What do you think?
Rate this book
Wild Houses
A small-town feud. A madcap kidnapping. A wild weekend to change everybody’s lives...
As Ballina prepares for its biggest weekend of the year, the simmering feud between small-time drug-dealer Cillian English and County Mayo's enforcers, Gabe and Sketch Ferdia, spills over into violence and an ugly ultimatum.
When the reclusive Dev answers his door on Friday night he finds Doll - Cillian's teenage brother - in the clutches of Gabe and Sketch. Jostled by his nefarious cousins and goaded by his dead mother's dog, Dev is drawn headlong into the Ferdias' revenge fantasy.
Meanwhile, seventeen-year-old Nicky can't shake the feeling something bad has happened to her boyfriend Doll. Hungover, reeling from a fractious Friday night and plagued by ghosts of her own, Nicky sets out on a feverish mission to save Doll, even as she questions her future in Ballina.
As Ballina prepares for its biggest weekend of the year, the simmering feud between small-time drug-dealer Cillian English and County Mayo's enforcers, Gabe and Sketch Ferdia, spills over into violence and an ugly ultimatum.
When the reclusive Dev answers his door on Friday night he finds Doll - Cillian's teenage brother - in the clutches of Gabe and Sketch. Jostled by his nefarious cousins and goaded by his dead mother's dog, Dev is drawn headlong into the Ferdias' revenge fantasy.
Meanwhile, seventeen-year-old Nicky can't shake the feeling something bad has happened to her boyfriend Doll. Hungover, reeling from a fractious Friday night and plagued by ghosts of her own, Nicky sets out on a feverish mission to save Doll, even as she questions her future in Ballina.
251 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 25, 2024
817 people are currently reading
17848 people want to read
About the author
Colin Barrett
7 books36 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name. This undisambiguated profile may contain books from multiple authors of this name.
Other authors publishing under this name are:
Colin Barrett, (°1982), Irish author
Colin Barrett, (1939-2021), American journalist and author
Colin Barrett, (°1930)
Colin Barrett
Other authors publishing under this name are:
Colin Barrett, (°1982), Irish author
Colin Barrett, (1939-2021), American journalist and author
Colin Barrett, (°1930)
Colin Barrett
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,102 reviews
August 18, 2024
Longlisted for the Booker Prize 2024
While Barrett's debut novel revolves around a drug deal gone wrong and a subsequent kidnapping, it's actually a character study, portraying working class people in Ballina, Western Ireland, who've fallen on hard times and / or made bad decisions and are now stuck in their own lives. The most fascinating figure is Dev, a young man suffering from depression and anxiety. He lives alone in his childhood home which he uses as a drug harbor for local dealers. When a business partner of them, Cillian, squanders a large amount of merchandise by mistake, the dealers kidnap Cillian's little brother Doll and hide him in Dev's basement, hoping to get their money back. But of course, Cillian (who, as a good-for-nothing, carries the last name English - this is an Irish novel after all) is broke...
The whole plot is supported by female characters, mainly Doll's girlfriend Nicky, and it's a rather fun read, fast-paced with well-rendered scenes - but this is not the plot that gets nominated for the Booker: a crime beach read set in Ireland. This made it all the way to the longlist for the down-and-out small game criminals and the people around them who are all trying to get by, fighting mental illness, poverty, and the all-encompassing stasis that keeps them from getting on their feet.
And fair enough, characters like Dev, Nicky, and Dev's father are expertly written, but I don't think this particular novel is Booker material. It's good, but it's not exactly pushing the envelope, or offering aesthetically nuanced plot lines or descriptions, or adding any timely commentary.
I'll mark this as one of the novels that the Booker has done a disservice to: It's a perfectly fine, interesting, well-written book, but people will pick this up and expect a Booker extravaganza, and then Barrett doesn't deliver that. Because he never intended to in the first place.
While Barrett's debut novel revolves around a drug deal gone wrong and a subsequent kidnapping, it's actually a character study, portraying working class people in Ballina, Western Ireland, who've fallen on hard times and / or made bad decisions and are now stuck in their own lives. The most fascinating figure is Dev, a young man suffering from depression and anxiety. He lives alone in his childhood home which he uses as a drug harbor for local dealers. When a business partner of them, Cillian, squanders a large amount of merchandise by mistake, the dealers kidnap Cillian's little brother Doll and hide him in Dev's basement, hoping to get their money back. But of course, Cillian (who, as a good-for-nothing, carries the last name English - this is an Irish novel after all) is broke...
The whole plot is supported by female characters, mainly Doll's girlfriend Nicky, and it's a rather fun read, fast-paced with well-rendered scenes - but this is not the plot that gets nominated for the Booker: a crime beach read set in Ireland. This made it all the way to the longlist for the down-and-out small game criminals and the people around them who are all trying to get by, fighting mental illness, poverty, and the all-encompassing stasis that keeps them from getting on their feet.
And fair enough, characters like Dev, Nicky, and Dev's father are expertly written, but I don't think this particular novel is Booker material. It's good, but it's not exactly pushing the envelope, or offering aesthetically nuanced plot lines or descriptions, or adding any timely commentary.
I'll mark this as one of the novels that the Booker has done a disservice to: It's a perfectly fine, interesting, well-written book, but people will pick this up and expect a Booker extravaganza, and then Barrett doesn't deliver that. Because he never intended to in the first place.
March 20, 2024
Real Small Town Irish People
Elmore Leonard is dead. He certainly is not creating full-blooded criminals in a small rural town in western Ireland. The maestro of crime drama left us in 2013. But thoughts of him kept emerging as I saw so many things I loved about his work in “Wild Houses.” The characters here are so real– the dialog rings so true. The economy of language is so sharp.
We open with a simple kidnapping caper involving drug dealers trying to force payment owed when their merchandise was lost. On the surface, it does not sound all that complicated, just a bare-bones skeleton of a plot, something familiar sounding.
And then, we meet the characters. “Doll” English has been kidnapped so that his brother will pay off the thugs. His girlfriend, Nicky, is seventeen and just about ready to break out of the restrictive chains of this little town. The Ferdia brothers are the “masterminds” behind this whole thing, prone to violence with hair trigger tempers. Dev is an unwitting accomplice, pressured into holding the hostage at his house. He is the surprising treasure of the story, sowing his point of view into the action. He befriends the hostage and consistently questions what all this is leading to.
The backstory on Dev is that he has been a loner– recently losing his mother and having been deserted by his father. Socially impaired, he was routinely bullied at school before being ignored altogether. “...he began to miss (the) beatings, because the beatings at least involved human contact.” Now he spends his time alone in his house, trying to get a grip on himself with antidepressants and anxiety medications. “He could feel the pill working its sedating magic, calming his blood and thickening his thoughts, making them slow and settle like silt at the bottom of his darkening mind.”
This is Colin Barrett’s first novel. He has published two acclaimed short story collections, “Young Skins” and “Homesickness,” both also depicting life in rural Ireland. Those sets, while brilliant, seem to have a darker tone than “Wild Houses.” The darkness is here, with life's struggles and the sense that abandonment is a burden most of the characters share. There is a lot of humor here, however, and the plot races along with a captivating energy.
I began by invoking the name of Elmore Leonard. No, I am not seriously banding the two together– that would not be justified at this time. My point is that I miss reading another new Leonard offering– and this book, albeit strongly of the Irish world, brought back many of those same qualities. I missed them. I cannot wait to read more Colin Barrett.
Thank you to Grove Atlantic and NetGalley for providing an advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review. #WildHouses #NetGalley @groveatlantic @ColinBarrett82
Elmore Leonard is dead. He certainly is not creating full-blooded criminals in a small rural town in western Ireland. The maestro of crime drama left us in 2013. But thoughts of him kept emerging as I saw so many things I loved about his work in “Wild Houses.” The characters here are so real– the dialog rings so true. The economy of language is so sharp.
We open with a simple kidnapping caper involving drug dealers trying to force payment owed when their merchandise was lost. On the surface, it does not sound all that complicated, just a bare-bones skeleton of a plot, something familiar sounding.
And then, we meet the characters. “Doll” English has been kidnapped so that his brother will pay off the thugs. His girlfriend, Nicky, is seventeen and just about ready to break out of the restrictive chains of this little town. The Ferdia brothers are the “masterminds” behind this whole thing, prone to violence with hair trigger tempers. Dev is an unwitting accomplice, pressured into holding the hostage at his house. He is the surprising treasure of the story, sowing his point of view into the action. He befriends the hostage and consistently questions what all this is leading to.
The backstory on Dev is that he has been a loner– recently losing his mother and having been deserted by his father. Socially impaired, he was routinely bullied at school before being ignored altogether. “...he began to miss (the) beatings, because the beatings at least involved human contact.” Now he spends his time alone in his house, trying to get a grip on himself with antidepressants and anxiety medications. “He could feel the pill working its sedating magic, calming his blood and thickening his thoughts, making them slow and settle like silt at the bottom of his darkening mind.”
This is Colin Barrett’s first novel. He has published two acclaimed short story collections, “Young Skins” and “Homesickness,” both also depicting life in rural Ireland. Those sets, while brilliant, seem to have a darker tone than “Wild Houses.” The darkness is here, with life's struggles and the sense that abandonment is a burden most of the characters share. There is a lot of humor here, however, and the plot races along with a captivating energy.
I began by invoking the name of Elmore Leonard. No, I am not seriously banding the two together– that would not be justified at this time. My point is that I miss reading another new Leonard offering– and this book, albeit strongly of the Irish world, brought back many of those same qualities. I missed them. I cannot wait to read more Colin Barrett.
Thank you to Grove Atlantic and NetGalley for providing an advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review. #WildHouses #NetGalley @groveatlantic @ColinBarrett82
September 11, 2024
Longlisted for the Booker prize 2024, one of the books that read easily but of which I am unsure what the overall message and purpose is
A textured take on small town Irish life and the problems drugs can bring people in. The writing kept me engaged, but I found the narrative less impactful than expected and missed some kind of deeper payoff to the book
It was difficult and eventually unbearable to be around someone who you can’t help
I find it hard to articulate why exactly Wild Houses felt somewhat lacklustre to me. For me the reading experience definitely doesn't life up to the description the publisher choose for this book: Wild Houses is thrillingly-told story of two outsiders striving to find themselves as their worlds collapse in chaos and violence.
The stakes are there, a drug trade has gone sour and ends up in a kidnapping, but not much else of the blurb is really delivered. Loved ones are upset, some people get slightly hurt, plans are hatched which seem to come directly out of crime movies, yet the conclusion is less horrid than one might expect, no cut-off body parts here. There is some bullying (Victimhood was contagious, they did not want to catch it), dealing with trauma, therapy and also misogny while working in the hospitality industry, but these themes are not taken on in depth in terms of execution.
Somehow I think this would work as a movie better, maybe Tarantino, with some more violence or otherwise a highly stylised rendition by Wes Anderson and with maybe a bit more humour and things going wrong along the way. As a book I must say that the writing of Colin Barrett is fine and keeps you engaged (but is not really elevated compared to other nominees of this year like Orbital or Held), but the overall plot just wasn't original or surprising enough for me.
I did appreciate one of the sickest burns of the appearance of one of the characters, which I do want to highlight: Gabe by contrast was skin and bone. He was touching 40, but looked ten years older again, with a face on him like a vandalised church, long and angular and pitted, eyes glinting deep in his sockets like smashed out windows.
Overall the book steered dangerously close to this description one of the characters uses, and I round my 2.5 stars up only because of the read being quite enjoyable and easy in terms of experience: They were useless but benign
A textured take on small town Irish life and the problems drugs can bring people in. The writing kept me engaged, but I found the narrative less impactful than expected and missed some kind of deeper payoff to the book
It was difficult and eventually unbearable to be around someone who you can’t help
I find it hard to articulate why exactly Wild Houses felt somewhat lacklustre to me. For me the reading experience definitely doesn't life up to the description the publisher choose for this book: Wild Houses is thrillingly-told story of two outsiders striving to find themselves as their worlds collapse in chaos and violence.
The stakes are there, a drug trade has gone sour and ends up in a kidnapping, but not much else of the blurb is really delivered. Loved ones are upset, some people get slightly hurt, plans are hatched which seem to come directly out of crime movies, yet the conclusion is less horrid than one might expect, no cut-off body parts here. There is some bullying (Victimhood was contagious, they did not want to catch it), dealing with trauma, therapy and also misogny while working in the hospitality industry, but these themes are not taken on in depth in terms of execution.
Somehow I think this would work as a movie better, maybe Tarantino, with some more violence or otherwise a highly stylised rendition by Wes Anderson and with maybe a bit more humour and things going wrong along the way. As a book I must say that the writing of Colin Barrett is fine and keeps you engaged (but is not really elevated compared to other nominees of this year like Orbital or Held), but the overall plot just wasn't original or surprising enough for me.
I did appreciate one of the sickest burns of the appearance of one of the characters, which I do want to highlight: Gabe by contrast was skin and bone. He was touching 40, but looked ten years older again, with a face on him like a vandalised church, long and angular and pitted, eyes glinting deep in his sockets like smashed out windows.
Overall the book steered dangerously close to this description one of the characters uses, and I round my 2.5 stars up only because of the read being quite enjoyable and easy in terms of experience: They were useless but benign
March 13, 2024
The terrors in Colin Barrett’s debut novel, “Wild Houses,” seep across the page like black mold. Oh, there’s action in this thriller, too — fights! kidnapping! extortion! — but what’s most harrowing takes place in the penumbra of small-town crime where hopes are snuffed out and opportunities are cauterized.
Barrett, who moved to Ireland as a child, has spent more than a decade publishing short stories. His first collection, “Young Skins” (2013), won several awards, but with this lithe novel, he’s sure to find a wider audience. With his own distinctly Irish inflection, he writes character-driven stories in which miserable people are afforded a degree of attention their fellows will never accord them.
The audiobook version of “Wild Houses,” narrated by a Sligo-born actor named Damian Gildea, sounds terrific, but it’s hard to compete with reading the text yourself. Barrett’s dialogue, spiked with the timbre of Irish speech and shards of local slang, makes these characters sound so close you’ll be wiping their spittle off your face.
The action takes place during the Salmon Festival, a week-long celebration in Ballina, County Mayo, with music, parties and fireworks. But we enter the story out in the countryside at the funereally quiet home of Dev Hendrick. Lying on his sofa in the dark, this giant of a man could be dead for all anyone can tell. . . .
To read the rest of this review, go to The Washington Post:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/books/...
Barrett, who moved to Ireland as a child, has spent more than a decade publishing short stories. His first collection, “Young Skins” (2013), won several awards, but with this lithe novel, he’s sure to find a wider audience. With his own distinctly Irish inflection, he writes character-driven stories in which miserable people are afforded a degree of attention their fellows will never accord them.
The audiobook version of “Wild Houses,” narrated by a Sligo-born actor named Damian Gildea, sounds terrific, but it’s hard to compete with reading the text yourself. Barrett’s dialogue, spiked with the timbre of Irish speech and shards of local slang, makes these characters sound so close you’ll be wiping their spittle off your face.
The action takes place during the Salmon Festival, a week-long celebration in Ballina, County Mayo, with music, parties and fireworks. But we enter the story out in the countryside at the funereally quiet home of Dev Hendrick. Lying on his sofa in the dark, this giant of a man could be dead for all anyone can tell. . . .
To read the rest of this review, go to The Washington Post:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/books/...
December 8, 2023
I can honestly say this is a book I've been waiting for without realising it. I read Young Skins last year and loved Barrett's style. His use of the Irish landscape and those inhabitants who are on the periphery of life is visceral at times. The short stories in Young Skins are a stark look at rural/small town life and I definitely wanted more of the same. Mr Barrett must have been listening.
Wild Houses is a reference to those homes where parties, drugs and general wildness occurs. In this book the Wild House belongs to Cillian English, one-timer dealer but now calmed down and living with his girlfriend, Sara. On Friday night Cillian's brother, Doll, his girlfriend Nicky arrive and the four head out to party. But halfway through the night Nicky (who has college ambitions) argues with Doll and the two part ways. Feeling contrite later Nicky goes looking for Doll at home but he is missing and he's not answering his phone.
Unfortunately for Doll he has fallen into the hands of Gabe and Sketch Ferdia who have a beef with Cillian. Doll ends up at the home of the quiet, shambling Dev, who only wants some peace in his life.
As the story develops we learn the reason for Doll's kidnap, why Dev just wants some peace and Nicky's part in a rescue mission.
What Colin Barrett does so well is this slow burn, underlying violence that roars into life when you least expect it. Having read Skins and watched Calm with Horses I spent most of the latter part of this book with my heart in my mouth on fear for the characters. You're certainly not guaranteed a happy ending with Barrett's characters.
I loved this book. I love a well written short story but sometimes you find a writer who leaves you thinking "but what now", "what happened to them then". To be fair, Colin Barrett could have extended this book another hundred pages and I'd still have wanted more. He either has a sixth sense (or some fine editor) to know just where to leave your audience wanting more.
Highly recommended. If you enjoy Irish lit fiction in general you'll enjoy this.
Thanks very much to Netgalley and Vintage Digital for the advance review copy.
Wild Houses is a reference to those homes where parties, drugs and general wildness occurs. In this book the Wild House belongs to Cillian English, one-timer dealer but now calmed down and living with his girlfriend, Sara. On Friday night Cillian's brother, Doll, his girlfriend Nicky arrive and the four head out to party. But halfway through the night Nicky (who has college ambitions) argues with Doll and the two part ways. Feeling contrite later Nicky goes looking for Doll at home but he is missing and he's not answering his phone.
Unfortunately for Doll he has fallen into the hands of Gabe and Sketch Ferdia who have a beef with Cillian. Doll ends up at the home of the quiet, shambling Dev, who only wants some peace in his life.
As the story develops we learn the reason for Doll's kidnap, why Dev just wants some peace and Nicky's part in a rescue mission.
What Colin Barrett does so well is this slow burn, underlying violence that roars into life when you least expect it. Having read Skins and watched Calm with Horses I spent most of the latter part of this book with my heart in my mouth on fear for the characters. You're certainly not guaranteed a happy ending with Barrett's characters.
I loved this book. I love a well written short story but sometimes you find a writer who leaves you thinking "but what now", "what happened to them then". To be fair, Colin Barrett could have extended this book another hundred pages and I'd still have wanted more. He either has a sixth sense (or some fine editor) to know just where to leave your audience wanting more.
Highly recommended. If you enjoy Irish lit fiction in general you'll enjoy this.
Thanks very much to Netgalley and Vintage Digital for the advance review copy.
August 1, 2024
Longlisted for Booker 2024 - A debut novel by a writer whom I suspect writes great short stories. In every chapter, the characters have such definitive thoughts and experiences, even if their lives seem so insignificant. Their laid-back attitude to life, even when they commit crimes, reminded me of a Quentin Tarantino movie. The tension is created, but the ambition seems to lie somewhere else, because the explosion doesn’t exist. Nevertheless, this was a pleasant surprise and a great way to start my Booker journey this year.
July 30, 2025
This was an unexpected purchase and read. I am working my way through the Booker Prize winners and nominations. I went to Barnes and Noble to pick up The Safekeep and Wild Houses was on sale on the same table. I am grateful I did. It was a very solid and compelling story of family and small town life. Dev is a very unique and memorable character. He is struggling with "spells", the death of his mother, and the loss of his father. "The mother" and her dog are ever-present in the narrative.
Cillian, his brother Doll, and Doll's girlfriend Nicky are the next set of characters navigating their lives and the challenges of small town life. There is an interesting dynamic between them, and then throw in Sophia, mother of Cillian and Doll. Gabe and Sketch are the "gangsters" that are at the heart of the conflict. Sketch is aptly named and is a stand out character!
All of the characters carry their own burdens and struggles. Dev the most. The scene with the goat is quite powerful and memorable. Dev's father has quite the story, and his storyline has a bigger part in the story than I first thought. Wild Houses is raw and well-written. It is a story of mothers and sons, staying afloat and navigating physical/mental illness, quieting the mind, and finding peace.
Cillian, his brother Doll, and Doll's girlfriend Nicky are the next set of characters navigating their lives and the challenges of small town life. There is an interesting dynamic between them, and then throw in Sophia, mother of Cillian and Doll. Gabe and Sketch are the "gangsters" that are at the heart of the conflict. Sketch is aptly named and is a stand out character!
All of the characters carry their own burdens and struggles. Dev the most. The scene with the goat is quite powerful and memorable. Dev's father has quite the story, and his storyline has a bigger part in the story than I first thought. Wild Houses is raw and well-written. It is a story of mothers and sons, staying afloat and navigating physical/mental illness, quieting the mind, and finding peace.
December 1, 2024
***Longlisted for the Booker Prize 2024 ***
What a rollicking ride of a book! Set in County Mayo, our bunch of misfits paths cross due to a bizarre situation whereby a stash of drugs hidden deep in the woods are washed away due a flood. Retribution beckons. In the form of the kidnapping of Doll, younger brother of the unfortunate who had the bright idea of hiding the Class A's in the bushes.
This book has a wickedly quirky style which counters the more serious topics of addiction, mental health, grief and loneliness.
This will appeal if your sense of humour veers more toward the darker end of the spectrum. There's an undercurrent of menace as you wonder what's to become of Doll, and you can't help but have a sinking feeling for big Dev whose home has been chosen as the hideout space (due to its rural location).
We find out the backstories of Doll and Dev. Both have fathers with mental health issues, one having taking off to Calgary, Toronto and the other a resident at the local sanatorium. This influences how these young men view themselves and how they live their lives.
"And that was the thing. That was what made it all so difficult. You couldn't do anything until you did another thing first."
This story makes you realise you really don't have a clue what's going on with people. The stuff that's occurring potentially under your nose.
And yes, there is a goat in it.
This is Colin Barrett's début novel, and
based on the writing style, I'm looking forward to reading his two earlier short story collections.
What a rollicking ride of a book! Set in County Mayo, our bunch of misfits paths cross due to a bizarre situation whereby a stash of drugs hidden deep in the woods are washed away due a flood. Retribution beckons. In the form of the kidnapping of Doll, younger brother of the unfortunate who had the bright idea of hiding the Class A's in the bushes.
This book has a wickedly quirky style which counters the more serious topics of addiction, mental health, grief and loneliness.
This will appeal if your sense of humour veers more toward the darker end of the spectrum. There's an undercurrent of menace as you wonder what's to become of Doll, and you can't help but have a sinking feeling for big Dev whose home has been chosen as the hideout space (due to its rural location).
We find out the backstories of Doll and Dev. Both have fathers with mental health issues, one having taking off to Calgary, Toronto and the other a resident at the local sanatorium. This influences how these young men view themselves and how they live their lives.
"And that was the thing. That was what made it all so difficult. You couldn't do anything until you did another thing first."
This story makes you realise you really don't have a clue what's going on with people. The stuff that's occurring potentially under your nose.
And yes, there is a goat in it.
This is Colin Barrett's début novel, and
based on the writing style, I'm looking forward to reading his two earlier short story collections.
February 25, 2024
Dev Hendrick lives alone in an isolated cottage on the outskirts of a County Mayo town. He's unemployed and struggling with his mental health since the death of his mother. Financially speaking, he gets by on an allowance for babysitting drugs dealt by his cousins shady Gabe and Sketch Ferdia. One weekend they rock up to his house with a teenage boy by the name of Doll English, who is less than pleased to be there. Doll's older brother Cillian owes them money - they give him until Monday to pay the ransom. At night Doll is tied up in the basement, a situation Dev is increasingly uneasy about. The only person who appears to be on Doll's side is his girlfriend Nicky, even though she finds herself questioning the value of their relationship. The tension mounts as Monday approaches...
Wild Houses is Colin Barrett's first novel after two well-received short story collections. I was a particular fan of Young Skins and his latest book follows that winning formula. It examines the fortunes of those existing on the margins in rural Ireland - small-time criminals who do what they can to make a living and survive. The characters are adrift, searching for meaning, unhappy with their lot. The story captures the hopelessness that can often exist in such communities: a sense of feeling trapped, which makes for a bleak but authentic reading experience. If I have one small criticism it's the dialogue didn't always ring true - these hoodlums are a bit too eloquent if you ask me. However, this is a well-crafted, gritty and compelling tale from a writer that is really going places.
Wild Houses is Colin Barrett's first novel after two well-received short story collections. I was a particular fan of Young Skins and his latest book follows that winning formula. It examines the fortunes of those existing on the margins in rural Ireland - small-time criminals who do what they can to make a living and survive. The characters are adrift, searching for meaning, unhappy with their lot. The story captures the hopelessness that can often exist in such communities: a sense of feeling trapped, which makes for a bleak but authentic reading experience. If I have one small criticism it's the dialogue didn't always ring true - these hoodlums are a bit too eloquent if you ask me. However, this is a well-crafted, gritty and compelling tale from a writer that is really going places.
November 3, 2024
3.5 stars. I thought the writing was exquisite, especially Collin Barret's use of Irish vernacular and his unique descriptions. It's not often you read a book and notice individual sentences. The author's other talent is the depth of his character studies - you actually feel Nicky and Dev's isolation and loneliness. They are described in great detail and with a deep tenderness.
The only reason I didn't rate this higher is that the story itself is a bit of a let down. It very much feels as if the plot was just added to showcase the characters. But with writing like this I will read anything he publishes, predictable narrative or not.
The Story: The brother of a small-time drugs dealer is kidnapped, and his family and girlfriend set off to find him over the course of one violent, hectic weekend.
The only reason I didn't rate this higher is that the story itself is a bit of a let down. It very much feels as if the plot was just added to showcase the characters. But with writing like this I will read anything he publishes, predictable narrative or not.
The Story: The brother of a small-time drugs dealer is kidnapped, and his family and girlfriend set off to find him over the course of one violent, hectic weekend.
July 30, 2024
Wild Houses is a quiet novel of the quietly devastating variety. Its story is particular in its focus and scope: Ballina, west of Ireland, where a teenage boy, Doll, who's been kidnapped is brought to a house and held hostage for 3 days. The events of the story arrange themselves around the central rupture of this event, almost every character caught in its pull. There is Dev, the man whose house the boy is brought to; Nicky, the boy's girlfriend; Cillian, his older brother; Sheila, his mother. That the novel is so particular in its focus also drives home the nature of its setting: the ways its characters, even when they don't directly know each other, are inexorably bound up in each other's lives. What might be construed as a tight-knit community is figured here as less tight-knit and more stifling. As one character puts it: "it's fucked how quick it all twists together . . . when you go back a bit"--interconnectedness as liability.
Liability is a salient issue for a novel that, like Wild Houses, is very much concerned with violence. There's a tight rope that Barrett is able to walk deftly here: the way the story is both about violence that is exceptional--a boy kidnapped and held hostage--and quotidian, absorbed into the landscape and its rhythms. When everything "twists together" so quickly, when interconnectedness becomes a liability, then culpability and complicity become murky affairs. To act for someone becomes to act against someone else; but to not act at all is itself a kind of complicity that, in effect, accomplishes the same thing. That this violence takes place in the countryside is something to note, too. The countryside of Wild Houses is not one of idyll and serenity but of menace, the vastness of its landscapes a kind of blanket that, in its immensity, is able to at once absorb and eclipse violence.
Just as violence pervades Wild Houses, so, too, does loneliness--and it is such a poignant and heartbreaking novel in its depiction of that loneliness. Characters are bereaved, estranged, isolated; in a cruel way, it is the central event of the novel that brings them together. I was especially moved by the story of one of our two narrators, Dev. His loneliness and grief are so raw on the page, Barrett's portrayal of his mental health struggles, specifically his panic attacks, so keenly felt. There are some lines in the end of this novel that are just stunning in every sense of the word. They are exactly what I mean when I say this is a quietly devastating novel.
I've painted somewhat of a bleak picture of Wild Houses, but in Barrett's hands--in his fine, lucid, and wry writing--it's anything but. Barrett has definitely cemented himself as a new favourite author of mine and I can't wait to see more novels (and short story collections!) from him in the future.
Liability is a salient issue for a novel that, like Wild Houses, is very much concerned with violence. There's a tight rope that Barrett is able to walk deftly here: the way the story is both about violence that is exceptional--a boy kidnapped and held hostage--and quotidian, absorbed into the landscape and its rhythms. When everything "twists together" so quickly, when interconnectedness becomes a liability, then culpability and complicity become murky affairs. To act for someone becomes to act against someone else; but to not act at all is itself a kind of complicity that, in effect, accomplishes the same thing. That this violence takes place in the countryside is something to note, too. The countryside of Wild Houses is not one of idyll and serenity but of menace, the vastness of its landscapes a kind of blanket that, in its immensity, is able to at once absorb and eclipse violence.
Just as violence pervades Wild Houses, so, too, does loneliness--and it is such a poignant and heartbreaking novel in its depiction of that loneliness. Characters are bereaved, estranged, isolated; in a cruel way, it is the central event of the novel that brings them together. I was especially moved by the story of one of our two narrators, Dev. His loneliness and grief are so raw on the page, Barrett's portrayal of his mental health struggles, specifically his panic attacks, so keenly felt. There are some lines in the end of this novel that are just stunning in every sense of the word. They are exactly what I mean when I say this is a quietly devastating novel.
I've painted somewhat of a bleak picture of Wild Houses, but in Barrett's hands--in his fine, lucid, and wry writing--it's anything but. Barrett has definitely cemented himself as a new favourite author of mine and I can't wait to see more novels (and short story collections!) from him in the future.
September 16, 2024
the main event of ‘wild houses’ centres around a teenage boy who is kidnapped and held hostage when he gets caught up in his brother’s dispute with small-town drug dealers.
it’s a quiet literary thriller, with tension so perfectly balanced that it feels like a slow-burn even while the plot races along. the novel is deftly-written and hauntingly atmospheric, zooming in on the ravages of rural poverty and the desperation of small-town crime. it’s also a moving exploration of grief and loneliness, of those who feel like they are on the periphery of life, forever destined to be outsiders. this is colin barrett’s first novel and the first work of his i’ve read, but i really enjoyed this and i know he is very lauded so i’ll be picking up his short story collections next.
it’s a quiet literary thriller, with tension so perfectly balanced that it feels like a slow-burn even while the plot races along. the novel is deftly-written and hauntingly atmospheric, zooming in on the ravages of rural poverty and the desperation of small-town crime. it’s also a moving exploration of grief and loneliness, of those who feel like they are on the periphery of life, forever destined to be outsiders. this is colin barrett’s first novel and the first work of his i’ve read, but i really enjoyed this and i know he is very lauded so i’ll be picking up his short story collections next.
October 20, 2024
Although Wild Houses is a debut novel, Colin Barrett is a short story writer with a devoted following, which goes a long way of explaining why it is so beautifully written, completely immersive, and contains all the elements that make Irish fiction so readable. Here we have characters that stand up off the page, speaking in realistic dialogue, inhabiting a plot that moves at a pace that keeps the reader fully engaged. Central is Dev, who opens his door one night to a couple of local thugs hauling in a bewildered third man who is to serve as a bargaining chip for a ransom demand. Dev's past is the most examined of the cast, giving insight into why he makes the choices he does. To say more would be unfair and take away the pleasure of discovery for a reader. Others have suggested a sequel, and I agree.
August 7, 2024
Gawwwd, I love this author. First YOUNG SKINS, then HOMESICKNESS, and now this.
July 31, 2025
Sparse. That’s the word that comes to mind when I think back on this book. I think it’s primarily due to the prose and the author’s ability to somehow make extreme situations feel mundane and casual. There’s an expert reflection of everyday life and the way different people cope with the struggle that some feel in just making it to the next day. How? Why? What’s on the other side? These questions are all raised within the minds of some of the protagonists and it made the book very relatable for me as I think a lot of us go through periods when we are plagued by these questions.
There was also something with light. Its reflections, presence, ability to temporarily morph objects through human eyes, and with so much talk of light it was impossible not to think of its opposite, the dark. A character walking home provides an opportunity for lines like,
“The unyielding yellow glare of the street lights deepened the shadows and made the shuttered shopfronts and abandoned streets look not just empty but skeletally exposed, like furniture with its upholstery ripped away.”
A character walking through a parking lot,
“Every time he turned his head to look the light tricked away and he saw that the inside of each car was as dark and empty as a cave.”
This to me captures the essence of this book. The author makes it feel as though the human experience is being x-rayed and we are left looking at the black and white image trying to make sense of our lot in life.
There was also something with light. Its reflections, presence, ability to temporarily morph objects through human eyes, and with so much talk of light it was impossible not to think of its opposite, the dark. A character walking home provides an opportunity for lines like,
“The unyielding yellow glare of the street lights deepened the shadows and made the shuttered shopfronts and abandoned streets look not just empty but skeletally exposed, like furniture with its upholstery ripped away.”
A character walking through a parking lot,
“Every time he turned his head to look the light tricked away and he saw that the inside of each car was as dark and empty as a cave.”
This to me captures the essence of this book. The author makes it feel as though the human experience is being x-rayed and we are left looking at the black and white image trying to make sense of our lot in life.
Read
May 14, 2024A new Irish writer for me. Took about halfway to get wheels, but characters interesting enough to hang in there through the first half.
Plot seems a stretch, but I'm no judge. I complain about coincidences and improbabilities way too much. Seems many fiction readers are more forgiving, so I'm working on getting with the program.
Without spoiling much, I'll say it's a bit of a kidnapping caper with Stockholm moving its Syndrome from Sweden to the Emerald Isle. Ah, those lads. Rough sorts with vile mouths (though not enough f-bombs for Ireland, which flat-out owns the word -- at least in past Irish novels I've read).
But wait. In the middle of action with otherwise on-point swearing, etc., we get bad lads saying these words: modicum and temerity.
Man, did those jump off of the page like a fish for a fly. Really? Clunk goes the brick. I lost sight of the characters and caught sight of the author's education slipping behind the arras without so much as an "excuse me."
But some nice turns of phrases, too, and woven together deftly enough. And slightly unpredictable before it relented and played predictable. Enjoyed, caveats notwithstanding.
Plot seems a stretch, but I'm no judge. I complain about coincidences and improbabilities way too much. Seems many fiction readers are more forgiving, so I'm working on getting with the program.
Without spoiling much, I'll say it's a bit of a kidnapping caper with Stockholm moving its Syndrome from Sweden to the Emerald Isle. Ah, those lads. Rough sorts with vile mouths (though not enough f-bombs for Ireland, which flat-out owns the word -- at least in past Irish novels I've read).
But wait. In the middle of action with otherwise on-point swearing, etc., we get bad lads saying these words: modicum and temerity.
Man, did those jump off of the page like a fish for a fly. Really? Clunk goes the brick. I lost sight of the characters and caught sight of the author's education slipping behind the arras without so much as an "excuse me."
But some nice turns of phrases, too, and woven together deftly enough. And slightly unpredictable before it relented and played predictable. Enjoyed, caveats notwithstanding.
August 7, 2024
Really not sure of my rating on this read, because it was a very compelling story. There’s a lot to like here, some great Irish storytelling about a lives of crime, and crime-adjacent lives. There’s some cracking dialogue(it’s so well voiced) and a rollicking plot. I enjoyed all of this, but in the end I wasn’t really sure what it was saying about the way that crime ripples through lives, or about its characters. Very much a vibe-y novel which is great on that level, but was missing a little depth for me. Maybe a 4.
June 25, 2025
I've read one of Colin Barrett's short story collections and really enjoyed it, so getting to read his longer fiction in the form of his debut novel was a delight. It was a natural progression from his short fiction, with great character work, excellent scene setting, and witty dialogue that flows so naturally. The story here is presented as a sort of crime drama, but really that's an excuse to create moments of tension to show how characters react and respond, both externally and internally. He's more concerned about developing them on the page, and showing what we do at pivotal moments in our life, based on our nature and nurturing. He also excellently presents small town Irish life and makes you feel present in the story. I will definitely continue to pick up whatever Barrett publishes in the future!
April 6, 2024
Nicky was going with Doll by then and got to experience the house first-hand. The atmosphere was that of a continuous, continuously improvised party that periodically doldrums and never ended, contending playlists emanating from different rooms, a standing bank of smoke shimmering in seeming permanence in the sitting room, pin-eyed young ones rattling on the front door at all hours. And things had gone on that way until a year or so ago, when Cillian suddenly stopped dealing. With the drugs gone, Cillian’s customers went away too. What Doll had told his mother was true; Sara and Cillian’s house was no longer a wild house.
Wild Houses is promoted as “darkly funny and deeply moving”, but I’m afraid I didn’t find it particularly funny or moving. Sure, it’s a bit of a crime thriller, but it’s small town, small stakes, petty criminals at war with one another; and every time I thought that the plot was on the edge of dropping the beat and tying all the loose threads together, everything would just carry on as though random events — even strangely coincidental events — are just incidental facts of small town life, thrown in for colour, not meaning. I do love an Irish storyteller, and debut novelist Colin Barrett brings the craic through setting and dialogue, but to me, this was a novel perpetually on the edge of becoming something, but never quite arriving. I’d give 3.5 stars, rounding down.
He knew, from the outside, how small and meagre it all might seem, but he had been living in a way that was his own. And then the Ferdias had arrived. They had insinuated themselves, bit by bit, into his life, and now they had brought the kid. It was an intrusion that had thrown things all off course. He could feel it in the pit of his stomach. Nothing now would be the same.
Ever since the sudden death of his mother, young Dev Hendrick (near on seven foot tall, with hands like excavator buckets) has lived alone in the remote family homestead, making a bit of money stashing drugs in the outbuildings for his criminal cousins. The novel opens with these Ferdia cousins, Sketch and Gabe, showing up at Dev’s door with a kidnapped Doll English: the seventeen-year-old brother of a drug dealer, Cillian, who owes their boss money. Dev is an interesting character: we learn that his father is in a psychiatric hospital, that Dev had been brutally bullied in school (and when his impassivity eventually forced his bullies to move on, he would come to miss the beatings as the only human contact he ever knew outside the home), and that he suffers not infrequent panic attacks. Impassivity is Dev’s main outward attribute: He stashes the drugs for the Ferdias because saying no would be more trouble, and despite not wanting to be involved in a kidnapping (and being inwardly appalled by Doll’s treatment), he goes along with whatever the Ferdias say.
Meanwhile, it takes some time for Doll’s girlfriend, Nicky, to realise he’s missing: they had had a fight at a party the night he was abducted, and Nicky vacillates between being annoyed that he’s ghosting her and worrying if her words had been too sharp during the argument. Nicky is also an interesting character: An orphan living with her truck-driving brother, Nicky intends to go to college after high school (more than one character says she’s the only young person they know in their small town with a head on her shoulders), and between being a good student and working hard at a local pub, it’s tough to see what she’s doing with the feckless Doll.
All that mattered was what would happen next. As she made her way over the uneven ground, her mind was racing, lit up with fragments of animal premonition. She knew violence was close, could sense with each step the approach of some dark, whipping torsion of bodies and limbs that might sweep her up and buffet her away with the powerful headlong indifference of the sea.
Ultimately, this is the story of these decent characters finding themselves drawn into a small town’s criminal underbelly (such as it is) and learning to accept crime and violence by incremental steps. Again: while the plot didn’t really move me, I did enjoy Barrett’s poetic use of language — factory workers facing each day with “a spirit of inured rue”, a young lad chewing gum with “arrant indifference”; young people are separated into beoirs and gaums; folks routinely walk the boreens but can live their whole lives in County Mayo and never have heard of a turlough. That’s the kind of colour I appreciate and I’m not entirely disappointed to have spent a day in this world.
September 9, 2024
Longlisted for the Booker Prize 2024
I rather enjoyed this gangster story set in the west of Ireland, but there have been too many similar books by Irish writers recently for me to consider it shortlist material.
I rather enjoyed this gangster story set in the west of Ireland, but there have been too many similar books by Irish writers recently for me to consider it shortlist material.
August 16, 2024
4,5
I had a great time with this, a real pleasure to read. Very convincing writing, lively characters and a good, suspenseful plot centered around a kidnapping by small-time criminals in Western Ireland.
Slightly disappointed by the ending though...
I had a great time with this, a real pleasure to read. Very convincing writing, lively characters and a good, suspenseful plot centered around a kidnapping by small-time criminals in Western Ireland.
Slightly disappointed by the ending though...
September 15, 2024
(Book 7 of my Journey through the booker prize longlist )
4 ⭐️
When I saw that the booker prize longlist came out I decided to challenge myself to read as much as I can before the shortlist was decided, I find it so exciting to be able to try and predict the winner, so far it has been a very interesting journey, reading a couple 5 stars and one DNF, this personal challenge is proving so fruitful. Narrowing this down to a shortlist is going to be difficult… I am not envious of the judges. Picking up my next potential favourite… along came Wild Houses.
A really immersive, short and beautifully written debut novel. Revolving around a drug deal that has gone wrong, a subsequent kidnapping & a look into the rural life of a small town community. Captured over the span of a few days we follow a few different characters, from Donal "Doll" English, the boy who was kidnapped due to his older brother Cillian's mistakes, as he lost a large quantity of drugs.
I really enjoyed the gritty prose and immersive writing style, flying through this in the span of a couple days, my personal favourite character being Dev, a boy who was written with such realism and nuance. A great representation of mental health. Only reason I didn't rate this 5 stars is due to the ending, I felt like the initial grittiness and pacing died down a little by the last pages and I was just craving more out of it.
4 ⭐️
When I saw that the booker prize longlist came out I decided to challenge myself to read as much as I can before the shortlist was decided, I find it so exciting to be able to try and predict the winner, so far it has been a very interesting journey, reading a couple 5 stars and one DNF, this personal challenge is proving so fruitful. Narrowing this down to a shortlist is going to be difficult… I am not envious of the judges. Picking up my next potential favourite… along came Wild Houses.
A really immersive, short and beautifully written debut novel. Revolving around a drug deal that has gone wrong, a subsequent kidnapping & a look into the rural life of a small town community. Captured over the span of a few days we follow a few different characters, from Donal "Doll" English, the boy who was kidnapped due to his older brother Cillian's mistakes, as he lost a large quantity of drugs.
I really enjoyed the gritty prose and immersive writing style, flying through this in the span of a couple days, my personal favourite character being Dev, a boy who was written with such realism and nuance. A great representation of mental health. Only reason I didn't rate this 5 stars is due to the ending, I felt like the initial grittiness and pacing died down a little by the last pages and I was just craving more out of it.
August 31, 2024
4.5, rounded down.
All the while I was reading this and enjoying it immensely, a niggling voice in the back of my head kept saying: "This is really well-written, engaging, deftly plotted, with great characterizations and trenchant dialogue - but IS it a BOOKER book?" Well, the judges must have thought so, and of the five candidates I've read so far, this is certainly the one I enjoyed reading the most.
If the Bookers are supposed to find the 'best' of books in English from the past year, there is nothing within that parameter that says they must be weighty or turgid with philosophical underpinnings or deeper meaning. Sometimes, you just have to go with a 'ripping good yarn - and this is certainly that. And compared to two of the books I've read ALSO nominated this year, it is at least never boring or too full of itself. So, bravo Mr. Barrett - don't think it stands a chance of winning but would love to see it advance to the shortlist.
All the while I was reading this and enjoying it immensely, a niggling voice in the back of my head kept saying: "This is really well-written, engaging, deftly plotted, with great characterizations and trenchant dialogue - but IS it a BOOKER book?" Well, the judges must have thought so, and of the five candidates I've read so far, this is certainly the one I enjoyed reading the most.
If the Bookers are supposed to find the 'best' of books in English from the past year, there is nothing within that parameter that says they must be weighty or turgid with philosophical underpinnings or deeper meaning. Sometimes, you just have to go with a 'ripping good yarn - and this is certainly that. And compared to two of the books I've read ALSO nominated this year, it is at least never boring or too full of itself. So, bravo Mr. Barrett - don't think it stands a chance of winning but would love to see it advance to the shortlist.
July 26, 2024
The writing is what kept this book alive for me. It’s a book very much in the Kevin Barry style. Rural Ireland, small time gangster shenanigans, lots of dialogue and some interesting characters. A little bit melancholy, a little bit philosophical.
It’s a very admirable work but it’s not exactly electrifying plot-wise nor as humorous as the blurbs would imply.
It’s a very admirable work but it’s not exactly electrifying plot-wise nor as humorous as the blurbs would imply.
July 9, 2024
Not sure what the point was…
March 25, 2024
Quick review: A snapshot into a few days of the lives of Dev, Doll and Doll's girlfriend Nicky as they all become embroiled in a bigger, and more dangerous, world than their little town of Ballina would lead you to believe. As always with Irish literary fiction I've read this is very character driven, very emotive and insular. While our three narrators are in a small town, their own world view feels even narrower, centering on Dev's house and the English homes.
Dev was my favourite of the three. A physically large man, he's not at all what he seems. He's constantly at war with himself, feeling a mixture of grief and abject u worthiness. He's directionless and vulnerable, and easily taken advantage of. Yet there's still a spark there, something lurking just underneath. His backstory is well thought out and beautifully touching to read. I just wanted more time to really see his character develop.
The same could be said for all the characters really. There's not much of a plot, meaning the characters have to do a lot of work to keep the reader engaged. I'm not quite sure they managed it - even with Dev's history I just didn't feel emotionally invested enough to care. Expanding the story, learning more about Doll's dad in Canada and Dev's dad in The Units would have been a great place to expand. Even opening up Nicky's complicated feelings for Doll would have added some depth.
Really nice writing, and a fast read, but I wanted more plot and character growth rather than a snapshot of their lives.
Dev was my favourite of the three. A physically large man, he's not at all what he seems. He's constantly at war with himself, feeling a mixture of grief and abject u worthiness. He's directionless and vulnerable, and easily taken advantage of. Yet there's still a spark there, something lurking just underneath. His backstory is well thought out and beautifully touching to read. I just wanted more time to really see his character develop.
The same could be said for all the characters really. There's not much of a plot, meaning the characters have to do a lot of work to keep the reader engaged. I'm not quite sure they managed it - even with Dev's history I just didn't feel emotionally invested enough to care. Expanding the story, learning more about Doll's dad in Canada and Dev's dad in The Units would have been a great place to expand. Even opening up Nicky's complicated feelings for Doll would have added some depth.
Really nice writing, and a fast read, but I wanted more plot and character growth rather than a snapshot of their lives.
November 23, 2024
The plot, which is narrated in three parts, primarily concerns a kidnapping that has gone awry and how everyone affected by it is forced to act against their nature while discovering new facets about themselves. The story unfolds from the perspective of two characters, the loner Dev, who owns the house to which the Ferdia brothers bring the kidnapped Doll English, and the resourceful Nicky, the young girlfriend of Doll, who is forced to broach unfamiliar territories to free him. The author contrasts the development of these two characters.
Read the full review here
Read the full review here
March 15, 2025
A really good debut novel longlisted for the 2024 Booker Prize. Set in a small town in County Mayo, the story follows the lives of a young couple who find themselves in a severe predicament due to no fault of their own. Having to find a way to help her boyfriend, Nicky finds herself on the wrong side of the law and questioning her relationship with him and his less than law abiding family.
The novel is about small town living, dysfunctional families, the presence of petty crime which rapidly escalates into something more dangerous, and the consequences of childhood abuse and bullying on adults in later life. The main characters are very strongly written and it is easy to empathise with them, even when they seem to be making the wrong decisions.
There is some excellent writing to note; especially to highlight the thought processes of Dev, a particularly vulnerable character in the book. The following paragraph provides a fascinating insight into how he manages his panic attacks by focusing on the mundane:
'He thought about how, when it came down to it, you were a kind of janitor or superintendent of your body, responsible only for its sanitation and presentation. You fuelled it and disposed of its waste, showered it, dressed it. You brushed its hair and you cut its nails. But you could choose not to do these things and your body, regardless of your neglect, would simply carry on for as long as it could'.
Good read by a talented new author with, hopefully, many more books in the pipeline.
The novel is about small town living, dysfunctional families, the presence of petty crime which rapidly escalates into something more dangerous, and the consequences of childhood abuse and bullying on adults in later life. The main characters are very strongly written and it is easy to empathise with them, even when they seem to be making the wrong decisions.
There is some excellent writing to note; especially to highlight the thought processes of Dev, a particularly vulnerable character in the book. The following paragraph provides a fascinating insight into how he manages his panic attacks by focusing on the mundane:
'He thought about how, when it came down to it, you were a kind of janitor or superintendent of your body, responsible only for its sanitation and presentation. You fuelled it and disposed of its waste, showered it, dressed it. You brushed its hair and you cut its nails. But you could choose not to do these things and your body, regardless of your neglect, would simply carry on for as long as it could'.
Good read by a talented new author with, hopefully, many more books in the pipeline.
abandoned-dnf
August 8, 2024DNF @ 10%—I guess I was nuts to expect all Irish authors to be like Donal Ryan.😕 This one is really not turning out to be my kind of novel—not even close. So far, it seems to be about drug debts, small town cons, and settling scores with violence. After scanning many of the other reviews, I see no evidence that it'll change any time soon, so... very sadly, I'm going to have to abandon it. This was the first of my 2024 Booker Longlist reads. Not the best start, eh?🤔
Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,102 reviews