Stuart Prebble

I was distracted when I picked up this book, and in that state my mind decided the author's name was Peter Straub, a horror author I have enjoyed in the past. When I settled into read, I was like who is this clown, oh a TV executive. I was not thrilled at all. I decided to give it a go since it was right in front of me. I didn't pay much attention or feel invested in the book, as I was prepared to toss it away at any moment and write a snarky half assed review as I do when something is show more frivolous and boring. So I'm thinking about what's for dinner and what to read instead, and then IT PULLED ME BACK IN--WHAT THE HELL JUST HAPPENED!?! Well that was a one off, this isn't even my genre, it will be boring soon--hadn't even finished the thought for a minute AND IT DID IT AGAIN! I am still angry at this book for manipulating me into liking it. I will decide what I like book! I liked the book. show less

"If you have been lucky enough to be able to tell the truth for most of your life, you probably cannot imagine how exhausting it is to spend forever living a lie."

If this is true, then Jonathan Maguire is one tired man, and his brother, Roger, isn't exactly wide-awake either. Stuart Prebble's debut novel, The Insect Farm, is a study of these two men - of their strange, insular relationship that trumps all else and of their strange, all-consuming obsessions.

For Ralph, the older of the two show more brothers (yet, clearly, the younger in terms of mental maturity), little else matters apart from his brother, Jonathan, and his insect farm. Roger spends his hours cultivating any number of mail-order specimens from around the world in handmade habitats that he has, surprisingly, designed on his own. For Jonathan, the younger brother entrusted with the care of his mentally challenged older brother, he has little concern for anything other than his brother, Roger, and the love of his young life, his musically-inclined, much-lusted-after,wife, Harriet. Unfortunately, Jonathan is forced to leave both Harriet and his studies at university to care for Roger upon the death of their parents in a tragic (and suspicious) house fire. With distance between the two young lovers, Jonathan's jealous nature has an opportunity to flourish and grow unbound. Will the two brothers' singular obsessions disrupt the harmony of their coexistence?

I don't know what it is about mentally challenged, male characters, but they can really tug at my heart-strings like none other (think: Of Mice's Lenny and The Sound's Benji). Poor Roger - his goofy breakfast routines, his ability to deep-sleep like a child, his uncanny ability to converse almost philosophically about insects - it all just broke my heart. I found both brothers to be extremely emphatic, but Roger really spoke to my maternal instincts; I understood Jonathan's duty and need to protect him. As much as I loved Roger and Jonathan, I hated Harriet's would-be suitor Brendon Harcourt. If there is something about mentally-challenged men that makes my heart melt, there is something about red-headed men that almost instantly repulses me. (Side note: sorry (not sorry) to all the ginges out there. The only exception to my rule seems to be Prince Harry, and maybe his royal blood cancels out the otherwise icky ginger vibes. I don't know. I only speak the truth).

Very slight spoiler alert: I loved how the prologue firmly set this book up as a psychological thriller with the tease of the two unidentified bodies. The rest of the book was shrouded in a haze of mystery that I could not wait to unravel.

A highly-recommended read due out in less than a month, The Insect Farm hits the shelves on July 7, 2015. show less

The Bridge is Stuart Prebble's latest book.

Michael has been dating Alison for a few months now. They're on the way to meet his Grandma Rose, when the radio newscast reports a madman picking up children and throwing them over the Waterloo Bridge. Horrific, Alison and Michael agree. And then the meeting with Rose goes badly as well. Perhaps it was too soon. Or perhaps he doesn't know Alison well enough yet. The Madman strikes again, again targeting children.

Unbelievably, the police finger show more Michael as a person of interest. He was in the vicinity of each occurrence and they have other evidence that they say ties him to the crimes.

Prebble leads the reader with many red herrings along the way, igniting our suspicions as to the final whodunit. I must admit, I was pretty sure I had sussed out the answer about midway through. I was wrong, but....I found the coincidences that drove the plot forward to the final reveal to be just too far-fetched. The whodunit was overwrought and overwrote in my opinion. The Bridge was just an okay read for me. show less

I was distracted when I picked up this book, and in that state my mind decided the author's name was Peter Straub, a horror author I have enjoyed in the past. When I settled into read, I was like who is this clown, oh a TV executive. I was not thrilled at all. I decided to give it a go since it was right in front of me. I didn't pay much attention or feel invested in the book, as I was prepared to toss it away at any moment and write a snarky half assed review as I do when something is show more frivolous and boring. So I'm thinking about what's for dinner and what to read instead, and then IT PULLED ME BACK IN--WHAT THE HELL JUST HAPPENED!?! Well that was a one off, this isn't even my genre, it will be boring soon--hadn't even finished the thought for a minute AND IT DID IT AGAIN! I am still angry at this book for manipulating me into liking it. I will decide what I like book! I liked the book. show less