Book description
Kevin Barry's deliciously wicked collection Dark Lies the Island delivers on the many reckless promises made by his virtuosic and prizewinning debut novel, City of Bohane. It firmly establishes him as both a world-class word slinger and a masterful storyteller.
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Why read it?
1 author picked Dark Lies the Island as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?
I wholeheartedly recommend this entire short story collection, but the title story, which centers on a recent high school grad, is a standout. While her architect father gallivants around Spain, Sara is left alone in his cold, modernist home on the coast of County Cork and battles her compulsion to self-harm.
This is a delicate subject matter, but it’s another example of an adult man inhabiting the mind of a teenage girl with a surprising facility. Kevin Barry is hands-down one of the best contemporary writers working today—no one uses language quite so inventively. Not for nothing, he’s one of…
From Caroline's list on The best books for adults about being a teenager.
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