Blair's Reviews > Brat: A Ghost Story

This was one of my most anticipated debuts of the year. Gabriel is a writer in his twenties whose father has passed away; his mother is in a care home. When he moves into his parents’ old house, Gabriel retreats further into himself. Are the strange things he describes – a manuscript that keeps changing, the house crumbling, his own skin peeling off – all in his head? It’s a great concept that’s held back by frustratingly childish language and humour. At many points you’d think the narrator was meant to be about 12. I enjoyed various inserts into the main narrative (some stories ostensibly written by Gabriel’s ex; a somewhat metafictional script) much more than that narrative itself. I liked the way the ending brings everything together, poignantly framing the way Gabriel finally shucks off the shroud of grief, but it doesn’t fully offset the unevenness of the rest. As imperfect as first novels sometimes can be, though with sparks of interesting style. I’ve enjoyed other short stories by Smith, and think that’s perhaps where his strengths as a writer lie, at least at this point.

I received an advance review copy of BRAT: A Ghost Story from the publisher through Edelweiss.