I hate to say it but I didn't enjoy this book. It felt really disjointed as vignettes of the characters are spliced into the mnarrative with no context or warning and there were a lot of "stereotypes" which made the characters feel not quite real. At the start we are introduced to Misty, a young woman who does cam work for "benefactors", her primary client being an American southern ( fried) good ole boy. Misty goes to a party and alleges she has been sexually assaulted by three young men. The setting is Belfast and the three mothers of the boys, despite being from different social classes, use everything in their power to protect their sons and so battle begins with Misty, who also has strong parents to champion her.

A Greek chorus of contemporary Northern Irish motherhood that reminded me of Megan Abbott’s writing in how it dissects relationships and class structures. Given that I read it after watching Jack Thorne’s drama Adolescence on Netflix, I also found it incredibly timely in the context of UK discussions around boys and the parenting of boys. I loved how the style afforded us insights into multiple perspectives, including perspectives difficult for me to share, like Frankie’s. I’m planning to seek out Erskine’s earlier short story collections now!

In The Benefactors, the lives of three very different women from Belfast are drawn together as their teenage sons are accused of sexual assault. Through their perspectives and the perspective of the victim, and a series of vignettes around characters on the peripheries, we see the lengths family will go to to protect, and seek justice for, their own.

Wendy Erskine is as always a razor sharp writer, capturing situations in an unflinching manner. Here she takes a dark event and draws us in by revealing the backstories of the different characters, giving a sense of humanity to all involved, and through the multiple perspectives showing us the effects not only on the victim and perpetrators but also on all those around them. The many perspectives and voices weighing in throughout this novel seem to reflect this sense of the many viewpoints on a given situation; those looking on knowingly from the inside, those judging rashly from the outside.

As the short alternating chapters of the story unfold, the pieces of the puzzle slowly come together. The build up is slow, revealing to us where the characters are coming from in the choices they end up making. The characters are flawed, many of them unlikable, but as the story develops we understand them better. Miriam was a standout character for me, who I cared for and whose back story I felt invested in. Misty’s father Boogie was another character whose story I really enjoyed following. And yet there is a coolness, an aloofness to the overall tone of the book, offering some distance as we observe the events around the situation, and not providing us with all the answers. At the heart of this story is a nuanced exploration of the relationship between children and their parents, and a look at class divides. Excellent writing as always, and a unique structural approach to telling the story.

The benefactors follows - amongst many other characters - the three mothers of a group of boys who have been involved in a sexual assault, and chronicles the subtle ways in which the assault affects their lives and the way they view their sons. Subtle is key here, this is much more a novel of 'the things left unsaid', than a confronting or highly emotive story, and is probably much more accurate in capturing the nuances of a parents genuine reaction to finding out their child may have committed a sexual assault. I found it fascinating and quite unexpectedly gentle and tender in places, however I also found it incredibly hard to track whose point of view I was reading from as it changed throughout the novel, particularly with the first person narratives where it became very difficult to work out who was talking until the end of their 'chapter'.

Wow, what a book. Love the look at society and social class within the plot. A story and plot that captures your attention and gets your attention.
Everyone will gain something from this book. A most read.

I don’t like to mark this as low stars as there is great potential for a really great story but I struggled with how the plot and characters jumped about, I read this as an e-Arc on NetGalley and maybe it’s the format of the e-arc and perhaps I’m hard copy the character change maybe more distinguishable. We essentially follow the story of Misty who has been sexually assaulted by 3 boys at a party, we also read the perspective of the boys’ mothers however scattered in between are these random pieces of first person narrative which I found so confusing and I couldn’t work out who was speaking. If the story had just stuck to Misty and the mothers it could have been great. I’m also baffled by the title of the book - The Benefactors is essentially “Only Fans” but has very little to do with the plot. If you are going to read this one then read in hard copy!

I liked the plot, theme and original concept of the book but the writing felt too chaotic and hard to follow. Characters switch in a paragraph with no warning and it's often discombobulating to read. There's also a lot of sections that felt too bigged down with minor details.. The book felt too disordered in part and I'd keep having to switch where I was and try to work out who was narrating.

The lives of three Belfast women intertwine - Frankie, a care home kid now living a life of luxury. Miriam, recently widowed and Bronagh a charity worker. Their sons sexually assault a young girl and the crime is attempted to be brushed under the carpet.

There is enough here for a powerful read, but sadly this isn’t it. The first person narrative has been done to death but for my money only Anne Enright can do it with any verve or wit. It’s pitched as a state of the nation novel, but the narrative isn’t clear enough to follow. The writing is too opaque, figurative to actually inform the reader what is going on.

I would also draw attention to the characterisation in the novel. The women - although with ulterior motives - are seen as cold, driven, unhappy. The only real male character in the novel is Boogie (a taxi driver, the mother of Misty, the girl who is sexually assaulted). His depiction is pure poverty porn. Plus Misty does camwork as a sideline and the concept of misogyny, with regard to sex work and male violence is muddied. Misty’s main client is an American. And although we could all throw shade at America, his depiction is pure Southern fried cliche.

It’s a novel of caricature, obscurity and coldness. It’s published by Hodder And Stoughton on June 19th and I thank them for a preview copy. #thebenefactors.

I’ve been a big fan of Wendy Erskine’s short stories and wondered how her talent for creating vivid characters and sharp scenarios would play out in a longer form. Brilliantly, is the short answer.
The Benefactors is a cacophony of voices and characters. It takes a while to work out who is who and how they fit together, but it emerges that these lives are brought together by an 'incident', when three boys who sexually assault Misty, who is from a very different background to them.
Structural and gender inequality is threaded through the stories that emerge, to lesser or larger degrees, but each of Erskine’s characters is brought to life with empathy. It’s a phenomenal read. I’m not mad keen on the cover, but it’s a fantastic portrayal of real lives, legitimised abuse (hello Only F*ns) and human mistakes. I now want to read it all over again. All the stars.

I found this a hard read, not because of the subject matter but because of the way it seems to jump around with no context about where we are or who is there. It's very disjointed and although I enjoyed the writing I felt that it was hard going for most of the time and every time I was involved in what was happening, there was a jump to someone else, another place or whatever. That might just be the way I read, as I maybe read too fast and should slow down, but it seemed difficult to follow for much of the time.

Wendy Erskine’s stories of Belfast bring the reader to places and situations off the beaten track, using vivid and compelling writing.

As a person who favours the short story over the novel, I felt, as in the case of Louise Kennedy, also, that the energy required to write a novel would have been better spent on short stories.

Still, in both cases, the novel attracts more readers and more attention.

ButErskine’s writing is as skilful as ever and many of the characters, especially Misty, are fascinating to follow.

Plotwise, the novel lays out, unhurriedly, the foundations for a sexual assault by three relatively well-off young men on a less-privileged young woman.

Despite the major talent on display, though, the number of characters makes it hard to keep track at times. And the mysterious, short first person interludes by unidentified only compounds this problem.

But the pace intensifies as the book progresses and it’s a very good read overall.

What a brilliant read!
I have read and really liked some of this authors short stories but this is next level. The writing , throughout , is mesmerising and I genuinely could not put this one down. An original take on a story , we know so well after a young woman is sexually assaulted by several of young men at a party.
Despite the subject matter this book is often funny, always razor sharp and genuinely moving. It does demand your attention, there a cast of characters and the narrative switches between them frequently ( I am not sure if it was just the arc that had no demarcation between the narrative perspective or if this is the the style of the book?) but while it did not bother me, it may frustrate some readers.

I loved this- the class divide, the wealth divide, the way the characters parented. The characters were so real. The pacing, the plot, the setting, the dialogue, all so perfectly captured.

I really hope Erskine is already writing her next book, I cannot wait to read it.

4.5-5 stars.

Wonderful. Was big fan of Wendy Erskine's short stories so very much looking forward to this. Has all the character and edge of the stories but with a broader gaze. Only slight drawback was the vast number of characters to try to keep up with.

‘The Benefactors’ is a very clever exploration of why people make the choices and judgements they do alongside why their experiences make them the characters they are. A relatively simple plot – a working class girl presses charges when she is sexually assaulted by three middle class boys at a house party and the boys’ mothers try to exonerate them – is at the centre of Wendy Erskine’s novel. However, Erskine’s use of multiple narratives is far from straightforward and allows the reader to appreciate that snap judgements are seldom wise.

For example, Misty, the girl who is assaulted makes money on Bennyz, a chat room with ‘benefits’. However, she’s not naïve and she’s not taking off her clothes. She knows that, ‘Unless you want to end up with a bunch of old sleazes you shouldn’t call yourself Becki-Lee, Heidi-Kym, Layla, Lacey – or Misty. Right from the beginning she has just wanted a few people who are nice and kind of classy … She calls herself Elizabeth Barrett Browning.’ Funny as well as sad! And Misty was certainly not ‘asking’ to be attacked on the night in question.

Ironically, Frankie, one of the wealthy mothers determined to rescue her son from infamy, was brought up in a children’s home and, in the past, resorted to desperate measures herself as she fought for a better life. And the other women have their issues too.

Misty’s adopted father, her sister and her nan – and even her flaky mother – are just as determined as the three entitled mothers to protect their own in a town where everyone’s business is well-known. How will it all end?

This is a great read which champions the importance of knowing that you are seen and loved. Enthralling, thought-provoking, moving and often funny. Highly recommended.

My thanks to NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton, Sceptre for a copy of this book in exchange for a fair review.

I struggled through 'The Benefactors' from beginning to end.

The writing style felt uncomfortable and erratic with the lack of punctuation and unclear movement between multiple perspectives.

I didn't feel anything for the characters and couldn't visualise them or the setting. THE 2* are for the plot, which I thought was the best part of the novel.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC.

I enjoyed the first few pages - the characters were intriguing and I was hooked. Then that character was dropped and we moved on to someone else. Fine I thought - I can cope with more than one character. But then it happened again, and again. It may be that the formatting on my early reader copy is not the finished product but some of these switches happened mid paragraph so I was thoroughly discombobulated. I am afraid that I backed away.

I was very enthusiastic about it initially, meeting feisty Frankie who grew up in care and married a wealthy man. But the plot became quite convoluted with several different timelines. The writing became urgent and frantic, probably deliberately, with the story revolving around 3 powerful women defending their sons. I didn't feel as invested as I hoped.

Wendy Erskine's debut novel, following collections of short stories which were extremely well received, has a lot of expectation upon it. The Benefactors tells the story of a young woman subjected to a sexual assault by three boys, whose mother's narrate here. The shifting view points provide distinct voices and styles, even as the narratives begin to overlap in subject matter and events. Erskine keeps tight control of her subjects, and the writing is fantastic. This is a fine debut novel, one that will certainly bring her new fans. Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for the ARC.

The Benefactors follows Frankie, Miriam and Bronagh who are all mothers to 18-year-old boys. Frankie grew up in care but is now married to an older man. Miriam lost her husband and Bronagh is the CEO of a children’s services charity. All 3 women’s sons are accused of sexually assaulting, Misty Johnston but Misty has Nan D and her father Boogie looking out for her.

The writing style of this wasn’t great for me. I found it hard to keep up with all the POV’s in this and I just think the idea behind this was better than the story. It just didn’t do much for me. That said, I would recommend this for readers who like this authors other work and people who enjoy Irish novels.
Comment

Anyone who has enjoyed Wendy Erskine's previous short stories from Stinging Fly and Picador will enjoy this more sustained visit to an enigmatic community of very different people. Miriam, Frankie and Bronagh, three women from contrasting backgrounds, face the consequences of their teenage sons' actions at a party, while Misty, the young woman at the centre of it, struggles to find her place in the world after school while her useless mother, devoted stepfather and outrageous Nan D (the standout character of the book - imagine an Irish version of Catherine Tate's Nan character but with even more swearing) attempt to find justice in a system they know to be rigged against them.

Framed by a polyphonic chorus of voices from the neighbourhood, reminiscent of Jon McGregor's 'Even the Dogs,' some of the stories intersect with the lives of the main characters, and some of them are gloriously random. Dry, salty and recognisably grounded in the hinterlands of suburban midlife and adolescence, Wendy Erskine's is certain to be one of the top books of the year.