A review by katerinatroyanovich
Brutes by Dizz Tate

dark reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? N/A
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

2.0

Brutes had so much going for it but, in addition to the sometimes pretentious prose, it didn’t stick the landing. I didn’t have any expectations that the character speaking in the first person plural narrative would be revealed, but when we find out it is Jody speaking it doesn’t really matter. It could have been any of the girls. Maybe that is the point - the traumatizing moment when she becomes separate and even isolated from the group is when the narrative style changes. However, I’m not sure that really came across after the girls come back together and escape into the wilds. The chapters that jump to the group as adults were more engaging to me, but didn’t amount to anything except a portrait of present day. There was nothing about them that drove the story or characters forward except Christian’s chapter. The story ends abruptly and, although I am usually fine with a vague ending, I was confused rather than contemplative. I really wanted to like this book but it just didn’t work for me.
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