I found this story to be absorbing but very harrowing which made it quite uncomfortable to read and also covered a lot of topics which some readers may find triggering - rape, abuse, sexual abuse...

Although I did find it absorbing and the main character an interesting one - a footballer who doesn't like football - I did find it a bit difficult to follow and some of the instances within it didn't come across as believable. Perhaps if I'd read the other book which comes before this it would have been better... but as a standalone, it's harrowing.

The first book in this collection, Water, is set on an island off the west coast of rural Ireland. It is a portrait of a woman struggling with her own past and it is both powerful and heart-rending. A moving story of change, acceptance and renewal, I absolutely loved it.

One of the characters in Water with whom Vanessa interacted was Evan Keogh. Evan is the central character in Earth. He is a hugely talented professional footballer who has no real interest in the game, but does it because he sees nothing else that he could do equally as well. He wanted to be an artist, but his father, a rabid football fan, would countenance nothing else for his son. So Evan escaped the island as much to escape his bullying father and his own past as anything else. Boyne writes fluently and expressively about the expectations the island places on its sons, especially Evan, the island’s sporting protégée.

Evan is the central character in Earth and when we meet him he and another footballer are on trial for sexual assault in England.

Boyne leads us through Evan’s choices once he leaves the island, not all of them good by any measure. Evan has spent his life on the island hiding his sexuality and failing to live up to his domineering father’s expectations. As a result, he feels neither loved nor understood and his one liaison on the island leaves him deeply unhappy.

So leaving for London, he is easy meat for those who would exploit his youth and his sexuality and for a while his life is financially good but emotionally blank. Then he gets into darker territory and for his own safety he has to find another way. For Evan, the game he dislikes, but it so talented at, provides an answer to staying solvent.

As he stands in the dock, his sexuality still hidden under a cloak of invisibility, he has to reflect on how he ended up in this place and what he might have done differently.

Much of the trial is tough to read. The woman who has lodged the claim is harassed, demeaned and her motivation and sexual history are all challenged. It is no more than we expect from such trials, yet Evan’s perspective is unique and while his co-defendant is a sickening example of what privilege, fame and tabloid success can do to a young man, Evan’s motivation evokes a little more understanding, if not sympathy.

Earth is ultimately a story about love and redemption. John Boyne challenges us reflect on Evan’s choices – and how they have impacted on his life up to now. As he stands accused, he must make the most difficult choice of his life so far – one that will determine who he is and what becomes of him. His secrets are buried deep within the earth and the truth is shocking and revealing.

“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.”

John Boyne’s storytelling is revelatory and impactful. His sense of character is immaculate and he evokes strong feelings in the reader. The plot is harsh and evokes recollections of similar recent real life cases which resonate strongly. Boyne shows us how our choices can lead us to be bad actors but he handles it with an assured touch and with great understanding. The result is a tightly told, powerful story that brings out feelings of empathy and understanding about where and who we come from can fashion who we are and how we respond to the world.

Earth is ultimately a moving and impactful story of hope and redemption beautifully told with skill, sensitivity and compassion.

Although Earth is the second book in the Water, Earth, Fire, Air series by John Boyne it is the first that I have read.

Evan is a young footballer - he hates football but it has been his ticket to success and a life away from the Irish Island where he endured a miserable childhood with a father who physically and mentally abused him. The story opens with Evan waiting for his trial to start. He is being accused of being accessory to rape - a fellow team player and friend is accused or rape. The story encompasses the trial and its aftermath diving back into the past to look at events which have led up to this point.

Earthy, gritty, this is a devastating and very physical story. It is an uncomfortable read whether we are watching Evan’s Father hit him or witnessing the brutality of a sexual predator named ‘Sir.’ The character of Evan is powerfully drawn - there is a sense of him holding things back as though he has gradually retreated from himself over the years. He appears to be viewing the scenes in court as if from a distance, and the reader wonders whether he is such damaged goods that he has lost all sense of moral compass. Rather like the biblical Peter he is challenged to speak ‘the truth’ 3 times - by his Mother, a priest and the woman who has alleged rape..

The scenes in the courtroom are disturbing and in particular the interrogation of the woman who is questionned mercilessly and her credibility constantly undermined. The reader is in effect another member of the jury, trying to work out their own judgement - guilty or not guilty.

Personally I felt that the novel did not need as many references to ‘earth’ in the story..

There is such skill in creating such a powerful story in so few lines..and in the imagining of such fully fleshed characters and this is story which will leave something of a hangover! I look foward to the rest of the series!

With many thanks to Netgalley and Random House UK for my digital copy.

This is the second novella in the Elements quartet and follows Evan Keogh, a character we first met in Water. We join Evan as he is on trial as an accessory to sexual assault and the trajectory of his life since leaving the island is revealed.

In Water, the island is an imposing force, almost a character itself and although the story in Earth is set away from
the island, it’s presence and power is still felt as we witness Evan try to negotiate his new life away from it.

Abuse of power is a theme explored in Water and is continued here but this time John Boyne also tackles privilege, trial my media, treatment of sexual assault victims and the failings of our justice system.

Above all it is a deeply emotional story and I genuinely felt for Evan as he tried to make sense of the events in his life and the consequences which had led to his present situation. All Evan craves is to love and to be loved but he keeps falling prey to people who manipulate and take advantage of him for their own pleasure or gain.

It’s a powerful story which holds nothing back and will leave you with a heavy heart. I can’t wait to see what the next one has in store for us.

The next book, after Water, in the ‘four elements‘ set by John Boyne.

This one, about a gay footballer caught up in a sexual assault scandal with a 19-year old girl, is as compelling as the first book. I couldn‘t put it down and read it in one sitting (it is only short though!)

I don't know anything about this murky, tabloid underworld but I felt that there was one part that was slightly OTT, or even unnecessary to the plot. No spoilers here, but it was to do with something breaking - I'd be interest to hear what others think!

5★
“ ‘Watch your tone,’ he says quietly, and my nostrils fill with the smell of the loam, as they always do when I’m frightened or when I remember what I did that made me run away in the first place.”

Evan Keogh is a famous footballer (the code played around the world, aka soccer), something his father desperately wanted to be himself and then tried just as desperately to make his son play.

Evan’s dream was to be a painter, not on his controlling father’s farm on the tiny island of 400 people off the coast of Ireland. And even “the mainland”, Ireland, isn’t good enough. He took off to the real “mainland”, Britain.

He escaped to try his hand at supporting himself with his painting but realized that he is to art what his father is to football – mediocre, at best.

“The only thing that reappeared time and again in my work were images of soil, not the smooth, tilled land of the farm I was working on, but the rough, unploughed hills that led from the island port to my parents’ house. I was reared in the mud and the dirt, and it showed up repeatedly on my canvases, even when I didn’t want it to. But the earth is a part of me. The feel of it on my skin. The taste of it in my mouth.

It may be a part of him, but there was no way he was ready to go back. He’s gay, and deep in the closet on the island, so his only escape was mainland football after all.

“I couldn’t allow myself to return to the island. Not because I was afraid to admit failure but because I didn’t want to grow old with the eternal mud beneath my fingernails, dirt that would remain there stubbornly, no matter how hard I tried to wash it away.”

Now he’s a handsome, popular star who says his only trouble has been paying for his own drinks. Living the dream, right? But he’s in the middle of a rape trial, what could be called a typical football scandal, where his friend is accused, but he was a witness.

That’s what his father was ringing him about in the opening quotation. He always knows better, always offers advice. Evan is getting ready for court.

“I throw the phone on to the bed and take a long, hot shower, shaving carefully, then use the hairdryer to plump up my blond curls. I know how innocent they make me look, and I might as well take advantage of that. My face has a childlike aspect to it, making me appear younger than my twenty- two years. More innocent. If I wasn’t so well known in the city, I’d have trouble getting served in bars.”

Yes, he seems a bit stuck on himself, doesn’t he? Mostly, he’s trying to survive. He has a complicated relationship with soil, dirt, mud, earth, much as the main character in Water had with water.

The other recurring theme, if you like, is Father Ifechi Onkin, the Nigerian priest from the tiny island who befriended Willow (Vanessa) in Water. Neither she nor Evan are religious, but he tends his island flock anyway and turns up at Evan’s trial. Their conversation is revealing.

It seems hard to talk about Ireland without referring to religion. I think Boyne’s choice of a Nigerian priest is a great way to illustrate the changes that actually are taking place, in spite of the changes that refuse to take place. The priest says he, of course, will one day go back to Nigeria to be buried with his own people, just as Evan will one day. Evan insists he’s not going back.

But the book opens with Evan thinking about this very thing.

“I dreamed that I dreamed about the musty grey soil of the island and the sweet perfume it emits after rainfall, a double remove from a place I will never visit again. My mother explained to me once that the fragrance comes from a combination of chemicals and bacteria in the earth which form filaments when wet, sending spores of aromatic vapour into the air. We find the scent comforting, she told me, because we want to believe there’ll be a welcoming place for us one day, when we’re buried deep inside it.”

I never thought about it that way.

I’m now waiting for the third of the four novellas in The Elements collection because the first two are so good. In Boyne’s stories, two plus two always amounts to so much more than a mere four parts. I am willing to bet that these four stories will be something special.

Thanks to #NetGalley and Transworld Publishers for a copy for review of #Earth. We’re waiting, John.

John Boyne's storytelling is exemplary, it's so beautiful and deep. Analysis of human soul of every character always makes them unforgettable and vivid.

Another amazing story from John, the storytelling the visuals the characters is all so wonderfully written and linked I can’t wait for the next 2 parts, a master of storytelling, loved every page.

Earth
by John Boyne

The second instalment in John Boyne's Elemental series, Earth is connected to Water through the Island, which was the setting for the first, and the homeplace of the main character in this one.

We met Evan Keogh already, he has a peripheral role in Water, and having escaped the limited life the island offered, he is now a famous soccer player with Championship League team. But Evan is a reluctant footballer and his current success masks his inauspicious start in the UK, and now he is facing criminal charges for allegations of a sexual nature.

With echoes of a fairly recent rape trial that concerned the Irish rugby community, this is a multilayered story of privilege and power abuse, and as usual, Boyne isn't afraid to delve into the grey areas of morality. The shock of revisiting how polarising cases like these can be left me reeling.

The "earth" element didn't resonate with me as much as "Water" did for the previous novella, but the themes of the extent we'll go to as humans are just as strong.

I marvel again at how much Boyne packs into such a tight space and now I'm buzzing at the prospect of "Fire".

Publication date: 18th April 2024
Thanks to #NetGalley and #penguinrandomhouse for the ARC

#Earth is book #2 in the elements series and it didn’t disappoint. Can be read as a standalone too.

Earth is the gripping story of Evan Keogh, a famous footballer whose life drastically takes a different turn when he’s accused of a serious offence. Faced with these allegations, he’s forced to think about the man he has become and the events that led him there.

A beautifully written, emotional and thought provoking story.
I enjoyed this author’s writing style as it’s very readable even though some parts are harrowing. I thought the courtroom scenes are very powerful. The story pulls you in from the start with chapters alternating between past and present, of Evan’s life since he left the Island. I really felt for Evan has he told us his past story.
The story is beautifully woven together and the descriptions are just brilliant. The characters are all believable and come to life on the page.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I couldn’t put it down. It’s well worth a read. I look forward to the next book in the series.

With thanks to #NetGallery #RandomHouseUK for an arc of #Earth in exchange for a honest review.
Book publishes 18 April 2024.

John Boyne’s second book in his Elements quartet features footballer Evan Keogh, a young gay man who grew up on a small island off the west coast of Ireland. The same island that featured in the first novella 'Water', where Vanessa/Willow went to escape the world and lick her wounds. She and Evan left the island on the same day, she to re-enter the world and he to escape his father and the narrow world of the island, with a dream of becoming an artist.

When Evan discovers he doesn’t have enough talent to have a career as an artist, he falls back on the one special skill he does have, playing football. His father who dreamed of becoming a footballer, but didn’t have enough talent, instead refocused his dream on Evan as he was growing up, but it was one Evan didn’t share despite his outstanding talent.

Now a professional footballer, Evan is facing a court trial for his role in an alleged sexual assault by a fellow footballer on a young woman. Following the verdict, Evan must decide what is most important to him if he is to live his life as the person he wants to be. It’s a dark and gritty tale and one for our times, with issues around love, trust, power and betrayal in relationships. Sensitively handled through beautiful prose and descriptive passages, with the metaphor of Earth both tying us to the land, holding our memories and hiding our darkest secrets, this novella packs a big punch for a short book.

The main protagonist in Earth, John Boyne’s second novella in his Elements quartet, is Evan Keogh, last seen in the prequel, Water, leaving his island home off the coast of Ireland. Now he is about to go on trial for abetting a professional football teammate’s alleged rape of a young woman. Being paid to play football is many a young man’s dream. It is Evan’s father’s vicarious ambition for his son. But it isn’t Evan’s. Ironically, he doesn’t even like the game, he just happens to be supremely talented at it. Instead, Evan wants to flee his father’s overbearing presence and an emotionally scarring rebuff from a boy he erroneously considered to be much more than a friend, and seek his fortune, not with his feet, but with his hands as an artist.

In London, having to accept that he is good but not good enough to be a painter, Evan sells his body, but not his soul, to make ends meet, a character very focused on remuneration without compunction. Eventually swapping clandestine arranged assignations with powerful people for the equally private but infinitely more opulent, pampered, off-pitch world of a footballer, Evan is exposed to a different form of privilege and sense of entitlement, gratification without emotion, which ultimately leads to his trial and a pivotal moment in determining his future.

Although they share a theme of men abusing their positions in sport and society, I thought Earth was less enigmatic than Water, in which Vanessa has to deal with the fallout from others’ behaviour, whereas Evan can at least determine his own outcomes. And although Evan is very clinical in some aspects of his decision making, he also lives much of his life suppressing his aspirations, desires and sexuality in an attempt to gain affirmation.

This is a gripping tale about escaping circumstances and societal and parental pressures. It deals with issues of self-awareness, accountability, responsibility for actions that have consequences, and coping with rejection when acceptance is craved. The power of social media to make and break reputations is all too brutally portrayed.

Another page-turner of a read from John Boyne.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Random House for the opportunity to read and review an eARC.

I have never heard of the Elements series. I have no idea what it is, or how the stories are connected but I am going to find them! What a book! Well-written, a great story, absorbing, harrowing, it was brilliant. I hope the others in the series are not as upsetting though. I read this book in isolation so I believe you can pick up any of them as they are individual stories but somehow connected.

The protagonist is being charged with being complicit in a rape. He and his football-playing teammate are on trial. He did not participate in the rape but he filmed his teammate raping the girl. We have the backstory of how he became a footballer, how he is a gay footballer and the explosive finish. Great story.

An Intriguing read.
John Boyne has come up with a gem of a though provoking story. The central character leaves home, an Irish island as a teenager whos has difficulty coming to terms with his sexuality.. Further, he wants to paint, but doesn't have the talent. His talent is football and even though he has no real interest in the game and becomes a professional player.
He is a tortured soul, forever questioning his role in life. He is taken advantage of sexually from which he comes up with an agenda to survive.
Much of the story takes place in a courtroom where there are some tense interchanges.
I found that I was completely gripped by the book, so much so that I completed it almost in one session with just short breaks for refreshments, it's that good!

This is the second novella in John Boyne's planned quartet inspired by the elements, a dark and intensely harrowing look at contemporary issues, such as homophobia, toxic relationships, sexual assaults on women, and the problematic court trials that can follow. The gay Evan Keogh is a damaged soul who escapes his father and island home for England, with his dreams of becoming an artist and his love of abstract paintings, but lacking the talent. What he does have is a gift for football, a sport he feels indifferent towards. However, he ends up making considerable sums of money, with an exclusive apartment, when he becomes a player for Ireland and a Championship team, his best friend, Rob Wolverton.

What he did not expect was to end up in court, charged with accessory to rape, filming the act, but losing his phone. We are given a picture of the trial, attended by his and Rob's privileged parents, and the 19 year old woman, Lauren Mackintosh, a trial that digs deep into her personal history. We are given a glimpse of Evan's life in London, meeting Rafe, and his troubling time trapped with Sir, and how he ends up with a broken arm. The court verdicts come in, and Evan's life continues, can he rise above what he has done, shake himself free of the suffocating earth, the sins that have committed against him, the betrayals, atone for his lies and deceit, and become someone he wants to be?

Once again Boyne weaves his magic in the nuanced and authentic characters he creates, as he holds a mirror to the bleak horrors of our world, trawling through the darkness, the twists and turns, concluding with much needed hope and light. This might be a short read, but its impact, cast of characters, and quality of writing made this a stellar and captivating reading experience. Highly recommended. Many thanks to the publisher for an ARC.

Nothing disappears. Nothing is forgotten.
Everything we say or do these days clings to us forever.’

Earth by John Boyne will publish April 18th with Doubleday and is described as ‘an inescapably gritty story about one young man whose direction in life takes a vastly different turn than what he expected.’ It is the second book, from a series of four, by John Boyne that will make up The Elements. (Water, Earth, Fire and Air).

‘In November 2023, John published the first of a four novella sequence, Water (Nov ’23), which will be followed by Earth (May ’24), Fire (Nov ’24), and Air (May ’25). Together, the sequence will be titled The Elements. ( Ref: John Boyne website)

The first book in this collection, Water, is primarily set on an island off the west coast of Ireland, home to a small rural community. The central character is Vanessa Carvin, a woman escaping her home life and the situation she has found herself in. While on the island reflecting on her situation, Vanessa crosses paths with various other individuals. One of these is Evan Keogh, a talented but troubled young man, who is clearly not planning on remaining there for the rest of his days. In this second book, Earth, we join Evan as he faces a serious trial for sexual assault in the UK.

Evan left Ireland to escape the loneliness of his life. As a young gay man, growing up on a small west of Ireland island was a challenge. He struggled with his life choices but eventually decided that he had to leave his demanding and bullying father and follow his dream of becoming an artist. He had a magical boot but he had no love for football. He believed that he also had talent as an artist but, as time passed, it was clear that, in order to survive, he would have to use his innate footballing skills to pay the bills.

With the court case looming, we get an insight into Evan’s life up to this point and how he came to be in this shocking predicament. Evan made choices, some out of necessity and others for all the wrong reasons, but now he reflects on his past and has some major decisions to make.

Earth is similar in length to Water with an equally significant impact for the reader. Sexual assault is a tough theme to explore yet John Boyne handles it with a certain tact and understanding. The perspective of the accused is at times difficult to stomach with scenes that are quite harrowing to read. Evan Keogh has seen dark times and has made some very bad decisions, yet I was left with a certain unexpected empathy for him.

John Boyne is a top-class writer and his characters are always well plotted. Earth is a short read with little scope to flesh out each individual, as one would expect in a 300+ page novel, yet John Boyne gets behind the mask revealing the sadness and trauma that lies beneath.

Earth is a tale of redemption but it is also a shocking and powerful story. Evan Keogh is artfully depicted as a tormented soul who craves truth and happiness. His life is on a precipice and only he can decide his next move. John Boyne writes from the soul with words that dig deep. In Earth, we are exposed to a seedy underworld, a harrowing exposé, yet we also experience a small sense of hope. Like Water, Earth is another challenging and disconcerting read, it is a taut and affecting tale, and a marvellous addition to this collection.

‘I was six years old when I left the island for the first time, when my father and I took the boat to Galway and then a flight from Shannon Airport to England to see his favourite team play…All I wanted was to be home again, running around familiar fields with Cormac, my fingers mucky from the earth.’

When two high-profile footballers go on trial for sexual assault, a media frenzy ensues. In the dock are Evan Keogh and Robbie Wolverton. Evan reflects on his life and the events/choices that led him to where he is now.

Earth is the second John Boyne novella in his Elements series. Although harrowing at times, the writing is beautiful and pulled me in from page one. It deals with unpleasant themes exposing the more seedier side of life, yet there are glimpses of hope and redemption. An excellent thought-provoking read.

This is another unputdownable read from John Boyne. The writing moves along swiftly, yet depth emanates from every sentence. The characters are well-rounded and inspire empathy in the reader despite their deeds. It is a problematic topic, but Boyne handles it sensitively and believably as with the previous instalment.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC

Earth is the second instalment of John Boynes Elements quartet following the fabulous ‘Water’. Taking the character of Evan Keogh from the first book, we follow what happens to him once he leaves his traumatic life on the island and moves to England, Despite this book being just under 200 pages long, it certainly packs a punch and isn’t for the faint hearted. As a fan of John Boynes writing. I can only say that once again he has taken the reader on a rollercoaster of a ride and leaves them wanting more. The writing is outstanding and not a single word is wasted. I can’t wait for ‘Fire’ the next in the series. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC of this novel in return for an honest review.

John Boyne's "Earth" is the second instalment in his "The Elements" series, succeeding "Water". Both works share a common link: the origin of their stories on a picturesque Irish island. Although the protagonist of "Earth", Evan, makes a brief appearance in the previous volume, it is not essential to read "Water" beforehand in order to immerse oneself in this sequel. This time, it is Evan himself who takes the reins of the narrative, recounting his escape from the island in pursuit of his artistic dream, which surprisingly leads him to become a renowned international footballer.
The plot of "Earth" unfolds through a dual narrative structure: on the one hand, Evan introduces us to the rape and non-consensual recording trial he and his partner, Robbie, face, and on the other, he unravels the events leading up to that moment since his departure from the island. Boyne tackles a variety of profound and topical issues throughout the pages: from the pressure of parental expectations to homosexuality, prostitution, corruption, hypocrisy in the sporting arena, sexual abuse, toxic masculinity and judicial manipulation.
Despite the breadth and complexity of the topics covered in less than 200 pages, Boyne once again demonstrates his ability to handle them with impressive narrative dexterity. One of the novel's strengths is its brisk pace, a product of the intrigue generated by the trial and the desire to know its outcome. However, it is not without some weaknesses; I found certain aspects of the plot less convincing in comparison to the realism and coherence of the rest of the work.
Overall, Earth is a recommendable read that, while it does not provide a completely novel take on the issues it addresses, it does expose them in an engaging and fast-paced manner.
Many thanks to NetGalley, Random House UK, Transworld Publishers and Doubleday for providing me with a digital copy for review.

"Earth" de John Boyne es la segunda entrega de su serie "Los Elementos", sucediendo a "Water". Ambas obras comparten un nexo común: el origen de sus historias en una pintoresca isla irlandesa. Aunque el protagonista de "Earth", Evan, realiza una breve aparición en el anterior volumen, la lectura previa de "Water" no es imprescindible para sumergirse en esta continuación. En esta ocasión, es el propio Evan quien toma las riendas de la narración, relatando su huida de la isla buscando su sueño artístico, que sorprendentemente lo lleva a convertirse en un reconocido futbolista internacional.
La trama de "Earth" se desenvuelve a través de una estructura narrativa dual: por un lado, Evan nos presenta el juicio por violación y grabación sin consentimiento al que se enfrentan él y su compañero, Robbie, y por otro, desgrana los eventos que lo condujeron hasta ese momento desde su partida de la isla. Boyne aborda una diversidad de temas profundos y actuales a lo largo de las páginas: desde la presión de las expectativas paternas hasta la homosexualidad, pasando por la prostitución, la corrupción, la hipocresía en el ámbito deportivo, los abusos sexuales, la masculinidad tóxica y la manipulación judicial.
A pesar de la amplitud y complejidad de los temas tratados en menos de 200 páginas, Boyne demuestra una vez más su habilidad para manejarlos con una destreza narrativa impresionante. Uno de los puntos fuertes de la novela es su ritmo ágil, producto de la intriga que genera el juicio y el deseo de conocer su desenlace. Sin embargo, no está exento de algunos puntos débiles; ciertos aspectos de la trama me resultaron menos convincentes en comparación con el realismo y coherencia del resto de la obra.
En general, Earth es una lectura recomendable que, si bien no aporta una visión completamente novedosa sobre las temáticas que aborda, las expone de manera atractiva y con un ritmo trepidante.
Muchas gracias a NetGalley, Random House UK, Transworld Publishers y Doubleday por facilitarme una copia digital para su revisión.