What do you think?
Rate this book
Faces in the Clouds
Twin brothers Stephen and Lawrence Kennedy are army kids; theirs is a world of barracks, bunks and barbecues. But then their parents are killed in a car accident and the boys are sent to stay with people they barely know. How the boys live with their grief and with each other defines the rest of their lives. They move through adolescence and into adulthood, via girlfriends, jobs, sibling rivalry and loyalty. And somewhere deeply buried within them both is the question of how one deals with the past in order to live in the present and embrace the future. The answer is surprising.
- GenresFiction
384 pages, Paperback
First published May 25, 2011
7 people are currently reading
135 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
August 17, 2017
Twin brothers Stephen and Lawrence Kennedy were what was known as army kids. For the first part of their young childhood they lived in the barracks where they played with the other army kids. During summer they would all enjoy going swimming and joining in on the barbecues.
The boys' lives are turned upside down when their parents die in a terrible car accident. The Major who was a friend of their fathers in the army looks after the boys for a little while, but then they are sent to live with their godparents. If loosing their parents wasn't bad enough, they then have to go and live in another town with people they had never met before.
As the story unfolds, we discover exactly how the boys adjust to their new environment and the people around them. But as they journey through different points of their lives will Stephen and Lawrence still keep that strong bond that they had as kids or will they slowly drift apart?
I really enjoyed this book and found it to be quite an interesting read. Recommended
The boys' lives are turned upside down when their parents die in a terrible car accident. The Major who was a friend of their fathers in the army looks after the boys for a little while, but then they are sent to live with their godparents. If loosing their parents wasn't bad enough, they then have to go and live in another town with people they had never met before.
As the story unfolds, we discover exactly how the boys adjust to their new environment and the people around them. But as they journey through different points of their lives will Stephen and Lawrence still keep that strong bond that they had as kids or will they slowly drift apart?
I really enjoyed this book and found it to be quite an interesting read. Recommended
February 15, 2023
I just love Matt Nable and everything he does (Except Poker face with Rusty Crowe, that was a terrible movie). I’ve read all his books, but this was my first e book as I couldn’t track this one down in print. This one is heart wrenching and I couldn’t put it down once I started.
March 18, 2012
‘This was a moment not to be spoiled. There’d be another time for that.’
Stephen and Lawrence Kennedy are twins, sons of Sergeant Terry Kennedy and his wife Leila. The family is part of the Australian army community in a time not long after the Vietnam War. Lawrence is intellectually disabled, and very sensitive to touch and smell. To Lawrence, every person has a unique scent (not always pleasant) and he likes the sensation of rubbing a tennis ball (with its ‘fuzzy yellow jacket’) against his skin. Stephen wants to fit in with his peers, not always easy when Lawrence accompanies him, and to impress the adults he admires. Life for the Kennedys on the army base has a rhythm, a degree of fixed certainty reinforced by the religious rituals of Catholicism. These rhythms and certainties remain important, as do the various men depicted and their reactions to trauma.
But then Terry and Leila are killed in a car accident, and the boys are sent off to stay with their godparents, whom they barely know. This is a story of how Stephen and Lawrence live with their grief and with each other as they move through adolescence and into adulthood. It’s a story about the challenges of sibling rivalry and loyalty, of girlfriends, jobs and trying to live independently. It’s a story that touches on child abuse, death and mental illness, of teenage sexuality, of reaching adulthood while trying to deal with the past. The relationship between Stephen and Lawrence is sometimes difficult as love and guilt both play a part, but they remain loyal to each other.
‘Don’t be scared.’
Both Stephen and Lawrence are given equal space in the novel. The first half of the novel deals with their childhood and by the time they have progressed to adulthood, the reader has a clear idea of who they each are and the challenges they’ve faced. The tempo of the novel changes as Stephen and Lawrence become adults, and the detail already provided enabled me to keep pace with the unfolding story. And by this stage, I cared about these two brothers.
I liked the characters of Stephen and Lawrence, was pleased by their triumphs and saddened by their trials. The ending seemed a little too neat for me, but perhaps it was inevitable.
Jennifer Cameron-Smith
Stephen and Lawrence Kennedy are twins, sons of Sergeant Terry Kennedy and his wife Leila. The family is part of the Australian army community in a time not long after the Vietnam War. Lawrence is intellectually disabled, and very sensitive to touch and smell. To Lawrence, every person has a unique scent (not always pleasant) and he likes the sensation of rubbing a tennis ball (with its ‘fuzzy yellow jacket’) against his skin. Stephen wants to fit in with his peers, not always easy when Lawrence accompanies him, and to impress the adults he admires. Life for the Kennedys on the army base has a rhythm, a degree of fixed certainty reinforced by the religious rituals of Catholicism. These rhythms and certainties remain important, as do the various men depicted and their reactions to trauma.
But then Terry and Leila are killed in a car accident, and the boys are sent off to stay with their godparents, whom they barely know. This is a story of how Stephen and Lawrence live with their grief and with each other as they move through adolescence and into adulthood. It’s a story about the challenges of sibling rivalry and loyalty, of girlfriends, jobs and trying to live independently. It’s a story that touches on child abuse, death and mental illness, of teenage sexuality, of reaching adulthood while trying to deal with the past. The relationship between Stephen and Lawrence is sometimes difficult as love and guilt both play a part, but they remain loyal to each other.
‘Don’t be scared.’
Both Stephen and Lawrence are given equal space in the novel. The first half of the novel deals with their childhood and by the time they have progressed to adulthood, the reader has a clear idea of who they each are and the challenges they’ve faced. The tempo of the novel changes as Stephen and Lawrence become adults, and the detail already provided enabled me to keep pace with the unfolding story. And by this stage, I cared about these two brothers.
I liked the characters of Stephen and Lawrence, was pleased by their triumphs and saddened by their trials. The ending seemed a little too neat for me, but perhaps it was inevitable.
Jennifer Cameron-Smith
June 5, 2011
Matt Nable's Faces in the Clouds follows two twin brothers, Stephen and Lawrence Kennedy, from their birth, through their childhood on an army barracks to their early adulthood. Following the death of their parents, the two are placed in the care of their godparents, and the two are torn from their idyllic childhood and into harsh and traumatic realities. Lawrence, suffering from an intellectual disability, faces the uncaring world of foster homes and separation from his much loved brother, while Stephen attempts to recover from sexual abuse at the hands of his godfather and guilt about leaving his brother.
Much of the novel is set in the army barracks of their childhood, and it is here that the novel shows its strengths. Their young life of white middle-class Australian existence is evocatively portrayed, a daily routine of friendships based on proximity more than genuine affinity, freely playing outside, and pondering the impenetrable mysteries of the adult world, your parents and God.
The particulars of adolescent coming of age are sensitively dealt with - when tackling teenage sex, sibling relationships, friendship and surfing the writing really shines - Nable offers insight into Stephen's adolescent and troubled masculinity. Less is made available to the reader about Lawrence, and at times he does appear as little more than a characature, offering brief respite, often humourous, from Stephen's more dramatic life.
As Faces in the Clouds attempts to deal with broader issues as the boys grow up, it noticably falters, as Nable just isn't yet a strong enough writer to effectively carry topics such as death, religion, religious doubt, sexual abuse and intellectual disability. It is, however, an engaging attempt.
October 1, 2011
Faces In The Clouds is the story of twin ‘Army brats’, Stephen and Lawrence Kennedy. For the first part of their lives growing up they live at the barracks, socialising with the other army kids, going swimming and having BBQ’s in summer. Lawrence suffers a slight disability which seems to be the result of oxygen deprivation at birth and even though Stephen sometimes shuns him to be with his friends, the bond between them is strong and the family are closeknit.
Then the twins parents are killed in a car accident when they are setting off on a holiday. Stephen is severely injured, scarred and suffering a facial paralysis. For a while they stay with the Major, an army friend of their fathers but after a while they are sent to live with their godparents in another town, people that they have never met but who their mother chose to be their guardians should something ever happen.
The book follows the brothers through various stages of their lives: childhood, adolescence and early adulthood. Their lives change as they grow up, coming together and drifting apart numerous times as the different paths they take play out. At the bottom of it all though there still remains the bond that was there in childhood when they were still part of a family with their parents.
I heard about this novel quite by chance watching an episode of The First Tuesday Book Club one night. The panelists usually review two books but they also have a brief segment where they talk about what they’re reading in their own time, as well as the books for discussion. One of the panelists was reading this novel, written by an Australian author who sounded intriguing. Not only is he a former Rugby League player but he’s also an actor and apart from this novel, he’s also written another book, We Don’t Live Here Anymore. I always try to read as many Australian authors as I can and I’m also making it a personal goal to read more books written by male authors because my reading is so skewed towards books written by women.
This book deals with some issues – firstly, Lawrence is mentally disabled and although his father is a tough, drinking army type, the tenderness he shows towards Lawrence, the way they treat him is lovely. Stephen struggles in public, as most young children would, often choosing his friends over Lawrence, although he’s ashamed of it. He’s still fiercely protective of Lawrence though and doesn’t hesitate to show him affection and love and they seem a demonstrative family, close and loyal. I enjoyed the dynamic between them all, even though I knew what was coming. The death of the parents didn’t have quite the emotional impact I expected, perhaps because it was told from Lawrence’s (third person) point of view as Stephen was gravely injured and in hospital for some time after the crash. Lawrence didn’t particularly have the mental faculty to convey grief, given that his intellectual capacity is very childlike.
There is a further story line revolving around sexual abuse (hinted at mostly, rather than blatantly shown) and I thought that worked really well. It really helps shape the character of Stephen and the decisions he makes that leads him on the path he takes to adulthood. Even though he moves away from the house where the abuse took place and occasionally drifts away from Lawrence, when he thinks his brother really needs him, he is always there for him, even when it means sacrificing his own lifestyle.
Just about everyone in this novel is flawed in some way or another and a lot of ties back to a culture of drinking. All the men in the army from Stephen and Lawrence’s childhood drink heavily, including their father and although their father isn’t abusive and does seem to mostly be able to hold his drink, the same cannot be said for other men around the barracks and at least one of those men commits an act that impacts on the two brothers, particularly Stephen, in a way that will affect his life for years to come. Although the army community is portrayed as tight, there are also some cracks, a lot of which are to do with an undercurrent of alcohol abuse. I don’t know when this novel is set, the time never seems clear but the drinking culture of this country is making a lot of headlines lately, given that people are drinking more and drinking younger every year. Binge drinking is on the rise and there’s plenty of it in this novel and most of the army men strike me as typical beer-loving Aussie men who live for their Friday night pub sessions.
Faces In The Clouds has a lot going for it in that I think it’s a very well written and thoughtful study of Australian adolescence albeit a dramatic one as there’s a lot going on here. I enjoyed reading it and despite the often depressing subject matter, the book was an easy read and I really ended up identifying with some of the characters. I particularly liked Lawrence and the way his family were with him which was both sweet and also realistic. Where I felt the novel was a bit of a let down was the constant coincidences that occur – the twins run into people from their past in big cities, they find each other in the same big city in an impossibly short amount of time, the amount of drama and issues that both of the twins face in their lives just seems never ending! I think it lessened the impact of some of them because there were just so many.
Going to see if my local library has the author’s other novel because I’m definitely interested to read it and see how this one (which is his second) changed or matured his writing.
Then the twins parents are killed in a car accident when they are setting off on a holiday. Stephen is severely injured, scarred and suffering a facial paralysis. For a while they stay with the Major, an army friend of their fathers but after a while they are sent to live with their godparents in another town, people that they have never met but who their mother chose to be their guardians should something ever happen.
The book follows the brothers through various stages of their lives: childhood, adolescence and early adulthood. Their lives change as they grow up, coming together and drifting apart numerous times as the different paths they take play out. At the bottom of it all though there still remains the bond that was there in childhood when they were still part of a family with their parents.
I heard about this novel quite by chance watching an episode of The First Tuesday Book Club one night. The panelists usually review two books but they also have a brief segment where they talk about what they’re reading in their own time, as well as the books for discussion. One of the panelists was reading this novel, written by an Australian author who sounded intriguing. Not only is he a former Rugby League player but he’s also an actor and apart from this novel, he’s also written another book, We Don’t Live Here Anymore. I always try to read as many Australian authors as I can and I’m also making it a personal goal to read more books written by male authors because my reading is so skewed towards books written by women.
This book deals with some issues – firstly, Lawrence is mentally disabled and although his father is a tough, drinking army type, the tenderness he shows towards Lawrence, the way they treat him is lovely. Stephen struggles in public, as most young children would, often choosing his friends over Lawrence, although he’s ashamed of it. He’s still fiercely protective of Lawrence though and doesn’t hesitate to show him affection and love and they seem a demonstrative family, close and loyal. I enjoyed the dynamic between them all, even though I knew what was coming. The death of the parents didn’t have quite the emotional impact I expected, perhaps because it was told from Lawrence’s (third person) point of view as Stephen was gravely injured and in hospital for some time after the crash. Lawrence didn’t particularly have the mental faculty to convey grief, given that his intellectual capacity is very childlike.
There is a further story line revolving around sexual abuse (hinted at mostly, rather than blatantly shown) and I thought that worked really well. It really helps shape the character of Stephen and the decisions he makes that leads him on the path he takes to adulthood. Even though he moves away from the house where the abuse took place and occasionally drifts away from Lawrence, when he thinks his brother really needs him, he is always there for him, even when it means sacrificing his own lifestyle.
Just about everyone in this novel is flawed in some way or another and a lot of ties back to a culture of drinking. All the men in the army from Stephen and Lawrence’s childhood drink heavily, including their father and although their father isn’t abusive and does seem to mostly be able to hold his drink, the same cannot be said for other men around the barracks and at least one of those men commits an act that impacts on the two brothers, particularly Stephen, in a way that will affect his life for years to come. Although the army community is portrayed as tight, there are also some cracks, a lot of which are to do with an undercurrent of alcohol abuse. I don’t know when this novel is set, the time never seems clear but the drinking culture of this country is making a lot of headlines lately, given that people are drinking more and drinking younger every year. Binge drinking is on the rise and there’s plenty of it in this novel and most of the army men strike me as typical beer-loving Aussie men who live for their Friday night pub sessions.
Faces In The Clouds has a lot going for it in that I think it’s a very well written and thoughtful study of Australian adolescence albeit a dramatic one as there’s a lot going on here. I enjoyed reading it and despite the often depressing subject matter, the book was an easy read and I really ended up identifying with some of the characters. I particularly liked Lawrence and the way his family were with him which was both sweet and also realistic. Where I felt the novel was a bit of a let down was the constant coincidences that occur – the twins run into people from their past in big cities, they find each other in the same big city in an impossibly short amount of time, the amount of drama and issues that both of the twins face in their lives just seems never ending! I think it lessened the impact of some of them because there were just so many.
Going to see if my local library has the author’s other novel because I’m definitely interested to read it and see how this one (which is his second) changed or matured his writing.
June 26, 2021
I enjoyed the familiarity of the Aussieness of this story, the teenage angst, the surfing, the complexity of childhood relationships. Very different from Matt’s new novel “Still” which as a thriller is more my style but I very much enjoyed this one and will read his first one as well.
October 10, 2019
Brothers growing up ex army family, one eith special needs
October 9, 2021
I found myself rather depressed by this book. It was full of some of the worst parts of humanity, with very little remorse or redemption.
March 15, 2017
Wow!! I feel so lucky that I've discovered that Ra's al Ghul is also an incredible author. I loved this book. The character development was phenomenal, the pace of the story was perfect, and only wish it wasn't finished so I could keep reading. Ripper yarn, loved every bit of it!!
June 22, 2016
This is the third book by Matt Nable that I've read recently and I felt it was his best. In all three books, the story starts with a dramatic event and from there it describes how the lives of each character are affected by that event. In this book, two young twin boys are orphaned when their parents are killed in an accident. Due to the circumstances of their birth, the boys are vastly different and having lived in an army family, they struggle to adjust to a way of life without the army community. Detailed characters and realistic events follow the boys and as the story unfolds, the consequences of the tragic death of their parents compounds. The last paragraph of the book is quite stunning. Whilst I didn't see the close coming, it all made sense on reflection. A terrific book that had me reading way past my bedtime to discover what came next for these boys. I hope this author has many more books in him!
August 15, 2011
Twin brothers Stephen and Lawrence Kennedy are army kids. When their parents are killed in a car crash they are sent to live with people they hardly know. Lawrence is mildly mentally retarded and Stephen has all sorts of other demons to live with.
The book takes us through their childhood, adolescence and into adulthood. It raises the question of they deal with the past in order to live in the present and move into the future.
A great read and hard to put down. Recommended.
The book takes us through their childhood, adolescence and into adulthood. It raises the question of they deal with the past in order to live in the present and move into the future.
A great read and hard to put down. Recommended.
January 1, 2012
Stealing from the blurb on the back cover here- "There are moments of gut-wrenching pathos...Nable draws the characters so intricately, it feels almost invasive to be that close." & as Kate Holden said we might have gone to school with these characters. Matt Nable is certainly a writer to watch out for.
October 22, 2012
A hard to put down story about twin boys, one slightly retarded and we follow them through childhood, their parents dying while they are young, and the upheaval of them being sent to live with strangers.
Immersing book, that will leave you satisfied! I will certainly be reading more of Nable's books :)
Immersing book, that will leave you satisfied! I will certainly be reading more of Nable's books :)
March 20, 2016
An amazing book, written with the kind of detail that lets you not only keep up with the storyline, but feel it happening too. The perspectives of the boys are captured with such conviction, I couldn't put this book down - I had to know what happened to them.
Read
August 5, 2012this book is got to be one of the best books i have ever read
November 7, 2012
Great book
September 13, 2014
Loved this book! I felt totally wrapped up in this realistic and touching story of family, love and the reality, sadness and grief that makes a life what it is.
November 24, 2015
One of those books that tackles so many issues you could drown in the murk. But the writing, like a creek after rain, carries you through with a steady insistence.
December 8, 2015
I just love Matt Nables books.
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews