REVIEW || The Loney by Andrew Michael Hurley

***please note, this review may not be spoiler free***

The Loney is one of those books that just intrigues you. It's cropped up out of nowhere, and when you read the first few pages, you cant help but wonder if it's for you. Then suddenly, you're halfway through, not knowing how or when this happened, yet still wanting more.

Or at least it was for me.

The Loney is an isolated retreat/shrine that is visited by the same family and some of their fellow worshippers year in, year out. This year is the first year they have visited The Loney with their new priest, Father Bernard. Between the struggles of coming to terms with Father Bernard not being Father Wilfred (the previous priest), and boredom setting in,and tempers fraying, things are not all that they seem.

Years later, Hanny is a grown man who no longer depends on his brother. But then, a child's body is discovered..

I've finally finished this. Yes, it was something that gripped me, and I didn't quite know how, yet it still took me some time to get through. In all honesty, I felt that it took a LOT of time to get to the point.

The book is set out in a reflective manner, which we get to understand as being result of going through Counselling and the discovery of a body on an isolated beach. This isolated beach just happens to be in the same area as the sacred shrine the family would visit year after year. The year we get to hear about however, is the same year where said body gets dumped, with the story being recalled in light of its discovery.

Whilst I enjoyed the final chapter, and sevral chapters here and there, I felt the book was lacking in something. Most likely, it was lacking in pace. There was one chapter which I felt was completely unnecessary toward the end of the book, which I feel could have easily been summarized in a conversation between the main character and the priest or his counsellor. Other than that, the interest in the other characters' perceptions and experiences is really what kept me captivated throughout the book.

The book does have a very religious-heavy theme throughout, which should be a given considering they're visitng a sacred shrine. However, this shouldn't put you off. At times, it did get a little overwhelming, but I personally believe that this is down to where the narrative was going, and was essential for the character development.

Overall, I'm rating this book 3 out of 5 stars. Some parts of it where enjoyable, whereas others bored and frustrated me, making me think 3 out of 5 is a fair decision.

Have you read this book? Let me know in the comments so we can discuss it!