Reviews

Brutes by Dizz Tate

lemonadelizard's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

savvylit's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No

4.0

The collective perspective? Impeccable. The Central Florida setting as character? Humid and palpable. The mysteriousness and obsession? Realistic.

Brutes is a delightful book that is thematically and structurally in conversation with Eugenides' The Virgin Suicides. Teen girls are the central obsession. Readers are only allowed to get to know said girls as far as what is witnessed directly by a group of younger kids in the neighborhood; in Brutes' case, the collective witnesses are also girls themselves.

The only reason this novel isn't five stars for me is that I felt like some of the mysterious elements of this story needed to be better developed. Just when something creepy would happen or begin to happen, there was a jump in scenery. I just wanted fewer loose threads by the time I finished Brutes.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Miscarriage, Emotional abuse, Sexism, Sexual violence, and Child abuse

mejie_reads's review against another edition

dark mysterious reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

2.0

readingwmiles's review against another edition

4.0

this might be a five star later down the line? i want to get the physical book because some of it went over my head. this perfectly captures what it’s like to grow up as a weird kid in florida with weird friends. loved it

ellabourgon's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

bree_klass's review against another edition

3.5

We think of our mothers when we love them the most, which is always just after we hate them the most.

Dizz Tate cooked — and don’t get me wrong, it smells delicious — but I can’t see through all the smoke.

sunnah214's review against another edition

3.0

so i really did like this book, finished in less than a day. 3.5, maybe 4 because i loved the writing style, notes of preteen girlhood and bunnyesque use of “i” and “we”. however the story didn’t end up taking shape the way i wanted it to. the mystery set at the beginning isn’t ever truly solved and the vignettes don’t weave together like they could. more prose heavy than narrative i guess. after writing this im feeling it’s more 3-3.5. will chew on it for a little longer.

kristen_sav's review against another edition

mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Diverse cast of characters? No

3.5

jc560's review against another edition

dark mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

cphunter's review against another edition

Will try again in the future but just couldn’t get into it