A review by clairebartholomew549
The Boyhood of Cain by Michael Amherst

emotional reflective sad tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.0

This is a slow, meditative book about a precocious boy growing up in England with a father who is distant and a bit useless, a mother who smothers her children, and a complicated life at school. When the book starts, Danny's father is the headmaster at a private school and they have a comfortable life, (the book is written in the third person, and Danny almost exclusively refers to himself as "the boy"), but Danny's father soon leaves his job and the family's fortunes change. 

Not a ton happens in this book - we're really just in Danny's head as he tries to make sense of his family and his circumstances. That's obviously the point, and some of it did resonate: I thought Danny's growing awareness of his queerness was really well done, and the way Danny's parents and their dynamic confused and frustrated Danny felt so familiar - it's what we all feel as children. Danny's struggle to fit in at school also rang true, but I just didn't feel much as this book was going on. I appreciate a short book, but I think this one needed to pack more of a punch. 

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group Riverhead for an advanced reader's copy in exchange for an honest review!
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