Hello everyone and welcome to a brand new edition of Lil Red’s Book Club! Without giving any spoilers away, as always, we are going to be discussing a thriller by Liz Nugent called Little Cruelties. This book was, hands down, the best one that I have read all year. It was so unlike anything that I have ever read before because this book was told from the perspective of three brothers. Literally all of the books I have read this year came from a female point of view so that in itself was a novelty. Before we begin our book club meeting, I will be placing a trigger warning on Little Cruelties for rape, murder, mental illness, violence, and disturbing content. Now, let’s get to it:
William, Brian, and Luke Drumm are three brothers from Dublin, Ireland. They were born in quick succession to their mother who is an Irish celebrity and their father, a quiet man who is fifteen years her senior. Throughout the boys’ youth and beyond, the Drumm family would participate in “little cruelties” that would leave the brothers scarred and broken in their own special way. The cruelties that the brothers would dole out to each other was far beyond typical sibling teasing and rivalries. While the father tried the best he could, the cruelties from their mom, Melissa, was in the form of negligence and abuse – particularly towards Luke.
Little Cruelties begins at a funeral for one of the Drumm brothers and explores specific incidents told from their perspective that led to that moment. There is a third of the book dedicated to each sibling and it begins with William, the eldest. William was born knowing he was better than everyone because his mom said as such. He was the clear favorite and was used to getting everything he wanted. This made him a huge success as a film producer but a menace to women who he used and abused.
Despite William’s womanizer ways, he managed to marry a wonderful woman named Susan and had a daughter with her named Daisy. No one would ever go as far as to say he was the world’s greatest dad or husband and spent a majority of his time cheating on his wife. He wasn’t overly concerned about Daisy because her godfather, Uncle Brian, loved spending time with her. William has a sharp tongue, violent temper, and insatiable lust. His comeuppance is swift, to his brother’s delight and that brings us to Luke…
Luke is the youngest of the Drumm brothers and has always been strange. His mother made it obvious that he was less than perfect William and even plain Brian while his dad tried and failed to make Luke feel special. The trauma of his upbringing turned Luke into a religious zealot at a young age and he was convinced he could heal his family through prayer and living a noble life. His mental state has always been questionable but plummeted rapidly when he found fame as a pop singer at just twenty-one years old.
As Luke experienced fame and fortune firsthand, his mental health went into a downward spiral. He began drinking and using drugs heavily, experienced hallucinations, and went from a quiet young man to a violent one. Luke became a liability to his family because there was no telling what he would do and say when he had an episode. His brother, Brian, became his agent and caretaker to keep an eye on him and attempt to keep him on the straight and narrow. It worked sometimes and when it didn’t, the results were catastrophic. To learn more about Luke, you need to know more about Brian whose tale begins after a particularly high note for his youngest brother…
Brian is the middle Drumm brother and is considered the family “loser”. He is of average height, build, and looks and was constantly reminded as such in his youth. While William and Luke both found specific callings in their lives, Brian floated. He ended up in Paris as a teacher and not a good one. His attempt at a career ended up blowing up in his face, leaving him broke and homeless. As Luke toured in Paris, he met his brother there at his lowest and offered him a job. This turned Brian into Luke’s constant caretaker, but an overall good thing for both of them – for a while.
Thanks to Brian’s work as Luke’s agent, he was able to make money and more importantly, connections. He began working with other artists, singers, and activists but his biggest prize was becoming the agent for Daisy. This was an extra special “F you” to William and Susan and Brian orchestrated it to perfection. For all of Brian’s lack of success, one thing he was excellent at was holding a grudge. Little Cruelties begins and ends at a funeral. Which brothers are attending and which one is in the coffin? Read the book to find out!
Little Cruelties was a fascinating, devastating read and I devoured it. As I mentioned before, it was so different from other books I’ve read and Liz Nugent’s writing set the stage beautifully. She created a dark and atmospheric space to read about a family’s demise and I couldn’t stop turning the page to save my own life. Obviously, each brother was SO messed up in their own way but I loved being able to read it in their own words rather than the perspective of a wife or girlfriend.
If you read Little Cruelties, then I am sure you experienced similar sentiments to me about each Drumm boy; A burning dislike of William, sympathy for Luke, and a slightly less than burning dislike of Brian. The only difference between William and Brian was that William was forthright in his awfulness while Brian played his cards close to his chest. Knowing about each of Luke’s siblings and upbringing made him even more tragic and his illness not only understandable but expected.
The plot of Little Cruelties was excellent, yes, but the way it was set up was what made it my favorite book of the year. I thought it was so unique that William, Luke, and Brian’s portion of the book all featured the exact same stories in the exact same order. It was like Liz Nugent was writing you a map to figure out the grand reveal and I did. Every single chapter mixed with a bit of good old fashioned detective work told you everything you needed to know. You just needed to know where to look for it and even though I did tie all of the pieces together, I didn’t even care. Little Cruelties was that good.
Little Cruelties doesn’t deserve a ten out of ten which is why I am rating it with a twenty out of ten stars. This book was haunting and will completely break your heart. If you are up for the ride, then I cannot recommend it enough!
What are you currently reading? What should I read next? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah
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