Based on the blurbs I read about this book I was thinking this was along the lines of the Catholic Churches homes for single mothers and the theft of their babies. Or Call the Midwife on PBS. I can't say I was altogether disappointed in the story, the writing is very well done, in my opinion. Just, wasn't all that into the story I guess. Characters were interesting, plot should have held my attention, but it took me ages to finally finish this book, give it long, hard thought, and write a review. It will find it's audience, though, and deserves to, just wasn't for me.

3.5 stars rounded up to 4 stars.

"The Origins of Benjamin Hackett by Gerald O'Connor is a raucous and riotous coming of age story that is brutal, tender and hilarious." - Paul D. Brazil, author of A Case of Noir and Guns of Brixton

I was captivated by The Origins of Benjamin Hackett by Gerald O'Connor. This coming of age story starts with Benjamin and his loyal friend JJ celebrating Benjamin's eighteenth birthday by overindulging at a local Irish pub. Then the bomb drops!...Benjamin's parents inform him that he is adopted and he goes ballistic.

Benjamin wants to immediately go to Barnamire Convent and find out who his biological parents are and punch them in the face. JJ convinces him to play hurling first.

The exciting game of hurling did not prepare me for the action and shenanigans that occur in the quest. There is never a dull moment.

I was unfamiliar with the word 'hurling', so I did some research. "Hurling is an ancient team game that is played outside and is one of the national sports of Ireland. It was first played in the 7th century. Widely considered to be the fastest game played on grass, the game consists of two teams of 15 trying to drive a ball down the field with a stick in order to score against each other."-Wikipedia

Thanks to Down and Out Books, NetGalley, and the author Gerald M. O'Conner for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

There's a great story at the heart of this slightly overcooked tale of Irish teen, the titular Benjamin Hackett, who discovers he's adopted and goes off on a voyage of self-discovery with his best friend JJ, as they try to discover the truth behind his origins.
O'Connor stretches the narrative way beyond the realms of credibility, leaving it smouldering in the ruins of a gutted nunnery, which is a shame, as there's a really great story trying to break out of this book. The writing style is engaging, with believable, lovable, flawed characters, it just feels like O'Connor tried to cram way too many ideas into his debut novel.
That said, I still really enjoyed this book, as it kept me gripped to the very end. With a bit of tightening up, it could have been awesome!

What a great book. A coming of age story that becomes more strange and unexpected by the page. Really recommend!

My first fiction novel of the year. I felt that Saturday will be the appropriate day for this.

Style: Non fiction and chatty. It was descriptive enough for the reader to imagine scenes.

Plot: Set in Ireland (from references made to Cork and the obviously Irish names), Benjamin is an 18 year old on a journey to find his birth parents. After the near death experience of going off to Cork to trace his parents, he’s back in his hometown figuring out better ways to know who his real parents are.

Gerald does a good job of indulging in multiple enjoyable plot twists. I wish I could give spoilers but I shall restrain myself.

Recommendation: Initially, I found it challenging to follow the narrative. There were too many conversations and innuendos going on. By Chapter 10, it got really interesting as there were the usual twists and turns you’d find in a decent fiction novel. It is definitely worth reading to the end…unless you like being kept in indefinite suspense. I actually smiled at the end.

Sigh.

A short story set in Ireland about a boy who when finding out he is adopted tries to find who his birth parents are. A quick easy to read story.

I found The Origins of Benjamin Hackett totally engaging and very enjoyable. Although it has been described as a coming of age story, I think it is so much more. The language, wit and humor through out the book makes this novel worth reading.