For me John Boyne never disappoints, he has an eye on the world and writes about things that matter.
Evan Keoghan is the narrator of this story and he is about to stand trial for his part in the rape of Lauren Mackintosh. As Evan is waiting for the trail to begin he reflects on his life and how he got to where he is now. He has lived his entire life on his Island home and has always known he prefers boys. He dreams of being an artist but has been told he has no talent for that, yet he is good at football, something he dislikes. To escape his home life and the lie he is living he leaves and eventually ends up in London and playing football. This is where he meets Robbie Wolverton, one of the star players of the team and the other boy accused of the rape. As Evan reflects on who he is and the sport he has chosen that rejects diversity and the outcry and media storm around the case., he has to decided has he become the man he wants to be and if not, can he change.
I loved it.

#Earth. #NetGalley

Evan, a gay man from an island near Galway, moves to London where he suffers a lot of trauma before becoming a professional footballer at 19.
He and another footballer are charged with the rape of a young woman. The story covers the court case, Evan's life, his relationships with his friends and family, and his professional career.
Beautifully written and very moving. I look forward to the next book
Highly recommended.

This is the second in the Elements series that began with Water, and follows one of the characters from that novel, Evan, who we saw leaving the island in the closing pages.

It is a short novel but deals with many themes: a key one, as in the previous novel, is sexual abuse and the unending damage it causes. Boyne is an excellent writer and this is a haunting piece that stayed with me long after I finished reading. Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for a review copy.

The second in the Elements series is not a sequel, but a stand-alone short novel. Evan, the principal character in Earth, did feature in Water which I am now re-reading to refresh my memory of what was already known about him.

John Boyne is the master of concision, and that is why I love his books so much. There is not a superfluous word which for me gives more power to the scenes he depicts. For example Evan's encounters with Sir are not described in graphic detail but send a chill down the spine nonetheless.

In such a short book it is impressive that we can have a deep understanding of the past childhood traumas which have brought Evan to where he is now, and what he is enduring in the present day as he faces the accessory to rape trial.

The characters are utterly convincing, the parents of the two accused coming vividly to life, particularly in their bitter and troubling conversations. I find myself wishing that another book in the series would have as its main protagonist Evan's mother. She fascinates me.

I did love the ending, which leaves me wondering about Evan's future and fearful of the 'severe consequences' which inevitably await him.

Simply outstanding read! Devoured in one sitting. Poignant story with some great twists too. Nice that it had a small link to ‘water’ without needing to have read it first

I was so pleased to be invited to read Earth on Netgalley, the next instalment of his series after adoring reading Water by John Boyne.

It's an automatic five-star read for me, I adore everything about John Boyne's writing and the clever way of using characters and storyline to make you feel something towards the characters, the story and the society/world painted so vividly in these stories.

Can't wait to read the next in this series, as I'm a huge fan of them so far.

Set in the world of professional football, Earth is the second in John Boyne’s linked series of novellas. It’s narrated by Evan who is accused of being an accessory to his fellow teammate’s rape of a young woman.

An extraordinarily talented footballer, Evan ran away from his small Irish island, escaping his bullying father and heading for London, his heart set on an artistic career. When his money ran out, he stumbled into lucrative work as a rent boy, ‘auditioned’ by a wealthy, well-connected man, turning to football when a powerful client’s penchant for humiliation and violence gets out of hand. He’s taken on by a Championship team where he and Robbie become friends of a sort. Evan’s desire for the arrogant self-absorbed Robbie is tacit but known and exploited. After a party in Robbie’s flat, Evan is accused of filming his friend raping a young woman.

Boyne explores an impressive number of themes for such a short piece of fiction – class entitlement and privilege, the leeway given to talented young footballers thrust into immense wealth with no moral compass, the way in which the legal profession handles sexual offences, corruption, moral and otherwise - to name but a few. Several bombshells are dropped into Evan's narrative, bringing readers up short as we learn more of his brief life. I found it gripping – complex and thought provoking. Although I was a little unconvinced by the ending, I finished Earth without the reservations I’d felt about Water the first in the series. Looking forward to the next instalment.

Earth is the second book in John Boyne’s Elements series. Evan Keogh never wanted to be a footballer: that was his father, Charlie’s dream. Now that he finally, reluctantly, is and, at twenty-two, obscenely rich into the bargain, an incident sees him getting the sort of publicity his club, and his father, would rather avoid.

He is before the court as an accessory to a rape by his teammate, Robbie Wolverton, son of a peer. There’s pressure for him to back up Robbie’s story, to avoid a conviction. As he watches their female barrister methodically tear the victim’s credibility to shreds, his thoughts return to his departure from the island, and what followed.

Evan’s dream is to be an artist, it’s what he left the island, and his father’s iron rule, to become. Evan has a talent for football, and Charlie can’t understand why he doesn’t want to make a career of it.

Nor would Charlie understand Evan’s sexual preferences, if he knew, or the heartbreak of rejection that sent him out alone in bad weather: suicide by fishing boat. Maggie Keogh helps her son escape. But an aspiring artist has to eat, to live, so when Rafe, obviously wealthy and influential, propositions him, he acquiesces, only to be repeatedly used by different men of power. When that ends, football is his last resort.

Much later, Evan reflects: “I became a different boy than the one I was supposed to be. I wanted to be a painter. I wanted to be good. I wanted to love someone, and to be loved in return. But none of these ambitions came to be. I think, sometimes, there are people who are destined never to have anyone fall in love with them. It doesn’t matter what they look like, how they behave, how much money they have, how much kindness exists in their heart. The love of another person is simply never going to be theirs. There’s some aspect of them, something inherent, something indefinable, that makes people turn away. And I think I’m one of those people.”

Boyne gives the reader some wonderful descriptive prose: “the two of them laughing uproariously over some private joke, displaying their great white teeth and their glorious, unassailable privilege.” His characters, their flaws and failings, will resonate with readers, and the ending of this short piece is perfect.

While Evan, and some of the minor characters in this story, including the island off Galway, appear in Water, this one can stand alone. And as with Water, Boyne tackles a sensitive and topical subject, and manages, in less than two hundred pages, to really pack a punch.
This unbiased review is from an uncorrected proof copy provided by NetGalley and Random House UK Transworld.

I received an ARC of this book via netgalley. The second in his series of elemental books the main character seems to come from the same remote area off Ireland's coast as his last books main character.

Evan has escaped the confines of a small community. His journey to England has not been without it's trials due to his past history and his sexuality. He is a damaged soul in, what turns out to be dangeorus company. The book follows Robbie's and Evan"s trail for Rape and accessory to Rape respectively. It moves in a backward/ orward motion to examine how Evan's life has got to this point and it examines whether Evan is working within his own conscience or not.

Like many of John Boyne's book this is a gritty, powerful and ultimately realistic narrative that examines action and consequence in detail. It is a short but hard hitting novel and another success from a brilliant author

This was a very difficult read, but an incredibly interesting one. John Boyne has managed to capture the unreliable narrator, far-reaching problem with rape trials and flawed human nature in less than 200 pages, an awe-inspiring feat!

I had really wanted to read the first in this quartet of books, titled Water, but my application did not pan out. I love John Boyne's writing, and hence was delighted to be given an ARC of Earth - the second in the Elements stories - by the publishers and Netgalley.

The book did not disappoint. It deals sensitively with very serious topics, including allegations of sexual assault, as well as the impact of loneliness and secrecy.

Evan is a successful footballer who struggles despite apparent success. As a gay man in the beautiful game, he has now been caught up in something that is far from beautiful. Two footballers are in the dock for sexual misconduct, including a series of incriminating text messages, and while Evan knows the truth of what happened that night, the question is whether or not he will share that knowledge.

The true measure of character lies in the decisions we make in tough times and that is what Evan is about to discover. A powerful and sensitive examination of what makes a person who he is and the price he is willing (or not) to pay for that, this short novel is well worth checking out.

This is the second in the Elements series by John Boyne and it’s another brilliant book to add to your 2024 reading list! Earth follows Evan, a talented Irish footballer who grapples with his identity and the challenges of his life, including his traumatic past and the complexities of being a gay man in the world of football.

Another highly recommended and thought-provoking read by this accomplished author, I am now eagerly awaiting the remaining two elements, Fire and Air.

I can not thank Negalley and Doubleday enough for the chance to read this ARC.

I picked up Water late last year and read it in one sitting so when I saw that this was available to request I jumped at the opportunity. Needless to say I also devoured this in one sitting.

The plot, pacing and writing are just as good as Water and just as addictive. These short books keep you totally gripped from the second you start them. Earth, much like Water, deals with heavy topics of sexual abuse and mental health and they’re dealt with head on. There’s such a sense of loneliness and need for love and connection in this book, you can’t help but feel it at every page.

I definitely recommend this and can’t wait for the other two in the quarter to come out.

This is the second in the Elements series of four novellas from John Boyne. The first one Water was a great read and the second, Earth, is even better. John Boyne is one of Irelands foremost writers and I have no doubt this will also be a best seller for him. It tells the story of Robbie and Evan, both well known professional footballers who are on trial for rape and sexual assault respectively. It is a gripping read, and portrays how the lives of the accused change drastically when they are charged with a serious offence. The allegations force the men to take a hard look at themselves and the choices they have made that have led them to where they are, The courtroom scenes make for a harrowing read, they are horrific in places, especially when the victim is cross examined by counsel for the accused. The themes of misogyny, homophobia, privilege and abuse of social media are all featured in this story.
I admit John Boyne is one of my favourite Irish authors, and I always look forward to his books. This is no exception, it is beautifully written and packs a punch. It does echo a recent well reported trial in Northern Ireland which generated a lot of conversation about the patriarchy and its effects.
Thank you to NetGalley and penguinrandomhouse.co.uk for the ARC

Earth is the second book in the Element series by John Boyne. But is not a continuation from Water. It is different story from the previous one.
Evan Keogh has left his home on a small Irish island of the West coast of Island, and he is now a professional footballer and is gay. He left the island to get away from the stigma and start a new life. Easier said than done.
The story starts when is on trial for an accessory for rape. Where another player raped, and he filmed it and looked on. The story goes forward and back in time. The incident in his childhood that started the cogs turning to what he becomes in the present day.
Although this is another short story by John Boyne. This story packs a punch. Not only someone trying to find out his identity, but dealing with racism, rape and finding one’s own place in the world and to be loved. In parts it was an uncomfortable read but I still couldn’t stop reading anyway. This is a very emotional book that will leave you thinking about for many long hours after. 5 stars from me.

After reading Water, I was really eager to read Earth, but I'm struggling with my thoughts on this one. It definitely was a page-turner, as I wanted to know how it all ended,

It does cover some very difficult topics which makes for uncomfortable reading, and the characters are quite depraved, which makes it hard to feel anything for them. However, John Boyne definitely has a way with words and whilst the subject matter isn't pleasant, the writing was.

I only recently found out that this book is apart of a larger collection by Boyne, the Elements collection, of which I have already read “Water” and really enjoyed it. This book is set in the same world/timeline, with similar themes but entirely different characters.

Tackling the incredibly difficult subject of rape, I found this book compelling. It was hard to read in parts, and I had to take a break because of the nature of the story and the graphic, uncomfortable scenes. In saying that, I thought Boyne managed to write a very dimensional and flawed main character in Evan. While I didn’t agree with his actions or his reasoning, I still thought he was a complex character that was written well. An incredibly hard book, with difficult scenes and themes, but one that delivers on the premise and writes with the honesty this subject deserves.

This is the second novella in John Boyne’s series of the four elements.
It is narrated by Evan Keogh who we briefly met in the first novella. It can be read as a stand alone, but I like the way the elements are interwoven as are some of the characters.
From the first chapter we learn that he is now a famous footballer who is about to stand trial, accused of filming a young woman being raped by one of his teammates.
The story travels back and forth from when he arrives in London to escape his abusive father and to follow his dream of becoming a painter.
I felt such sadness and empathy for Evan as his story unfolded and read the book in one sitting. The earth theme runs throughout the book - John Boyne is so very clever and a superb writer.
I can’t wait to read the third novella and would like to thank Netgalley and the publisher for this arc in exchange for an honest review.

I loved "Water," the first novella in a planned series of 4 stories with titles of the four elements, so I was really excited to read the next in the series, Earth, and it did not dissappoint! John Boyne has not wasted words in this shorter, sparkier format and weaves a modern tale of descent into the depths of Earth bound hell. Evan is tormented with dreams about the smell and feel of damp, claggy earth of the island, a smell that won't leave his senses as he starts to bury himself in torture and lies.

The story follows Evan Keogh, the young man who could be a "professional footballer" who escapes the small Irish island he has grown up in, on the ferry one morning during "Water." This story works as a stand alone tale or as a companion to "Water." From the outset we know that Evan is in serious trouble, his gilded lifeas a footballer in tatters as he faces a trial as an accessory to Rape. The narrative delves back into Evan's life after escaping the island, the ways in which he had to degrade himself to survive and his fight for control of his life. Evan is a complex person, Boyne skillfully writes him as a sympathetic chracter who has suffered from a lot of emotional abuse at the hands of his father but Evan is also very self destructive and has dark secret desires that conflict with his "better self."

I read this is one sitting on Boxing Day whilst loaded with a cold and it was a total page turner and redeemed a day of cancelled plans and a wste basket full of tissues. Thank you. Mr. Boyne.

This sits well with Water, though I found Water a more engaging read. This also kept me engrossed but it felt more that I was reading it as a spectator, waiting to see what happened at the trial. Yes, it's graphic and hard to read but that all serves a purpose. The characters are really well done and I loved how everything tied together. A good read, a hard read but the topic is very well handled.