Reviews

The Bricks That Built the Houses by Kae Tempest

casperpumpkin's review against another edition

3.0

You can tell the author is a poet, but I'm not sure that she was able to string all of the metaphors and similes into a coherent and engaging plot. In the end, I wondered what the story was trying to say.

But I did enjoy the journey, especially the inclusion of a lesbian character who is just a person who happens to be a lesbian. Still a rare phenomenon in literature, sadly.

hcombo72's review against another edition

4.0

Gritty. Raw. Human. I appreciated the way Tempest described all the “normal” complexities of life. The struggle to find purpose, the crippling loneliness, the all consuming young love and pursuit of romance. At points the story felt a bit disconnected but eventually it came back around and everything came together again. A great read with a new perspective.

alinatea's review against another edition

challenging emotional medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

elizanderson1066's review against another edition

4.0

I adore these types of books - gritty stories with tight prose which bring you a rich setting filled with three-dimensional characters, many of which err on the wrong side of likeable.

The Bricks that Built the Houses is a story about truly getting to know yourself and what you want from life. Set in London, it follows Harry, Becky & Leon as their increasingly complicated lives end up intersecting in unexpected and sometimes dangerous ways.

The story is not anything ground-breaking, but I loved the way it was told. Kate Tempest's poetic talent shines through her writing and the imagery she uses is beautiful yet not overdone, so you remain grounded in the story whilst appreciating her expert lyricism.

Really enjoyable. Would recommend.

jadestar's review against another edition

challenging emotional mysterious slow-paced

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

3.5

bjayfogg's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional funny sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

moremonsters's review against another edition

5.0

This felt like a companion novel to Let Them Eat Chaos -- I read most of this hearing Kae's voice in my head, their prose fitting their poetry style so closely.

laurencenz's review against another edition

5.0

Fabulous description of London in the 21st century - broken and desperate. Enjoyable storylines weaved together - sometimes with a bit too much deus ex machina. Best consumed with "Let them eat chaos" the album and the book of poetry. Genuinely exciting new voice - not sure she can evolve, but will certainly consume the next offerings to find out.

florence911's review

4.0

Very close to 5 stars. I miss some closure at the end of the book, which is otherwise brilliant.

catdcw's review against another edition

4.0

The start of it is so beautiful it moved me to tears. You can really hear the cadence of their lyrics running through it until half way through the book and then you can't anymore and it becomes less than it was. It comes back again on the tour of Europe but it's not there at the very end which was a shame.

I would read a thousand books written like the first 100 pages of this one.