Thank you Penguin Books UK and NetGalley for the advanced copy of this book.
This was not what I was expecting. I found this quite disturbing at times and some of the characters are extremely unpleasant.
A great psychological novel about totally dysfunctional family - Liz does it again!
Definitely recommend.

Nobody does Psychologically Disturbed like Liz Nugent! Several of the characters in this book are unpleasant people and the dysfunctional family made me squirm in places. Many thanks to Netgalley for an arc of this book.

I received an ARC of this book thanks to NetGalley and publisher Penguin Books (UK) in exchange for an honest review.

Our Little Cruelties is the story of three brothers. In the present day, we know one of them is dead but we don't know which one. Most of the book focuses on flashbacks told from each of the brothers' POVs, building up the relationships between them and the various things they have gone through in their lives. Luke is a famous popstar, Brian is the deadbeat son with money problems and Will is a filmmaker. Their mother was also a famous singer in her day which albeit was a long time ago. Between all this there is a lot of drama, both public and within the family.

I'm gonna be honest, I was pleasantly surprised by this thriller. I read a lot of thrillers and it's quite hard for one to stand out, but this managed to do it in a really interesting fashion. It is very much a domestic exploration of one family and the intricacies of their relationships to each other. You learn how they respond to each other and betray each other, and this deep character exploration is really what makes this stand out. It's the kind of book which can sound very basic on the surface but it's all about that excellent execution. There were some predictable story beats here but also a lot of unexpected stuff, and it was all woven together nicely.

I will say, I listened to the audiobook and I can't fully recommend it. While it was enjoyable, the similarities between the narrators' voices made it incredibly hard for me to tell when POV swapped, which in turn made the story much harder to follow. For this reason, I only really connected with Luke as a character because it was easiest for me to tell when he was narrating. I'm sure this is entirely down to how I listen to audiobooks though and I think with a physical/ebook version, it would be easy to tell them apart.

There's not much else for me to say except that this book is well worth checking out. It's a strong story with even stronger characters and its sure to hold your attention.

Overall Rating: 3.5/5

It took me a while to read this book because it wasn't what I expected. I was expecting a full blown thriller, but this read more like a hard-hitting drama.

The writing itself was great - I found Liz Nugent's characters to be designed really well, they were all distinct, different, and motivations were clear. I didn't particularly like the timeline jumping, although I understood that was meant to break the monotony of linear storytelling. At first, I tried to keep track of how old the character was at that particular year, but after a while, I gave up.

I was quite intrigued of who died at the start of the book, but found myself not caring that much towards the end. When it was finally revealed, I actually didn't really understand what happened - the entire family was racked with tragedies anyway throughout their lives, and they did lots of 'little cruelties' (some not so 'little') to each other so much, that I just didn't think there was any reason at all for the main event to happen the way it was. Wasn't it just BAU (Business as Usual) for these characters?

Anyway, this wasn't a suitable book for my reading taste at the time (and yes, I was having a reading slump too, so this book didn't help), but I liked Liz Nugent's writing style enough to try her other books.

I really enjoyed this book. It was easy to read and follow, the characters were well thought out. Gripping from the very start. Would definitely recommend.

Not for me and didn't finish, sorry. Not for me and didn't finish, sorry. Not for me and didn't finish, sorry.

I really enjoyed this novel. The three characters are quite relatable and the way the author shows certain things from everyone's point of view is excellent. It's well thought out and all strings are tied at the end. I do feel like the last chapter by Daisy was unnecessary and took away from the book somehow but I enjoyed it none the less. I would definitely recommend this book due to the excellent story.

Love Liz and the books she writes and this was son different, a brilliant book, had you griped from the start, good story and characters with lots of twists and turns, I didn’t guess the twist and that’s unusual for me 😉 a must read for 2021

Sometimes you just know straight away when a book will be an exceptional read and I could sense “Our Little Cruelties”, was immediately going to be a five star read. Having heard lots of positive things about the author Liz Nugent but not got around to reading her yet, I was looking forward to trying her latest novel.
“Three brothers are at a funeral. One lies in the coffin. Will, Brian and Luke grow up competing for their mother's unequal love. As men, the competition continues - for status, money, fame and women.
They each betray each other, over and over, until one of them is dead. But which brother is dead and which brother killed him?”
What I liked most about this book, was that you were kept guessing literally till the end. Even if you could have worked out who was in the coffin, you still had to deduce who was responsible.
Narrated in three parts by each of the brothers, all relaying how they themselves saw events when they younger and as adults in later life. I loved to hate all the characters, each were horrible, either misogynistic, mean, selfish, arrogant or insecure and paranoid. But even with these ugly qualities it was difficult to not endear a little bit to their lives or have an uncanny fascination in them. The youngest brother Luke, was probably the more genuine person with his fragile mental state and desire to be treated as equally by his mother as his brothers were. It was the family’s little cruelties like this, that scarred Luke intensely. He was still a very caring and supportive uncle to his niece while the other brothers fought over her love. Will was just the worst man you could find and some of his antics and moral values were truly unbelievable.
As a dysfunctional family goes, this one wins hands down. Even with the unreliable narratives and self importance the whole storyline was very addictive, captivating and certainly kept me guessing till the end.
Evocative, emotional, darkly entertaining and an absolute gem of a novel, I’ll definitely be reading more by this author again in the future.
5 wholesome stars!

I just finished reading #ourlittlecruelties by @liznugentwriter which I really enjoyed. I've seen some mixed reviews because people didnt find the characters likeable but I think that was the point , that none of them were and how they ended up in the situations they did.
I loved how the book was split between the 3 brothers point of view until the end where it was mixed between them, and how differently each of them saw the same memory or one memory meant more to one brother then it did to the others. I like that you start out knowing something had happened but you dont know what or to who until the very end. It became almost as if it didnt matter because it was about how they had got to that point.
This was very well written and a really enjoyable read and I will definitely read more by @liznugentwriter in the future

I loved this book, offers everything. You really feel like you know the characters and your heart breaks for them. A great read thank you

It's no secret that I'm a big fan of Liz Nugent's writing. I've read and reviewed all of her previous books here on Random Things. In my opinion, she writes some of the very best opening scenes. That killer hook that snares and then drags you through the following story.

Little Cruelties is another brilliantly written story that will chill the reader to the bone. The absolute depravity of the human mind and psyche is explored in such fine detail, leaving the reader wondering just how this talented author can dream up these things.

The story begins at a funeral. Two brothers are laying a third brother to rest. The reader doesn't know which brother is dead, and that is the mystery that is the central point of the novel. However, once this author begins her story of these three men, you almost forget that one of them is dead at the end, for you become so invested, so horrified, so shocked by their voices that it is the lives that they lived that is far more important than the one death at the end.

The story is told in three parts, one part for each brother; Will, Brian and Luke Drumm. They come from a fairly well off household, theirs was the biggest house within their friendship circle, but their circumstances were probably the strangest. Will, the eldest is self absorbed, self entitled and something of a bully, middle brother Brian feels left out, unnoticed and less talented than his siblings and youngest child Luke is something of an enigma. His obsession with religion and his fractious relationship with his mother goes on to affect his mental health in often life-threatening and serious ways, yet he is also the most well known of the family.

The boys mother, Melissa has also been well-known. A popular singer in her day, she's held on to that fame ever since, and it is her that shapes her family. It is Melissa who encourages, and often discourages her sons, who treats her husband with a mixture of contempt and sympathy and whose own experiences have been long buried within her, but have impacted on her decisions and her behaviours far more heavily than she realises.

Little Cruelties is very cleverly structured; the use of all three of the brother's voices as the narrative means that the reader's loyalties and sympathies switch back and forth as things we were told by one brother are related with a different point of view by the next. The complexities of human relationships are explored in depth, and the author doesn't shy away from some serious issues that can be upsetting to read about, but, as always, she does this with such skill. It seems wrong to call this work 'beautiful', but it really is beautifully written, and at times, quite ruthless.

I was left breathless by this novel and I have so much respect for an author who can create characters who evoke so many feelings in a reader.

Liz Nugent has created the ultimate monster family, self indulgent, selfish, manipulative and throughly despicable, yet I could not put this book down. Deliciously and brilliantly observed, you will never think your family is dysfunctional again!

Our Little Cruelties is about three brothers who grew up in a toxic family environment. Each section is devoted to one brother respectively and focuses on shared moments in their lives. At times it is hard to like any of them sometimes i felt sorry for them and other times i disliked them.. I loved this book by Liz Nugent and it is the first i have read of hers but it certainly won't be the last

This was a brilliant read. The brothers' relationships and sibling rivalry were executed with such power and it made for enthralling reading.
Massively unlikeable characters which just strengthened the plot, and there were several twists to make me gasp out loud.
The timelines were a little confusing especially going between 3 different perspectives at the same time too.
Overall, I highly recommend it!

I was really interested with the premise but I found it to be one of the most dispiriting books I've ever read. Three brothers are raised by a narcissistic mother where the older brothers regularly stab each other in the back and the whole family bullies the youngest until he has severe mental illnesses. No one has any redeeming qualities whatsoever and it was hard for me to continue reading as I didn't find any of it enjoyable. I think books with nasty characters can be entertaining but I didn't find any humour or justification or any kind of reckoning here. Towards the end I didn't even care about who died, I just wanted the story to be over. It doesn't help that the story jumps around the timelines unnecessarily so it was hard to keep track. It felt like a gimmick more than it serves the story. The upside to the book is that the writing is easy to digest and the author writes despicable people really well. It is just not the kind of book for me.

This book is MAGNIFICIENT. LN has the ability to literally make you finish this book in one sitting. This psychological/suspense/Family drama is fantastic. The characters all have their own demons to fight but OMG the plot was incredibly twisty. It's a clever story and if you think you know all the answers, think again because trust me you will get it wrong. I really enjoyed the pace of the book and LN slowly draws you in a good way and then you reach the final page and just think to yourself "Damn I want to read more!" I bloody well loved every single page and I would highly recommend this amazing author.

Three brothers going through their lives in very different ways. Luke is a pop star with some mental health issues. Brian has anger issues but is trying to be a good influence to his goddaughter and Will is a film producer who can't stay faithful. One brother dies and the other two are left behind but what got them to this place.

This was an interesting story but I struggled with it because theyre all so unlikeable. By the end I warmed to Luke but he still had some bad moments. The other two I kept hoping for redemption but it never seemed to come especially as I wanted to like Will. The story itself is told by each brother in extracts of their lives which I liked as it gave more depth. You saw each incident from everyones point of view. The ending was sad but good and expected given the story. An interesting read but not for me.

Wow, hooked from the beginning. As this story unfolds I could not put this book down. A psychological thriller about a dysfunctional family. Well worth a read!

“All three of the Drumm Brothers were at the funeral, although one of us was in a coffin.”

A more chilling prologue to a book you are unlikely to find.

Awash with subtleties, intricacies and hidden depths, Our Little Cruelties is a novel you will immediately want to re-read, so gut-wrenchingly shocking is its climax.

One minute you’re enjoying a harmless, if mildly unsettling, story about sibling rivalry, the next you’re catapulted into a place so dark you can barely breathe.

Will, Brian and Luke are brothers growing up in Ireland. Since they were small, it’s always been two against one, with allegiances constantly switching. Will, the eldest and their mother’s favourite, knows what he wants and usually gets it. Brian, the middle son, is a user; lazy and jealous of others’ success. Luke, the baby of the family, is the odd one out; the butt of everyone’s jokes, the one always at fault. But of the three, it is Luke who finds fame and fortune … at supreme cost to his mental health.

The little cruelties the brothers inflict on each other as they jostle for superiority, are driven by jealousy, self-interest and an edge of infantile nastiness that is often difficult to stomach.

Nugent cleverly manipulates her readers’ loyalties by letting each brother have a voice and retell events with different spins. There is no masking the fact, however, that Will and Brian are essentially loathsome characters and that kind-hearted, misunderstood Luke their hapless victim — although he too is no saint.

Yes, the clues are there that something bad is going to happen, even what and — by the last third of the book — to whom. Nudge to is masterful in building a growing sense of foreboding But nothing, I repeat nothing, prepares you for that final devastating moment and its aftermath. I tip my hat to Nugent for expertly lulling us readers into a false sense of security, before swiping the rug so magnificently from under our feet.

My thanks to NetGalley and Penguin for the review copy.