Review | Red Sky in Morning

This book was sent to me for free (from the book depository) in exchange for an honest review. I did not get paid to write this. All opinions are my own.

Published by: Quercus Books on April 25, 2013
Genre: Historical fiction/thriller
Pages: 230p.
Format: ARC

When I was first contacted by the book depository I was beyond thrilled to be given the opportunity to review a book! I was given a list of books to pick from, and Red Sky in Morning by Paul Lynch was one of them.

The story takes us back to 1832, in Ireland. Coll Coyle and his family are being evicted from their house. The landlord’s son decides he want them off their property for no apparent reason. With a baby on the way and another very young child, Coyle decides to confront Hamilton and tries to get him to change his mind.

But bad luck seems to be following him, and soon Coll finds himself on the run. With no money and nowhere to go, he eventually ends up on a boat to America. He has no plan, only one goal: getting his family back.

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Red Sky in Morning isn’t a book I would’ve picked up on my own; it wasn’t something I am used to reading, and to be honest I hated this book at first. I started to read it on the bus on my way to school and I couldn't get into it.

I found the writing dense, and it is a really slow read. I was frustrated with myself because I couldn't get through it. But, I decided not to give up on this book, and so last night I got comfortable in bed, and was ready to give it another fair chance. And I'm glad I did. 

Even though the prose is heavy, it has a lyrical tone that matches the mood of the narrator. You can feel that he is leaden with sadness. You get wrapped in his troubles and can’t help but feel infuriated by all the injustices he faces.

I was really mad at Coyle at the beginning because of how he reacted to the situation he put himself in, but then I felt he was also disappointed with himself, he wants to redeem himself for his actions, in a way, and that’s what made me fall for this book. He is definitely not a selfish man. He is perfectly and beautifully flawed.  It was hard for me to relate to any of the characters, but I found myself admiring Coyle a lot throughout the story.

Like I mentioned, the story is slow paced, but constant. It is not a read where you’ll want to race to the end to see what will happen. The writing style, once you get used to it, is beautiful and you want to enjoy every single sentence.

"People aren't people. They are animals, brutes, blind and stupid following endless needs they know not of what origin. And all the rest that we place on top to make us feel better is a delusion. The price of life is the burden of your own weight and some people are better off without it."

In conclusion, I would definitely recommend this book to people who like historical fiction. I ended up enjoying this book a lot more than I originally thought I would, and I wouldn't be against reading more of Paul Lynch’s writing.

My Rating: ¶¶¶¶¶

You can buy this book here!

P.S. This book is not vegan friendly, hah!