Thank you so much to the publisher for sending me a copy of this audiobook! I was really excited to read this one because of the description. It sounded right up my alley! I really enjoyed this book and I would definitely read more by this author !

"Brutes" by Dizz Tate is a compelling and thought-provoking novel that delves deep into the raw essence of human nature. This literary masterpiece offers a unique perspective on the human condition, showcasing the author's exceptional storytelling prowess.

The narrative revolves around a diverse cast of characters, each with their own set of flaws, desires, and struggles. Tate's character development is nothing short of extraordinary, as readers are drawn into the lives of these individuals and their intricate, often tumultuous, relationships. The story unfolds with such realism that it becomes nearly impossible to believe it's a work of fiction.

Tate's writing style is both evocative and poetic, immersing readers in a world where every word carries weight and meaning. The prose is beautifully crafted, enhancing the emotional depth of the story. The author's ability to capture the essence of each character's inner turmoil is nothing short of astounding.

"Brutes" explores themes of power, vulnerability, love, and redemption with a level of nuance rarely seen in contemporary literature. Tate's exploration of the human psyche is unflinching and at times uncomfortable, yet it ultimately serves as a mirror, reflecting the complexities of our own lives.

One of the novel's most remarkable aspects is its ability to spark introspection in its readers. As we follow the characters on their journeys of self-discovery, we are prompted to consider our own actions, motivations, and the moral dilemmas that shape our lives. "Brutes" is a testament to the power of literature to challenge and expand our understanding of the world and ourselves.

Dizz Tate's "Brutes" is undeniably a tour de force in contemporary fiction. With its rich character development, masterful prose, and profound exploration of the human condition, it is a novel that will resonate deeply with readers. This thought-provoking work deserves a place on the bookshelves of anyone who appreciates literature that challenges, inspires, and stays with you long after the final page has been turned. Highly recommended.

including ig review https://www.instagram.com/p/CpAmiBmr44D/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

I didn't get around to listening to this one before it was removed from my shelf! Sorry! I requested this book as I was still be to netgalley and was figuring out how it all worked!

As soon as I heard that BRUTES by Dizz Tate is The Virgin Suicides meets The Florida Project I knew I had to read it! The Virgin Suicides is one of my fave books and extremely nostalgic for me since I first read it when I was a teenager. I still have my movie tie-in edition! Love how these two covers speak to each other. Reading Brutes brought me right back to memories of my teenage years. This novel is weird, moody and captivating. The story is told in multiple perspectives of a group of thirteen year old girls in Florida and their reminiscing of the past will never let them go. There’s a touch of mystery and the writing brings forth that coming of age time when emotions are intense and reality is fluid. I loved how this novel focuses on friendship. Another great 2023 debut!! I reread this book on audio and the narrator Eleanor McCormick was excellent! I enjoyed this book both times.

I think this is a case where the book is so artistic that it ultimately sacrifices cohesion and interest to the point where it is no longer enjoyable. I think the author has a great talent with crafting words, and should definitely consider poetry if they haven't already. However, my interest was lost by the way the purple prose sacrificed a plot and structure for the reader to follow.

I had great expectations of Dizz Tate’s “Brutes” as I’d read it was comparable to Jeffrey Eugenides much-beloved novel, “The Virgin Suicides”. I was disappointed.

The story/script was very well written and the audiobook got off to a good start. I reached a point, however, where I had no idea what direction “Brutes” was taking or if it was taking any direction. It felt like an evocative vignette, a vehicle for Tate’s writing. I think it may have been intentionally abstract but, if this was the case, it was too abstract for me.

HighBridge Audio is renowned for its clean, clear, and professional sound production, making it a top choice for audiobook enthusiasts. The audio quality of their productions is consistently exceptional, ensuring a seamless and immersive listening experience. HighBridge Audio meticulously captures the nuances of the narrator's voice, enhancing clarity and ensuring that every word is intelligible. Their attention to detail extends to background noise reduction, creating a pristine environment that allows listeners to focus solely on the content. With expert engineering and mastering, HighBridge Audio achieves a balanced and polished sound, resulting in audiobooks that exhibit all the characteristics of a well-produced masterpiece.

Narrator Eleanor McCormick is an exceptional audiobook narrator. Her voice is captivating and versatile and with impeccable diction and enunciation, Eleanor ensures every word is conveyed with clarity and precision, allowing listeners to fully immerse themselves in the story (although it does depend on the story’s strengths). Her dedication to her craft is evident in the meticulous attention she pays to each detail, resulting in a mesmerizing and unforgettable listening experience.

Star ratings

Story/script: ⭐️⭐️
Sound production: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Narrator: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Overall: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Brutes has a very 90s vibe. The basic premise--a preacher's middle-school aged daughter goes missing one summer in a swampy Florida tourist town--is reminiscent of the type of story you would find in an textbook that's been used by your English teacher since 1997. But as the content becomes increasingly more mature, it starts to resemble an edgy Gen X movie instead. You could easily picture the aimless tweens at the heart of this story in choker necklaces, with layered bobs and skin-tight camisoles. It certainly fits the stream-of-consciousness style of Brutes, with its focus on the angst of being a girl on the brink of adulthood and the sinister mundanity of suburban life.

Because this isn't the 90s, however, Brutes does contain a thematic core beyond mere naval-gazing. Beneath the mumblecore is a story about child abuse, and in it you'll find elements of every scandal within recent memory, from Epstein to religious cults. At its best, Brutes provides a glimpse into how these depravities somehow manage to slip by without notice, and the long-term effects they have on both the survivors and bystanders.

Unfortunately, the author is so hellbent on trying to create something sufficiently artistic and abstract that this ends up undermining the finished product. From the refusal to use contractions to the tortured metaphors to the faux-serious title, Brutes leaves you rolling your eyes as often as it makes you pause to think. The implausibility of some plot elements and the failure to provide any real resolution may feel deep and profound to some readers, but it left this one feeling like she had wasted her time. That's the ultimate tragedy of Brutes: there's something substantial here, but the lede has been buried too deep.

I had the pleasure to listen to the audible version of Brutes, by Dizz Tate. I want to thank Netgalley, Highbridge Audio and the author for my copy, for an honest review. Brutes is one interesting book( (listen) At first I thought it was me, that couldn’t follow along. But then I got the tempo of the story and it started to make sense. But I don’t think it was supposed to make sense, who knows. The writing was very good. The girls in the story are barely like able and along the way the preachers daughter went missing.. Yikes.. I did keep reading. I couldn’t stop, actually. I gave this book 3 stars. Eleanor McCormick, did an excellent job, narrating. Again it wasn’t my favorite listen but it wasn’t the worst.. what are your thoughts?

First, thank you to Netgalley and Dizz Tate for this audio ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Overall, I don’t think this book was for me. "Brutes" is the story of a group of teenage girls in a town in Florida where the popular girl goes missing.

The first-person multiple narration was interesting but hard to follow at times. I connected with some of the feelings and notions of self-hatred and groupthink of a bunch of angsty teenage girls, but I mostly struggled with the visceral discomfort the whole thing gave me.

Majorly conflicted on this one! I think as a debut novel this is fairly impressive. I especially loved the use of the collective "we" and how that managed to capture the communal trauma these kids were facing. I did spend the vast majority of the time feeling completely lost though. It always felt like I had missed something and there really wasn't a strong sense of a narrative anchor. I also think that comparing this to The Virgin Suicides and The Florida Project, while in some ways an apt comparison, ultimately did it a disservice in my opinion. These are two pieces of work that manage to capture the emotion and intentions of their characters / this snapshot of time so well, and I don't think Brutes quite does the same. I'm still very interested to see what Tate does next!

This is a mystery that is best told around a campfire. You can feel the eerie shadows painting the narrator's face as you uncover the story of the missing girl- piece by piece. What is more worthy of investigation though, are the namesakes of this novel. The "Brutes" as their mother calls them. They are teenage girls in Florida, and they are the keepers of the secrets of this book.

Actually, this novel is not so much a mystery as it is an origin story. A myth. A gripping retelling of the girlhood that chewed the characters... that chewed us up, and explains why we are how we are. The story flips between the past and present- girls and women. From this, we can see how the events in the past impacted the women. As a reader, we also try to catch clues from the present to make sense of the past, which makes the aspect of mystery more engaging.

The descriptions are raw. The characters are real. The scenarios, as unbelievable as they sound, are comprised of the most honest truths. The truths of growing up. The truths of finding ourselves. The truths of losing ourselves... to love, to motherhood, to fantasy, to life.

The narrator of the audiobook was excellent. As a said, I could see the shadows on her face and imagine each of the characters around me. The only disruption I felt in the experience was that sometimes I couldn't feel a clear distinction between the narration of different characters, and sometimes I felt myself wondering, "Wait, is this Hazel? Who is speaking now?".

Thank you to NetGalley and HighBridge Audio for a copy in exchange for my honest review. You da best.

Reviews are posted on Goodreads as well as The Storygraph. I have previously posted about this in my Instagram stories and will do a dedicated post within the month of April.

Great for fans of confusing and hard to follow plots, just not for me.
I’m sure it was the intended effect but I just couldn’t enjoy it.
Thank you to RB Media and Netgalley for providing of an audiobook arc in exchange for an honest review.

2.5 stars

The descriptions in Brutes were wonderful and I think the writing style was interesting, especially for a debut novel. However, nothing really went anywhere. The comparison to The Virgin Suicides was accurate but I didn't get the same feeling.

I did really enjoy the audiobook and think the narration was very well done.

Beautifully written - the prose is gorgeous and sharp. However, I was lost for the entirety of the book. The plot was very hard to follow and I felt disconnected from every character. This could be connected to my reading experience of the audiobook, which made it very hard to differentiate between perspectives.

This writing was well done, but it just wasn’t for me. I had a hard time connecting with any of the characters & I had really no idea what was going on half the time. I felt the back and forth between the past & present was very disjointed.

As oddball coming of age novels go, this was…fine, I guess.

We’ve seen this before, every last bit of it,so unless you don’t read much in this subgenre you won’t real get anything unique out of this.

I don’t know that total uniqueness needs to be a requirement for coming of age, but the book did need to either have at least some original or unusual aspects, or it had to be exceptionally well written. Unfortunately Brutes doesn’t really achieve either of these things. It’s by no means a “bad” book. It just isn’t a good enough book to be acceptable when the content isn’t anything novel.

The missing girl in a small town and the narrative perspective of the other girls in that town is a good but shopworn trope, and the setting didn’t help the tired topic much here. There are a lot of books employing this trope and doing a better or more unique job of it.

Comps to The Virgin Suicides are, um, not accurate. Read that or We Run the Tides instead.

The book works just fine as an audiobook, though the narrator was a little tentative for reedy for my taste.

Lyrical and a little bit strange in the best way. A recommended purchase for collections where literary crime is popular.

What did I just read? I don't think I understood what actually happened in this book but it had some beautiful prose and vivid imagery. I read a review that said this was a perfect mirror to how you are lost during adolescence so if that was what Tate was going for she absolutely nailed it. I have to believe that Tate grew up in Florida because she does an excellent job describing the atmosphere. It was unique how at times Tate had the POV from the group of the girls and not an individual, although, I enjoyed the individual POVs better.

I really enjoyed this one. It was engaging and effervescent. I really enjoyed the first-person plural POV and just the raw depiction of girlhood that Tate has crafted here. It was really a fantastic read.