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The Benefactors: The enthralling debut novel about class, power and what being a parent means
SHORTLISTED FOR NOVEL OF THE YEAR AT THE AN POST IRISH BOOK AWARDS
LONGLISTED FOR THE GORDON BURN PRIZE
'The style of Woolf but the heart of Dickens . . . impressive'
Sunday Times
'A blistering debut . . . vital reading'
Spectator
'A powerful, moving, compelling, utterly enthralling debut'
Jon McGregor, author of Reservoir 13
'So fresh, so sharp, so wry, so alive'
Lucy Caldwell, author of These Days
'I miss it already . . . What a beautiful, hilarious blast of brilliance'
Donal Ryan, author of Heart, Be at Peace
'A cast of characters so vividly drawn it feels like you've known them all your life'
Colin Walsh, author of Kala
'There's not a sentence I don't believe, or a character I don't feel something for . . . what a joy it is to read'
Michael Magee, author of Close to Home
From the prize-winning author of Dance Move and Sweet Home, this is an astounding novel about intimate histories, class and money - and what being a parent means.
Meet Frankie, Miriam and three very different women from Belfast, but all mothers to eighteen-year-old boys.
Gorgeous Frankie, now married to a wealthy, older man, grew up in care. Miriam has recently lost her beloved husband Kahlil in ambiguous circumstances. Bronagh, the CEO of a children's services charity, loves celebrity and prestige. When their sons are accused of sexually assaulting a friend, Misty Johnston, they'll come together to protect their children, leveraging all the powers they possess. But on her side, Misty has the formidable matriarch, Nan D, and her father, taxi-driver an alliance not so easily dismissed.
Brutal, tender and rigorously intelligent, The Benefactors is a daring, multi-voice presentation of modern-day Northern Ireland. It is also very funny.
LONGLISTED FOR THE GORDON BURN PRIZE
'The style of Woolf but the heart of Dickens . . . impressive'
Sunday Times
'A blistering debut . . . vital reading'
Spectator
'A powerful, moving, compelling, utterly enthralling debut'
Jon McGregor, author of Reservoir 13
'So fresh, so sharp, so wry, so alive'
Lucy Caldwell, author of These Days
'I miss it already . . . What a beautiful, hilarious blast of brilliance'
Donal Ryan, author of Heart, Be at Peace
'A cast of characters so vividly drawn it feels like you've known them all your life'
Colin Walsh, author of Kala
'There's not a sentence I don't believe, or a character I don't feel something for . . . what a joy it is to read'
Michael Magee, author of Close to Home
From the prize-winning author of Dance Move and Sweet Home, this is an astounding novel about intimate histories, class and money - and what being a parent means.
Meet Frankie, Miriam and three very different women from Belfast, but all mothers to eighteen-year-old boys.
Gorgeous Frankie, now married to a wealthy, older man, grew up in care. Miriam has recently lost her beloved husband Kahlil in ambiguous circumstances. Bronagh, the CEO of a children's services charity, loves celebrity and prestige. When their sons are accused of sexually assaulting a friend, Misty Johnston, they'll come together to protect their children, leveraging all the powers they possess. But on her side, Misty has the formidable matriarch, Nan D, and her father, taxi-driver an alliance not so easily dismissed.
Brutal, tender and rigorously intelligent, The Benefactors is a daring, multi-voice presentation of modern-day Northern Ireland. It is also very funny.
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First published January 1, 2025
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June 17, 2025
The Benefactors
By Wendy Erskine
I was drawn to this story because, as the mother of boys, I had very complicated feelings during the infamous 2017 Belfast rugby rape trial of those players who got away with misusing a young, vulnerable girl on the basis that she was a "silly girl who was causing trouble for the lads". The female part of me was hoping for a verdict of guilty, yet the mother-of-boys part ached for how they had destroyed their futures. It was a great reckoning, one in which the concept of consent became drilled in every household, every classroom, every locker room.
I thought the mother-son relationships were the ones I would be most interested in, but they fade a bit compared to Misty and her stepdad Boogie. They are primed for judgement, with their unconventional family setup and their lack of means.How can they stand against the wealth and entitlement of her assailants? How easy it is to blame the victim based on what she wore, how much alcohol she had consumed, how charmed she aught to be in these boys' company. We can all be guilty of taking one look at a person and making a judgement.
Last year I surprised myself by loving a story about a young woman who turned to OnlyFans to support herself. "Margo Has Money Troubles" didn't sound promising with it's trashy premise, yet it's humour in the face of wretchedness and the unlikely father daughter relationship will stay with me forever. The comparisons are many between both books.
It took me a good 10 to 15% to get comfortable with Wendy Erskine's writing style. The narrator changes frequently, often mid paragraph (might be an unformatted version I have), and while some narrators are obvious, others seem to be bystanders, and are often written in vernacular. A little patience pays off.
It's a very "Belfast" story, where a sense of horror is dealt with wit, which makes the last page vibrate with irony.
Publication Date: 19th June 2025
Thanks to #Netgalley and #HodderStoughton for providing an eGalley for review purposes.
By Wendy Erskine
I was drawn to this story because, as the mother of boys, I had very complicated feelings during the infamous 2017 Belfast rugby rape trial of those players who got away with misusing a young, vulnerable girl on the basis that she was a "silly girl who was causing trouble for the lads". The female part of me was hoping for a verdict of guilty, yet the mother-of-boys part ached for how they had destroyed their futures. It was a great reckoning, one in which the concept of consent became drilled in every household, every classroom, every locker room.
I thought the mother-son relationships were the ones I would be most interested in, but they fade a bit compared to Misty and her stepdad Boogie. They are primed for judgement, with their unconventional family setup and their lack of means.How can they stand against the wealth and entitlement of her assailants? How easy it is to blame the victim based on what she wore, how much alcohol she had consumed, how charmed she aught to be in these boys' company. We can all be guilty of taking one look at a person and making a judgement.
Last year I surprised myself by loving a story about a young woman who turned to OnlyFans to support herself. "Margo Has Money Troubles" didn't sound promising with it's trashy premise, yet it's humour in the face of wretchedness and the unlikely father daughter relationship will stay with me forever. The comparisons are many between both books.
It took me a good 10 to 15% to get comfortable with Wendy Erskine's writing style. The narrator changes frequently, often mid paragraph (might be an unformatted version I have), and while some narrators are obvious, others seem to be bystanders, and are often written in vernacular. A little patience pays off.
It's a very "Belfast" story, where a sense of horror is dealt with wit, which makes the last page vibrate with irony.
Publication Date: 19th June 2025
Thanks to #Netgalley and #HodderStoughton for providing an eGalley for review purposes.
December 30, 2024
what the hell wendy what a cracker of a book 10/10
November 28, 2025
Hmmmm
It’s possible to have just too many voices.
It’s possible to have just too many voices.
June 20, 2025
‘The Benefactors’ is a well written and impressive novel about family and class (or rather wealth), and how your background largely decides your future. Sadly, it also shows that if you have money you can get away with anything.
There are several narrators and so a lot of different point of views. In the ARC I received it wasn’t always clear who the narrator was as the text hadn’t been formatted yet, which made for a difficult read at times. I think it’ll work far better in the finished novel.
All in all, an interesting and very powerful novel.
Thank you Sceptre and Netgalley UK for the ARC.
There are several narrators and so a lot of different point of views. In the ARC I received it wasn’t always clear who the narrator was as the text hadn’t been formatted yet, which made for a difficult read at times. I think it’ll work far better in the finished novel.
All in all, an interesting and very powerful novel.
Thank you Sceptre and Netgalley UK for the ARC.
July 8, 2025
Very nicely-done multi-generational / multi-narrator novel formed of variably-sized vignettes, all stitched together to form a largely convincing portrait of contemporary Belfast. As with the author's stories, the best stuff is wry, deadpan, coolly observant. Things otherwise take an occasional turn for the mawkish and soapy, and the pragmatically potty-mouthed matriarch Nan D works much better over the long form than blankly entitled Frankie, but these are minor complaints. A worthy longlister.
August 12, 2025
Wow, this is my first Wendy Erskine book, but it won't be the last. I don't often write reviews, but had a lot of thoughts that I thought I would share while they were fresh.
I listened to the audiobook, and honestly found every spare minute I could to listen to a little bit more - I was captivated (I finished it in two days).
As per other reviews, it initially took me a little time to settle into the shifting perspectives/narrators (especially as there were different voice actors in the audio version), and once I accepted the interludes as adding to the richness of the theme and place, rather than being tied literally to the key storyline(s) then I enjoyed it more.
It is rare for a book to have this many characters, let alone ones so well crafted, with inner depth and complexity (as well as complexity in their relationships). The story was intricate in detail without feeling bogged down. Instead, this added clarity and 'realness'. I loved the relationship between Boogie and Misty.
The central themes (sexual violence, class and privilege, and the intersection with 'justice') are handled with nuance and care without being overwrought or stale in their rendering. There is pragmatism, lightness and humour without compromising emotional depth. As someone who has worked in the sexual violence sector from initial examinations to court proceedings, I appreciated the representation of the various aspects and considerations of these fraught issues.
I was reminded of the brilliant New Zealand novel, Sprigs (Brannavan Gnanalingam, 2020) which covers similar content and themes, as well as the Elements series by John Boyne.
I listened to the audiobook, and honestly found every spare minute I could to listen to a little bit more - I was captivated (I finished it in two days).
As per other reviews, it initially took me a little time to settle into the shifting perspectives/narrators (especially as there were different voice actors in the audio version), and once I accepted the interludes as adding to the richness of the theme and place, rather than being tied literally to the key storyline(s) then I enjoyed it more.
It is rare for a book to have this many characters, let alone ones so well crafted, with inner depth and complexity (as well as complexity in their relationships). The story was intricate in detail without feeling bogged down. Instead, this added clarity and 'realness'. I loved the relationship between Boogie and Misty.
The central themes (sexual violence, class and privilege, and the intersection with 'justice') are handled with nuance and care without being overwrought or stale in their rendering. There is pragmatism, lightness and humour without compromising emotional depth. As someone who has worked in the sexual violence sector from initial examinations to court proceedings, I appreciated the representation of the various aspects and considerations of these fraught issues.
I was reminded of the brilliant New Zealand novel, Sprigs (Brannavan Gnanalingam, 2020) which covers similar content and themes, as well as the Elements series by John Boyne.
August 5, 2025
4,5
This would not have been out of place on the 2025 Booker longlist.
The central event is the sexual abuse of young Misty by three 'friends', two of whom with rich parents...
The writing is very good and I was really impressed by the way it explores the themes of class and background.
There is large number of characters and it takes a bit of time to figure out who they are and how everything fits together but all the storylines are engaging and the characters very lively and well drawn - you'll miss them when it's finished!
This would not have been out of place on the 2025 Booker longlist.
The central event is the sexual abuse of young Misty by three 'friends', two of whom with rich parents...
The writing is very good and I was really impressed by the way it explores the themes of class and background.
There is large number of characters and it takes a bit of time to figure out who they are and how everything fits together but all the storylines are engaging and the characters very lively and well drawn - you'll miss them when it's finished!
February 25, 2025
Do-Gooders
This is Wendy Erskine’s first novel, following two volumes of short stories, and it’s a cracker!
Three powerful mothers defend their three sons, accused of assaulting a girl, the step-daughter of a working class taxi driver. They have wealth, intelligence and influence on their side. The girl has been raised in the house of a man who is not her father, abandoned by her own feckless mother, and she earns a little money meeting older men on the internet through a platform called Benefactors. So far, so simple.
Where this novel is especially successful is in the delineation of character, motivation, and personality. Every character in the novel is a deeply and convincingly constructed individual. In tune with her role as a short story writer, Erskine has continuous sections which focus on individuals who are at best tangential to the plot, often at two or three removes. These episodes provide an eccentric Greek chorus to the central story, and can be curiously both insightful and irritating. For gritty social realism the story hits the target every time.
The mothers, the sons, the girl, her stepfather, his grandmother and the others in their respective family circles, all emerge as personalities about whom we want to learn more. We may hate some of them, be shocked by others, but this is the sort of book where the reader feels a sense of loss when the final sentence is read.
The story has some wonderful comic episodes and is inventive and original throughout. There is much trauma, but there is also a quiet sense of possibility at the end.
This is an amazing novel. You will never have read anything quite like it. I recommend it absolutely.
This is Wendy Erskine’s first novel, following two volumes of short stories, and it’s a cracker!
Three powerful mothers defend their three sons, accused of assaulting a girl, the step-daughter of a working class taxi driver. They have wealth, intelligence and influence on their side. The girl has been raised in the house of a man who is not her father, abandoned by her own feckless mother, and she earns a little money meeting older men on the internet through a platform called Benefactors. So far, so simple.
Where this novel is especially successful is in the delineation of character, motivation, and personality. Every character in the novel is a deeply and convincingly constructed individual. In tune with her role as a short story writer, Erskine has continuous sections which focus on individuals who are at best tangential to the plot, often at two or three removes. These episodes provide an eccentric Greek chorus to the central story, and can be curiously both insightful and irritating. For gritty social realism the story hits the target every time.
The mothers, the sons, the girl, her stepfather, his grandmother and the others in their respective family circles, all emerge as personalities about whom we want to learn more. We may hate some of them, be shocked by others, but this is the sort of book where the reader feels a sense of loss when the final sentence is read.
The story has some wonderful comic episodes and is inventive and original throughout. There is much trauma, but there is also a quiet sense of possibility at the end.
This is an amazing novel. You will never have read anything quite like it. I recommend it absolutely.
August 19, 2025
"Oh, I didn't know a book could do that"
I can't remember the last time I read a novel that made me think that, but it sure happened with The Benefactors. Wendy Erskine sure can write; her prose flows effortlessly, words bubbling together to paint a meticulous, ugly picture. There's something about the stark contrast between the lovely prose and the harshness of the subject matter that makes the gut-punch that much more effective. Halfway through the book, I had to put it down in a fit of anger; by the end I wanted to check out everything else this author has ever written. My one nitpick is that the book fizzles out rather than stops, the ending drawn out; but it makes sense thematically with the way the plot unfolded slowly to start with. 4 and a half stars, and I'll be recommending this to everybody
I can't remember the last time I read a novel that made me think that, but it sure happened with The Benefactors. Wendy Erskine sure can write; her prose flows effortlessly, words bubbling together to paint a meticulous, ugly picture. There's something about the stark contrast between the lovely prose and the harshness of the subject matter that makes the gut-punch that much more effective. Halfway through the book, I had to put it down in a fit of anger; by the end I wanted to check out everything else this author has ever written. My one nitpick is that the book fizzles out rather than stops, the ending drawn out; but it makes sense thematically with the way the plot unfolded slowly to start with. 4 and a half stars, and I'll be recommending this to everybody
July 3, 2025
Devastating and magnificent. Every character, every voice incredibly real. Subtle, honest, warm. Will stay with me for a long long time.
dnf
July 29, 2025DNF @ 18%
I hate to give up on this but this is my biggest literary disappointment of the year so far.
I hate to give up on this but this is my biggest literary disappointment of the year so far.
October 6, 2025
loved the character development, alternating chapters and interweaving of people involved - made it v fast paced and v enjoyable
August 19, 2025
Very disappointed in this book after good reviews and recommendations. The polyphonic narrative style was very confusing and frustrating and got in the way of what could have been a good story. The characters were a little stereotyped and the key storyline was fudged in my opinion with numerous loose ends. Shame.
October 14, 2025
Wendy Erskine has a way with words that's impossible to pin down. Everything she produces just “works”. ‘The Benefactors’ is set out in an unusual way, but that works too, and I think that's testament to Erskine’s command of voice and the unique qualities she subtly attributes to each of her characters, major and minor. ‘The Benefactors’ isn't a comfortable read, nor does it tie things up neatly in a bow, but isn't life a little like that?
August 11, 2025
Superb.
October 11, 2025
I felt so invested in the lives of these characters and the outcome of their dilemma. Fabulous writing - fully convinced by the voice/s, just a stunning, stunning novel.
November 28, 2025
nooo y’all don’t understand…. i LOVEEEEEED THIS BOOK omg like 5 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 NO NOTES!
maybe it’s because i saw the author speak at an event so i feel like i know her vibe ….
it was amazing woah and it’s amazing and the authors perspective that she writes from is SOOOO cool and good it reminded me of Fiona scarlett’s first book where although the mam wasn’t telling the story her understanding of her children ran as an undercurrent through every word. similarly this book has such an interesting feeling within it that’s sooo unique and special
maybe it’s because i saw the author speak at an event so i feel like i know her vibe ….
it was amazing woah and it’s amazing and the authors perspective that she writes from is SOOOO cool and good it reminded me of Fiona scarlett’s first book where although the mam wasn’t telling the story her understanding of her children ran as an undercurrent through every word. similarly this book has such an interesting feeling within it that’s sooo unique and special
July 7, 2025
Now, this is complicated to start with - every short and choppy chapter is a different person, a different narrative and some sections are frankly completely unrelated to the actual 'happening' ... however, stick with it as the characters will really start to resonate and the whole fracas ( that's an in joke you'll have to read it to get, sorry - not sorry) will start to have a coherent message. It's really very clever.
The characters are ALL in some way, less than perfect, and in just painting that picture, you realise that nothing is black and white, everybody is somehow a product of their upbringing, and nobody is perfect - although some are very much less to blame than others. If that all sounds a bit confusing, I would recommend reading it in a bookclub or with some friends and really enjoy the post-book discussion of all the rights and wrongs and fascinating characters. A brilliant read.
The characters are ALL in some way, less than perfect, and in just painting that picture, you realise that nothing is black and white, everybody is somehow a product of their upbringing, and nobody is perfect - although some are very much less to blame than others. If that all sounds a bit confusing, I would recommend reading it in a bookclub or with some friends and really enjoy the post-book discussion of all the rights and wrongs and fascinating characters. A brilliant read.
June 11, 2025
Unfortunately, this book was not for me. It may be for you if you’re interested in snappy, fast-paced novels with multiple POVs that deal with the topic of sexual abuse and very unlikeable characters. To be honest, I can’t recall the blurb describing the synopsis as it does now, when I first requested it on Netgalley, because otherwise I would have skipped it altogether (I was under the impression that it was an AI-related novel????? clearly I was wrong).
From page 1, I struggled to become interested in the story. The writing style is primarily what put me off. I like to get thrown in a story with multiple perspectives, but in here I found that neither had a particularly strong or distinctive voice. The point might be for the writing style to be messy, for a lack of better word, but I found it unfinished and boring to read. A lot could have been edited out.
I also enjoy reading from an unlikeable character, but I need to be able to understand why they are the way they are. In The Benefactors, the backstories never really lifted off the page or imprinted in my mind why these people were the way that they were.
The first 40% of the story felt like it didn’t really need to be there for me, I probably would have preferred to get straight into the main act and learnt more about each family along the way, rather than a prelude of “here are all the characters you need to care about, but I won’t give you a reason why until the halfway point.” If you know you’re going in for a 2-act kind of story, this might not be as annoying.
Ultimately this was not the book nor genre I was expecting and as a result it has found the ‘wrong reader’ for it. If I hadn’t been reading an arc, I would have put it down much earlier on. If you like quick, snappy, topical contemporary stories, don’t let my review deter you, as this may be a great read for you.
With thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.
From page 1, I struggled to become interested in the story. The writing style is primarily what put me off. I like to get thrown in a story with multiple perspectives, but in here I found that neither had a particularly strong or distinctive voice. The point might be for the writing style to be messy, for a lack of better word, but I found it unfinished and boring to read. A lot could have been edited out.
I also enjoy reading from an unlikeable character, but I need to be able to understand why they are the way they are. In The Benefactors, the backstories never really lifted off the page or imprinted in my mind why these people were the way that they were.
The first 40% of the story felt like it didn’t really need to be there for me, I probably would have preferred to get straight into the main act and learnt more about each family along the way, rather than a prelude of “here are all the characters you need to care about, but I won’t give you a reason why until the halfway point.” If you know you’re going in for a 2-act kind of story, this might not be as annoying.
Ultimately this was not the book nor genre I was expecting and as a result it has found the ‘wrong reader’ for it. If I hadn’t been reading an arc, I would have put it down much earlier on. If you like quick, snappy, topical contemporary stories, don’t let my review deter you, as this may be a great read for you.
With thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.
June 30, 2025
Completely electric. Formally ambitious, with over 50 different narrative voices (!) piping in alongside the main narrative, but it’s all handled with such razor sharp precision that you barely notice the hoops Erskine is having you jump through. But it’s not just stylistic stunts, it’s also completely warm and human, and heartbreakingly true to life. Brilliant. Erskine is one of the best prose writers at work today.
August 10, 2025
This is definitely the worst book I have read this year. Borrowed the nice hardback from “Alice’s library” and from the blurb it sounded good.
I enjoy a book written with multiple POVs but this was virtually impossible to follow. I had no idea who was speaking on many occasions and never got to a point about caring for any of the characters, supposedly good or bad. Some good themes which in different hands could have made a very poignant read but this was a disjointed, poorly executed slog!
I enjoy a book written with multiple POVs but this was virtually impossible to follow. I had no idea who was speaking on many occasions and never got to a point about caring for any of the characters, supposedly good or bad. Some good themes which in different hands could have made a very poignant read but this was a disjointed, poorly executed slog!
June 13, 2025
ugly cover but amazing novel
December 7, 2025
Wendy Erskine's first novel The Benefactors came to my attention because it's been longlisted for the £10,000 Gordon Burn Prize, a prize which recognises exceptional writing which has an unconventional perspective, style or subject matter and often defies easy categorisation. It celebrates literary outliers and daring and experimental work that often speaks to broader societal issues. In other words, exactly the kind of writing I like.
The Benefactors is a confronting novel. I am baffled by the blurber who said it was 'a joy to read'. It's a book that made me feel deeply sad about the lives of vulnerable young people today, and it roused a dark feeling of anger about power and privilege. And while there are funny moments, because Erskine has a great gift for characterisation and dialogue, it's not a funny book. It's a modern tragedy.
The novel takes a little time to get going while readers adjust to the polyphonic narration. There are no 'chapters' as such, there are multiple perspectives in segments of varying length. Very short segments with no identifiable narrator appear to be witness statements, social media chatter, gossip, the thoughts of random people who get involved like the taxi driver, and the responses of the professionals involved such as the police and lawyers. Readers piece events together from these and begin to see how judgements are formed. Longer segments introduce the main characters, and their back stories frame their responses to what's happened.
Misty and her half-sister Geneva (Gen) have been brought up by Boogie after their junkie mother offloaded them and walked away. He was barely out of his teens at the time, showing some promise as an artist and playing in a band, but he rose to the responsibility. They don't have much money and not much ambition, and Misty's future is clouded by the way she covertly supplements part-time work at a hotel with phone-sex work, but while it's definitely not an idealised poor-but-loving family, theirs is a family getting by with care and consideration for each other. It makes a stark contrast with the boys' families, and although it treads lightly on the issues surrounding kids who are not able to live with their own families, it also contrasts the outcomes of an informal 'adoption' with the outcomes for kids in care.
One of the short fragments features Frankie, musing about the money she spends on her step-children's clothes.
To read the rest of my review please visit https://anzlitlovers.com/2025/12/07/t...
The Benefactors is a confronting novel. I am baffled by the blurber who said it was 'a joy to read'. It's a book that made me feel deeply sad about the lives of vulnerable young people today, and it roused a dark feeling of anger about power and privilege. And while there are funny moments, because Erskine has a great gift for characterisation and dialogue, it's not a funny book. It's a modern tragedy.
The novel takes a little time to get going while readers adjust to the polyphonic narration. There are no 'chapters' as such, there are multiple perspectives in segments of varying length. Very short segments with no identifiable narrator appear to be witness statements, social media chatter, gossip, the thoughts of random people who get involved like the taxi driver, and the responses of the professionals involved such as the police and lawyers. Readers piece events together from these and begin to see how judgements are formed. Longer segments introduce the main characters, and their back stories frame their responses to what's happened.
Misty and her half-sister Geneva (Gen) have been brought up by Boogie after their junkie mother offloaded them and walked away. He was barely out of his teens at the time, showing some promise as an artist and playing in a band, but he rose to the responsibility. They don't have much money and not much ambition, and Misty's future is clouded by the way she covertly supplements part-time work at a hotel with phone-sex work, but while it's definitely not an idealised poor-but-loving family, theirs is a family getting by with care and consideration for each other. It makes a stark contrast with the boys' families, and although it treads lightly on the issues surrounding kids who are not able to live with their own families, it also contrasts the outcomes of an informal 'adoption' with the outcomes for kids in care.
One of the short fragments features Frankie, musing about the money she spends on her step-children's clothes.
I can see why someone would look at a pair of Yeezys for a four-year-old kid, a few hundred pounds for what, a couple of months of wear, and think that it's madness. I get it. But at the same time, I've always made sure that my own kids have been dressed in proper gear. Branded sportswear. Everything has got a logo. More than that, I take great care that the clothes are kept good. It's because it was never that way for me when I was younger. It was never that way for me. (P.146)
To read the rest of my review please visit https://anzlitlovers.com/2025/12/07/t...
August 8, 2025
A very original reading experience! The format took me a while to get to grips with and I did think 30% of the way in where is this headed, even though I was hooked from the first few pages. Despite the heavy theme, I read this in two sitting while on holiday - I couldn’t put it down. Incredibly well written and moving. This will stay with me for a long time. What a talent Wendy is! Immediately adding Dance Move to my TBR!
October 16, 2025
Interesting premise but found the characters a bit dull. Think the fast pace was a downfall in this case.
August 17, 2025
So amazing I couldn’t put it down. Took me a little bit to get into because of not knowing who the chapters were about all the time, but it was worth pursuing as it all starts to piece together. Loved loved loved the characters as well.
March 6, 2025
so good and very original !
March 15, 2025
The lives of three Belfast women intertwine - Frankie, a care home kid now living a life of luxury. Miriam, recently widowed and Bronagh a charity worker. Their sons sexually assault a young girl and the crime is attempted to be brushed under the carpet.
There is enough here for a powerful read, but sadly this isn’t it. The first person narrative has been done to death but for my money only Anne Enright can do it with any verve or wit. It’s pitched as a state of the nation novel, but the narrative isn’t clear enough to follow. The writing is too opaque, figurative to actually inform the reader what is going on.
I would also draw attention to the characterisation in the novel. The women - although with ulterior motives - are seen as cold, driven, unhappy. The only real male character in the novel is Boogie (a taxi driver, the mother of Misty, the girl who is sexually assaulted). His depiction is pure poverty porn. Plus Misty does camwork as a sideline and the concept of misogyny, with regard to sex work and male violence is muddied. Misty’s main client is an American. And although we could all throw shade at America, his depiction is pure Southern fried cliche.
It’s a novel of caricature, obscurity and coldness. It’s published by Hodder And Stoughton on June 19th and I thank them for a preview copy. #thebenefactors.
There is enough here for a powerful read, but sadly this isn’t it. The first person narrative has been done to death but for my money only Anne Enright can do it with any verve or wit. It’s pitched as a state of the nation novel, but the narrative isn’t clear enough to follow. The writing is too opaque, figurative to actually inform the reader what is going on.
I would also draw attention to the characterisation in the novel. The women - although with ulterior motives - are seen as cold, driven, unhappy. The only real male character in the novel is Boogie (a taxi driver, the mother of Misty, the girl who is sexually assaulted). His depiction is pure poverty porn. Plus Misty does camwork as a sideline and the concept of misogyny, with regard to sex work and male violence is muddied. Misty’s main client is an American. And although we could all throw shade at America, his depiction is pure Southern fried cliche.
It’s a novel of caricature, obscurity and coldness. It’s published by Hodder And Stoughton on June 19th and I thank them for a preview copy. #thebenefactors.
October 4, 2025
*spoiler-ish
My sister recommended listening to this one. We normally have a similar taste in books, but I absolutely detested this. I thought maybe it was because I had stopped and started a few times and was having trouble catching back up with the storyline but then I realised it was because the storyline was paper thin and the whole book was essentially lots of different characters talking about some random fact or event in their lives (some of whom I still have no idea why they were even in it as they had no bearing on the storyline, such as it was). The majority of main characters were entirely unlikeable, and I genuinely couldn't wait for it to finish. I kept on listening to the end because I was sure somehow it was all going to come together but no, it ended without any resolution on what happened to Rami (presumably he was going to be one of Misty's first clients at her new job in the funeral parlour but we'll never know).
I didn't like the main narrator's style of speaking; she made most of the characters sound the same, sort of simple and simpering, and her voice for Michelle was truly grating.
Do not recommend.
My sister recommended listening to this one. We normally have a similar taste in books, but I absolutely detested this. I thought maybe it was because I had stopped and started a few times and was having trouble catching back up with the storyline but then I realised it was because the storyline was paper thin and the whole book was essentially lots of different characters talking about some random fact or event in their lives (some of whom I still have no idea why they were even in it as they had no bearing on the storyline, such as it was). The majority of main characters were entirely unlikeable, and I genuinely couldn't wait for it to finish. I kept on listening to the end because I was sure somehow it was all going to come together but no, it ended without any resolution on what happened to Rami (presumably he was going to be one of Misty's first clients at her new job in the funeral parlour but we'll never know).
I didn't like the main narrator's style of speaking; she made most of the characters sound the same, sort of simple and simpering, and her voice for Michelle was truly grating.
Do not recommend.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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