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Lullaby
From the award-winning author of Genesis and August.
Rene’s twin brother Theo lies unconscious in hospital after a freak accident left him with massively disrupted brain function. There is hope, though. An experimental procedure—risky, scientifically exciting and ethically questionable—could allow him to gain a new life.
But what life, and at what cost?
Only Rene can give the required consent. And now he must face that difficult choice.
But first there is the question of Rene’s capacity to make that decision. And this is where the real story begins.
Bernard Beckett's Lullaby is a confronting story of love, loyalty and identity.
Rene’s twin brother Theo lies unconscious in hospital after a freak accident left him with massively disrupted brain function. There is hope, though. An experimental procedure—risky, scientifically exciting and ethically questionable—could allow him to gain a new life.
But what life, and at what cost?
Only Rene can give the required consent. And now he must face that difficult choice.
But first there is the question of Rene’s capacity to make that decision. And this is where the real story begins.
Bernard Beckett's Lullaby is a confronting story of love, loyalty and identity.
209 pages, Paperback
First published May 27, 2015
About the author
Bernard Beckett
20 books193 followersBernard Beckett, born in 1967, is a high school teacher based in Wellington, New Zealand, where he teaches drama, mathematics, and English. Genesis was written while he was in a Royal Society genetics research fellowship investigating DNA mutations. The book has already received international acclaim, including two literary prizes in Beckett's native New Zealand. Rights to Genesis have been sold in twenty-one countries.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews
October 20, 2015
This review appears on Happy Indulgence. Check it out for more reviews!
Lullaby is a deep, thought-provoking book that will have you questioning life. By presenting a highly ethical and moral dilemma where Rene has the opportunity to save his comatose twin, it asks the following questions:
What does it mean to be you? Is it our memories, our DNA or our body?
Would you take the chance to save the person you love if it meant wiping out their very being?
Would you sacrifice the uniqueness of you for the greater good?
These are all questions that Rene needs to consider, as he’s being interviewed by a therapist to consider whether he’s mentally sound to make this life-changing decision. Rene will slowly come to terms with his brother Theo being gone and describes their past and deep bond with each other. The two are actors, with Theo being the more charismatic, artistic and gifted one. Rene has often lived in his shadow, looking up to him, but he’s always been the more sensible and pensive one.
The therapist was completely unprofessional at times and lost her wits during the book, which had me confused. Why is she working there if she doesn’t support the research? It also showed just how manipulative Rene could be. There were also some questions that were left unanswered by the end of the book, and the ending was quite open-ended. I don’t think the book should be restricted to a YA audience, due to its impactful ideas.
The whole book is written in a really haunting and thought-provoking way, building the intrigue for a major twist towards the end of the book. Best read in one sitting, Lullaby will have you questioning life, ethics and morality.
I received a review copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Lullaby is a deep, thought-provoking book that will have you questioning life. By presenting a highly ethical and moral dilemma where Rene has the opportunity to save his comatose twin, it asks the following questions:
What does it mean to be you? Is it our memories, our DNA or our body?
Would you take the chance to save the person you love if it meant wiping out their very being?
Would you sacrifice the uniqueness of you for the greater good?
These are all questions that Rene needs to consider, as he’s being interviewed by a therapist to consider whether he’s mentally sound to make this life-changing decision. Rene will slowly come to terms with his brother Theo being gone and describes their past and deep bond with each other. The two are actors, with Theo being the more charismatic, artistic and gifted one. Rene has often lived in his shadow, looking up to him, but he’s always been the more sensible and pensive one.
The therapist was completely unprofessional at times and lost her wits during the book, which had me confused. Why is she working there if she doesn’t support the research? It also showed just how manipulative Rene could be. There were also some questions that were left unanswered by the end of the book, and the ending was quite open-ended. I don’t think the book should be restricted to a YA audience, due to its impactful ideas.
The whole book is written in a really haunting and thought-provoking way, building the intrigue for a major twist towards the end of the book. Best read in one sitting, Lullaby will have you questioning life, ethics and morality.
I received a review copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
July 22, 2015
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Wow. I think when most of us read young adult, we rarely expect to stumble across a new read that not only questions our own moral compass, but poses deep psychological questions of the reader by asking what we would do in the same position. It tells the story of identical twins Rene and Theo, both now eighteen and orphans from the age of twelve. Blowing apart the nature verses nurture debate, the two brothers are worlds apart. While Theo has always been popular, Rene is the quiet achiever and struggles socially, Theo having always come to his rescue. But now Theo lays unconscious after a tragic accident, brain damaged and the decision rests upon Rene as to Theo's fate.
Over the course of Lullaby, the reader is taken on a journey through the twin's life, from when their parents were still alive, up until the day prior to Theo's accident. Told from Rene's point of view, their lives are presented in a series of flashbacks while Rene talks to therapist Maggie to determine whether he is of sound mind to make the life changing decision. We experience Rene falling in love, Theo's downward spiral while dabbling in drugs and a new social scene, the guilt Rene feels towards his brother while he's being labelled the intelligent and sensitive twin, and Theo using guilt to his advantage. It's clear that while Rene feels emotions deeply, Theo was impulsive and only cared for his own needs, even at the betrayal of his own brother. Their relationship struggled to find middle ground in their latter years, but it's clear that Rene loves his brother and this is one decision not to be taken lightly.
It was incredible. The complexity of the storyline was nothing short of delicious and encouraged that deep, emotional thinking that is lacking in the majority of young adult novels. Even being a quick read, as the storyline develops it will keep readers on their toes. It left me questioning more than just what if, but the moral complications of Rene's decision should he go ahead and what it would mean for the experimental treatment that could be seen as playing God. Beautifully paced, the storyline builds upon stories of their childhood, while Rene still internally seeks Maggie's approval.
It played with my emotions, left me mentally exhausted and I loved every moment. An intelligent read for those who need more than entertainment, but to be challenged and asked the tough questions.
Wow. I think when most of us read young adult, we rarely expect to stumble across a new read that not only questions our own moral compass, but poses deep psychological questions of the reader by asking what we would do in the same position. It tells the story of identical twins Rene and Theo, both now eighteen and orphans from the age of twelve. Blowing apart the nature verses nurture debate, the two brothers are worlds apart. While Theo has always been popular, Rene is the quiet achiever and struggles socially, Theo having always come to his rescue. But now Theo lays unconscious after a tragic accident, brain damaged and the decision rests upon Rene as to Theo's fate.
Over the course of Lullaby, the reader is taken on a journey through the twin's life, from when their parents were still alive, up until the day prior to Theo's accident. Told from Rene's point of view, their lives are presented in a series of flashbacks while Rene talks to therapist Maggie to determine whether he is of sound mind to make the life changing decision. We experience Rene falling in love, Theo's downward spiral while dabbling in drugs and a new social scene, the guilt Rene feels towards his brother while he's being labelled the intelligent and sensitive twin, and Theo using guilt to his advantage. It's clear that while Rene feels emotions deeply, Theo was impulsive and only cared for his own needs, even at the betrayal of his own brother. Their relationship struggled to find middle ground in their latter years, but it's clear that Rene loves his brother and this is one decision not to be taken lightly.
It was incredible. The complexity of the storyline was nothing short of delicious and encouraged that deep, emotional thinking that is lacking in the majority of young adult novels. Even being a quick read, as the storyline develops it will keep readers on their toes. It left me questioning more than just what if, but the moral complications of Rene's decision should he go ahead and what it would mean for the experimental treatment that could be seen as playing God. Beautifully paced, the storyline builds upon stories of their childhood, while Rene still internally seeks Maggie's approval.
It played with my emotions, left me mentally exhausted and I loved every moment. An intelligent read for those who need more than entertainment, but to be challenged and asked the tough questions.
May 26, 2015
“The first thing you learn about the mind is how delicate it is, how easily it can come apart. When we are well, the world feels solid, there are a thousand different certainties we can call upon to conjure up the self: that our memories are reliable. That our senses do not lie to us, that the world means us no harm, that we are loved, and capable of loving, that other minds share our world , that our words have meaning to them, that we can touch each other. That we exist. But the whole thing is a trick of balance and perspective, and knowing when to look away. The most surprising thing can trigger a crisis”
Lullaby is the eleventh novel by award-winning New Zealand author and playwright, Bernard Beckett. As his twin brother lies comatose following a freak accident, eighteen-year-old Rene is aware that the six-hour window of opportunity to save Theo is quickly dwindling. And two things need to happen if Theo is to be saved: Rene needs to decide if he will consent to the controversial procedure being proposed; and he needs to be found competent to make that decision. As the hospital’s psychologist makes her assessment of Rene’s competence, the series of events that led to this unusual situation are gradually revealed. And the pressure on Rene to decide does not come only from the medical team.
Beckett presents the reader with an interesting philosophical dilemma which becomes more complicated with each new twist of the plot. This original novel explores the nature of memory and examines what makes us who we are. Beckett’s personal experience with twins is apparent: “Every way you can find of praising a person is also a way of insulting anyone else who’s listening. Twins understand that”, and he gives his characters some perceptive observations: “I don’t understand that, the way awkward moments never lose their cutting edge. With something big, like your parents dying, the pain dulls with time. Somehow the simple act of living absorbs it”
Beckett’s prose is often beautiful: “It wasn’t what we said…it wasn’t the words we chose, but the shape they fell into, the rut of a thousand conversations past. A poem of anxiety, accusation and denial, and the last line always there but never uttered” and “Anger’s a tight-fitting, ugly little place to make your home. It infects everything, even travels backwards through time” and “Questions queued, jostled, foundered. Fragments of understanding jigsawed together, then dissolved” are examples. This book is promoted as Young Adult, but many older adults will enjoy it too. Clever and thought-provoking.
Lullaby is the eleventh novel by award-winning New Zealand author and playwright, Bernard Beckett. As his twin brother lies comatose following a freak accident, eighteen-year-old Rene is aware that the six-hour window of opportunity to save Theo is quickly dwindling. And two things need to happen if Theo is to be saved: Rene needs to decide if he will consent to the controversial procedure being proposed; and he needs to be found competent to make that decision. As the hospital’s psychologist makes her assessment of Rene’s competence, the series of events that led to this unusual situation are gradually revealed. And the pressure on Rene to decide does not come only from the medical team.
Beckett presents the reader with an interesting philosophical dilemma which becomes more complicated with each new twist of the plot. This original novel explores the nature of memory and examines what makes us who we are. Beckett’s personal experience with twins is apparent: “Every way you can find of praising a person is also a way of insulting anyone else who’s listening. Twins understand that”, and he gives his characters some perceptive observations: “I don’t understand that, the way awkward moments never lose their cutting edge. With something big, like your parents dying, the pain dulls with time. Somehow the simple act of living absorbs it”
Beckett’s prose is often beautiful: “It wasn’t what we said…it wasn’t the words we chose, but the shape they fell into, the rut of a thousand conversations past. A poem of anxiety, accusation and denial, and the last line always there but never uttered” and “Anger’s a tight-fitting, ugly little place to make your home. It infects everything, even travels backwards through time” and “Questions queued, jostled, foundered. Fragments of understanding jigsawed together, then dissolved” are examples. This book is promoted as Young Adult, but many older adults will enjoy it too. Clever and thought-provoking.
August 21, 2015
Every morning I sit and eat breakfast facing the mirror splashback in my kitchen. So I'm pretty much watching myself eat every day. It's always creepy so I try to look away or stare at my bowl until I'm done.
But this morning after finishing the book last night I decided to look up. And I had this moment where I caught my reflection, and it hit me. It really hit me how much we don't know about the human soul, we just have to trust "ourselves", whatever that is. Who am I and who do I wake up as every day? They say tomorrow is a new day...but is it also a new being? A new existence?
I am a HUGE fan of Bernard Beckett. This title wasn't his best but it still had that "OH MY GOD!" moment. At first I couldn't relate to the main character and everything he felt so ashamed of, I was like "dude, really? It's not that bad..." which made it all the more hard to sympathise with him about the massive decision he has to make.
However, once it is made and you've had your mind blown moment, you were hit again right at the end (like we're talking the last bloody page, damn you Beckett!!!) and it's these moments in writing that I am truly envious of. How does he do it!? At what point do you show enough to an audience before you let the whole thing go and the plot twist is just sitting innocently on the page like "hello, I was here the whole time!"
There was just oooooone thing that doesn't make sense to me still...*spoiler alert*
Why did the doctors swap the bodies and make the real Rene go into rehabilitation? What were they achieving by doing that? That was the only thing that didn't make sense. Did I miss something really obvious?
But this morning after finishing the book last night I decided to look up. And I had this moment where I caught my reflection, and it hit me. It really hit me how much we don't know about the human soul, we just have to trust "ourselves", whatever that is. Who am I and who do I wake up as every day? They say tomorrow is a new day...but is it also a new being? A new existence?
I am a HUGE fan of Bernard Beckett. This title wasn't his best but it still had that "OH MY GOD!" moment. At first I couldn't relate to the main character and everything he felt so ashamed of, I was like "dude, really? It's not that bad..." which made it all the more hard to sympathise with him about the massive decision he has to make.
However, once it is made and you've had your mind blown moment, you were hit again right at the end (like we're talking the last bloody page, damn you Beckett!!!) and it's these moments in writing that I am truly envious of. How does he do it!? At what point do you show enough to an audience before you let the whole thing go and the plot twist is just sitting innocently on the page like "hello, I was here the whole time!"
There was just oooooone thing that doesn't make sense to me still...*spoiler alert*
Why did the doctors swap the bodies and make the real Rene go into rehabilitation? What were they achieving by doing that? That was the only thing that didn't make sense. Did I miss something really obvious?
June 25, 2015
Thank you to Text Publishing for this review copy!
I think, perhaps, I should consider that I'm just the dissatisfied type, when it comes to Bernard Beckett's open endings. I was incredibly interested by Genesis, which I read a year or two ago, but I also didn't really like it and was unsatisfied, and I knew- from the moment I opened Lullaby- that I would be about to encounter the same kind of story. Unreliable narrator, everything not told, an ending that was too open for my liking.
It frustrated me, as interesting as the premise is. I like closure! And I didn't get it.
I think, perhaps, I should consider that I'm just the dissatisfied type, when it comes to Bernard Beckett's open endings. I was incredibly interested by Genesis, which I read a year or two ago, but I also didn't really like it and was unsatisfied, and I knew- from the moment I opened Lullaby- that I would be about to encounter the same kind of story. Unreliable narrator, everything not told, an ending that was too open for my liking.
It frustrated me, as interesting as the premise is. I like closure! And I didn't get it.
June 24, 2015
If you have a few hours spare, why not zip through this one?
This is technically classified as YA, but with stuff like this, age groups really should be irrelevant. Short, emotionally intelligent, and effortlessly intriguing.
AND it's about identical twins.
This is technically classified as YA, but with stuff like this, age groups really should be irrelevant. Short, emotionally intelligent, and effortlessly intriguing.
AND it's about identical twins.
August 1, 2016
From Lady Disdain Notes
Lullaby is a finalist for the New Zealand Book Awards for Children and Young Adult Fiction. And it’s easy to see why. It opens with Theo, sitting in a hospital room with a therapist. His twin brother, Rene, has just been involved in an accident that has left him on the brink of death, with his brain severely damaged. Theo has been proposed with the choice of saving his brother. All he needs to do, in order to ensure that his brother will have a functioning brain, is allow the doctors to transfer a copy of his memories into that of his brother’s.
Without delving too deeply into the scientific realism of this premise (I am no neurologist), this book centers around questions of memory as individual identity, as well as memory as a collective constructed reality. These are intriguing questions and kept me hooked for the duration of the book. Memory is a fascinating, and frequently unreliable, thing. We rely on it so absolutely for our daily lives, and yet there are so many ways in which it fails us – sometimes even without our being aware of it. How many times, for example, have you revisited an event in the past only to find that you remember things differently to how your friends or family remember it? And how much value does our memory of a person’s behavior or personality influence our perception of them? And what happens when that memory s flawed?
As a young girl, one of the lobby security guards in the apartment building we lived in used to scare me. I don’t know what it was, but there was something about him that intimidated me. He picked up on this, and for his own amusement, used to try and scare me every time I had to pass him. I remember how he would laugh gleefully whenever I jumped or startled. I would dread having to come across him. In fact, I despised him so much I used to fantasize about him getting into all sort of mishaps. One that stands out the most is thinking, with relish, how he might have to fix a drain pipe, and imagining its contents raining down on him in a filthy deluge. It was immensely satisfying to the younger me. I remember mentioning this to my brother years later, only to have my brother remark that he had a similar “fantasy” as well. It struck me, then, how much our joint hatred of this man had culminated, from different processes, into a shared thought.It also strikes me that it could easily be the other way around – that my brother and I had discussed the best (worst) possible revenge to take the guard, and over time convinced ourselves that we’d thought of it on our own.
We believe our memories are our own, and our perceptions of the self is built on them. What happens then when those memories are inaccurate? And what happens when memories overlap, in all their inaccuracy? These are the questions Theo is forced to ask himself as he tries to decide on his brother’s fate. As Theo sits in a hospital room with a psychiatrist, talking of his past, we get to see how he and his twin brother played the usual twin pranks, spending entire days switching identities, convincing everyone else, and at times, even convincing themselves.
The frustrating thing, perhaps, about this book is that, while it asks a lot of questions, it doesn’t really answer many of them. Bernard Beckett is apparently known for his open-ended narratives. It’s not something that detracts from the whole but, personally, I would’ve liked a few answers sprinkled in there. Having said that, however, I will say this is an excellent and thought-provoking read, and I’d recommend it to everyone and their dog.
Lullaby is a finalist for the New Zealand Book Awards for Children and Young Adult Fiction. And it’s easy to see why. It opens with Theo, sitting in a hospital room with a therapist. His twin brother, Rene, has just been involved in an accident that has left him on the brink of death, with his brain severely damaged. Theo has been proposed with the choice of saving his brother. All he needs to do, in order to ensure that his brother will have a functioning brain, is allow the doctors to transfer a copy of his memories into that of his brother’s.
Without delving too deeply into the scientific realism of this premise (I am no neurologist), this book centers around questions of memory as individual identity, as well as memory as a collective constructed reality. These are intriguing questions and kept me hooked for the duration of the book. Memory is a fascinating, and frequently unreliable, thing. We rely on it so absolutely for our daily lives, and yet there are so many ways in which it fails us – sometimes even without our being aware of it. How many times, for example, have you revisited an event in the past only to find that you remember things differently to how your friends or family remember it? And how much value does our memory of a person’s behavior or personality influence our perception of them? And what happens when that memory s flawed?
As a young girl, one of the lobby security guards in the apartment building we lived in used to scare me. I don’t know what it was, but there was something about him that intimidated me. He picked up on this, and for his own amusement, used to try and scare me every time I had to pass him. I remember how he would laugh gleefully whenever I jumped or startled. I would dread having to come across him. In fact, I despised him so much I used to fantasize about him getting into all sort of mishaps. One that stands out the most is thinking, with relish, how he might have to fix a drain pipe, and imagining its contents raining down on him in a filthy deluge. It was immensely satisfying to the younger me. I remember mentioning this to my brother years later, only to have my brother remark that he had a similar “fantasy” as well. It struck me, then, how much our joint hatred of this man had culminated, from different processes, into a shared thought.It also strikes me that it could easily be the other way around – that my brother and I had discussed the best (worst) possible revenge to take the guard, and over time convinced ourselves that we’d thought of it on our own.
We believe our memories are our own, and our perceptions of the self is built on them. What happens then when those memories are inaccurate? And what happens when memories overlap, in all their inaccuracy? These are the questions Theo is forced to ask himself as he tries to decide on his brother’s fate. As Theo sits in a hospital room with a psychiatrist, talking of his past, we get to see how he and his twin brother played the usual twin pranks, spending entire days switching identities, convincing everyone else, and at times, even convincing themselves.
The frustrating thing, perhaps, about this book is that, while it asks a lot of questions, it doesn’t really answer many of them. Bernard Beckett is apparently known for his open-ended narratives. It’s not something that detracts from the whole but, personally, I would’ve liked a few answers sprinkled in there. Having said that, however, I will say this is an excellent and thought-provoking read, and I’d recommend it to everyone and their dog.
August 23, 2015
Well this just made me have an existential crisis. WHO AM I AND WHAT AM I DOING IN THIS LIFE?
I've read another book by this dude and I am very impressed at the levels of mind-fuckery he manages to achieve. And I don't swear often (well, online I don't).
READ IT.
______________________________
You wouldn’t think that a book called Lullaby would make you unable to ever sleep again.
I mean, that’s just counterproductive.
And it’s only like 200 pages. How could 200 pages (mostly of dialogue) make me question MY VERY EXISTENCE?
So Bernard Beckett’s writing style is definitely very unique.
As in, the stories don’t follow the usual rules of stories. There’s no specific plot structure, as such, and the WHOLE BOOK (almost) is a conversation. I mean, there are other bits and pieces, but that’s generally what happens.
You’re intrigued, right? You’re intrigued about how a conversation could make me so freaked out?
Basically, this book is about identity.
I’ve always wanted to write a book about identical twins, because it really FASCINATES me. I knew an identical twin who went to a different school as her sister, and they swapped a couple of times – nobody even knew (except, like, their closest friends obviously).
It’s hard to say my thoughts without spoilers, but I’m going to give it a red-hot go.
So basically it’s a bit sci-fi-ish, in that there’s a procedure that can save Rene’s twin Theo, whose body is alive but who is brain dead. But this procedure will affect Rene in ways even he can’t fathom – it’s never been done before, so basically the conversation with the therapist is to assess whether Rene is in a mental state to be ABLE to make that decision for his brother (since their parents are dead).
So basically, it deals with the big questions – who are we? What REALLY defines us? Can we really become someone else?
Towards the end of the book, the mind-fuckery just heightened even more. It was kind of scary, honestly. It definitely brought out my inner philosopher.
Just joking. I’d be a terrible philosopher. I’d probably just rock back and forward while murmuring random phrases under my breath.
I mean, I did have some complaints.
It WAS quite short, and I felt there could have been more explanation – more showing instead of telling, as well, although it is part of the style of writing, which I did enjoy. So I’m conflicted about that.
But for the mere ability of Bernard Beckett to induce existential crises in his readers, I applaud this book. Now I have to go find myself a copy of Genesis.
I've read another book by this dude and I am very impressed at the levels of mind-fuckery he manages to achieve. And I don't swear often (well, online I don't).
READ IT.
______________________________
You wouldn’t think that a book called Lullaby would make you unable to ever sleep again.
I mean, that’s just counterproductive.
And it’s only like 200 pages. How could 200 pages (mostly of dialogue) make me question MY VERY EXISTENCE?
So Bernard Beckett’s writing style is definitely very unique.
As in, the stories don’t follow the usual rules of stories. There’s no specific plot structure, as such, and the WHOLE BOOK (almost) is a conversation. I mean, there are other bits and pieces, but that’s generally what happens.
You’re intrigued, right? You’re intrigued about how a conversation could make me so freaked out?
Basically, this book is about identity.
I’ve always wanted to write a book about identical twins, because it really FASCINATES me. I knew an identical twin who went to a different school as her sister, and they swapped a couple of times – nobody even knew (except, like, their closest friends obviously).
It’s hard to say my thoughts without spoilers, but I’m going to give it a red-hot go.
So basically it’s a bit sci-fi-ish, in that there’s a procedure that can save Rene’s twin Theo, whose body is alive but who is brain dead. But this procedure will affect Rene in ways even he can’t fathom – it’s never been done before, so basically the conversation with the therapist is to assess whether Rene is in a mental state to be ABLE to make that decision for his brother (since their parents are dead).
So basically, it deals with the big questions – who are we? What REALLY defines us? Can we really become someone else?
Towards the end of the book, the mind-fuckery just heightened even more. It was kind of scary, honestly. It definitely brought out my inner philosopher.
Just joking. I’d be a terrible philosopher. I’d probably just rock back and forward while murmuring random phrases under my breath.
I mean, I did have some complaints.
It WAS quite short, and I felt there could have been more explanation – more showing instead of telling, as well, although it is part of the style of writing, which I did enjoy. So I’m conflicted about that.
But for the mere ability of Bernard Beckett to induce existential crises in his readers, I applaud this book. Now I have to go find myself a copy of Genesis.
August 2, 2018
“Anger’s a tight-fitting, ugly little place to make your home. It infects everything, even travels backwards through time.”
Lullaby is an surprisingly complex novel for its size. Beckett explores the nature of human identity, memories, and how we shape the story of ourselves. What makes us who we are?
We follow Rene, who is faced with deciding whether he should partake in a risky, experimental procedure to help his twin brother who has lost brain functioning. This book tackles many ethical elements around this procedure, including whether Rene is even capable of making the decision faced with his grief, whether the procedure is even ethical in itself.
What does it mean to be you? Is it our memories, our DNA or our body? Would you take the chance to save the person you love if it meant wiping out their very being? These are all questions that Rene needs to consider, as he’s being interviewed by a therapist to consider whether he’s mentally sound to make this life-changing decision.
This is a short book, it won't take you long to read, and it's worth trying if you're interested in this kind of topic. I really enjoyed it. It's a bit of a weird book, but I think it's just the sci-fi elements.
Lullaby is an surprisingly complex novel for its size. Beckett explores the nature of human identity, memories, and how we shape the story of ourselves. What makes us who we are?
We follow Rene, who is faced with deciding whether he should partake in a risky, experimental procedure to help his twin brother who has lost brain functioning. This book tackles many ethical elements around this procedure, including whether Rene is even capable of making the decision faced with his grief, whether the procedure is even ethical in itself.
What does it mean to be you? Is it our memories, our DNA or our body? Would you take the chance to save the person you love if it meant wiping out their very being? These are all questions that Rene needs to consider, as he’s being interviewed by a therapist to consider whether he’s mentally sound to make this life-changing decision.
This is a short book, it won't take you long to read, and it's worth trying if you're interested in this kind of topic. I really enjoyed it. It's a bit of a weird book, but I think it's just the sci-fi elements.
October 26, 2015
Beckett is known for his philosophical treaties, making the BIG ideas understandable for young people. This time he pulls out all the questions about what makes a person him or herself, and when does that become difficult to work out.
I just picked it up while it was being accessioned, and I read the first 30 pages without blinking. So it really starts strongly. Rene is identical twin to Theo, who has been in an accident and is now virtually brain-dead. Rene is the only one who can save him, but at what cost?
This is absorbing and complicated, and will appeal to those students who thrive on ethical and social debate. There are a couple of twists, which are important to stop the book from moving into talky-talk zone, but its questions and its conclusion make it a bit scary, very powerful, and extremely readable.
I just picked it up while it was being accessioned, and I read the first 30 pages without blinking. So it really starts strongly. Rene is identical twin to Theo, who has been in an accident and is now virtually brain-dead. Rene is the only one who can save him, but at what cost?
This is absorbing and complicated, and will appeal to those students who thrive on ethical and social debate. There are a couple of twists, which are important to stop the book from moving into talky-talk zone, but its questions and its conclusion make it a bit scary, very powerful, and extremely readable.
Read
August 18, 2015The thing I love about Bernard Beckett's novels is that they tackle big ideas with the crispest, most succinct writing that fits with the story perfectly. Lullaby is like no other YA novel I've read (I also loved Beckett's acclaimed novel Genesis for its uniqueness). It is void of any of the tropes of modern YA and is the kind of book that you put down every now and then – just to think through what you've read – before feverishly picking it up again shortly after. This book is brain food that just happens to also taste delicious.
August 6, 2015
BERNARD BECKETT ALWAYS SCREWS WITH MY HEAD SO MUCH and actually, as I was reading this, I was waiting for the big reveal that he always has at the end. But with each new piece of information, I was beginning to think it wasn't going to be a super intense ending like Genesis or August - I mean, there was already a lot of crazy physiological stuff in there and I just REALLY REALLY WAS NOT EXPECTING THAT ENDING OH MY GOSH
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December 11, 2016Really enjoyed this! Tragic and mind-bending with more than a dash of pure horror.
May 22, 2022
I just randomly picked this book of my shelve again after having read it a couple years ago for school. It brought back a lots of memories, mainly of how much I disliked the book the first time I read it - although I attribute this mainly to the pressure of school. However after reading it a second time I was able to appreciate the moral concepts it discusses, where the line is drawn between what makes you, you. However I found the conversation between Maggie and Rene tedious at times although it does start an interesting conversation about what science could possibly achieve. Skimming over a couple chapters now is very nostalgic and ultimately is a good book it you want a quick and easy read. On a closing note I found that the most interesting part of the book was after they wake up, as it obvious thats the choice thats going to be made from the start so I was disappointed we only had a chapter after they had both woken up. Maybe thats something that could be explored in a second book, but since the first book was published in 2015 and its currently 2022 theres little hope in that happening :(
August 23, 2021
I liked the pockets of insight along the way in this book - those little nuggets, the little truisms, that align with your experience of the world, and resonate. The writing style was engaging and well-paced for the most part. The twist/revelation in the tail (not so much a plot twist as a combination of a plot twist and a philosophical epiphany!) made this book what it is.
However, I was duped into thinking it was a lower level book due to the cover and type size. I prefer to spend the first few pages getting to know the characters and the story, NOT trying to figure out the disconnect between my expectations and the reality of the book.
3 stars
However, I was duped into thinking it was a lower level book due to the cover and type size. I prefer to spend the first few pages getting to know the characters and the story, NOT trying to figure out the disconnect between my expectations and the reality of the book.
3 stars
January 31, 2018
Interesting read with a good story line, but wasn't my favorite. Some of the writing was a bit disjointed for my taste, but overall an interesting story. The storyline between the two brothers is heartbreaking, and it's interesting to see how their lives twisted together in such a way that can't be ever undone, even in death. The end of the story is phenomenal.
October 4, 2021
Wow!
It definitely kept my interest. I loved the characters, well, maybe not Dr Huxtable. I think my twin identical granddaughters would love it.
Very good writer. I was not the target audience as I understand. But it was good.
It definitely kept my interest. I loved the characters, well, maybe not Dr Huxtable. I think my twin identical granddaughters would love it.
Very good writer. I was not the target audience as I understand. But it was good.
September 29, 2021
Total goosebumps at the ending.
June 28, 2016
I must say I do like this author's books, he always leaves you thinking. "Lullaby" is about a teenager's chance to save his twin brother, Theo, if he agrees to a controversial procedure. Most of the book is the dialogue between Rene and Maggie, a psychologist who has to determine if Rene's competence. As the reader progresses through the book's 200 pages, Rene reveals what it was like growing up with Theo - both the good and the bad. The storyline moves quickly as moral and psychological dilemmas arise, and the reader is left questioning the importance of memories and what makes us who we are. This book won't appeal to everyone, but I really enjoyed it.
July 31, 2015
Lullaby is hard to describe, but in the best possible way. It’s a quick read, and the concept is brilliant. This may be up there with one of the strangest books I have read. And certainly one of the most intriguing. I guess Lullaby is technically YA, but I feel as if it would appeal to anyone. It’s a short book, packed with plenty of emotion and insight. Read it in one sitting and enjoy this psychological sibling drama that’s somewhere on the sci-fi spectrum.
Read more on my blog: Middle Chapter
Read more on my blog: Middle Chapter
September 11, 2015
Lullaby was a little bit hard to follow in places - it jumped from dialogue to thoughts in a jarring way that confused me. But the plot and telling of the story was captivating. If you were given the chance to give your memories to your braindead identical twin, would you? Rene is made to consider all the complications of what should happen if an experimental procedure to transfer a copy of one brain to an 'empty' one is successful.
It's thought provoking, challenges your beliefs and leaves you with a mind-boggling conclusion.
It's thought provoking, challenges your beliefs and leaves you with a mind-boggling conclusion.
September 1, 2015
WOW!
What makes us - us? Is it our body, memories, experiences, soul...?
Would we be prepared to give that away to save the life of someone we love?
Could we make that decision in a single afternoon?
That such moral and ethical dilemmas can come together, still make sense AND be so readable is a triumph for the author. It's so simple and yet so complex and it's something that stayed with me long into the night after I finished it. Absolutely first rate and an obvious contender for the long, if the not the short lists for book awards this season.
What makes us - us? Is it our body, memories, experiences, soul...?
Would we be prepared to give that away to save the life of someone we love?
Could we make that decision in a single afternoon?
That such moral and ethical dilemmas can come together, still make sense AND be so readable is a triumph for the author. It's so simple and yet so complex and it's something that stayed with me long into the night after I finished it. Absolutely first rate and an obvious contender for the long, if the not the short lists for book awards this season.
October 12, 2015
Eagerly awaiting my favourite New Zealand young adult author's next novel following his last, August, which was published four years ago, I wasn't disappointed. Lullaby is a descriptively written story of grief, guilt, sacrifice and self-acceptance. It raises some thought-provoking questions on ethical principles and future medical possibilities. I will be recommending this to Level 1 & 2 students for NCEA wide reading, as well as adults who enjoy a philosophical read.
June 24, 2015
As with most Bernard Beckett novels - this one challenges the reader to think about the unthinkable - to question our philosophical understanding of what it means to be alive, to be different, to be unique, to have a 'soul'. A relatively 'quick' read, but not one you can 'skim'. Best read in one sitting.
June 30, 2015
Hmm - this was a quick and easy read, and a bit of a spin out. It was my From the Library in my reading challenge list.
It was clever and interesting, and covered some pretty deep ideas - not sure how YA it really was.
PS - don't read the long ranty review from the Cait chick on goodreads. She didn't get it.
It was clever and interesting, and covered some pretty deep ideas - not sure how YA it really was.
PS - don't read the long ranty review from the Cait chick on goodreads. She didn't get it.
July 31, 2015
This book works best read in a day as it is very "talky" and absolute concentration is needed to envelop the ideas and concepts which are presented. The ending was not what I expected but when you give this a lot of thought, as you will, it was the only one right for the book. I'm sure I'll be thinking about this book for a while yet (and googling to see what others thought of the ending!!)
December 10, 2015
Hmmm I appreciate what the author was going for here, but I couldn't really appreciate it fully until the ending. This book has a very powerful ending, so it would have worked well as a short story, as I can't see any way to work it in earlier. I just found most of the beginning of the book a slog and I couldn't wrap my head around who was doing what and why.
August 3, 2015
I was so intrigued by this book. I would certainly read a sequel if there ever was one. I feel as if the plot could be expanded from where it ended and even create a whole book series. Yet while I understand this is not going to happen, it was still a wild ride of a read!
May 28, 2015
I sat down and read this in three hours from start to finish.
Full review to follow soon!
Full review to follow soon!
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