutal Youth is an absolutely stunning novel which grabbed me by the throat straight from the start and didn't really let me go till the very last page. This novel has to be one of my favourites published so far this year and I definitely won't be forgetting about it any time soon. I'd recommend this to pretty much everyone since it's one of those books that you simply should read.
For full review: http://universeinwords.blogspot.co.uk/2015/10/blog-tour-review-brutal-youth-by.html
Sometimes you read a book that grips you way faster than you expected. Breznican's Brutal Youth does exactly that. The 'brutal' in the novel's title doesn't just refer to the youth that populates its pages but also to the tone with which it addresses the reader. There truly is no way of escaping the brutality and cruelty of Saint Michael's except closing the book but that very quickly stops being a possibility. Breznican's prose doesn't shy away from being brutally honest, but that is exactly what makes this novel so gripping. It has snappy dialogue, great descriptions and a diverse catalogue of characters which are both great inventions but also very recognizable. To a certain extent this novel is reminiscent of some of the great 80s high-school movies such as Heathers and The Breakfast Club, both in its seeming ridiculousness and in its serious undertone.
Brutal Youth is an absolutely stunning novel which grabbed me by the throat straight from the start and didn't really let me go till the very last page. This novel has to be one of my favourites published so far this year and I definitely won't be forgetting about it any time soon. I'd recommend this to pretty much everyone since it's one of those books that you simply should read.
For full review: http://universeinwords.blogspot.co.uk/2015/10/blog-tour-review-brutal-youth-by.html