A review by jedore
Only Killers and Thieves by Paul Howarth

dark emotional sad tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

“Men fear that which is alien, that which they cannot control. Hence most are afraid of certain animals, predators, those they cannot tame. In this country, that would be snakes, dingoes to an extent, but mostly the wild native.”

This is definitely not my typical genre….all male characters, LOTS of aggression and violence. Pretty much a western set in Australia. 

I read it to honor the aboriginal people of Australia. As horrific as it is, it’s important that we don’t stick our heads in the sand about the experiences of the natives throughout the world. 

I wasn’t sure I was going to make it through to the end. The only reason I did was because the main character was a sensitive boy who retained his softness into manhood despite all the horrors he witnessed and even took a small part in. 

The writing was excellent. Character development was awesome…the author nailed the bad guys. I did figure out the ending about midway through, which did detract from my reading experience a bit. 

All in all a very good read given the education, and hopefully empathy, you gain. 


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