A review by imijen
The Loney by Andrew Michael Hurley

2.0

This was a bit of an odd one. Maybe my expectations were too high after all the praise I've heard about it, but I didn't find myself connecting with this in the same way that others have. Too much was left unexplained, meaning by the half way mark I was beginning to lose my patience, and I really struggled to see where the story was going. The ending itself left me mystified. I didn't realise going into this that there would be so much on religion, as it follows a devoutly (I would say fanatically) religious community. Perhaps this is way I struggled to relate to it much. It's also a hard book to describe; not quite creepy enough to be called horror, and lacking a satisfying enough plot to be a thriller or mystery. Saying that I really liked how the author wrote the characters, who were all well developed and realistic to the point that I took a real disliking to certain characters! That was really well done. The relationship between the two brothers and their way of communicating was also really touching. Ultimately, I'm not sure whether I'd recommend this or not. It didn't quite work for me personally, but that doesn't mean I think it's a bad book or one that others won't enjoy.