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cwt88's review
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
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
3.75
Suggest avoiding if you're not keen on swearing, violence (bullying and corporal punishment as well as the murder stuff), and Scottish children generally being disgustingly foul-mouthed and gross.
It took a while to get into this one and a bit of determination to get through it, if I'm honest. But I certainly feel like it paid off in the end. The framing device is a really interesting way of making you care about the characters, when you finally get to the truth in the last chapter or two. The real mystery is not only who did what and why, but also why all the surviving characters make the decisions they do in the present, and picking out the clues of how school experiences changed them. I don't think I've ever read anything quite like it (the closest thing I can think of is S1 of Lost).
Contrary to most of Brookmyre's novels, the murder mystery is secondary to the character development, which is presented in the 'flashbacks' (inverted commas because they make up the bulk of the story) charting the characters' school years from first day of primary to leaving dance. This made it feel quite slow - I love Brookmyre's murder plots so I was itching to find out more. There's also a lot of characters and it's hard to keep track, especially as they're all growing, changing and adopting nicknames. But if you can go with the flow and get absorbed into it, there's some extremely clever character development. It astonishes me how, in 340 pages, Brookmyre managed to craft that much believable change in such a wide cast of kids over a long period of time, especially the way he explores how small experiences have a ripple effect through peoples' lives, for good or ill (which is kind of the point of the book). In comparison to the majority of coming of age stories I've read, where characters just 'grow into themselves' or go through some kind of hero/villain arc, it's really quite something.
The actual resolution of the murder is pretty solid. It's the kind of thing that would be drawn out for far too long in a standard mystery, and then might feel abrupt. But as a conclusion to the characters' stories it feels earned and makes me want to reread with all the information in mind to see what I missed.
Just be aware it's less funny and crime-y than most Brookmyre. The satire is primarily about the 80s school system and the affect it had on kids, so it's a bit darker than cracking jokes about Tories. There's no awful abuse plot or anything - but the normalcy of the school and the things that affect the kids later in life almost makes it more hard-hitting than if there was.
Not his most fun novel, but definitely very clever.
It took a while to get into this one and a bit of determination to get through it, if I'm honest. But I certainly feel like it paid off in the end. The framing device is a really interesting way of making you care about the characters, when you finally get to the truth in the last chapter or two. The real mystery is not only who did what and why, but also why all the surviving characters make the decisions they do in the present, and picking out the clues of how school experiences changed them. I don't think I've ever read anything quite like it (the closest thing I can think of is S1 of Lost).
Contrary to most of Brookmyre's novels, the murder mystery is secondary to the character development, which is presented in the 'flashbacks' (inverted commas because they make up the bulk of the story) charting the characters' school years from first day of primary to leaving dance. This made it feel quite slow - I love Brookmyre's murder plots so I was itching to find out more. There's also a lot of characters and it's hard to keep track, especially as they're all growing, changing and adopting nicknames. But if you can go with the flow and get absorbed into it, there's some extremely clever character development. It astonishes me how, in 340 pages, Brookmyre managed to craft that much believable change in such a wide cast of kids over a long period of time, especially the way he explores how small experiences have a ripple effect through peoples' lives, for good or ill (which is kind of the point of the book). In comparison to the majority of coming of age stories I've read, where characters just 'grow into themselves' or go through some kind of hero/villain arc, it's really quite something.
The actual resolution of the murder is pretty solid. It's the kind of thing that would be drawn out for far too long in a standard mystery, and then might feel abrupt. But as a conclusion to the characters' stories it feels earned and makes me want to reread with all the information in mind to see what I missed.
Just be aware it's less funny and crime-y than most Brookmyre. The satire is primarily about the 80s school system and the affect it had on kids, so it's a bit darker than cracking jokes about Tories. There's no awful abuse plot or anything - but the normalcy of the school and the things that affect the kids later in life almost makes it more hard-hitting than if there was.
Not his most fun novel, but definitely very clever.
eleanor_nicbhatair's review against another edition
2.0
I don't usually read mystery books so I'm not sure if my opinion counts for much, however this story fell flat for me. It was an interesting concept but i found myself skim reading the school story sections. I also found the slang language hard to read and digest even though I'm Glaswegian myself.
sharondblk's review against another edition
3.0
I kept on waiting for this to get better ... and it did not.
It tells the story of a number of people who went to school together, from their first day of school to the end of Form 5. It moved between this timeline, and and adult one where they are in their early to mid 30s and some have been accused of murder, and others are investigating it. There is a message in there, about class and pre-judging and expectations, but it was very heavy handed and boring. There is a description of a pick up soccer (oh sorry, "fitba") game that goes on for 3 pages. There are endless, nasty, boring classroom scenes and pranks. The adult relationships are interesting, but only form about 30 percent of the book.
I will say, the last page is touching and sweet. Was it worth wading through 500 pages of pretentious, class based ranting to get there? Probably not.
It tells the story of a number of people who went to school together, from their first day of school to the end of Form 5. It moved between this timeline, and and adult one where they are in their early to mid 30s and some have been accused of murder, and others are investigating it. There is a message in there, about class and pre-judging and expectations, but it was very heavy handed and boring. There is a description of a pick up soccer (oh sorry, "fitba") game that goes on for 3 pages. There are endless, nasty, boring classroom scenes and pranks. The adult relationships are interesting, but only form about 30 percent of the book.
I will say, the last page is touching and sweet. Was it worth wading through 500 pages of pretentious, class based ranting to get there? Probably not.
mistrum_crowe's review against another edition
5.0
Overall, a slow starter that won me over completely with its complex characters and their individual development as people. Also probably the only murder mystery that has made me reconsider myself as an individual.
mcintoshheidi's review against another edition
4.0
An interestin murder mystery, as solved by flashbacks to the protagonists schoolebys, illustrating that our formative years are vital in creating our adult selves.
srah's review
4.0
Not my favorite Brookmyre book, but good. There were a few too many characters (with multiple nicknames) so it made it a little tough to keep track of, but I loved the glimpse into 1980s Scottish school life.
yowlyy's review
5.0
I loved Brookmyre since I discovered the Jack Parlabane series. The language is amazing, funny and without bows and twirls, somehow grueseome too (but we love this, don't we?) peppered with Scottish expressions and all the way through full of the typical Scottish wit, so fun! Loved the story told jumping back and forth in time, a more true picture of what happened at school back in the 70s and early 80s I can tell, teachers and pupils altogether. Thanks so much for the brief glossary at the end of the book: it helped me to identify some Scottish expressions that were very much cryptic to someone whose mother tongue is not English, so thanks! and yes...I am already looking to add to my TBR list more of this author.
canadianbookworm's review
4.0
This was a new author for me, and I really enjoyed it. The principal characters in the tale are from a town outside Glasgow, Braeside. As the story begins, two men are working at getting rid of two bodies. Unfortunately, they are not very successful. When the bodies are soon discovered, the men are immediately linked to them. This is where the complications start.
Karen Gillespie, the local Detective Superintendent, has only recently returned to Braeside. It turns out one of the dead men was a classmate of her, Colin Temple. The two men suspected of being involved are two more classmates, known as Noodsy and Turbo.
From here on the book moves back and forth between the investigation and the classmates school experiences. This is a very interesting way of having us learn about the people involved and gradually come to realize all the different relationships and loyalties. This is also how we come to know the real names of Noodsy and Turbo as we learn the circumstances of the granting of these nicknames. There is much humour here, right from the first page, and the author provides a glossary at the end for some of the Scottish slang terms used by the characters. I loved it.
Karen Gillespie, the local Detective Superintendent, has only recently returned to Braeside. It turns out one of the dead men was a classmate of her, Colin Temple. The two men suspected of being involved are two more classmates, known as Noodsy and Turbo.
From here on the book moves back and forth between the investigation and the classmates school experiences. This is a very interesting way of having us learn about the people involved and gradually come to realize all the different relationships and loyalties. This is also how we come to know the real names of Noodsy and Turbo as we learn the circumstances of the granting of these nicknames. There is much humour here, right from the first page, and the author provides a glossary at the end for some of the Scottish slang terms used by the characters. I loved it.