This is so bizarre and gross, with a narrator that I wouldn’t really refer to as a “brat,” but he’s definitely not a charming guy. The ongoing element of his skin peeling off in big pieces is so revolting, mostly because of how little he takes care of himself and how unconcerned he is about it for much of the story. (And the descriptions of the peeling can get pretty graphic!) It’s clearly a severe problem. But then again, no one else seems to be worried about him, either…(Hmmm, suspicious!)

The book is made up of nice, short chapters that kept me reading quickly. Though the language itself is a bit stilted. (“I did this. Then I did this.”) I can see it wearing thin quickly for many people. If you’re looking for descriptive, flowery prose, you won’t find it here.

I don’t know if I would’ve compared this novel to “Inland Empire” like the GR blurb did, but it’s definitely a fever dream kind of experience. It’s different than most books I’ve read in a while and will not be for everyone. This is mostly vibes, and the vibes are fucking strange. You may find yourself confused or frustrated or very grossed out at times, but I found the book fascinating and endlessly readable. There’s even a “story within the story” thing happening, and I would’ve loved to read the full version of THAT as well. Actually, there are a few different pieces of other fiction within the story and they are all good, leading me to believe that this author is pretty talented. (Write more weird stuff, please!)

There were moments throughout that were funny, in a jarring way. But I think you definitely need to enjoy dark humor to appreciate it. I ended up picturing the main character Gabriel as Tim Heidecker and it felt very appropriate with the tone of the character, even though he’s American. The bizarre things that he’s experiencing don’t seem to make sense, but he’s living in a deteriorating house. If you know anything about black mold, you’ll have some idea about what’s really going on. At least, that’s my two cents.

My one big complaint: I took off a whole star for how many times the “R” word to describe mental ability was used. I think the two brother characters were supposed to be totally immature adult twits, but I was rolling my eyes. Also, the homophobic jokes. Shame that this could’ve been a solid 5-star weird fiction if not for all that.

I probably would not recommend this read to most people, because it’s so niche and bizarre and kind of repetitive, TBH. (Also, some of that dialogue.) But I loved all of the manuscripts within the story and the overall concept and the strange experience. I wish I could find more books like this in general!

TW: Substance abuse, Insensitive Language (see above), Self-harm

With a father in the grave, a mother in a care home and a girlfriend who-knows-where, Gabriel has a lot on his plate. Lost and looking for direction, he moves into his parents’ home under the guise of getting it ready to sell.

Strange things begin happening to Gabriel’s childhood home upon his arrival. Shingles fall off the roof, moisture creeps in, and plants grow through every crevice. What really frightens him though, are the parallels between the collapsing house and his own fragile body, which seems to be shedding skin at an alarming rate.

Soon, Gabriel finds his parents’ respective manuscripts, for books and scripts on which they had once worked. With strange enough connections to his own life, Gabriel is rightfully spooked by the ominous stories, but when the texts start to change each time he reads them, Gabriel begins to lose his grip on reality.

Full of eerie, choppy sentences and chapters, it’s easy to fly through this creepy tale. Don’t let its abbreviated nature fool you though, there is a lot of heart behind this story of grief.

In some ways, this debut novel reminded me of Mona Award’s, Bunny, with equal parts body horror and bizarre mystery. Where Gabriel Smith really makes his mark as a new author, however, is in his ability to build stories within stories, and for all levels to hold your interest as though they were the main plot, because really, they are.

Brat is a stellar debut novel, and I’m really excited to see what Gabriel Smith does in the future. If you’re looking for something eerie and excellently crafted, I highly recommend, Brat.

Thank you Netgalley for the digital arc to read and review!

OMG. I stayed up LATE INTO THE NIGHT TO FINISH THIS ONE. Like I actually finished it in a day and I'm SO PROUD OF MYSELF, but like it was a good book. No scratch that, this was and is a GREAT book and I think it's probably going to be one of my favorites for the year, if not my ultimate favorite.

I am so thankful to Gabriel Smith, Penguin Press, and Netgalley for granting me advanced digital and physical access to this twisty, haunting tale before it hits shelves on June 4, 2024.

Gabriel Smith shares his first name with our Main Character. Actually, the Smith family name shares lineage with our entire cast of characters, helping to blur the lines between reality and fictional timelines. Gabe's dad just died and he's moved back home for the funeral and to help prepare the house for selling, but upon moving back in, he can't help but feel like he's being watched, just so effortlessly in the night, and oh by the deer man in the back garden. Yeah, I said deer man.

Gabe is a struggling writer, yearning to write his second book but failing to do so, as he gets sucked into the time warp that is his father's house. Throughout each short chapter we learn more about Gabe's father and he and his mother's weird manuscripts that seem to change so slightly after each reading, almost as if their ghosts are making such edits, although his mom isn't dead yet. Also, he's receiving a whole lot of pressure from his brother and his brother's wife to sell the house and have it ready for valuation, but he just can't seem to care or ready the home, especially after meeting those two mysterious kids from down the road who feel weirldy familiar and mimic some kids he saw on a random VHS tape in his mother's belongings...

After reading that... you're probably like woah, and let me tell ya, yeah, those were my exact thoughts. This fever dream of a novel has hauntings, it's got stalkers, it's got abandoned and decaying home vibes, and it's even got cryptic grandmotherly visions... There's something for everyone. I am everyone in this scenario and I am obsessed. The end.

3.5 stars rounded down~

I really wanted to love this one & it started out so strong for me - there was a lot I genuinely enjoyed and I was very immediately hooked, but it just felt like a lot of it eventually went over my head, and the writing style also started bothering me a little, even as I knew it was a clear stylistic choice!!!

otherwise, I thought this was a fun read & I know a lot of readers who will certainly eat it up. I loved the layered creepy elements especially - the body horror, the creepy deer, the stories within stories. it did a good job of making my skin crawl (no pun intended, iykyk). I also loved that it offered a unique exploration of grief & mental health. I feel like I'll prob need to re-read it to understand some of the symbolism as it relates (or doesn't) to that.

thanks netgalley and penguin for the arc!

I was lucky enough to win an e-ARC of BRAT by Gabriel Smith through a Shelf Awareness giveaway. Thank you for the early look, and have a safe and happy Valentine's Day!

A weird one. Funny and eerie, some body horror, some sadness. The writing style won't appeal to everyone, but I really like it. It got better as the book went on too.

The first night I read this I got to 30%, and when my partner and I went to bed I kept him up telling him basically everything I had read so far. It's that kind of book.

I'm not sure who I would recommend this to, but I really enjoyed it. I applied for an ARC of this on a whim, thinking I'd probably regret it, but my gut knew what it was doing, I guess.

Super fast read, short chapters, fun, weird time. Laughed out loud a few times. Some good grief imagery too, so it's not all a silly fun time. Kind of made me think of a modern Catcher in the Rye a bit, honestly, but weirder. Glad to have read this when I did. I'll be buying a copy when it comes out.