A review by potterpav
Be Near Me by Andrew O'Hagan

challenging dark slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

1.5

oh dear. i went into this book without knowing much about it, and i guess that was my own fault. i saw 'priest' on the blurb and had an inkling, but thought maybe i was stereotyping. i was not. the worst part was the writing style didn't make up for the fact you're reading about a nonce, the style was startlingly plain and at times incredibly boring. for a book just under 300 pages it moves at a snail pace. i just can't get over the pivotal moment of the book being an assault and yeah it's kind of my own fault because the blurb isn't exactly shy, but cmon man. i had hope. it's not dead dove: do not eat level terrible, but i did scream when it happened. i didn't particularly enjoy 'mayflies' either, so maybe o'hagan just isn't for me but if you enjoy a plain story about a repressed priest who is in a new (intolerant) environment and is a bit too friendly to children... then i guess this is for you. no hate or judgement at all. it's incredibly predictable too, o'hagan should have taken a leaf from james baldwin's 'another country' and thrown that freak off a bridge. then maybe i would've given it five stars!
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