A thoughtful, honest, novel, the Boyhood of Cain is a splendid offering in the tradition of novels like Shuggie Bain and Jamie O'Niells, At Swim, Two Boys.


Following the childhood of Daniel, a painfully awkward, English boy from a dysfunctional family, this novel combines raw and searing emotion with contemplative and insightful pacing. The book manages to describe universally relatable elements of adolescence with a deft touch while also fully capturing the uniquely painful experience of growing up as an outsider.

Daniel is a wonderfully complex character. He’s shy but ambitious, he’s constantly torn between trying to live up to his internal ideals and longing for the charmed life of his schoolmates. At times he is unlikable, petty, shellfish, as we all are at times, and when growing up, especially.

Although the plot is what some would consider mundane, the author really taps into the overpowering scale of even quotidian events seen through a thoughtful child’s eyes. Teachers are fickle and powerful gods, friendships are sources of refuge but also fertile ground for jealousy, and our parents don’t always live up to our ideal of being a caregiver. While reading I felt emotionally invested in the nuances of Daniel’s life, but more strikingly I felt I was experiencing it, living it through the pages.


Immediately gripping, and wonderfully readable, I enjoyed every minute of this book and wished the end didn’t come quite so soon.