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Saint Flaherty #1
What Boys Are Made Of
With the swing of a baseball bat, a back alley prize fight ends in one teenager’s death. The other walks away with cash in his hand and a conscience screaming for mercy.
Just another day in Buchell.
Five years after the Second Civil War ended, isolated Appalachia is a minefield ruled by cartels and warlord despots. In the town of Buchell, Simon “Saint” Flaherty cage fights for money—until the day a fight gone wrong leaves him a murderer.
In a town that saw the worst of the war, the death only boosts Simon’s reputation, and his coach enters him to headline a local tournament. No one seems to notice that Simon’s in no condition to train, wracked by guilt over his opponent’s death. No one seems to care, least of all his coach—not with a career-defining fight on the line.
But Simon’s coach isn’t the only man in Buchell with an eye for talent. The cartels that keep a stranglehold over the mountains are scouting for new recruits, and the local kingpin has his eye on the teenager with the one-punch knockout.
Although Simon wants nothing to do with the cartels, he’s already involved: his last match was no tragic accident, but a set-up by the kingpin himself.
Already haunted by one death, Simon will do anything to get out of the next fight. In Buchell, anything goes a long way.
In this gritty debut set in a dystopian Appalachia, S. Hunter Nisbet presents a stunning story of surviving the choices we make—and those that are made for us.
Fans of Ron Rash and Dean Koontz will enjoy this gripping read.
Just another day in Buchell.
Five years after the Second Civil War ended, isolated Appalachia is a minefield ruled by cartels and warlord despots. In the town of Buchell, Simon “Saint” Flaherty cage fights for money—until the day a fight gone wrong leaves him a murderer.
In a town that saw the worst of the war, the death only boosts Simon’s reputation, and his coach enters him to headline a local tournament. No one seems to notice that Simon’s in no condition to train, wracked by guilt over his opponent’s death. No one seems to care, least of all his coach—not with a career-defining fight on the line.
But Simon’s coach isn’t the only man in Buchell with an eye for talent. The cartels that keep a stranglehold over the mountains are scouting for new recruits, and the local kingpin has his eye on the teenager with the one-punch knockout.
Although Simon wants nothing to do with the cartels, he’s already involved: his last match was no tragic accident, but a set-up by the kingpin himself.
Already haunted by one death, Simon will do anything to get out of the next fight. In Buchell, anything goes a long way.
In this gritty debut set in a dystopian Appalachia, S. Hunter Nisbet presents a stunning story of surviving the choices we make—and those that are made for us.
Fans of Ron Rash and Dean Koontz will enjoy this gripping read.
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First published March 14, 2016
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871 people want to read
About the author
S. Hunter Nisbet
6 books67 followersS. Hunter Nisbet is an Appalachian writer of all things dark and unsettling. The most terrifying monsters aren't the ones we bar the door against, but those we let into our homes unknowing.
Check out Hunter's blog at www.shunternisbet.com for more details and a free short story, "The Foreigner's Loneliness."
Check out Hunter's blog at www.shunternisbet.com for more details and a free short story, "The Foreigner's Loneliness."
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Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
March 6, 2017
This is not romance. This is not YA Dystopian. This is dark, dark, dark. An after-war dystopian drama that twists your guts into pretzels.
A gem that called my name with that intriguing title and gorgeous cover.
It's given to us in 1st person multiple point of views with distinct voices for each character. The author feeds us the plot drop by precise drop so that we're constantly learning new things.
I think my face has frozen with eyes wide and eyebrows raised.
You never know when one of those precise drops will be a bomb. It looks like all the others until it lands and makes your thoughts spin out of control. Not one, not two, but reveal after reveal shook my world. All of it leading to the big bang at the end just like you see during a fireworks display.
The entire sky lit up with explosion after explosion in a brilliant finale.
*clap clap clap*
Bravo Ms. Nisbet. Brilliantly done. The copyediting was also spotless. You and your editor, Jennifer Zaczek, please take a bow.
A gem that called my name with that intriguing title and gorgeous cover.
It's given to us in 1st person multiple point of views with distinct voices for each character. The author feeds us the plot drop by precise drop so that we're constantly learning new things.
I think my face has frozen with eyes wide and eyebrows raised.
You never know when one of those precise drops will be a bomb. It looks like all the others until it lands and makes your thoughts spin out of control. Not one, not two, but reveal after reveal shook my world. All of it leading to the big bang at the end just like you see during a fireworks display.
The entire sky lit up with explosion after explosion in a brilliant finale.
*clap clap clap*
Bravo Ms. Nisbet. Brilliantly done. The copyediting was also spotless. You and your editor, Jennifer Zaczek, please take a bow.
March 24, 2017
Where the swing of a baseball bat changes everything...
During an organised street fight one boy brings a knife to a fist fight and pays the ultimate price. His opponent, Simon 'Saint' Flaherty is just sixteen when he unintentionally ends a life and changes the course of his own...
His skin is as soft as child's as he presses his forehead to mine. Shoulders shake, and I am not so much held as cradled, his hot tears mixing with my cold ones. (...) but for these few minutes, as the shadows turn from black to gray, there is nothing but his eyelashes against my skin, his breath in my ear, and the words he whispers there.
"I'm going to hell..."
'What Boys Are Made Of' is set in the USA five years after war has decimated the country, killed millions and changed lives irrevocably. A country where violence, crime and death are commonplace. This is a brutal, dystopian landscape in which criminal enterprise thrives and crime syndicates have power. Where a community [Buchell] can be controlled by a ruthless criminal, a man like Jeff Petrowski. This is a place where everyone is trying to make the best of what they have and people are defined by what they did, or didn't do, during the war.
The predominant POVs come from Simon and Erin. Erin is a great character, I liked her a great deal. She's resilient, determined, gutsy, yet teetering on the edge of a breakdown, driven there by circumstance and her reviled stepfather, the aforementioned, Jeff Petrowski. Much of the book directly and indirectly revolves around Erin. Many of the other characters actions and motivations are driven by what's happening to her. Simon's included. Then there is Simon 'Saint' Flaherty himself. I felt for him so much, I would have hugged him numerous times if I could. He is a sympathetic character, a teenager on the cusp of manhood, used, bullied, feared. A young man I believe is struggling with a form of dyslexia, and possibly a brain injury caused by his bare knuckle fights. Considered 'slow' and referred to as Simple Simon, he still fights his own exploitation, his birthright, his environment and his nature. He is trying to find a way to make things better for himself and his stepsister/surrogate mother, Erin. The choices he makes after he kills another boy put him on a path that will take him away from Buchell. And I can't help wondering if he will become like his father? The potential is definitely there. Or will he learn to embrace mercy and compassion, become more than a street fighter? Someone better, happier?
There are several POV in the book including Simon and Erin. Some male, some female. Besides Erin and Simon the other characters remain fairly ambiguous. Neither wholly good, or evilly bad (except for Petrowski, he is as nasty as they come!) For the most part the others are just people. They make mistakes, keep secrets, get things wrong. Generally blunder about, gossip, lie and kill each other... Nothing new there! A word of warning here, be prepared to read between the lines and pay attention because these characters don't admit much. Even to themselves. Lots of things are alluded to, little snippets of information are dotted about here and there. Snippets like the fact that two of the characters have been hooking up since they were fourteen...or were they? Yes, they were but the details are elusive. As you've probably guessed there is no sex in this book. Everything is off page and when it isn't, phrases like 'I leaned forward and kissed him' are all you will get. I never thought I would say this but I'm glad there weren't any sex scenes (I usually need at least one to keep me happy) however, this isn't that kind of book and I think they would have been an incongruous addition to an already decent plot.
'What Boys Are Made Of' is darkish in places, as I said there is violence and murder. Be aware that there is also sexual abuse...again no details (in fact its not mentioned much) but it is there. What I think S. Hunter-Nisbet manages to do with her writing is to pull the reader in, she makes you feel for each character individually, you become invested in what's going on and experience a characters emotions alongside them. The fear, despondency and frustration are all there as well, don't worry they won't overwhelm you as they are not explicitly drawn. I think the author also cleverly uses the weather to convey certain feelings. For most of the book the weather is cold, or wet, or both. It certainly enhances the general bleakness that is this world and Buchell in particular. Think how effective the constant dark and rain was in the film Blade Runner and you'll get the general idea. If you like After Midnight and ICoS by Santino Hassell, the Beyond Series by Kit Rocha or a dystopian setting in general then chances are you'll like this one, too!
In the end do Simon and Erin break free of their nightmares? Do they escape the injustices they have suffered? Well the ending has them leaving town...I have feeling things are going to get worse before they get better. Maybe Hell is waiting for Simon. I hope not! Luckily I can go to book two, 'The Mercy Of Men' to find out. This is a great start to this series, one I would recommend.
P.S. And totally off point... I still can't get pictures to work which is bloody annoying! I found some great ones I wanted to use. If I see any more "image error" message I will be swinging a baseball bat myself! Images I'll have to leave to your imagination.
*5 Stars*
During an organised street fight one boy brings a knife to a fist fight and pays the ultimate price. His opponent, Simon 'Saint' Flaherty is just sixteen when he unintentionally ends a life and changes the course of his own...
His skin is as soft as child's as he presses his forehead to mine. Shoulders shake, and I am not so much held as cradled, his hot tears mixing with my cold ones. (...) but for these few minutes, as the shadows turn from black to gray, there is nothing but his eyelashes against my skin, his breath in my ear, and the words he whispers there.
"I'm going to hell..."
'What Boys Are Made Of' is set in the USA five years after war has decimated the country, killed millions and changed lives irrevocably. A country where violence, crime and death are commonplace. This is a brutal, dystopian landscape in which criminal enterprise thrives and crime syndicates have power. Where a community [Buchell] can be controlled by a ruthless criminal, a man like Jeff Petrowski. This is a place where everyone is trying to make the best of what they have and people are defined by what they did, or didn't do, during the war.
The predominant POVs come from Simon and Erin. Erin is a great character, I liked her a great deal. She's resilient, determined, gutsy, yet teetering on the edge of a breakdown, driven there by circumstance and her reviled stepfather, the aforementioned, Jeff Petrowski. Much of the book directly and indirectly revolves around Erin. Many of the other characters actions and motivations are driven by what's happening to her. Simon's included. Then there is Simon 'Saint' Flaherty himself. I felt for him so much, I would have hugged him numerous times if I could. He is a sympathetic character, a teenager on the cusp of manhood, used, bullied, feared. A young man I believe is struggling with a form of dyslexia, and possibly a brain injury caused by his bare knuckle fights. Considered 'slow' and referred to as Simple Simon, he still fights his own exploitation, his birthright, his environment and his nature. He is trying to find a way to make things better for himself and his stepsister/surrogate mother, Erin. The choices he makes after he kills another boy put him on a path that will take him away from Buchell. And I can't help wondering if he will become like his father? The potential is definitely there. Or will he learn to embrace mercy and compassion, become more than a street fighter? Someone better, happier?
There are several POV in the book including Simon and Erin. Some male, some female. Besides Erin and Simon the other characters remain fairly ambiguous. Neither wholly good, or evilly bad (except for Petrowski, he is as nasty as they come!) For the most part the others are just people. They make mistakes, keep secrets, get things wrong. Generally blunder about, gossip, lie and kill each other... Nothing new there! A word of warning here, be prepared to read between the lines and pay attention because these characters don't admit much. Even to themselves. Lots of things are alluded to, little snippets of information are dotted about here and there. Snippets like the fact that two of the characters have been hooking up since they were fourteen...or were they? Yes, they were but the details are elusive. As you've probably guessed there is no sex in this book. Everything is off page and when it isn't, phrases like 'I leaned forward and kissed him' are all you will get. I never thought I would say this but I'm glad there weren't any sex scenes (I usually need at least one to keep me happy) however, this isn't that kind of book and I think they would have been an incongruous addition to an already decent plot.
'What Boys Are Made Of' is darkish in places, as I said there is violence and murder. Be aware that there is also sexual abuse...again no details (in fact its not mentioned much) but it is there. What I think S. Hunter-Nisbet manages to do with her writing is to pull the reader in, she makes you feel for each character individually, you become invested in what's going on and experience a characters emotions alongside them. The fear, despondency and frustration are all there as well, don't worry they won't overwhelm you as they are not explicitly drawn. I think the author also cleverly uses the weather to convey certain feelings. For most of the book the weather is cold, or wet, or both. It certainly enhances the general bleakness that is this world and Buchell in particular. Think how effective the constant dark and rain was in the film Blade Runner and you'll get the general idea. If you like After Midnight and ICoS by Santino Hassell, the Beyond Series by Kit Rocha or a dystopian setting in general then chances are you'll like this one, too!
In the end do Simon and Erin break free of their nightmares? Do they escape the injustices they have suffered? Well the ending has them leaving town...I have feeling things are going to get worse before they get better. Maybe Hell is waiting for Simon. I hope not! Luckily I can go to book two, 'The Mercy Of Men' to find out. This is a great start to this series, one I would recommend.
P.S. And totally off point... I still can't get pictures to work which is bloody annoying! I found some great ones I wanted to use. If I see any more "image error" message I will be swinging a baseball bat myself! Images I'll have to leave to your imagination.
*5 Stars*
November 17, 2016
What did I just read? Why did I not know about this book earlier?
I am very impressed.
I am very impressed.
May 9, 2016
Being sort of a word nerd, I subscribe to the “Word of the Day” on one of my apps. When “unputdownable” popped up one day, I swore to all the gods of the written word that I’d never use it in a sentence.
I lied. Apparently twice, because I’m getting ready to write it in a sentence again: What Boys Are Made Of is unputdownable. It’s one of the finest nightmares I’ve ever read, which is saying something as a fan of the likes of Stephen King and Dean Koontz, and S. Hunter Nisbet has just written her way right to the top of a list of authors I’m anxious to hear a lot more from—starting with the sequel to this book.
What Boys Are Made Of is set in Appalachia, in a post second Civil War dystopia, in a small town called Buchell. And it is indeed its own sort of -hell, lorded over by the worst sort of human darkness. The story is told in the alternating points of view of five of its characters, something that in the past hasn’t always worked for me, but here it does. In fact, I might even say that Nisbet’s stylistic choice is crucial to the telling of the story. This novel is very much a character driven piece, so in order for the reader to engage with the world in which these men and women live, it’s imperative to see it through their eyes. The author gave each of these characters their own distinct voice, their own set of extremes, their own moral and ethical codes and conundrums, and we see how their lives intersect. We also see the metaphorical pin in the grenade, and reading this book is waiting to see who’ll pull it and who’ll go up in flames with it.
Simon Flaherty, the Saint Flaherty around whom the series is based, is a sixteen-year-old victim of the war that has ravaged the country. He is not made of snips and snails and puppy dogs’ tails. Simon is made of hard edges and violent tendencies and raw, conflicting emotions, which is what makes him such a danger in the ring. Simon makes bank as a bare-knuckle fighter, but the sort of ultimate fighting done in Buchell sometimes means weapons, knives. And sometimes an opponent doesn’t walk away. The plot of this novel hinges around a fight Simon’s been signed up for—a knife fight with a boy, Connor Hall, who is Simon’s arch nemesis, a boy who seems to elevate being a mean-spirited son of a bitch to a new art form–but is he, or is it a defense mechanism, a means of surviving in his world? The fight is the inevitability, survival not guaranteed, the outcome of the fight a sucker’s bet. And it’s at the final fight that everything in this story explodes.
Integral to the telling of this story, then, are Erin—the woman who took Simon in as a feral child; Art—his fight trainer; Taylor—a man who’s landed himself between a rock and a hard place; and Grace—a young woman who’s stepped into the middle of something bigger and uglier than she could have imagined. Key to the way their lives intersect is one man, Jeff Petrowski, the gatekeeper to their hell and the man who holds the town and its people hostage.
What Boys Are Made Of is dismal. The world these characters inhabit is deadly. There is little in the way of hope or joy. Rather, this novel is permeated with a sense of despair, of secrets and shadows and a history that’s brought this place low. The spoils of war in this world have all gone to the devil personified, the defeat came at the expense of what is, or was, civilized and humane. And it is a brutal existence these people live. What makes this novel beautiful is the author’s prose. These characters are all written in flesh and blood, their world drawn in bleak and desperate lines. There is no romance or romanticism in the telling of this story, and it is not an LGBT novel; rather, it’s a novel with LGBT characters, and its heart resides in the misery that pervades.
I haven’t made this declaration yet this year, but What Boys Are Made Of is easily in the running for a favorite read of 2016. Here’s hoping for a repeat performance with Book Two.
Reviewed by Lisa for The Novel Approach Reviews
http://www.thenovelapproachreviews.co...
I lied. Apparently twice, because I’m getting ready to write it in a sentence again: What Boys Are Made Of is unputdownable. It’s one of the finest nightmares I’ve ever read, which is saying something as a fan of the likes of Stephen King and Dean Koontz, and S. Hunter Nisbet has just written her way right to the top of a list of authors I’m anxious to hear a lot more from—starting with the sequel to this book.
What Boys Are Made Of is set in Appalachia, in a post second Civil War dystopia, in a small town called Buchell. And it is indeed its own sort of -hell, lorded over by the worst sort of human darkness. The story is told in the alternating points of view of five of its characters, something that in the past hasn’t always worked for me, but here it does. In fact, I might even say that Nisbet’s stylistic choice is crucial to the telling of the story. This novel is very much a character driven piece, so in order for the reader to engage with the world in which these men and women live, it’s imperative to see it through their eyes. The author gave each of these characters their own distinct voice, their own set of extremes, their own moral and ethical codes and conundrums, and we see how their lives intersect. We also see the metaphorical pin in the grenade, and reading this book is waiting to see who’ll pull it and who’ll go up in flames with it.
Simon Flaherty, the Saint Flaherty around whom the series is based, is a sixteen-year-old victim of the war that has ravaged the country. He is not made of snips and snails and puppy dogs’ tails. Simon is made of hard edges and violent tendencies and raw, conflicting emotions, which is what makes him such a danger in the ring. Simon makes bank as a bare-knuckle fighter, but the sort of ultimate fighting done in Buchell sometimes means weapons, knives. And sometimes an opponent doesn’t walk away. The plot of this novel hinges around a fight Simon’s been signed up for—a knife fight with a boy, Connor Hall, who is Simon’s arch nemesis, a boy who seems to elevate being a mean-spirited son of a bitch to a new art form–but is he, or is it a defense mechanism, a means of surviving in his world? The fight is the inevitability, survival not guaranteed, the outcome of the fight a sucker’s bet. And it’s at the final fight that everything in this story explodes.
Integral to the telling of this story, then, are Erin—the woman who took Simon in as a feral child; Art—his fight trainer; Taylor—a man who’s landed himself between a rock and a hard place; and Grace—a young woman who’s stepped into the middle of something bigger and uglier than she could have imagined. Key to the way their lives intersect is one man, Jeff Petrowski, the gatekeeper to their hell and the man who holds the town and its people hostage.
What Boys Are Made Of is dismal. The world these characters inhabit is deadly. There is little in the way of hope or joy. Rather, this novel is permeated with a sense of despair, of secrets and shadows and a history that’s brought this place low. The spoils of war in this world have all gone to the devil personified, the defeat came at the expense of what is, or was, civilized and humane. And it is a brutal existence these people live. What makes this novel beautiful is the author’s prose. These characters are all written in flesh and blood, their world drawn in bleak and desperate lines. There is no romance or romanticism in the telling of this story, and it is not an LGBT novel; rather, it’s a novel with LGBT characters, and its heart resides in the misery that pervades.
I haven’t made this declaration yet this year, but What Boys Are Made Of is easily in the running for a favorite read of 2016. Here’s hoping for a repeat performance with Book Two.
Reviewed by Lisa for The Novel Approach Reviews
http://www.thenovelapproachreviews.co...
October 20, 2016
4 Hearts
This story was hard and necessary for me. Not a romance, or erotica, this is a dark thriller, set in a dystopian world where cage fighting is the best way to make a living, through betting, and fighting. The town is under the control of a cartel, and there are plenty of twists and relationship reveals that kept my mind spinning.
There is also some pretty heavy topics of sexual and physical abuse. This is definitely not a book for people with triggers who are healing or sensitive to this sort of story. But for those who can work with emotional pain, and can read past the suggestion of abuse, there is something glinting underneath the dirt and grit. A tiny shard of hope for something more than the life these characters live.
I really felt a connection with almost all the characters in this story. There were a few favourites, but I valued them all. There was a good depth of character, great world building, and clear action plot with enough guessing at the outcome to make it a very interesting and engaging read.
Told from multiple points of first person, present tense views, the story is mainly about Simon, and those who call him family, and some who don't. Considered not that smart in the beginning, there is real development in him as the story progresses. Lots of twists and turns; action and angst. Sexuality is not the focus of this story but it is a vague underlying thread.
I gorged on this story, and then I gorged on the second in this series. I couldn’t put it down, and while this does have a cliffhanger ending, I felt it was worth it. Mostly cliffhangers piss me off, and I tend to stay away, but I did not feel cheated here. It was the natural progression in this story arc, and it helped that book two is already out. Now I'm jonesing for the third novel.
The writing style may be an issue for some, but I urge those who love dystopian action/mafioso style stories to give this book a try.
A review copy was provided for an honest opinion
This story was hard and necessary for me. Not a romance, or erotica, this is a dark thriller, set in a dystopian world where cage fighting is the best way to make a living, through betting, and fighting. The town is under the control of a cartel, and there are plenty of twists and relationship reveals that kept my mind spinning.
There is also some pretty heavy topics of sexual and physical abuse. This is definitely not a book for people with triggers who are healing or sensitive to this sort of story. But for those who can work with emotional pain, and can read past the suggestion of abuse, there is something glinting underneath the dirt and grit. A tiny shard of hope for something more than the life these characters live.
I really felt a connection with almost all the characters in this story. There were a few favourites, but I valued them all. There was a good depth of character, great world building, and clear action plot with enough guessing at the outcome to make it a very interesting and engaging read.
Told from multiple points of first person, present tense views, the story is mainly about Simon, and those who call him family, and some who don't. Considered not that smart in the beginning, there is real development in him as the story progresses. Lots of twists and turns; action and angst. Sexuality is not the focus of this story but it is a vague underlying thread.
I gorged on this story, and then I gorged on the second in this series. I couldn’t put it down, and while this does have a cliffhanger ending, I felt it was worth it. Mostly cliffhangers piss me off, and I tend to stay away, but I did not feel cheated here. It was the natural progression in this story arc, and it helped that book two is already out. Now I'm jonesing for the third novel.
The writing style may be an issue for some, but I urge those who love dystopian action/mafioso style stories to give this book a try.
A review copy was provided for an honest opinion
February 26, 2016
"What Boys Are Made Of"
The setting is Appalachian America in the not-too-distant future, but there has been a second civil war and most of the veneers of civility have been stripped away. It's the wild West all over again. The powerful over the powerless. The book centers on Simon Flaherty, a 16-year old, half-man, half-boy, and his guardian, Erin, a woman with a big heart and a fierce nature. Simon's only talent, or so he is told, is that he can fight, and he is being trained by Art so he can "make it big." Erin runs a bar to keep body and soul together, and she tries to keep Simon moving forward in his life, beyond the past that haunts them both, but her life is built on lies. The small town they inhabit appears, at first, to be functioning albeit in a depressed, barely-making-it, fashion. But underneath the facade of purpose is an undercurrent of evil that becomes more transparent the further into the story you get. The characters in this book live in a world that is so familiar, yet so alien, that it is hard to grasp how it got this way, but at the same time, seems all too plausible.
Nisbet does a good job of creating tension, using various narrators to explain situations from their own points of view, yet the transitions are seamless and add to the sense of the societal fractures in this world. Taylor, Art, and Grace tell us the story as they experience it, but always the authors story line is clear and directed. The points of view, rather than being distracting, are so effective that you can't wait to hear what the next narrator has to say.
I have to warn about the language - it is raw and coarse, but is perfectly in keeping with the characters, the situations, and the world the characters find themselves in. I highly recommend this book - the twists and turns will keep you up all night, trying to find out how it all comes out, if it does...
The setting is Appalachian America in the not-too-distant future, but there has been a second civil war and most of the veneers of civility have been stripped away. It's the wild West all over again. The powerful over the powerless. The book centers on Simon Flaherty, a 16-year old, half-man, half-boy, and his guardian, Erin, a woman with a big heart and a fierce nature. Simon's only talent, or so he is told, is that he can fight, and he is being trained by Art so he can "make it big." Erin runs a bar to keep body and soul together, and she tries to keep Simon moving forward in his life, beyond the past that haunts them both, but her life is built on lies. The small town they inhabit appears, at first, to be functioning albeit in a depressed, barely-making-it, fashion. But underneath the facade of purpose is an undercurrent of evil that becomes more transparent the further into the story you get. The characters in this book live in a world that is so familiar, yet so alien, that it is hard to grasp how it got this way, but at the same time, seems all too plausible.
Nisbet does a good job of creating tension, using various narrators to explain situations from their own points of view, yet the transitions are seamless and add to the sense of the societal fractures in this world. Taylor, Art, and Grace tell us the story as they experience it, but always the authors story line is clear and directed. The points of view, rather than being distracting, are so effective that you can't wait to hear what the next narrator has to say.
I have to warn about the language - it is raw and coarse, but is perfectly in keeping with the characters, the situations, and the world the characters find themselves in. I highly recommend this book - the twists and turns will keep you up all night, trying to find out how it all comes out, if it does...
November 15, 2016
This book is like on of those series where all the characters are miserable and most of them assholes on top of it, nobody likes anybody and you hate them all and it just gets worse and worse with every episode, any yet you keep watching because you can't just stop right when it's at the worst, right? It'll get better soon, RIGHT???
At the same time though, I couldn't really connect to the characters, I was confused as to why the POV characters were chosen the way they were while other important side characters didn't get a voice. There was a lot of "now I get it" and "you know", which was frustrating, because no, I didn't know. Even though the character is talking to me, telling what's happening, I have no idea what they are really feeling, or thinking, for that matter.
At several points i felt really "bleh" about the whole plot because everything's so convoluted and fucked up and even though every character lives in their own nightmare, they seem to simply reject the thought that things are bad IN GENERAL and that maybe things should change.
It was gayer than I thought though, in the end, so plus points for that, and for the way rape culture was adressed and called out through Grace's POV.
For about 85% I didn't plan on reading book 2, but I did. For Connor. And I didn't regret it at all.
At the same time though, I couldn't really connect to the characters, I was confused as to why the POV characters were chosen the way they were while other important side characters didn't get a voice. There was a lot of "now I get it" and "you know", which was frustrating, because no, I didn't know. Even though the character is talking to me, telling what's happening, I have no idea what they are really feeling, or thinking, for that matter.
At several points i felt really "bleh" about the whole plot because everything's so convoluted and fucked up and even though every character lives in their own nightmare, they seem to simply reject the thought that things are bad IN GENERAL and that maybe things should change.
It was gayer than I thought though, in the end, so plus points for that, and for the way rape culture was adressed and called out through Grace's POV.
For about 85% I didn't plan on reading book 2, but I did. For Connor. And I didn't regret it at all.
August 15, 2016
Good book. Strong storyline, good characters. Enjoyed this one a lot
April 28, 2016
Fast Paced Familiar Grit
What Boys Are Made Of gives a gritty and haunting view of the blood, bruises, and emotional scars in a dystopian post-war Appalachia. Daily survival hangs over the heads of a cast of hardened characters, and life comes cheap here under the rule of a cruel shadow that no one dares question.
With a jumping narration, the story is set in motion as sixteen year old Simon finds himself winning a fight until a knife is thrown in, and Art equips Simon to defend himself. After killing his opponent, life simply moves on, with Simon left to contemplate his fate.
Simon's surrogate mother figure, Erin, sees all to clearly his destiny as well as hers, but fate not defy her own to change his, while Art seeks to change both of theirs with little regard for his own.
What Boys Are Made Of explores the terrible lives of those trapped by the worst that life has to offer and gives the dirty truth that it can't always be escaped. The book moves fast as everyone is has to make the most basic of decisions to crawl to the next. The wrong decision can get you branded. The right one can get you killed.
What Boys Are Made Of gives a gritty and haunting view of the blood, bruises, and emotional scars in a dystopian post-war Appalachia. Daily survival hangs over the heads of a cast of hardened characters, and life comes cheap here under the rule of a cruel shadow that no one dares question.
With a jumping narration, the story is set in motion as sixteen year old Simon finds himself winning a fight until a knife is thrown in, and Art equips Simon to defend himself. After killing his opponent, life simply moves on, with Simon left to contemplate his fate.
Simon's surrogate mother figure, Erin, sees all to clearly his destiny as well as hers, but fate not defy her own to change his, while Art seeks to change both of theirs with little regard for his own.
What Boys Are Made Of explores the terrible lives of those trapped by the worst that life has to offer and gives the dirty truth that it can't always be escaped. The book moves fast as everyone is has to make the most basic of decisions to crawl to the next. The wrong decision can get you branded. The right one can get you killed.
September 8, 2016
I received a free copy of this book but not in exchange for my opinion. It was just an introduction to a new (to me) author. With that being said, as soon as I read the last word, I purchased the second book in the series and preordered the next, which is a ~200 page novella. For me, this book was that good. It is definitely not a romance. It is dark and heartbreaking and suspenseful and just so good. Can't wait to start book 2!
November 29, 2017
I read about 40% but I just can't continue. There are too many alternating POVs and they all have the exact same voice. Progress is slow and while I do like the idea of the plot I just can't get into it. Everyone is miserable and there's no hope and that just tires me. I wanted to like it so badly but I can't.
Read
June 6, 2016The sequel, The Mercy of Men, is out June 30th, 2016! Details to come soon.
August 1, 2018
the blurb sounded SO GREAT and the first page was SO COOL and then after what felt like ten pages i already started hating this so bad but continued all the way through because i'd already paid for it.
the frequent POV shifts kept me from really getting into the story and i felt they weren't even necessary in the first place. as if even the author couldn't bear their own characters for longer than three pages.
so many important things happened off-page - it was like every time something big happened, the focus shifted to somewhere unimportant. and after all the talk about and fear of the main villain, the ending felt too easy and unsatisfying.
i'm disappointed because with a bit of work this could've been so much better.
the frequent POV shifts kept me from really getting into the story and i felt they weren't even necessary in the first place. as if even the author couldn't bear their own characters for longer than three pages.
so many important things happened off-page - it was like every time something big happened, the focus shifted to somewhere unimportant. and after all the talk about and fear of the main villain, the ending felt too easy and unsatisfying.
i'm disappointed because with a bit of work this could've been so much better.
June 29, 2017
Review may follow at a later time
December 2, 2018
This book is an awesome start to the series. I can't wait to read more. If you like post-apocalyptic novels, then this is for you!
February 8, 2016
A grim and frightening look at a dystopia set in a very plausible future version of the USA, depicted from the viewpoints of 5 different people. Read over 2 days, with the last 40 or so chapters read over several hours before I went to sleep.
History and Setting: Some time in the near future, the USA had a three-way civil war. It was bad. There are mentions of 'cholera dead' and scalpings of Americans by Americans.
The town of Buchell, somewhere in Appalachia, survived the war and the peace treaty, but things have still not gotten back to normal. There are mentions of cartels. Things are orderly, but the rule of law has mostly been left behind, in favor of strongmen and thugs taking charge.
Characterization: Tight and grim. Nearly everyone is afraid, of starving, or being killed, of being raped, or of any of those things happening to their loved ones and friends. Reminded me a lot of living through a dictatorship, actually.
As a result of all this fear, people are more close-mouthed and secretive than they might like. They have to be. Being too open can get you killed or tortured.
Another result of the fear is rage. The characters are all angry, and they all lash out a lot.
The important thing is that I cared for the characters. Speaks well for the author's style, I guess.
Plot: Good and unpredictable. Very suspenseful, particularly since I cared about the characters. If I hadn't cared, I would have been more detached. I would have been able to sleep without finishing the book. :)
Because everyone is so angry and fearful, hardly anyone behaves in a consistent or predictable manner. Like wounded animals, they strike out when no one (including the readers) don't expect them to.
Funniest line (in a generally unfunny book): Chapter 11: Wouldn’t have mattered, I mean, ’cause who cares about some dickhead drunk getting what’s coming? Except, somewhere in my haze of fury, I’d stopped remembering that the dickhead drunk also happened to be my math teacher.
I got a copy of the ebook from the author in return for writing an honest review. I was proud to be offered a chance to read the book in advance, and I rather enjoyed doing so. Thus 4 stars.
October 31, 2016
This is one of those books. The books that I think will turn out one way, but they do another.
I expected less personal drama and more action, but I've gotten so attached to the characters that I'm not disappointed. Maybe it's because of the different points of view that this story is told from. There are five - if I didn't miss any when I counted - POVs, but a couple of characters who are not narrators have such strong influence that I feel like I've read a chapter or two from their POV.
Now don't get me wrong; there is some action too. We have Simon and his fights - sometimes with opponents, sometimes outside the ring. The training and fighting scenes are well-written, but it's what propels him to fight that makes it interesting to read. He's young and emotional and he has to toughen and grow up. He actually believes that he's an adult even though he's only sixteen.
But it's not only him. The war has messed up everyone's lives and one of the consequences is twenty-something year olds claiming they are old. Comparing my world and the one described in the What Boys Are Made Of ARC is one of the things that keeps me reading; Simon, Erin and the rest live in a world very familiar, yet very different.
Something I initially had a problem with was the way everyone spoke. Mixed up tenses, bad grammar... It was a problem for me.
But only for a while.
The way they speak helps set the atmosphere in the book. They are poor people who grew up during the war or in the messed-up world that suffered from it; it would be odd - to say the least - to have them be eloquent. But even with their bad English, they manage to come up with some interesting sentences - mostly when they are using comparisons - that sometimes earned them a giggle from me. In the end, what started as a pet peeve turned into one of the things I appreciate the most about the book.
What Boys Are Made Of is for people who want to see how others try to endure hardship and who are not squeamish and won't be put off by themes like war, murder and rape. Also, to readers who don't expect that everything will work out in the end.
My rating: 4.5
I expected less personal drama and more action, but I've gotten so attached to the characters that I'm not disappointed. Maybe it's because of the different points of view that this story is told from. There are five - if I didn't miss any when I counted - POVs, but a couple of characters who are not narrators have such strong influence that I feel like I've read a chapter or two from their POV.
Now don't get me wrong; there is some action too. We have Simon and his fights - sometimes with opponents, sometimes outside the ring. The training and fighting scenes are well-written, but it's what propels him to fight that makes it interesting to read. He's young and emotional and he has to toughen and grow up. He actually believes that he's an adult even though he's only sixteen.
But it's not only him. The war has messed up everyone's lives and one of the consequences is twenty-something year olds claiming they are old. Comparing my world and the one described in the What Boys Are Made Of ARC is one of the things that keeps me reading; Simon, Erin and the rest live in a world very familiar, yet very different.
Something I initially had a problem with was the way everyone spoke. Mixed up tenses, bad grammar... It was a problem for me.
But only for a while.
The way they speak helps set the atmosphere in the book. They are poor people who grew up during the war or in the messed-up world that suffered from it; it would be odd - to say the least - to have them be eloquent. But even with their bad English, they manage to come up with some interesting sentences - mostly when they are using comparisons - that sometimes earned them a giggle from me. In the end, what started as a pet peeve turned into one of the things I appreciate the most about the book.
What Boys Are Made Of is for people who want to see how others try to endure hardship and who are not squeamish and won't be put off by themes like war, murder and rape. Also, to readers who don't expect that everything will work out in the end.
My rating: 4.5
October 9, 2016
Great story and world
This book started slow for me. I could tell from the start that the story would be complex and interesting, but the writing was a bit of a detraction.
Basically, the story is a Post-apocalyptic ensemble. The blurb describes it as "walking dead without the zombies" which is quite accurate. But the combination of the first person/present tense and the switching point of view with every chapter plus the dialect kind of gave all of the characters the same voice.
But I stick with it and it did find its stride after a while. Character development is never its strength, but the story has quite a bit going on and the characters differentiate enough to make it work.
I felt like the author sacrificed the characters to things like dialect and plot twists at times. The romance plot line especially just never worked for me - there was not enough building of anything resulting compassion in those characters. (the romance is m/m but is a very minor subplot).
But a couple of the characters did solidify- Erin especially was written with a great deal of insight into abuse and poser dynamics.
This book is one big trigger warning. There are no explicit rape scenes (no sex at all), but rape and abuse figure prominently in the main plot line. I felt it was handled well. The world was less developed than I wished, but the society was well done and very detailed.
I enjoyed it and would recommend it for lovers of dark fiction/ dystopian stories.
This book started slow for me. I could tell from the start that the story would be complex and interesting, but the writing was a bit of a detraction.
Basically, the story is a Post-apocalyptic ensemble. The blurb describes it as "walking dead without the zombies" which is quite accurate. But the combination of the first person/present tense and the switching point of view with every chapter plus the dialect kind of gave all of the characters the same voice.
But I stick with it and it did find its stride after a while. Character development is never its strength, but the story has quite a bit going on and the characters differentiate enough to make it work.
I felt like the author sacrificed the characters to things like dialect and plot twists at times. The romance plot line especially just never worked for me - there was not enough building of anything resulting compassion in those characters. (the romance is m/m but is a very minor subplot).
But a couple of the characters did solidify- Erin especially was written with a great deal of insight into abuse and poser dynamics.
This book is one big trigger warning. There are no explicit rape scenes (no sex at all), but rape and abuse figure prominently in the main plot line. I felt it was handled well. The world was less developed than I wished, but the society was well done and very detailed.
I enjoyed it and would recommend it for lovers of dark fiction/ dystopian stories.
March 7, 2016
Is a chance to escape a life not worth living worth the danger of losing it altogether?
In the near future, a tripartate civil war in the US has left the village of Buchell in Appalachia under the boot of an oppressive cartel leader. The citizens have for too long allowed Jeff Petrowski to keep control of the town, for those who oppose him are nearly always found dead.
This is the story of Simon “Saint” Flaherty, a teenage boy whose one talent is fighting, and of Erin Livingston, who took Simon in when he was orphaned some years earlier. Against a background of fear, poverty, and fight scenes reminiscent of Roman times, the characters struggle to come to grips with their secrets and their changing relationship.
In this gritty novel, the atmosphere is perfectly matched by Nisbet's writing, which has a raw lyricism all its own. Told from multiple points of view in the first person present tense, it gives the reader a deep look inside the personalities of the characters as events unfold. The reader is caught up completely in the story, in the characters, in their dilemmas as they search for any way out of Buchell.
If I have one criticism of this novel, it's that it ended too soon. I'm looking forward to reading the next book in this series.
Note: I was provided with a pre-release copy of this book by the author, with the provision that I write an honest review. It has been my distinct pleasure to do so.
In the near future, a tripartate civil war in the US has left the village of Buchell in Appalachia under the boot of an oppressive cartel leader. The citizens have for too long allowed Jeff Petrowski to keep control of the town, for those who oppose him are nearly always found dead.
This is the story of Simon “Saint” Flaherty, a teenage boy whose one talent is fighting, and of Erin Livingston, who took Simon in when he was orphaned some years earlier. Against a background of fear, poverty, and fight scenes reminiscent of Roman times, the characters struggle to come to grips with their secrets and their changing relationship.
In this gritty novel, the atmosphere is perfectly matched by Nisbet's writing, which has a raw lyricism all its own. Told from multiple points of view in the first person present tense, it gives the reader a deep look inside the personalities of the characters as events unfold. The reader is caught up completely in the story, in the characters, in their dilemmas as they search for any way out of Buchell.
If I have one criticism of this novel, it's that it ended too soon. I'm looking forward to reading the next book in this series.
Note: I was provided with a pre-release copy of this book by the author, with the provision that I write an honest review. It has been my distinct pleasure to do so.
March 14, 2016
S. Hunter Nisbet’s What Boys Are Made Of is a well-crafted piece of fiction. Set in the ruins of America after a three-way civil war has devastated the country, in an Appalachian town that was unfortunate enough to be among the losers, people are just trying to survive. But that concern is secondary to staying beneath the notice of Petrowski, the gang boss who runs the town. Sixteen-year-old Simon “Saint” Flaherty fights in the ring to quell his nightmares, and Erin Livingston gives him house and home. It isn’t a life, it’s survival. But as they fall increasingly under Petrowski’s gaze, Erin and Simon must answer the question: Is a chance to escape a life not worth living worth the danger of losing it altogether?
What Boys Are Made Of soon reaches the point where it becomes impossible to put down, and as everyone’s world begins to collapse around them, the next page cannot come quickly enough. Fortunately for those impatient souls like me, the sequel is out this summer so we don’t have to wait a whole year to find out what happens next.
The perspective isn’t for everybody, of course, nor is the grim setting. But Nisbet’s writing puts us right there as the action happens, with no filter of either a narrator or time between us and the characters, and her words bring the setting to life in all its gritty reality.
I eagerly await Book Two.
What Boys Are Made Of soon reaches the point where it becomes impossible to put down, and as everyone’s world begins to collapse around them, the next page cannot come quickly enough. Fortunately for those impatient souls like me, the sequel is out this summer so we don’t have to wait a whole year to find out what happens next.
The perspective isn’t for everybody, of course, nor is the grim setting. But Nisbet’s writing puts us right there as the action happens, with no filter of either a narrator or time between us and the characters, and her words bring the setting to life in all its gritty reality.
I eagerly await Book Two.
April 12, 2016
I read What Boys Are Made Of in just a few days. The story follows a sixteen year old boy, Simon "Saint" Flaherty and the people he knows and loves after war. Things are not the same in his town and this beautiful story takes us through the desperation of living day to day. When the risks outweigh the benefits of living that kind of life, he plans to flee with the people closest to him. Do they make it or is their plan sabotaged? S. Hunter Nisbet writes with an eloquence I have seldom read. Each line, each paragraph, each chapter, is painful poetry. This book made me cry, made me experience the sinking stomach feeling more than once. These characters have physical scars, and emotional ones, and this author makes you feel how each character received every single one. You'll become emotionally invested, and you'll desperately want to read the next--like I do.
October 21, 2016
Got this for free on a lark. I thought it would be more jarring to read due to the myriad POVs that the story cycles through, but was pleasantly surprised to find a very cohesive story fall into place after sifting through so many unreliable narrators. It's a pretty unrelenting story though; these people are in a desolate wasteland of a town, and struggle in some terrible ways to survive constant abuse, fear, and degradation. No one ever really gets a break, and some of the actions of the characters can seem pretty unreasonable except for the fact that they are broken people put between a rock and a hard place who don't have the faculties anymore to make "reasonable" choices.
So, overall good, but given my trend of preferring lighter fare the older I get, I probably will not continue this series.
So, overall good, but given my trend of preferring lighter fare the older I get, I probably will not continue this series.
August 25, 2016
I received this book for free, and it was not my usual type of read. But it was extremely compelling and well written. The characters were interesting, and drew you in. I read this book straight through in a day, and did not want to put it down. For me, that is one of the best complements I can give a book. I am beginning the next book in the series - as soon as I have a day free!
March 16, 2016
I started this book and it took off like a freight train, and I didn't want it to stop! Please keep them coming. My favorite character is Simon. I received a free early copy in exchange for an honest review.
December 25, 2016
Overall a fun read
My main gripe with this book is that I feel like Simon and Connor's relationship\rivalry should have been fleshed out more. Other than that it's a fun and quick read, especially for anyone in a reading slump.
My main gripe with this book is that I feel like Simon and Connor's relationship\rivalry should have been fleshed out more. Other than that it's a fun and quick read, especially for anyone in a reading slump.
October 11, 2016
Fantastic as always. Follow Simon from child to adulthood finding his way whilst being used by so many. Whether it be money, revenge or a sadistic parent. S. Hunter Nisbet at her best.
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