A review by sharkybookshelf
Home Stretch by Graham Norton

3.0

1987 small-town Ireland, six young people go for a drive the day before a wedding but there is a terrible accident - Connor, one of the three survivors, leaves the only place he knows to make a new life for himself elsewhere but must, eventually, face the past…

This was fine - nothing ground-breaking (then again, that’s not why I’m picking up a Norton novel), but certainly not terrible either and the writing is decent, easy and enjoyable to read. It’s the sort of book that’s ideal for me when ill, travelling or…whilst feeding a newborn in the middle of the night and feeling a little brain-dead - well enough written and easy to follow.

Norton tackles themes of shame and guilt, and the characters and their actions felt believable. But to be honest, the story didn’t feel particularly fresh - I’m fairly sure all the elements of the story have been done before and I saw the various revelations coming from quite far off. That said, it did the job and kept me interested enough (if not riveted) to stay awake in the middle of the night.

A decent, capably-written story of secrets, shame and self-acceptance which doesn’t require too much concentration.