Hello everyone! I hope you are all doing well. I’m back again with yet another unhinged book about girlhood. Prepare yourself. I promise that my reviews will remain weird. I have said this once and I will say it again: thank you all so much for continuing to support this blog as I ramble on about whatever have read lately and I wish you all the best. Now, let’s discuss Brutes.

Content Warning: Some Harsh Language, Disturbing Imagery, Discussions and Depictions of Child Abuse and Neglect, Some Discussions of Self-harm, Some Discussions about Substance Abuse

Falls Landing, Florida seems like a haven for upper-class Floridians with its clean houses, massive pools, and constant gossip. In this little suburban paradise lives a group of thirteen-year-old girls, dubbed “the Brutes” by their mothers. These girls develop an obsession with Sammy, the preacher’s daughter. They spend their days and nights following Sammy and her boyfriend, Eddie, with a frenzied curiosity. One day, Sammy goes missing and only the girls know what really happened to her. The secret will continue to haunt them into adulthood and rears its ugly head as they reunite in unexpected ways.

In the same vain as Ottessa Moshfegh and Monica Ojeda, Dizz Tate delivers a visceral and harsh look at girlhood and its pitfalls. The Brutes is a dizzying tale of mystery with Southern Gothic elements. I love the combination of abstract prose and blunt honesty that Dizz Tate uses throughout the novel. I have not spent a ton of time in Florida but Tate paints a detailed picture of a childhood among the cul-de-sacs where secrets lie in every house. I also appreciated the flash-forwards to each of the characters as adults because it did an excellent job showing the lasting impact of childhood trauma. Brutes is an impactful look at the bonds created by girlhood and the unspoken truths of growing up in a toxic environment.