Andrew Smith's Reviews > Earth

Evan Keogh always wanted to be a painter. He loved abstract art and thought he had something of a gift for it. His father wanted him to become a footballer, something he definitely had a gift for, yet this was something Evan had no interest in. We’d briefly met Evan in Boyne’s previous novella (in this set of four) Water, at the end of which he’d escaped the small island off the west coast of Ireland where he’d lived with his parents. His aim is to find a new life.

When we catch up with him here he’s a professional footballer, playing for a club in the second tier of English football. Evan is gay, which is a challenge in itself given football’s homophobic environment. Details of his sexuality are not widely known, even amongst his teammates. But at least one is aware - Rob, his closest friend at the club. So Evan is successful and has money, but is he happy? The answer is no; Evan simply see’s football as a way to build up sufficient savings to allow him to live the life he really wants. But now he’s in trouble: he’s due to appear in court along with Rob, accused of sexual assault.

So how did he end up in this place, and what does it all mean for his future? As the story of Evan’s life after leaving the island begins to be told, we learn how a collision of bad people, bad luck, and poor choices have led him here. There are unexpected linkages to be revealed, too, and in the end, Evan is left with decisions to be made that will determine how his life will play out from this point.

It’s another powerful story from a writer whose themes and whose characters often highlight the significant challenges life can throw up. Who is to be trusted, and what light will guide us through the maze set out in front of us? The choices we make will sometimes have little significance, and yet others are likely to define us. A moral compass is a useful ally, but it might yet lead us to places we've no desire to go.

My thanks to Random House UK for providing a copy of this book via NetGalley in return for an honest review.