I thought I would love this book ar the beginning, a story of 2 brothers, one biological and one adopted, however I found it dragged along, I skipped pages and pages to get to the end which in my opinion was an anticlimax. I respect the fact it was well written and very descriptive, I could easily picture the people, places, and environment.

The Boy from the Sea, Picador's lead fiction title for 2025, is an enchanting tale set in Donegal that gets under your skin in the best possible way. Full of gentle wit and wisdom, and using the narrative "we" voice of the fishing community it's set in, it brings the village and its inhabitants, as well as the mighty Atlantic Ocean to life.

Opening in 1973 and unfolding over two decades, it tells the story of a boy who is washed up in a fishing barrel on the beach. Named Brendan, he is adopted by fisherman Ambrose Bonnar, himself an outsider in the town, and his wife Christine. Brendan is an endless source of fascination for the town, much to the disgust of his older brother Declan, who sees Brendan as an interloper.

I loved that the book did not lean into old Catholic Ireland. Refreshingly, the sea was the real god of the town ("Our town's dominant religion required us to believe in miracles, but we didn't") with its community being a pragmatic, if occasionally superstitious, people.

I loved the relationship between Christine and her sister Phyllis, and the complexities and loneliness of caring for an elderly parent, as well as the insights into the tough lives of fisherman at sea as they navigated the challenges of EU fishing quotas and rapidly advancing modernity in shipping, with one foot in the past and one in the future.

Every time I picked up The Boy from the Sea it felt like I was stepping off life's treadmill and immersing myself in another world. If you enjoyed The Coast Road, Trespasses or The Colony, this is one to look out for. 5/5 stars

*Many thanks to Picador for the advance proof copy. The Boy from the Sea will be published in February 2025. One to bookmark!

In 1973, an extraordinary event unfolded in a Donegal coastal fishing town. A baby boy was found abandoned on the beach. The sight of the abandoned infant draws a crowd of townspeople, each captivated by the mystery surrounding the child.

Among them is Ambrose Bonnar, a robust fisherman known not only for his impressive stature but also for his generous spirit. Ambrose steps forward, instinctively offering to welcome the child into his family, including his beloved son, Declan, his devoted wife, Christine, and just up the lane, Christine’s sister, Phyllis, and their ageing father.

As the years pass, this child, now named Brendan, grows into a young man whose peculiar charm and charisma profoundly impact the community.

The Boy from the Sea intricately weaves together the stories of this family and their village, revealing how deeply interconnected their fates are.

The narrative spans two decades, chronicling the family’s fortunes that rise and fall in tandem with the townspeople’s collective experiences. Their much-cherished small-town life is threatened by the relentless tide of a global economy and the modernisation of commercial fishing, which disrupts their time-honoured way of life.

Although raised as brothers, Brendan and Declan could not be more different and often find themselves in conflict.

As themes of sibling rivalry and familial loyalty unfold, Ambrose is torn between his deep concern for his family’s future and the demands of his gruelling profession on the sea. Each day, he faces the harsh realities of his livelihood, often leaving him little time to nurture his children’s bonds.

As the world outside their small community continues to evolve at a rapid pace, the age-old mystery of Brendan’s origins looms more significantly than ever.

The Boy from the Sea is a remarkable debut novel showcasing the talents of a fresh voice in Irish literature. It is a gentle, steady read that captures the essence of small-town dynamics with an authentic perspective, intertwining humour and deep emotion in an atmospheric, multilayered story that resonates long after the last page is turned. 4.5⭐

Many thanks to the publisher for kindly providing me with an advance copy both via NetGalley and in print. As always, this is an honest review.

When a baby is found by the sea in Donegal, on the north west coast of Ireland, the child is taken in by a young fisherman and his wife. They adopt the boy, call him Brendan and bring him up alongside their small son, Declan. The story follows Brendan and Declan's stories and that of their parents, set against the brooding backdrop of a landscape almost cut off from the rest of the world. As the children grow up, what emerges is one of those quiet and satisfying tales of family life - with joy and heartbreak, conflicts and misunderstandings - told from the various viewpoints of the characters through an eavesdropping voice of a villager acting as a narrator.
An astonishing debut, haunting and gentle, with well-drawn characters and atmosphere to make the reader feel part of the community in which Brenda and Declan are growing up,
Thank you NetGalley and the publishers for an advance reader copy of this novel.

What happens when an ordinary town encounters an extraordinary event? A baby is found in a barrel, abandoned on the beach of an Irish town. There is much excitement in town about this discovery and varied opinions are exchanged from mystical to some calling it a sign from the sea. The baby captivates the town, but like most extraordinary things the novelty wears off after a while. He eventually is adopted by a fisherman named Ambrose Bonnar and the rest of the story follows the life of Ambrose and his family and how this decision impacts them and those around them for years after.
This is a captivating, layered and atmospheric read that captures life in a fishing town beautifully, and I think it will garner a lot of attention next year. Thanks to Netgalley and Picador books for an advance copy, I loved it!

Slow paced but thought provoking novel set in a small Irish fishing community. I enjoyed reading this book and felt it captured the intensity, claustrophobia and isolation of a small village where everyone knows everyone. Highly recommended.

An absolute delight of a book. The primary characters are witty and charming, and the local community are funny and spot on. The writing is superb, the plot was completely captivating, and each character's depth and connections were expertly portrayed. This book will stay with me for a long time.

Beautifully descriptive tale of growing up in a fishing community in Ireland. An amazing thing happens to the small town when a baby is found seemingly washed up on the beach. Ambrose seems to instantly fall for the tiny boy and persuades his wife Christine that the should look after him as a brother to their own young boy. It’s gently written which conceals real hardship and pain and jealousy.

Having heard so many positive reviews about this book on Twitter I decided to ditch my current Read and Dive Straits into the boy from the sea.
I was not disappointed in the story of Ambrose, Christine, Declan and The Boy from the Sea - now more commonly known as Brendan.
When he is discovered, the town folk take it in turns to foster him for a night or two until Ambrose steps in, whereafter Brendan lived with the Bonnar family permanently.
Family dynamics, town chat and interest, and a deep insight into the fishing community of Donegal are all at play in this wonderful book.

I really enjoyed this story and it gives a great insight into Irish community life, the highs and lows of daily life, family difficulties and joys.

Thanks to #NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book ahead of publication in exchange for an honest review.

A wonderful book giving an insight into the lives of Irish fishermen. The characters are strong & compelling with a hint of darkness alongside suggestions of gentleness & compassion. It is well written and from the perspective of the village as a whole. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

This book was very descriptive and full of vividness. A boy trying to find his place in life on an island full of suspicions. At times funny, bittersweet and other times heart wrenching, I was engrossed in the characters and the plot.

You could relate to a village or narrow minded people who were easily led or swayed by other opinions. A challenge to fit in when you want to be different.

Worth a read!

A beautifully written perceptive insight into family dynamics. The reader is treated to the full range of human emotions as a baby is taken into a small fishing community in Donegal and that community gradually learn to adapt and accept changes, each in their own way. There is rivalry and resentment, love and loyalty, suspicion and quiet acceptance. Despite the poverty and hard grind of the work in harsh conditions, there are moments of humour too. The writing just flows with emotion.

You can almost smell the sea and the fish in this tale of a fishing town on the western coast of Ireland. A child appears from nowhere, and the town are eager to attribute him a status of myth and mystery. At first he is a shared responsibility, and then taken on in a family with divided loyalties. The town is indeed like one extended family, quick to believe gossip, but also to rally round in times of trouble. Everyone knows your business, and sometimes more than you yourself. The vernacular of the narrative, spoken from one of the community, is sometimes difficult to understand, yet it adds to the feeling of location. People stay and people leave, and this defines them as different.
The Irish novel has a definite identity, and hardship as well as humour are a big part of that.

A baby is found on the shoreline, apparently having been floating in a barrel. Taken in by people in a remote fishing village, the boy eventually ends up with a family who have one child and have been unable to have any more. The husband is keen to keep him, so the wife agrees.
Rumours start to spread - is he the illegitimate son of the husband? Who might the mother be?
As the boy grows up, he shows odd characteristics, unlike his 'brother'. Jealousies and suspicion start to put a strain on family and village life.
Will they find out where the baby comes from? How did he come to be on the shore? What will happen to the family?

The story of how a family copes when everything changes.

An absorbing and delightful tale of life in a quiet Irish fishing town and the relationships of its inhabitants.
A baby boy is found, abandoned, in a barrel on the riverside. One local family adopt the child and the story of his growing up, and how it affects the people around him, starts to unfold.
His father adores him, his mother loves him but his brother hates him.
The townsfolk decide he has powers of blessing and regularly ask for him to speak with them.
He grows into a slightly withdrawn teenager and the mystery of his appearance and visionary abilities begin to lose interest for the people around him.
Alongside the narrative of his family there is much descriptive writing about the changing seasons and occurrences in the daily lives of the neighbourhood.
I felt that there was no specific outcome or conclusion to the story - it is simply a well written depiction of everyday life, and how relationships between friends and family can develop or decline.

Unfortunately I was unable to finish this book. I was reading it on my Kindle and the download caused the Kindle to seize up.

A slow paced, character driven beauty of a book giving an insight into life on the west coast of Ireland.. A baby is washed up in a barrel in the sea off Donegal. Ambrose and his wife, Christine adopt the baby and bring him up as their own. But troubles lie ahead as Declan, their natural son, grows to resent the incomer Brendan.

I loved this book. It is a slow paced read but the language is wonderful and the character building is second to none. Every character is as complex as people are in real life. There is no stereotyping here, no seeing things in black and white. Everything is grey and ambiguous. Even as you hate some of the characters, Christine's father and sister are particularly hard to like, you understand why they are the way they are. I also loved the descriptions of fishing. Well, maybe loved isn't quite the right word because they left me feeling squeamish but they are admirable in their detail.

A superb book. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

The Boy From The Sea by Garrett Carr is a beautifully told story set against the rugged backdrop of Ireland's west coast. Beginning in 1973, the discovery of an abandoned baby on a beach shook the tight-knit fishing community. The child, named Brendan, is adopted by fisherman Ambrose Bonnar, and as he grows, he continues to captivate the town with his enigmatic nature. Yet, Brendan’s arrival is not without consequence, as it ignites a lifelong rivalry with Ambrose's biological son, Declan, and brings joy and heartache to Ambrose’s wife, Christine.

Spanning two decades, the book explores the complexities of family dynamics, sibling jealousy, and a father’s struggle to reconcile his life at sea with the challenges at home. Brendan remains a mystery throughout, and his presence becomes a focal point for the community, who look to him for answers as they face a rapidly changing world.

Carr's writing is delicate and thoughtful, capturing the ebb and flow of village life. The use of an unknown narrator adds an interesting layer to the storytelling, guiding readers through the highs and lows of the Bonnar family’s journey. Though the book unfolds gently, it is rich with emotional depth and reflection. Themes of identity, belonging, and the inevitable tensions within families are masterfully woven into the narrative, making this a deeply affecting read.

The Boy From The Sea may be slow-moving, but it is a novel to be savoured. Its quiet power lingers long after the final page. For those willing to invest the time, it offers a moving portrait of ordinary lives shaped by extraordinary circumstances. It is a brilliant debut that deserves to be celebrated for its elegance and insight.

Read more at The Secret Bookreview.

A gentle story about a fisherman and a fishing community. This book was raw and emotional, giving an honest insight into life by the sea.

A slow story, told by an anonymous narrator.

I could not decide what I thought of this novel - I read it in two sittings as I wanted to know what happened to the family but I did not really warm to any of the characters and found the telling of the story through the voice of the villagers commenting on what went on difficult.

The story centres around a mysterious boy found by the sea who is adopted by the Bonner family and the village as a whole. The family live a hard life by the sea - Ambrose is a fisherman and the family financially struggle throughout the boys’ childhoods.

The novel looks at the impact of Brendan joining the Bonner family - the older child, Declan cannot understand his father’s decision and hates his ‘brother’ - not helped by the fact that Brendan is different, drawn to those on the outside of the community and revered by the village as a whole.

Christine - the wife - tries to hold the family together while trying to escape the influence of a domineering father.

Ambrose loses his boat and has to find work in England leaving the teenage boys without his guidance. Each has to find his way and find a way to live together.

Themes of isolation, belonging, identity and community are developed in the novel. The claustrophobic atmosphere of a small Irish village - dominated by religion and superstition - is beautifully described.

An interesting read.