Thursday, March 25, 2021

Book Review - The Boy in the Field; Margot Livesey



 TITLE/AUTHOR:  The Boy in the Field; Margot Livesey

PUBLISHER:  Harper Audio

YEAR PUBLISHED: 2020

GENRE: Fiction  / Psychological / Literary

FORMAT:  audio / LENGTH:  7 hours 49 min.

SOURCE: Library audio download

SETTING(s):  UK - Oxford


ONE SENTENCE SUMMARY:  A tragic incident involving a teenage boy and its after effects on (3) teenage siblings who helped to save his life.

BRIEF REVIEW:  When the Lang siblings: Matthew 17,  Zoe 16, and Duncan 13, decide to walk home from school one day after their father Hal failed to pick then up as planned, they notice a bloodied body in a field along the roadside.  Their quick action in summoning help saves the life of another teen, Karel Lustig, who had been left for dead.   What happened to Karel and who was responsible? How will the siblings be affected by what just happened?

More than answering the question of who committed a crime against another, this is a story of how each of the siblings were affected by a crime against someone their own age.  

Matthew the oldest is an avid crime buff who begins his own investigation, learning more about the victim and his family through the boy's old brother.  Zoe uncovers some truths about her father and begins to obsess about the potential of adults to be more dangerous than they appear to be.  Finally, Duncan, the third sibling who was adopted as an infant, becomes intent on finding his birth mother.  He exhibits both artistic abilities and traits of some individuals on the spectrum. Duncan's  an especially keen observer of even things that seemed insignificant. 

This story really drew me in early on.  I loved the quiet quality of the writing and the keen observations throughout.  It's a story about family, imperfect parents, flawed adults, secrets and the bond of siblings.  Each chapter gives the perspective of one of the siblings in the months following the tragedy.  The "incident" or mystery of what happened to Karel seemed less of a focus in comparison to how the siblings were affected by what had happened.  I think the author did a good job but, wished the ending hadn't felt as rushed.  

The audiobook was narrated by Imogen Church who did a very good job.

RATING: 4/5 stars

26 comments:

  1. I loved this book. It was not at all what I was expecting--it ended up being much more. Beautiful writing.

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    1. I read Mercury by this author when it first came out and while I was glad I did, I liked this one more.

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  2. I've never heard of this book before and it sounds very different than anything I've ever read. I may add it to my list.

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  3. I hadn't heard of it either. Glad it was a winner for you!

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  4. I read this book earlier this year and liked it quite a lot. I'm glad to see that you did, too. Your review is spot on.

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    1. Dorothy, I think I added to my list after seeing your review. I actually have read Livesey previously and knew she was worth my time.

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  5. This sounds like a good one, Diane! The author's name sounds familiar, too... think I may have read one of her earlier books.

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    1. JoAnn, perhaps it was "Mercury"? I read that one several years back and own at least one more by this author...Eva Moves the Furniture.

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  6. That does sound like some interesting interactions with the kids.

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  7. Sounds wonderful. I am putting it on my lists.

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    1. Judy, I think you'd like it - between you, Sam and Dorothy my TBR list continues to grow.

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  8. This does sound really good. I enjoy mysteries a lot but I'm finding that the ones I really remember are the ones so heavily centered around character development that the mystery is almost secondary. Sounds like this one may be a little like that.

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    1. Same here Sam, I'd much prefer character depth in any story I read - that is what stays with me.

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  9. I love how absorbing it sounds. I'm not familiar with this book, but your review is catching!

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    1. I've read this author previously and although her books are never perfect, there is much to like about the way she writes.

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  10. I find the endings of mysteries and thrillers often feel rushed. But this sounds good; I like that if focuses on how the three siblings were affected by their experience.

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    1. Helen, I've been finding that true as well - a lot of rushed endings.

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  11. I think this is a story I would like. Seems like my type of read.

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    1. Yes, if you are okay with this being more character driven and less focused on the incident itself, you should enjoy this one.

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  12. I'm definitely one who prefers more character-driven books and I am especially interested in the "quiet" aspect of this one. I've seen a lot of good reviews for it and have it on my TBR list. Thanks, Diane!

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  13. What a fascinating concept and I love Imogen Church as a narrator so I'm adding this one to my To Listen list.

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  14. This sounds intriguing! I enjoy sibling stories, plus Imogen Church is a wonderful narrator.

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  15. I loved this book. So glad to hear you liked it too. I have a few other of this author's books on my shelves so I'm looking forward to them.

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