Indecent Acts by Nick Brooks

Book Review by Maria Whelan | 02 Apr 2014
Book title: Indecent Acts
Author: Nick Brooks

Opening Nick Brooks’ acclaimed third novel, Indecent Acts, you are immediately struck by the fragmented patois on the page. These are the semi-illiterate ramblings of Grace, the lovable yet simple protagonist and narrator of this novel. Striking the balance between tragedy and comedy, you can’t help but be moved by her frank account.

Flawlessly tapping into the psyche of this jaded and middle-aged woman, Brooks presents us with a true working class character. We encounter Drumchapel through her defeated eyes. As a 40-something-year-old mother of two grown up children, we vicariously feel her sense of impending loneliness. With her son, Vincent, who is adamant about joining the army, and her enigmatic daughter, Francis – missing for over a year – Grace fears for her future and that of her grandson, Sean.

Brooks’ ability to create such animated and captivating prose through the unconventional vehicle of a dim and self-deprecating woman makes Indecent Acts a real literary treat. The protagonist's humorous outlook on life, coupled with her shambolic idiom makes a disastrous bus journey, in deepest Drumchapel, feel like the Tour de France. This book will immerse you in these characters' lives to the point you won’t want to leave. [Maria Whelan]

Out 7 April, published by Freight, RRP £8.99