Ok, when this book was comped to THE VIRGIN SUICIDES, I should've known it wouldn't be for me, but I gave it a whirl anyway -- I appreciated what BRUTES attempts to do and particularly liked the narrative structure, which moves through time to solid effect. Some of the greek chorus moments describing the girls (who are nearly feral, the brutes, very self-consciously struck by the gendered expectations they're growing into and the mothers they both mimic and reject) are haunting and cutting, while others feel a bit heavy-handed. I would be more interested if Dizz Tate were to publish a short story collection--I can see myself being quite drawn to her turn of phrase and moody atmosphere if it were distilled into smaller bites.

This book made me laugh cry and just reminisce on my own youth in Florida. Will be reviewing in full on my Insta but this one is just special.

We are on the fence about purchasing since we are located in Florida. However, we decided against as our local independent bookstore is running a special event for it. It doesn't have mass appeal, which is fine, but with our limited library space, we try to find books that appeal to broader audiences.

Thank you to NetGalley and Catapult for the ARC.

Thank you to Netgalley and Catapult, Counterpoint Press, and Soft Skull Press for the advanced reader copy.

This week’s headline? Teenage girls are something else (I should know, I was one)
Why this book? It’s compared to Virgin Suicides and it’s a coming-of-age story
Which book format? ARC
Primary reading environment? Under a blanket
Any preconceived notions? I’ve been anticipating this for months and if it’s not at least a four, I’ll cry
Identify most with? “…were not, and never would be, satisfied”
Three little words? “see alien illuminations”
Goes well with? Stolen cigarettes, Florida heat, sticky lip gloss
Recommend this to? I have a few friends in mind who’d love this novel as much as me
Other cultural accompaniments: https://www.bookweb.org/news/indies-introduce-qa-dizz-tate-1629150
Grade: 4.5/5
I leave you with this: “We didn’t care about men and we didn’t believe in miracles.”

📚📚📚

Good news, no tears!

So, this was definitely reminiscent of The Virgin Suicides, but with a dash or two of Bunny, both books which I enjoyed very much. I’ve seen a few reviews refer to the prose as “hypnotic” and I have to say I agree, especially in the choral “we” narration at the beginning of the book. Brutes captures that almost preternatural liminal space of being a teenager, the gap between being a child and an adult, very well.

I was extremely excited about this book and my anticipation was rewarded. Definitely recommend!

Brutes will be available on February 7, 2023.

Brutes is an interestingly written and evocative tale, told from a first person plural perspective that gives the story the feel as though it is being narrated by a chorus of thirteen year old girls. The writing is very visual and lends itself to the Floridian setting and there is an air of discomfort in the narration as the story progresses. While some points in the novel worked well for me, others did not, and unlike The Virgin Suicides, which this novel has been compared to,, I found the first-person plural point of view harder to read. I was also confused by some of the narrative jumps at points in the story. Overall, the story was interesting and will be some readers cup of tea, but didn't hit the mark 100% for me.

This was an odd but interesting book for me. I liked the style that it was written in and it flowed well. The characters were young and brutal to each other and that’s where I found it to be difficult to get into. I am giving it three stars. I do appreciate NetGalley for providing me with an ARC for the purpose of this review!

The synopsis of this book offers something that the book itself could not deliver. I was confused from the start and never really found my way back. Hard pass.

I was instantly hooked on this hypnotically ambiguous writing style - told in a collective ‘we’ but as the story progresses we do get glimpses of the characters as individuals. I had a really good time with this one, however I was a bit disappointed with the ending, I felt like the main ‘mystery’ at the center of the novel was left a bit confusing

What. Was. That.

Wow. That was confusing and heavy and sad. I’m not sure what really happened. Yes, missing girl, I got that. But the rest of it was like a bloody dark Rorschach about coming of age. Maybe what you read from the image might be something to discuss at your next psych appointment. Lol.

This was a bleak, jumbled look at a bleak and jumbled time. But maybe that is the point of the book? I like dark and crazy, but this book was not for me.

Thank you to NetGalley, Catapult, Counterpoint Press, and Soft Skull Press for an advance copy of this book.

Brutes was an anticipated read for me. And while some parts of it worked, most of it did not.
The narrating voice being structured in “we” made it hard to identify with any one character, or feel a pull towards them. I can understand why it was written that way, and it’s why I tried so hard to push through.
Ultimately, I do not think this book was for me, though I appreciate the opportunity to read it.

Sammy's gone missing and the other girls in her orbit, have a lot to say about it. Know that this is narrated in the first person plural as well as that it moves back and forth in time which makes for a read that can be annoying (depending on how you feel about the "we") and a tad challenging. The atmospherics not only of Florida (so humid) but also of the hatefulness of teen girls come through loud and clear, Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC, No one is really likable and veteran readers of the missing girl genre might see the end coming but this will be fresh for its target audience.

Review: Brutes by Dizz Tate
Publishing 2/7/2023.

Rating: 2/5

Dizz Tate’s debut novel follows the local clique of thirteen year old girls living in Falls Landing, Florida, a town built on aging theme parks and swampy lakes. When the pastor’s daughter goes missing, the girls bear witness to the slow unraveling of their small town, and the many secrets lurking beneath its surface.

After seeing this book described as “The Virgin Suicides meets The Florida Project,” I knew I had to read it. Similarly to The Virgin Suicides, Brutes is written from the collective “we” voice, though in this case it’s the girls’ point-of-view that’s centered rather than the boys’. All the same, this choice serves to establish the group’s dynamic, moving and speaking as one unit. The only time Tate deviates from this is in a few chapters where the adult versions of a select few girls are written in first person.

Because these time jumps are inconsistent, it’s difficult to follow the book’s timeline, to orient oneself within the realm of past, present, or future. It’s also still unclear to me how these particular chapters connect back to the broader narrative, and in many cases they feel as though they belong to an entirely different book.

Perhaps this was intended to contribute to the book’s claustrophobic and hypnotic nature, and while the writing style does in fact accomplish this, it’s ultimately thwarted by its own ambition. There are so many characters and plot points to follow that it ultimately left me feeling lost. I think there’s a great story here, but for me, these competing elements made that story difficult to find.

While I didn’t enjoy this book nearly as much as I had hoped, this is clearly just the beginning for Tate, and I’m excited to see what she does next.

Thank you @netgalley and @catapult for the digital ARC!

Unfortunately, I did not finish this novel. The first person plural narrative and the tense (don’t know in grammar terms) was so off putting to render this unreadable for me.

"Brutes" is evocative, dripping with details that will make you squirm and smile and send a shiver down your spine. The writing really lends itself to the setting, as a reader you can feel the Floridian humidity, smell nail polish and cigarette smoke and swamp water, feel the grimy air fill your lungs. But, ultimately, I found the first-person plural point of view hard to read (which I think is just a personal preference rather than a fault of the writer's). The narrative jumps also left me confused at some points, but I also think that worked for the overall theme or point of the book. While I think this book will really work for some people, it really won't work for others. A polarizing read that I can't say I enjoyed but rather that I found interesting.

This novel had promise but quickly became muddled as it revolved around a group of angst-ridden and confused young girls.

Sammy was the preacher's daughter who seemed to have it all. The boy, the crowd of teenage girls who wanted to be her, and the coolness only someone her age could exude.
But once she goes missing, the girls who worshipped her would never be the same. Stumbling upon secrets best kept in the dark, these teens continue to build upon their friendships and obsessions surrounding the missing girl and discover the town's hidden secrets along the way.

In conclusion, this was a bit of an underwhelming story. With unique prose that pays homage to other quirky and dark novels, it was an interesting read, just not something I enjoyed one hundred percent of the time.

The publisher provided ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Seeing this title compared to We Were Liars and The Virgin Suicides is such an apt observation. It's atmospheric, darkly written, and engrossing. Trying to suss out the "we" narrative was interesting. It was a bit confusing at times to tell where the story was going with flashbacks, but overall enjoyable.

Feels very grunge to me. Perspectives from everyone and flashbacks are very interesting, but a little confusing at times. I don’t think I totally grasped this novel and still feel like I have unanswered questions.

WoW, Its been some time since a book had me so consumed.
Brutes Dizz Tate tells a darkly beautiful and brutally compelling story.
One I didn't want to end so soon.
A stunning coming-of-age story.
With characters I grew so much to enjoy and care for.
This book was very well written. I loved Tate's writing style.
Descriptions were so vivid that I felt as though I were in the scenes with her characters.
Tate captures the violence, horrors, and joys of girlhood.
A novel about the seemingly unbreakable bonds in young friendship, and the moment it is broken forever.

"I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own."

Catapult,
Thank You for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!
I will post my review to my blog, platforms, BookBub, B&N, Kobo and Waterstone closer to pub date.