Frogs for Watchdogs

by Sean Farrell

After years of moving from place to place, a young family finds shelter in an isolated house in the Irish countryside. Their father is missing, Mum is a healer and B a formidable big sister. In his strange new territory, a wild little boy gives voice to his experience.

Jerry Drain, a local famer, is stealing hay from the barn, someone is making nasty phone calls to the house at night and darkness is gathering at the edges of their lives. With his ferocious imagination the boy will do everything in his power to protect his family. But Jerry will not go away and Mum seems to be falling under his spell. It will be a year of major wins and baffling defeats for the boy, as Jerry's true nature insists on revealing itself.

Dark, funny, tender and raw, Frogs for Watchdogs thrums with the intensity of childhood. Above all, it is an ode to the blended the bewildering joy, wary safety and profound new bonds of love.

Genres: Fiction, Irish Literature, Contemporary, Audiobook

Paperback

Reviews

[Jo Lee]

Happy publication day 🥳🎉

Absolutely brimming with all the charm of an impish child. Frogs for Watchdogs is an absolute masterpiece, written in a beautifully executed script, we journey with a little boy whose world is changing in front of his very eyes. So he does what all children do, he escapes to fairytales, but not all tales come alive like the boys do and not all little boys know how to get rid of a man like Jerry Drain.

A stunning insight into the mind of a child learning to accept a step parent, the reeling against it the slow acceptance and ending with the nearest thing to family you can get.

I particularly loved the little snippets from Jerry himself. We forget that it’s equally hard on the new adult.

Touching, heartfelt, darkly funny and lyrically beautiful! I loved it!

The narration was first class.

Huge thanks to Bolinda Audio via NetGalley for the opportunity to review this ALC 🎧

[Caitlyn]

ALC review

Told from the perspective of a young boy, a family lives a simple live in the Irish countryside plagued by looming threats. One being a local farmer Jerry Drain who the boy detests for stealing hay, and his mother refuses to take this threat seriously. As the story unfolds Jerry becomes closer to the family and the bout feels compelled to protect them at any costs in the absence of his father.

This book offers a unique narrative perspective which is a lot of fun and I think the author did a great job of observing the world from that characters lens. There is also an occasional Jerry POV chapter which weren’t totally necessary but I enjoyed some of them. I think it contrasted well against the unreliable narrator but I could take or leave it. Audiobook note - multiple narrators is all well and good (and they both did a great job) but pleaseeeee make sure all narrators speak at the same pace, I hate having to constantly change playback speed when I’m in the zone and then one narrator talks significantly faster than the other.

This book does a great job of building the environment through the eyes of a child and it definitely gives you a rural vibe. All characters had interesting traits and there were was great suspense that you don’t always see in literary fiction. This book just took a long time to grip me and I even considered not finishing a couple times throughout the first half. I was engrossed by the end but I wish it didn’t have such a slow start.

[Kate O'Shea]

After years of moving from place to place a young family finally finds peace in an isolated home in the Irish countryside.

With his father missing, his big sister B is at boarding school, the boy narrator is oftrn left to his own devices. But now his mother (known locally for her natural remedies) has struck up a friendship with "Jerry Drain", who rents fields to farm next to their home and the boy needs things to change.

This wild little boy narrates the novel as he tries to come to terms with Jerry's sudden arrival in their lives. He is positive Jerry is the one stealing their hay and terrorising his mother. But, if that's the case then why does his mother keep inviting Jerry into the house? It is up to him to "deal with" the problem of Jerry Drain.

It is the story of a child coming to terms with his mother's new relationship and his reactions are quite shocking to begin with. And whilst the narration by the boy adds a new dimension to the novel it fell a little flat for me in the final third. A good premise that lost its way a little.

Thankyou to Netgalley and John Murray Press for the digital review copy.

[sam]

i’m not usually drawn to stories from the perspective of children, however this one was a very good book

it feels heartfelt, tender and full of curiosity

[Caoimhe Galligan]

I went into this completely blind and listened to it on BorrowBox not knowing the storyline at all. At first I found the concept genuinely interesting as the story is told through a young child’s understanding of adult conversations & phrases he overhears. The misunderstandings of these are clever & made me smile at times But honestly… I struggled. There’s only so many misunderstandings you can hear before you start to roll your eyes. A whole book filtered through a young child’s perspective is a lot. At times it felt endless and I kept waiting for it to shift or mature but it just keeps going over & over. While I did eventually come to care & I can absolutely appreciate the skill involved this way of telling a story just isn’t for me over a full novel.

[Chloe Emmerson]

I don't rate books on here generally anymore because I don't feel the unreliable star system is fair on people building their lives as authors. However, this book blew my little mind so wanted to rate it and boost the low amount of reviews. I was absolutely floored. Incredible characterisation, beautifully written from a child's perspective (which is hard to get right) and impeccable prose. I could not recommend this enough

[Susan]

A short book which I enjoyed.
I’ve recently read this for Netgalley though it’s already available in my local library.

I thoroughly enjoyed this coming of age novel. Sean Farrell captures the young boy’s voice beautifully. It made me laugh but also anxious for his mum and sister. Jerry Drain (brilliant name) cut a menacing figure in the story. Brilliant!
Thank you to Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

[Joanne Coakley]

"Frogs for Watchdogs" is a fantastic book about a young boy using his imagination to understand his world and deal with family changes. Sean Farrell really draws you in with his narrative style and the perspective he takes.

[Girish]

If you go just by literature, Ireland is one of the worst places to be as a child. Probably the weight of history, but Sean Farrell's Irish village story has a sense of disaster all through despite having the heart in the right place.

The story set in the farm house has only a handful of characters. Told from the POV of the youngest wild boy who is trying to protect his family after his Irish father disappears on them. There is a neighbor Jerry Drain, whose intentions he doesn't trust and marks him his enemy. The mother is a healer and the sister is in boarding school. And there is an old neighbor who is the boy's confidant.

The book is scarily dark and yet funny and tender in places. A child who thinks he is a grown-up is such an universal truth. What does a child do when he thinks the adults don't get it? We have been there and the author gives voice to the thought process. Except he also does act on it giving you a thriller and mystery as well.

Interspersed by the POV Mr.Drain, we also see the intent and the evolving dynamics. A nicely written book that joins the long list of Irish tradition. The narrator too has done a fantastic job in building the mood for the book.

Thank you Netgalley and Bolinda audio for the ARC of this book.

[lisa]

i wouldn’t normally be drawn to a book from a child’s perspective, but this one was another book club read, and it left me pretty impressed. the story had me equally intrigued and infuriated, especially when it came to the little boy. i found myself being able to put myself in the characters shoes effortlessly, which ultimately, had me rooting for everyone’s happiness

[A.J. Griffiths-Jones]

Told from the viewpoint of a seven-year-old boy this is a wonderful look at rural Irish life. There are some real laugh out loud moments & plenty of heartfelt scenarios too. Clever, witty & realistic, I didn’t want this lovely novel to end.

[Paula]

The boy's voice is done exceptionally well,but the story drags a lot,and ends up being very boring.

[Emma Wright]

a very lovely and very funny story about growing into love

[Gordana]

Masterpiece

[Janet]

I'm not really sure what to write about this book.

While it's undoubtedly cleverly written from the point of view of the child, it's very slow going, and I found the first half a struggle to get through.

I know this book has received excellent reviews, but I don't think it was for me.

[Nicole O'Connor]

“Outside the dark is coming in and it is real” (Farrell 25)

Seán Farrell’s debut novel, Frogs for Watchdogs, is a mysterious tale of a young unnamed boy who must learn to come to terms with the world around him. With his sister, B, away at boarding school and their father nowhere to be seen, the boy lives with his mother in the isolated Irish countryside. Through his point of view, we are guided through the mind of a child who is trying to make sense of a world that often feels uncertain to him, having had to move many times before. After receiving a chilling phone call from an unknown caller who threatens his mother, the boy believes Jerry, his neighbour who steals hay from their barn, is to blame. With no father present, and believing he is the man of the house, he feels he must do whatever it takes to protect his family, no matter the cost. As the darkness from outside begins seeping into his imagination, he finds solitude in writing stories. But when the boundaries between the boy’s page and reality begin to slip, both the boy and the reader are left questioning what is real. While Frogs for Watchdogs initially appears to be a dark mystery, it gradually reveals itself to be a thoughtful reflection on childhood imagination and the challenges of accepting changes within a family. While I felt that this at times left the novel feeling slightly disjointed, Farrell does a nice job at creating a distinct voice to explore the uncertainty of growing up.

As mentioned, one of Farrell’s greatest achievements in Frogs for Watchdogs is his use of voice, convincingly capturing the childlike innocence of the little boy as he attempts to make sense of the world around him. Some of my favourite moments derive from his descriptions of the people around him, such as when he describes Mrs Lynch, his neighbour and only trusted confidant. He says that “below her eyes is dark like it’s bruised but they’re not bruised because they’re always like that” (Farrell 32); he recognises that her undereyes suggest that she is suffering, but he understands it as a physical pain, not an emotional one. These childlike misunderstandings about adults are what shape the novel's story, particularly with regard to others' interactions with his mother which are viewed as threatening. Farrell beautifully creates an unreliable narrator through his use of a child’s perspective, as readers can only understand the novel through the eyes of someone who does not fully comprehend it themselves. Like him, we must learn to make sense of the things we don’t completely understand.

I found Farrell’s further complication of this reading experience through the use of imagination to be one of the most intriguing aspects of the novel. The boy’s dark imagination is clear from the beginning, dreaming about how he would murder a passerby in a car (Farrell 9). However, as the boy is encouraged in school to write stories, and believes after two instances in the book that what he writes will come true, his tales begin taking a darker turn. His stories become a way for him to protect the people around him, to create order in a world that is so chaotic and difficult to understand. He can transform his fear into something he can control. Having two of his less lethal stories come true left me tense to find out whether his more menacing tale would be fulfilled. Although readers understand that stories do not literally come to life, Farrell’s use of the child’s perspective makes it very easy to entertain the possibility. Viewing the world through the eyes of a young boy forces you to look at things differently, and allows you to question whether magic could be real. I found Farrell’s writing to be powerful in that it asks the reader to believe and imagine as if they themselves were children again.

However, there is also a grounding force in this novel that stops readers’ imaginations taking them too far, and that is Farrell’s use of dual perspective. Throughout Frogs for Watchdogs, we get excerpts of text from Jerry Drain’s point of view, and it is from these pieces that his true nature comes to light. These excerpts allow us as readers to view the events that we witness through the boy’s eyes in a different way, and demonstrate how there are often things we do not fully understand until we are older. Furthermore, I enjoyed seeing Jerry’s point of view as it allows us to recognise that familial changes are not only hard on the children, but also on the adults. Farrell’s use of dual perspective beautifully illustrates both the childlike naivety and the familial tensions that flow through this novel.

While I enjoyed each of these elements detailed above in their own right, at times I did feel that the novel lacked cohesion. It felt as though the novel was trying to do too many things at once, particularly in the third act of the novel. The opening two thirds of the novel seem to set it up as suspenseful and dark through narrative elements; the threatening phone calls, the boy's murderous imagination, and his increasingly dangerous stories leave the reader expecting an ending similar to a thriller. However, as the novel progresses, the narrative becomes a quieter story about changing family dynamics. While the handling of this theme is thoughtfully written, the transition between tones feels slightly abrupt and leaves certain narratives from the opening underdeveloped as a result. For example, as a reader I wanted to know who the unknown caller was. By so convincingly establishing a suspenseful reader experience, the novel’s more tender ending unfortunately felt less satisfying than the potential that the first two sections allowed for.

Despite my views on the novel’s shift in tone, Seán Farrell’s Frogs for Watchdogs is a strong debut. Through the exploration of childhood, imagination, and the struggle to understand the world around us, Farrell expertly captures the wonder and confusion of childhood, allowing readers to reconnect with a time when magic felt real and anything was possible. Though I found the change in direction in the final third of the novel ultimately unsatisfying, the novel remains a formidable demonstration of the power of narrative voice and effectively captures the childlike innocence that once pervaded us all.

[Connor]

What a strange little book. A young boy is growing up in Ireland. He watches his mother and older sister go about their lives. He watches the people in the village. He picks up the phone, and hears the threats.

The boy, who is wild and angry and sad narrates his story, shocked by the changes that are happening around him. It is hard to be young and to see your family dynamic shift when all you want is for everything to stay the same.

At first I loved this book, then I struggled, then I loved it again. I don't think I've ever read anything quite like it. It's hard to describe without spoiling things, but I think if you're looking for a short read then you should give this a go. The audio is also great, with two narrators, one for the boy and one for Jerry, the boy's enemy who is changing everything about his family. I think they both did a great job. Children can often find it hard to accept a new parental figure, and the brief chapters from Jerry's perspective also show how hard this can be for the adult as well. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Kirsty]

Frogs for Watchdogs, follows a single parent family of 3 , over a year or so I. 80's rural Ireland. The story is told through eyes of a 7 year old boy and a man Jerry/Gearoid as their lives crossover.
I am a bit conflicted about this Audiobook it was almost a did not finish for me , but I persevered and I did love the ending.

The writer had a meandering style and it did well to capture how a young child thinks especially when things aren't really explained to them, but it was over done. This was emphasised by the narration. The small snippets from Gearoid's point of view were a nice juxtaposition to the child's. More from Gearoid would have improved the book for me.

The final two-thirds of the book were beautifully done, and told a very common story that's not touched upon often in fiction.

Worth persevering with

[Linda Murray]

Wasn't sure what to expect but a hugely satisfying read now that I'm done. Almost the entire story is in the ragged little voice of the son, the boy who has landed up in a farmhouse in Ireland with a disappeared dad and a mother who makes ' cures' and is loving if a bit distant. His mind is full of suspicion and fear which really comes across, and then there's Jerry / Gearoid who he sees as the neighbouring interloper. We hear little bits from Jerry, which add a different dimension to the narrative, indeed to the truth.
As time goes on, the voice alters as the plot develops - so clever. You read other voices, but through our boyo's head. Loved it!

[Milly Adams]

Picked this up in Dublin because I wanted an Irish book from Ireland and so glad I did. Really lovely charming writing. Loved it being from the young boy’s perspective (Douglas Stuart vibes) and the prose with the lack of speech marks/bad grammar etc. Probs a 3.8 ⭐️, not quite 4 but definitely closer than 3.

[Eliza]

This is the best book I have read in a while. I love that there is no distraction of sub plots; the world is limited to the everyday reality and concerns of a child. The child's voice is utterly convincing: the best child POV I have read since Room by Emma Donoghue.

Reader: do not delay.

[Lesley]

4.5⭐️

I had the audiobook of this debut rural Irish literary fiction of a young boy telling the story of his family’s life. Read by Ciaran O’Brien and Brendan Dempsey who do a good job.

We get the story told from the 7 year old boy’s perspective and also get little snippets from Jerry, a farmer who enters their lives.
The language used mixes the boys own stilted matter of fact language, with sentences that he has obviously picked up and regurgitated from adults which made me smile. We get the family history in the form of stories told to the boy from his big sister B.

It’s heartwarming even if it had a slightly dark undertone to it at one point, but I couldn’t help but like our nameless boy with a wild streak. I’m not sure why he was left nameless.
I really felt for Jerry who is so hard working, and really trying, what a lovely guy, he melted my heart.

It’s a lovely quick easy listen, I recommend giving it a try. Although do try the sample first in case you don’t gel with the writing style.
I still don’t know the relevance of the title, and not convinced about it. There was a minor point that wasn’t addressed (unless I missed it)

[Paula]

3.5⭐️ rounded up

I absolutely loved the premise of this book as it's rare to read / listen to something in a fictional sense from a child perspective unless it involves abuse, sadly.

This book manages to give the view of a young boy who is trying to understand life and who and why this man has appeared in their family life along with all that growing up entails. He really doesn't like Jerry and just wants his dad back, with his mum being a healer and making various potions for people to help their ailments he is often sent on errands to deliver them living in the countryside.

He decided that he could just amend the dose he is to tell Jerry to take and see what happens, this is just one example of how a child's mind works in trying to navigate having someone around that they can't understand or voice anything about although there were no actual problems with Jerry infact he was extremely helpful to his mum with the lambs etc however Jerry wasn't his dad and he was someone who was coming into the family that simply seemed to just appear and not leave!

I usually always love the Irish accent however the narration on this one I found a little harder than most I think it was a timing thing tbh just trying to get my head in the space of putting together the plot with the understanding this was effectively a child (although it wasnt)

With thanks to Netgalley & Bolinda Audio for this ELC. Best wishes for publication. I'm sure this will do well.

[Kattie Hutcheson]

3.5 stars - a charming tale of youth told through the eyes of a young boy, called Michael. He lives with his mum and older sister, B on a remote Irish farm after having to leave their previous accommodation. We get to realise that mum is English and comes from a well to do family but goes off and marries an Irish rouge actor who then leaves her and his children and she has to bring them up in her own. She works hard and her parents pay for B to go to an English boarding school and one day when our little man is old enough, he too will have to go this boarding school but for now he tells us the story of his love for his mum and sister and how his vivid imagination makes him dislike Jerry Drain, a farmer who becomes close to his mum. I struggled with the structure of the writing although I understand this is due to the fact that the story is through the eyes of this young boy but otherwise it is charming, funny at times and can be endearing.

[Di]

Listened to this audiobook read by someone with a great Irish accent that greatly added to the story. The narrator is a 7 year old very imaginative boy who lives with his mother and older sister Bea in a rented house in the Irish countryside. The father has left and we know nothing about him. The mother is English and creates herbal remedies but doesn’t seem to work otherwise. Her parents, who live in England, pay for Bea to attend boarding school, so once the summer vacation is over, Bea only comes home at term break.
A farmer, Jerry Drain, who raises sheep in the next paddock comes into their lives and begins a relationship with the mother. The young boy becomes very jealous. He is very imaginative and believes that stories that he writes have magical powers - which he directs at getting rid of Jerry. The story is the growing relationship between the boy and Jerry Drain.

[Ruth]

I fell into this book, charmed by the small boy narrator, my head making his Irish accent. I loved the countryside life, the single mum struggles, the wise older sister, and the elderly neighbour friend of the boy. And the boy felt real, which is always difficult to capture I think, but I totally believed in his character. I also enjoyed the darker side to the story (and felt very anxious for many chapters), and that added mystery/suspense side added a lot to the story, making the final, gentle slow approaching finale hit home with a bigger impact. It does meander, as a tale, and it doesn't get anywhere quickly, but if you're in the right mood for that then it's just perfect.

With thanks to the publishers, and to Net Galley, for my copy.

[Jen Burrows]

Frogs for Watchdogs is an engaging coming‑of‑age story told through the eyes of a spirited seven‑year‑old boy. The child's narrative voice is distinctive. Farrell captures the unfiltered stream of consciousness of childhood - the playful perspective, naivety and leaps in logics - which is at turns endearing and infuriating. The characterisation is equally effective; even though the adults appear larger than life in the child's eyes, the reader still picks up on the strong emotional undercurrents.

It's a small story, but a thoughtful one, with a quiet emotional pull. Charming, well‑observed, and told with confidence, Frogs for Watchdogs is a memorable read.

*Thank you to Netgalley for the arc in exchange for an honest review*

[The Northern Bookworm]

A coming of age story told from the perspective of a young Irish boy.

Having grown up in the countryside surrounded by only his mum and sister, we watch as the main character strives to find a variety of methods to stabilise his life amongst a whole host of change.

Moving from childish innocence and belief in magic to murderous intentions, we see the young boy slowly come to terms with the most threatening of changes, ahead of the largest one...joining his sister at boarding school.

Excellently narrated, the audiobook captures the tone and pacing of the novel perfectly.

[Louise]

I know a lot of kids, and now I'm wondering are they all this wild in their own heads?
This guy is funny, smart, a little bit dark, and a bit of a worry.
It's one of those books that work so well as audio. I felt I got to know our guy far better having him talk to me.
I had a lot of sympathy for Jerry... he seemed like a good honest hard working guy.
I have a lot of warmth for the whole family.
An excellent listen.

[Tadi Mukombedzi]

As a child of a fatherless childhood I can relate to some aspects of this book especially seeing a new man entering it and changing the dynamic within the house where me and my sister were in. I liked the perspective of a child because it makes it a lot more fun and innocent which makes it more interesting than an older person going through something like this. This was a delight to experience.