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The Bomber
Joseph Starling has returned from war and is trying his best to resettle into civilian life. In the midst of his struggles, anti war protests spring up around him, and in this violence he is once again forced to face his internal conflicts.
When Joseph discovers his best friend has been murdered he is offered a chance for revenge, and that revenge comes in the form of high explosive.
He doesn’t feel guilty, though, he only dialed a number. Right?
The Bomber is a journey of retribution and loss, set to the ticking of a very important countdown clock.
When Joseph discovers his best friend has been murdered he is offered a chance for revenge, and that revenge comes in the form of high explosive.
He doesn’t feel guilty, though, he only dialed a number. Right?
The Bomber is a journey of retribution and loss, set to the ticking of a very important countdown clock.
- GenresFiction
349 pages, Paperback
First published June 24, 2015
2 people are currently reading
511 people want to read
About the author
David O'Sullivan
2 books27 followersI have a dog and a number of cats, I love hiking in the woods and seeing wild animals. I keep a box under my bed full of books so I never suffer one minute of spare time without having something to read.
If you want to talk to me look for @1DavidOSullivan on twitter and tumblr and my email address is davidgraham13340@gmail.com
If you want to talk to me look for @1DavidOSullivan on twitter and tumblr and my email address is davidgraham13340@gmail.com
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
April 17, 2015
This book was a fascinating and insightful read, providing a glimpse into the life of a returned soldier. It is also an exceptional exploration of guilt and the following consequences; especially in relation to love.
My full review can be found here:
https://thethoughtsofprimrose.wordpre...
I truly recommend this read.
My full review can be found here:
https://thethoughtsofprimrose.wordpre...
I truly recommend this read.
July 11, 2015
I enjoyed The Bomber by David O’Sullivan immensely. I was not certain what to expect when I bought the book, but I gave it a go. There is not much out there about it, but it looked good (great cover) and the story sounded exciting.
I read this book in only a few days. It is the story of a returned soldier whose best friend and army buddy, Jessica is murdered by her husband. The main character is so distraught he plants a bomb in the man’s house and kills him. Joseph’s life unravels and he falls in love with a compulsive kleptomaniac and they try to rebuild each others lives.
The writing is vivid and strong, the story is amazing. This is what I would consider a modern classic. A book that would easily be one of the best I have read from this twenty-first century. It is powerful, thought provoking but most of all it is exciting and makes you wants to, no, need to read on.
There is a slight problem with the editing. Some words are wrong and some things out of place but this does not harm the book irredeemably and could be easily fixed.
This is a great story from a powerful and promising author. David O’Sullivan may have a strong future in literature.
I read this book in only a few days. It is the story of a returned soldier whose best friend and army buddy, Jessica is murdered by her husband. The main character is so distraught he plants a bomb in the man’s house and kills him. Joseph’s life unravels and he falls in love with a compulsive kleptomaniac and they try to rebuild each others lives.
The writing is vivid and strong, the story is amazing. This is what I would consider a modern classic. A book that would easily be one of the best I have read from this twenty-first century. It is powerful, thought provoking but most of all it is exciting and makes you wants to, no, need to read on.
There is a slight problem with the editing. Some words are wrong and some things out of place but this does not harm the book irredeemably and could be easily fixed.
This is a great story from a powerful and promising author. David O’Sullivan may have a strong future in literature.
July 29, 2015
David O'Sullivan is a new author with his own style that holds up among the greats. But I have to admit it's difficult to compare him to others, because he has a unique style. But I do think of Hemingway and his ability to say more with fewer words. David O'Sullivan created a feeling and an atmosphere that flow through the story and sticks with you long after reading. I mention this because I've found that the stories, books, and films that make one think later are the stories that are the closest to the true human spirit.
I highly recommend this new author, and I can't wait to read more of his writing.
I highly recommend this new author, and I can't wait to read more of his writing.
March 6, 2016
I won this novel in a goodreads drawing.
This is a strange book. Despite some of the trappings of modern life, it seems like it should take place during Weimar Germany, or possibly fin-de-siecle Russia. Not bad, just strange.
This is a strange book. Despite some of the trappings of modern life, it seems like it should take place during Weimar Germany, or possibly fin-de-siecle Russia. Not bad, just strange.
August 18, 2015
Well-written, gritty, sometimes dark. Characters are well-executed. Great debut!
December 4, 2025
This is a brilliant book. I was expecting very sparse and at times, emotionless writing, but while Joseph is at times emotionless when talking about the war to people he doesn't want to talk to, the writing is extremely vivid and has lyrical descriptions. The writing is inherently beautiful, and while this is a very serious book, there was a description involving a lamp that made me laugh out loud.
The tension built up slowly during the book, but by about halfway through the novel, the plot was almost unbearably fast-paced.
The characterisation was what I liked best about the novel. Joseph is a quiet and contemplative man, but while he suffers from anguish and palpable sadness during the book, (his grief upon losing his friends Jessica and Anton was heartrending), he has the resilience to come back from that and try to love someone again. I expected Joseph to have an unreasoning obsession with Jessica, but the story built up in such a way that his love for, and protectiveness of her seemed entirely natural.
Joseph's awkwardness when meeting Julia was very well written. It takes a very clever writer to write awkwardness like that. It is clear that Joseph feels unworthy of love, but I believe he felt that way even before the bombings, because he was shy, socially awkward and inexperienced. The character Julia is absolutely delightful, gorgeous and sparkly, yet like Joseph, she has depth.
While I am not sure I liked the ending of this book, it was extremely exciting and a very worthwhile read.
The tension built up slowly during the book, but by about halfway through the novel, the plot was almost unbearably fast-paced.
The characterisation was what I liked best about the novel. Joseph is a quiet and contemplative man, but while he suffers from anguish and palpable sadness during the book, (his grief upon losing his friends Jessica and Anton was heartrending), he has the resilience to come back from that and try to love someone again. I expected Joseph to have an unreasoning obsession with Jessica, but the story built up in such a way that his love for, and protectiveness of her seemed entirely natural.
Joseph's awkwardness when meeting Julia was very well written. It takes a very clever writer to write awkwardness like that. It is clear that Joseph feels unworthy of love, but I believe he felt that way even before the bombings, because he was shy, socially awkward and inexperienced. The character Julia is absolutely delightful, gorgeous and sparkly, yet like Joseph, she has depth.
While I am not sure I liked the ending of this book, it was extremely exciting and a very worthwhile read.
August 16, 2016
I received a review copy of this book from the author.
This book was a little bit different than I expected when I first picked it up. Having read the blurb, it sounded like it would be the same style of book that I usually read: a fast-paced, action-packed quick read. But that’s not what it is at all. It’s a much more thought-provoking read than I was expecting.
The Bomber is the debut novel of David O’Sullivan. It follows the story of Joseph Starling, a soldier who has just returned home from war and is trying to return to normal life. When his best friend is murdered during an anti-war protest, Joseph is taken advantage of by an acquaintance who convinces him to take revenge on her killer by planting a bomb. When the bomb is more powerful than he expected, Joseph is left to battle his guilt for what he’s done.
For me, the most enjoyable piece of this book was the characters. The main character Joseph was especially interesting to read about because I found him very easy to relate with. While reading the book, I felt like it could have been me in his position, which is not something I can ever really say about the books I read, and that make for an engaging reading experience. I also found the element of Joseph’s PTSD interesting to read about because I felt it gave me a better understanding of the type of struggles people face when they return home from warzones.
My main reason for picking up the book was the general plot idea. Revenge and explosions are two things that I look for in stories and while O’Sullivan used them a little bit differently to what I am used to, it was still an interesting story. The book is a bit slower than I expected from the blurb, but O’Sullivan has a very nice writing style. He is very good at providing vivid descriptions without making it too wordy. My only problem with his writing is that he seemed to define every character by their body shape and that got confusing after a while when everyone was either “the fat man” or “the thin man”.
I definitely wouldn’t call this book a page turner, at least for me, but it is an interesting read. It took a while for me to get sucked into it and it made me think a lot more than I am used to, but once it got going I liked it. Overall it’s a good book, as shown by the other reviews and the 4+ rating on Goodreads, but it just wasn’t quite for me.
This review was originally published at Worth a Read.
This book was a little bit different than I expected when I first picked it up. Having read the blurb, it sounded like it would be the same style of book that I usually read: a fast-paced, action-packed quick read. But that’s not what it is at all. It’s a much more thought-provoking read than I was expecting.
The Bomber is the debut novel of David O’Sullivan. It follows the story of Joseph Starling, a soldier who has just returned home from war and is trying to return to normal life. When his best friend is murdered during an anti-war protest, Joseph is taken advantage of by an acquaintance who convinces him to take revenge on her killer by planting a bomb. When the bomb is more powerful than he expected, Joseph is left to battle his guilt for what he’s done.
For me, the most enjoyable piece of this book was the characters. The main character Joseph was especially interesting to read about because I found him very easy to relate with. While reading the book, I felt like it could have been me in his position, which is not something I can ever really say about the books I read, and that make for an engaging reading experience. I also found the element of Joseph’s PTSD interesting to read about because I felt it gave me a better understanding of the type of struggles people face when they return home from warzones.
My main reason for picking up the book was the general plot idea. Revenge and explosions are two things that I look for in stories and while O’Sullivan used them a little bit differently to what I am used to, it was still an interesting story. The book is a bit slower than I expected from the blurb, but O’Sullivan has a very nice writing style. He is very good at providing vivid descriptions without making it too wordy. My only problem with his writing is that he seemed to define every character by their body shape and that got confusing after a while when everyone was either “the fat man” or “the thin man”.
I definitely wouldn’t call this book a page turner, at least for me, but it is an interesting read. It took a while for me to get sucked into it and it made me think a lot more than I am used to, but once it got going I liked it. Overall it’s a good book, as shown by the other reviews and the 4+ rating on Goodreads, but it just wasn’t quite for me.
This review was originally published at Worth a Read.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews