This is extremely fine writing from Garrett Carr. I really felt part of the coastal community so very far away from city life. I especially loved the witty updates on community life littered through the story.
It's really wonderful storytelling about mostly selfish people I didn't especially like, with the exception of Brendan, the boy from the sea.

Thanks to Pan Macmillan and NetGalley for the pre publication digital copy of this book, in exchange for an honest review.
One thing I really liked about this novel was that the narrator is the village population, this gives a different twist on the story telling. I enjoyed the gentle nature of the tale, the manner in which characters are shown simply whilst also in depth. I loved the unfolding of the story, the slow nature of the village reflected in this. Family dynamics are explored well, portraying in a true to life way the emotions and feelings of love, loneliness, grief, loss, the drudge of life, the kindness of small communities, the highs and lows. I cared about the people and what would unfold for them, always the measure of a good book for me. I did think the ending was a bit too sudden and gentle, but overall a satisfying read.

This was a gorgeous read. Reading its descriptions of Ireland and Irish people was so evocative. It was such a touching story. I will be recommending this to everyone

We are in a small fishers’ community in rural Ireland. The nature is wild and life is hard…and good.
Told by an unnamed local, this story tells the life journeys of two boys; Brendan and Declan.
Bonnar and Lyon families.
Carr’s a master at his craft; how he composes the most intricate but crucial details of this community and these boys’ lives is fascinating.
I have come to the conclusion that such a quiet but poignant story can only be compelling if told as such.
The characterisation and plot are in the details. The sailing from one period to another is done beautifully, and the specific hardships the community in the novel face are authentic. As for the more universal aspects of life; family dynamics, sibling rivalries, seeking of parental approval, finances and decisions, I can say the same; all read absolutely realistic and tender.
The pacing and the minimal action are good fits for this story. Although I enjoyed it as a whole, perhaps it could be slightly shorter.
4.5 stars

The Boy from the Sea by Garrett Carr .

Two boys growing up as brothers , but one a founding from the Sea .
Declan , the true son of Ambrose and Christine , is wildly jealous of his brother , who they named Declan .
They grow up in a fishing village in Ireland. The author really manages to draw you into the story and you get taken along in the growing up ( both physically & mentally ) of the boys and the greater community.

A great story of sibling rivalry. The boy from the sea was loved by his adoptive parents, but always resented by the son of the family. There are wonderful descriptions of fishermen's experiences at sea.

A good read, with a gentle pace, that just felt a little bit lovely.
The narration worked really well, it was at times funny, and spot on with its observations of life.
Ambrose was the beating heart of the story, and definitely the star for me.
Not a book for those who want pace and action, but definitely a book to enjoy for its quieter moments.

What a quietly wonderful piece of writing The Boy From The Sea is.
For a debut novel, it is so beautifully written and put together that it is hard to believe it is the work of a first-time author.
The four main characters, Ambrose, Christine, Declan, and Brendan are so deftly described and so believable.
Their story is not one of great drama, other than Brendan's beginnings, as, literally, the boy from the sea, but the unfolding of their family tale is deeply engrossing.
The community which surrounds and watches the family, always referred to as "we" is woven through the lives of the Bonnars and we learn, through casual, throw away lines, how life ebbs and flows within this town where fishing is the heart of all that goes on.
The writing is frequently lyrical, sometimes melancholic, and yet often slyly amusing.
It is one of the best books I have read in a long time and will live long in my memory.
It will be a pleasure to recommend it to others, and I can imagine it as a great Book Club read.
Garrett Carr is an author to watch out for in future, if this impressive debut is anything to go by.
Thank you to NetGalley and Picador for an earc of this title in return for an honest review.

A gentle tale, looking into the lives of the fishing community in the Donegal area of Ireland. A baby boy, later named Brendan, is found abandoned and shortly afterwards adopted by Ambrose and Christine Bonnar, as a little brother for their son Declan. The story is narrated by an unnamed local man, familiar with the customs of the area, giving it perspective. It’s a moving, at times raw, novel cleverly put together giving an insight to a world where people have different priorities but a strong sense of family and friendship.

A most interesting read and my thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for this ARC publication in exchange for a personal review. Well worth reading, even if it’s for the scenery, but delving beneath the minds of the Donegal people, stimulates the senses from the start.

Lovely story of two boys growing up in a fishing village in Ireland. Declan the real son of Christine and Ambrose and Brendan who was adopted by them after Ambrose found him in a barrel as a tiny baby wrapped in tinfoil in the sea.
The story shows the hardship this family faced in the fishing village and the boys never got on there was so much jealousy mainly from Declan he hates to see his dad Ambrose showing any affection or attention to Brendan.Ambrose doesn’t really understand the boys relationship as he treats them both the same as his sons.
After lots of upsets the boys do come good
I really enjoyed the simplicity of this story could feel myself becoming part of this family
Thanks to net galley and picador books for enabling me to read this novel.

Gently written book which serves to underscore the harshness of life depicted in a town completely centred around the tough realities of commercial fishing. The always fractious relationship between two brothers is consistently maintained as the boys develop and change as they get older and with the reader’s sympathies moving with them. Clever narration throughout the story highlights the rhythm of life and neatly moves the story on over the years.

The discovery of a child in a barrel lined with tinfoil in 1973, enthrals the small coastal town where the Bonnars live. Christine and Ambrose’s two-year-old is put out by the sudden appearance of this baby his parents seem so interested in, refusing to accept him as his brother when they adopt him. As the boys grow up, Brendan yearns for Declan’s acceptance, taking to wandering off and administering ‘blessings’ to the town’s less fortunate when it’s not forthcoming, while Declan seethes at tiniest example of favour from their father towards Brendan, insisting on joining Ambrose at sea despite having no wish to be a fisherman. Over the years, the family’s financial fortunes decline until a decision must be made.
Garrett Carr knows how to spin a captivating story, peppering his narrative with wryly humorous observations, while exploring themes of family ties, community and financial hardship against the background of an industrialising fishing industry. His characters are memorably drawn - Christine is the lynchpin of the Bonnar family while Ambrose is its vibrant heart, full of stories and plans, not quite understanding this scratchy relationship between the two boys both of whom he thinks of as his son. A thoroughly enjoyable, immersive novel which left me wanting more from Carr.