These Walls Were Never Really There by Bryan Blears || Spotlight on Homelessness

Posted March 20, 2022 by Sammie in adult, blog tour, contemporary, eARC, literary, spotlight / 2 Comments

These Walls Were Never Really There by Bryan Blears || Spotlight on Homelessness

These Walls Were Never Really There by Bryan Blears || Spotlight on Homelessness

These Walls Were Never Really There

by Bryan Blears
Published by: 2QT Limited on April 1, 2022
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Literary Fiction
Pages: 286
Format: eARC
Source: Publisher

Based on the author's own experiences of leaving home and travelling across Europe on less than a pound a day, These Walls Were Never Really There is a compelling true story described by publishing editors as ‘immersive and moving’ and ‘a potential prizewinner in the making’.
Initially set in the heart of Manchester's homeless community, These Walls follows twenty-year-old Cameron, who is propelled on a physical and spiritual journey which will take him far from the life he once knew.

A surprising story about mental health, friendship and redemption, this compelling debut will take you on a journey across Europe and beyond, as Cameron and his travelling companion Jacob navigate perilous border crossings, packs of wolves, and the harsh realities of life on the road.

Set against the backdrop of the emerging Arab Spring, Cameron and Jacob will have their friendship pushed to its limits as they find themselves trapped thousands of miles away from home…

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Perfect for readers who want:

  • Real-life portrayal of homelessness in Manchester.
  • Based on the author’s true experiences as a homeless person.
  • An introspective look at what it means to exist on the fringe of society.
  • Lots of very deep and thought-provoking passages.

Many thanks to 2QT Limited and TheWriteReads for an eARC in exchange for an honest, unbiased review. Quotes are taken from an unfinished product and may differ from the final version.

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I picked up this book not knowing what to expect and not realizing it was based on the author’s experiences. I’m not a huge fan of literary fiction, and I did find the beginning to be rather slow. However, I think this is a sure win for people who do enjoy literary fiction. It offers a fresh perspective on some topics that aren’t often discussed in literature but which I think is incredibly important.

These Walls Were Never Really There is a thoughtful, introspective look at homelessness based on the author’s true experiences. It’s filled with thought-provoking passages and hard-hitting introspection about the journey of life.

These Walls Were Never Really There has a lot of big, heavy themes like homelessness, mental health, redemption, and friendship. Fans of literary fiction will likely enjoy the introspection and all the different issues this story brings up.

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Favorite Quotes

You could clean a rat up, I thought. People had pet rats. It was the city that made them dirty—them and us, covered in dirt from the traffic, forced to live in other people’s rubbish, and treated so badly we grew rough around the edges and started to bite at each other until we became the thing everyone had believed us to be all along.
There was a philosophy out in the world which said—whether consciously or subconsciously, or because of some misguided sense of justice against scroungers and freeloaders—that life out here should be hard and short, that people who didn’t pay their taxes shouldn’t expect to have luxuries like personal safety.
‘I don’t know, Tatum,’ I said. ‘Look at this place. Look at you. You should be wandering through the woods sniffing for rabbits, and I should be out cutting logs for the fire. We should be walking down to the lake together, you and I, and you could have a swim in the cold water, and I could fish.’ He looked up at me at the word fish, and then he got fed up of waiting and barked loudly. He didn’t have time for my existential problems.
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About Bryan Blears

Bryan Blears is an author of contemporary literary fiction from Salford, Manchester. He has written for the Huffington Post, the New Statesman and the Philosophical Society of England, among others.

Focusing on social issues, mental health and overcoming personal adversity, his fiction has been compared to George Orwell, Sylvia Plath and Donna Tartt. His debut novel, These Walls Were Never Really There, has been described by critics as an 'immersive and moving true story' and 'a fantastic talent, and a potential prizewinner in the making.'

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