Earth is the second in John Boyne's Elements Quartet- following hot on the heels of the superb 'Water'.

This is the story of Evan - a young man striving to escape the world of his past and find his own freedom and identity ; but it's not that simple and the actions of one night and his presumed complicity in a sexual act leads to a downward spiralling of life.

Evan is a well-known professional footballer and gay and is accused of filming of the events of a sexual assault committed by a fellow player. The book is focussed around the court case and Evan's reflections back upon his past and the decisions he takes to move forward and survive..

This is a story about the need and desire to be loved and love and how the past can surprise/stifle/suffocate that instinct and feeling. The earth from which we come - our family - our roots- our home - builds that base and Evan's childhood and hidden sexuality has resulted in limited paternal loveland aggression and that natural instinct of being able to love is pushed deep within the earth.

Evan has a gift as a footballer but does not want to use it to the anger and chagrin of his father. When he' escapes' the island from where his family lives he wants to follow his dream to be an artist - but as the story proceeds his life takes a different and ultimately darker path.

The court case and details of Evan's life pull you in a multitude of directions- sympathy, empathy, moments of definite discomfort and a deepening feeling and sense of certainty that Evan is a victim of the life he has lived- but is he innocent of the crime that he is accused of?

John Boyne again challenges us as a reader to reflect upon the 'modern world' and lifestyle choices - the desire of many for fame, money , greed, control and their subsequent outcomes and the ever growing detachment felt by many that is disconnecting people from one another in so many ways. This is a book you will want to talk about and reflect upon- the denouement was certainly powerful-and no spoiler -again revealed how within the earth we can hide our darkest secrets.

This is a one seat read that will not allow you to breathe until the end
Highly recommended - a challenging and deeply thought provoking read

It's a slim book which I digested in one session, but what a seismic story. Like the first story in the trio, Water, social media figures large. This time two professional footballers are pilloried as they wait for their trial on sex offences involving a 19 year old girl.
John Boyne paints a picture of a cabal of young men, pampered, rich and hunting in packs for women. The women are crudely ranked and discussed on WhatsApp. Sometimes they are videoed,. The assumption is usually that they are lying when cases get to court, which is rare in itself. And we seem to think it's entirely normal.
The story is told from the perspective of Evan Keogh, one of the two young men. He fled an Irish island and became a footballer reluctantly became he wasn't original enough to be an artist. He had to prostitute himself for money and had traumatic experiences. He is now highly paid in a sport that rejects diversity (he's gay). He is under the thrall of straight team mate Robbie.
Regarded as effete by his father (who actually wouldn't know the word), Keogh is forced to look at his life so far and see if he is the man he wanted to be.
A sobering tale for our times. I couldn't stop reading.