From the author of The Palace of Curiosities and Vixen comes a dazzling and provocative new novel of adventure, mystery and belonging. The Night Brother shifts tantalisingly between day and night, exploring questions of identity, sexual equality and how well we know ourselves. Perfect for fans of Angela Carter, Sarah Waters and Erin Morgenstern. Rich are the delights of late nineteenth-century Manchester for young siblings Edie and Gnome. They bicker, banter, shout and scream their way through the city's streets, embracing its charms and dangers. But as the pair mature, it is Gnome who revels in the night-time, while Edie is confined to the day. She wakes exhausted each morning, unable to quell a sickening sense of unease, and confused at living a half-life.
Reaching the cusp of adulthood, Edie's confusion turns to resentment and she is determined to distance herself from Gnome once and for all. But can she ever be free from someone who knows her better than she knows herself?
Exploring the furthest limits of sexual and gender fluidity, this is a story about the vital importance of being honest with yourself. Every part of yourself. After all, no-one likes to be kept in the dark.
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[My night brother is here.]***
(The Borough Press, 1 June 2017, copy provided by the publisher via NetGalley and voluntarily reviewed)
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My mind is reeling after reading this amazing, weird, crazy, absolutely nuts book.
I didn't know what to expect from The Night Brother, having not read the author before. The book totally took me by surprise.
At first I thought this was a book about sibling rivalry. It is, just a tad more complicated than that.
I should probably have expected the chain of events in this book to get bizarre and crazy but having not read the book before I was taken by surprise.
I wasn't sure how I felt about the book at first when Edie and Gnome's strange situation is revealed. I couldn't stop reading though. I was fascinated and compelled to read on. At some point I fell in love with Edie and Gnome.
I felt for both of them. Edie feels repressed by Gnome. She sees him as an obstacle getting in the way of her being free to do as she wants. Gnome sees her as boring and someone wanting to get in the way of his fun. When Edie takes drastic measures to control him I understand why she did it but at the same time didn't think she made the right choice.
I loved the way The Night Brother concludes, charming and lovely without being cheesy. Big hugs to everyone.
