We Were Not Men
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- Create Date：2021-07-08 04:51:40
- Update Date：2025-09-07
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- Author：Campbell Mattinson
- ISBN：1460759524
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Summary
A novel that punches you in the heart: the powerful， unbearably moving and ultimately uplifting story of twin brothers， Jon and Eden， as they grow up and begin to understand what it is to be men， and what it takes to knit a fractured family back together。
'We were sons， we were brothers。 I didn't know how to be either。'
This is a story about love。 About the love that nine-year-old twins Jon and Eden Hardacre have for their mum， for the creek that they swim in， for each other - this is the love that they trust， that's clear and pure as sunlight， as honey， as water。
But in the wake of a terrible accident， the boys have to grow up fast。 They compete with each other to make the Olympic Games swimming squad， fall in love with the same girl， and begin to realise how complicated love can be and how it doesn't always show itself in the ways that we expect。
Heart-hammeringly original， intense and deeply moving， We Were Not Men is a powerhouse of a novel about all the various faces that love shows us and how sometimes， distracted by life， ambition or attraction， we take it for granted until it's too late - or almost too late。 An unforgettable novel that pulses with grief， revelation， hope and love。
'We were sons， we were brothers。 I didn't know how to be either。'
This is a story about love。 About the love that nine-year-old twins Jon and Eden Hardacre have for their mum， for the creek that they swim in， for each other - this is the love that they trust， that's clear and pure as sunlight， as honey， as water。
But in the wake of a terrible accident， the boys have to grow up fast。 They compete with each other to make the Olympic Games swimming squad， fall in love with the same girl， and begin to realise how complicated love can be and how it doesn't always show itself in the ways that we expect。
Heart-hammeringly original， intense and deeply moving， We Were Not Men is a powerhouse of a novel about all the various faces that love shows us and how sometimes， distracted by life， ambition or attraction， we take it for granted until it's too late - or almost too late。 An unforgettable novel that pulses with grief， revelation， hope and love。
Reviews
Melissa
，
。。。 I've been thinking about this review for the past day。。。 and I'm still not sure what to say。 It was an easy read but written in short sentences。 It's broken into time paragraphs。 The story itself is heartbreaking。 There are so many devastating events in this story。。。 Some of the characters are interesting/infurriating。。 But it's beautiful how they all help each other。 It has good morals throughout the book but I didn't love it overall and I don't think I would rush for others to read it。 🤔🥺 。。。 I've been thinking about this review for the past day。。。 and I'm still not sure what to say。 It was an easy read but written in short sentences。 It's broken into time paragraphs。 The story itself is heartbreaking。 There are so many devastating events in this story。。。 Some of the characters are interesting/infurriating。。 But it's beautiful how they all help each other。 It has good morals throughout the book but I didn't love it overall and I don't think I would rush for others to read it。 🤔🥺 。。。more
Glanceabook
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This is a heartfelt coming-of-age story。 Although some of the disconnected dialogue （characters having parallel conversations） and the off-beat comments of their grandmother Bobbie can be disconcerting to the reader， this adds to the authenticity， reflecting real-life dialogue。 I found the voice of Jon to be compelling， and for me， this is what moved the story forward。 Facts about real-life Australian champion swimmers are cleverly inserted into the narrative as anonymous letters of encouragemen This is a heartfelt coming-of-age story。 Although some of the disconnected dialogue （characters having parallel conversations） and the off-beat comments of their grandmother Bobbie can be disconcerting to the reader， this adds to the authenticity， reflecting real-life dialogue。 I found the voice of Jon to be compelling， and for me， this is what moved the story forward。 Facts about real-life Australian champion swimmers are cleverly inserted into the narrative as anonymous letters of encouragement from a fan。 。。。more
Shirley
，
Told from the point of view of Jon Hardacre， twin brother of Eden， this story is about how they use competitive swimming to deal with the grief of losing both their parents at the age of nine。 This is a heartfelt coming-of-age story。 Although some of the disconnected dialogue （characters having parallel conversations） and the off-beat comments of their grandmother Bobbie can be disconcerting to the reader， this adds to the authenticity because it does happen in real-life dialogue。 I found the vo Told from the point of view of Jon Hardacre， twin brother of Eden， this story is about how they use competitive swimming to deal with the grief of losing both their parents at the age of nine。 This is a heartfelt coming-of-age story。 Although some of the disconnected dialogue （characters having parallel conversations） and the off-beat comments of their grandmother Bobbie can be disconcerting to the reader， this adds to the authenticity because it does happen in real-life dialogue。 I found the voice of Jon to be compelling， and this is what moved the story forward。 Facts about real-life Australian champion swimmers are cleverly inserted into the narrative as anonymous letters of encouragement from a fan。 。。。more
Celia
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3。5
Bear Reads Books
，
We Were Not Men explores the idea that we are not purely made of the experiences we accumulate， and the power of family to overcome adversity。It tells the story of twin brothers who lose both parents in a tragic accident， and are forced to live with their quirky， drunk grandmother。 The boys are obsessed with swimming and are working towards making it to the Olympics。The book perfectly captures the Australian obsession with competitive swimming， regularly recapping moments of swimming glory from We Were Not Men explores the idea that we are not purely made of the experiences we accumulate， and the power of family to overcome adversity。It tells the story of twin brothers who lose both parents in a tragic accident， and are forced to live with their quirky， drunk grandmother。 The boys are obsessed with swimming and are working towards making it to the Olympics。The book perfectly captures the Australian obsession with competitive swimming， regularly recapping moments of swimming glory from Olympics past。 The descriptions and action sequences of the boys' swimming are amazing， and some of the most powerful and emotive parts of the book， as is the relationship of this small family， doing their best through adversity。There is a real， beating heart to this book， and none of the scenarios feel forced or unnatural。 The depictions of family life， with its familiarity， emotion and change all give the reader a satisfied feeling that you are witnessing something personal。 This is a thoroughly enjoyable read， full of heart and hope。 。。。more
Tamara
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Books about teenage boys and sports are not what I usually read。 This book is much more than that though and I enjoyed the writing style。
Tasman District Libraries
，
Nine year old twin brothers Jon and Eden's lives are turned upside down and inside out by an accident and this story follows them on their journey through loss， love， friendship and growing up。Set in Australia the boys spend much time between the swimming pool and the creek at Bobbie's place。 The people who become intwined in the boys lives are a mix of everyday people with big hearts and their own struggles with living life。 “The world， Bobbie had once said， is built on the backs of the spurned Nine year old twin brothers Jon and Eden's lives are turned upside down and inside out by an accident and this story follows them on their journey through loss， love， friendship and growing up。Set in Australia the boys spend much time between the swimming pool and the creek at Bobbie's place。 The people who become intwined in the boys lives are a mix of everyday people with big hearts and their own struggles with living life。 “The world， Bobbie had once said， is built on the backs of the spurned and the deserted， the lonely and transgressed。"This book makes you think about some big subjects， What makes a family？ How do you choose to be true to yourself or betray the person you love most？ when are you just surviving and when are you actually living？Mattinson writes beautifully and with very few words can tell a story with great depth， taking you on an emotional rollercoaster as these boys begin to grow up。This book squeezed my heart but I could not put it down， a beautifully written story which stays with you long after you finish the last page。 。。。more
Neale
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4。5 Stars。My review is published in the July edition of goodREADING magazine。
Amanda
，
This book starts off strong and heartbreaking， and I liked the poetic writing， but the rest didn’t land for me。 I finished this book feeling like it was full of missed connections （especially Bobbie’s non-sequitur/ clichés） and set ups without payoffs - i wanted to know more about the other characters and I definitely wanted to know more about who the other people in the crash were， but we get only glimpses and the main character doesn’t seem to know or be interested in finding out more。 And ins This book starts off strong and heartbreaking， and I liked the poetic writing， but the rest didn’t land for me。 I finished this book feeling like it was full of missed connections （especially Bobbie’s non-sequitur/ clichés） and set ups without payoffs - i wanted to know more about the other characters and I definitely wanted to know more about who the other people in the crash were， but we get only glimpses and the main character doesn’t seem to know or be interested in finding out more。 And instead we get a lot of detail about swimming training and him thinking without really coming to any conclusions or following through with action。 It had a great anecdote from Werner near the end， which made me want to know more about him （and his scars） but again Jon doesn’t ask so it’s another set up with no payoff。 It had potential for sure but I just felt disappointed that I kept reading。 。。。more
Wendy Sice
，
I was drawn into this book by reading a sample online which blew me away。 The intricate physical and emotional description of a car crash involving twin boys was so detailed and shocking that I was compelled to read on to discover how they would survive such a traumatic ordeal。 I was captivated the whole way through， by the boys’ coping mechanisms， their sadness， competitiveness， their strengths and weaknesses， borne from their shared experience and the aftermath。 Bleak and yet lyrically abundan I was drawn into this book by reading a sample online which blew me away。 The intricate physical and emotional description of a car crash involving twin boys was so detailed and shocking that I was compelled to read on to discover how they would survive such a traumatic ordeal。 I was captivated the whole way through， by the boys’ coping mechanisms， their sadness， competitiveness， their strengths and weaknesses， borne from their shared experience and the aftermath。 Bleak and yet lyrically abundant， this is a bloke’s book set in an Australian landscape that feels like it was written for men to read。 But the grandmother in the story adds a feminine touch and she actually has the best lines all the way through。 This is not an easy book， as it is tough to read about damaged people， but it is triumphant in its celebration of family and life。 A brilliant and unforgettable story。 。。。more
Sharondblk
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Sometimes I resent having to give every book a star rating。。 This book is somewhere between a two and a 10。 It is lyrically written， evoking the places it is set perfectly。 Those places are local to me， and i do love a book set in Victoria。 The relationships are brilliant and true。 Bobbie is brilliant。On the minus side Jon does not talk like a 9 year old。 Why does Carmilita have the effect she has？ Am I just reading this at too much of a surface level。This would be a brilliant book club or high Sometimes I resent having to give every book a star rating。。 This book is somewhere between a two and a 10。 It is lyrically written， evoking the places it is set perfectly。 Those places are local to me， and i do love a book set in Victoria。 The relationships are brilliant and true。 Bobbie is brilliant。On the minus side Jon does not talk like a 9 year old。 Why does Carmilita have the effect she has？ Am I just reading this at too much of a surface level。This would be a brilliant book club or high school literature novel。 It was not the best choice for me， restless and sad， during the last part of another lockdown with holidays cancelled and masks on。 But when I tried to interrogate why， I think the answer comes down to - this is an uncomfortable books， taht will raise some interesting but not easy questions。Thanks NetGalley， for the e-Arc in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Sharon J
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We Were Not Men is a coming of age book about twin brothers， Jon and Eden set in Victoria - the suburb Newport and the country area of Flowerdale。 After a terrible accident their nine year old lives are transformed and they search for who they are and to come to grips with all they have to face。 While swimming becomes a central focus it is their emotionally embedded competitiveness that embroils their lives both in and out of the water。 While fast moving it was at times a bit too much - very gra We Were Not Men is a coming of age book about twin brothers， Jon and Eden set in Victoria - the suburb Newport and the country area of Flowerdale。 After a terrible accident their nine year old lives are transformed and they search for who they are and to come to grips with all they have to face。 While swimming becomes a central focus it is their emotionally embedded competitiveness that embroils their lives both in and out of the water。 While fast moving it was at times a bit too much - very graphic pictures are thrown at the reader as emotions spill over。This is a very intense story written in a dramatic style using a lot of short， brief sentences and sometimes just words - almost poetic but also like an impressionistic painting using words -disjointed and disturbing！ This is an incredible debut novel that is indeed on par with novels written byTrent Dalton and Sofie Laguna。Thank you to Netgalley and publisher HarperCollins Australia for a copy to read and review。 。。。more
Tom Evans
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It’s been a while since I found a new favourite by an Australian author， but ‘We Were Not Men’ by Campbell Mattinson has rightfully found itself alongside Markus Zusak and Tim Winton for me。 A lesson in masterful storytelling and the power of words。_________The story is beautiful， of love， loss and family in a compelling coming-of-age story。 This is a story of two twins， faced with irreconcilable loss that find purpose in the unbreakable bond of each other and doing what they love， swimming。 The It’s been a while since I found a new favourite by an Australian author， but ‘We Were Not Men’ by Campbell Mattinson has rightfully found itself alongside Markus Zusak and Tim Winton for me。 A lesson in masterful storytelling and the power of words。_________The story is beautiful， of love， loss and family in a compelling coming-of-age story。 This is a story of two twins， faced with irreconcilable loss that find purpose in the unbreakable bond of each other and doing what they love， swimming。 The opening of this story grabs you and doesn’t let go， tragedy is characterised so eloquently and shockingly。 Prose becomes poetic and lyrical when describing swimming and development of these two boys。_________‘We Were Not Men’ was a novel that I already knew would be one of my favourites before I had even finished。 I was worried that the quality would falter towards the end but instead I was left in tears with a perfectly developed and memorable ending。 I expect to this one on award lists in the future， an absolute pleasure to read。 。。。more
Janelle
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This is a beautifully written story of twin brothers and their grandmother coping with loss and getting on with life after tragedy。 Jon and Eden Hardacre are 9yo when they are in a car crash which kills their parents。 Their step grandmother Bobbie， also recently widowed becomes their carer。 The boys are champion swimmers and there’s a lot of sporting references（many of which I didn’t get！）。 Jon is the narrator of the story and the early part of the novel seems very true to a young boys perceptio This is a beautifully written story of twin brothers and their grandmother coping with loss and getting on with life after tragedy。 Jon and Eden Hardacre are 9yo when they are in a car crash which kills their parents。 Their step grandmother Bobbie， also recently widowed becomes their carer。 The boys are champion swimmers and there’s a lot of sporting references（many of which I didn’t get！）。 Jon is the narrator of the story and the early part of the novel seems very true to a young boys perception。 The story follows them through the next 8 years or so。 I found it hard to stop reading。 Bobbie is a wonderful character， she is central to the book for me。 Some of the other smaller characters are also nicely done。 I was often thinking of Barracuda as I was reading although it is completely different。 A good read even if you’re not into swimming or sport like me。 。。。more
Craig / Phil
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Thank you Harper Collins and Campbell for sending us a copy to read and review。As I was reading I could so see this book being studied and enjoyed by senior English studies students。 It has all the merit， content and lots of discussion points that young minds need to devour and discuss。 For those of us who read for the indulgence and escapism， it has a raw and confronting punch that will leave you in awe。Jon and Eden are twins， inseparable with that special connection only twins can have。 The mo Thank you Harper Collins and Campbell for sending us a copy to read and review。As I was reading I could so see this book being studied and enjoyed by senior English studies students。 It has all the merit， content and lots of discussion points that young minds need to devour and discuss。 For those of us who read for the indulgence and escapism， it has a raw and confronting punch that will leave you in awe。Jon and Eden are twins， inseparable with that special connection only twins can have。 The most unthinkable accident leaves the 9 year old boys alone to forge through life with their grandma。 A passion for swimming keeping them connected to their mother’s legacy and spiritually to each other as they aim for world class levels。 Sibling rivalry and hormones shape the teenage years for most and betrayals can create turmoil， exaggerated by life’s inexperience。 This read was nostalgic and epitomised life in Australia。 The expose’ on relationships was written beautifully especially as it was male centric。 Witnessing the boys grow up and the affections they have for each other and those around them was refreshing。 The swimming component reflecting our nations prowess in the water and reiterating the hard work and dedication the aspiring do。The slow pace ensured the reader absorbed the tenderness， the loss and the passion the boys had。 Contemporary and edgy fiction lovers will appreciate this work。 。。。more
Annaliese
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DNF @ 42% — poetic and beautifully written but life is too short to read books you're not in love with。 It just wasn't gripping me。 DNF @ 42% — poetic and beautifully written but life is too short to read books you're not in love with。 It just wasn't gripping me。 。。。more
Lyn
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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 There was a lot to like about this book。 The intense start， the relationships and the journey， as well as the Victorian setting。 Whether it was the welter of detail about swimming， the choppy way it was written or the way Eden was enigmatic， I never got fully invested in these two boys， and frankly the blow up over Carmelina seemed out of proportion， as Eden did ask。 I liked the ending。
Kate Downey
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A book of odd beauties。 And those beauties are moments of Mattinson's poetics and moments in the lives of grieving teenage twins that are suffused with wonder， acceptance and forgiveness。 I took a while to get into this book。 What， I think， was intended to hook me in at the start – the crash – was almost too much to comprehend， too confronting， and maybe this was a clever performance of how our two young protagonists themselves process what is happening to them， but it made me put the book away A book of odd beauties。 And those beauties are moments of Mattinson's poetics and moments in the lives of grieving teenage twins that are suffused with wonder， acceptance and forgiveness。 I took a while to get into this book。 What， I think， was intended to hook me in at the start – the crash – was almost too much to comprehend， too confronting， and maybe this was a clever performance of how our two young protagonists themselves process what is happening to them， but it made me put the book away。 Of course， I picked it up， put it down again because I could only manage small bites – this is down to my sensibilities。 Once I got my ear in to Mattinson's music， his unique rhythms， I raced through this book。 Mattinson employs deliberately disjointed writing。 Conversations hang together with the most tenuous threads， the connections oblique， the darts of mind away from the centre， the side scuttle all represent the circling of the black hole of trauma。 It appears to interrupt flow which is ironic in a book that spends much of its narrative examining water， how it flows， parts for the swimming body， its pull and suck， its drowning beauty。I would describe this as not so much a coming-of-age narrative as a comin- into or back-to-self narrative。 These two young boys are hurtled out of themselves， out of their known and safe world when they lose both parents （very dramatically） in a crash and have to negotiate life under the care of their eccentric and also grieving grandmother。 These boys are precocious， gifted swimmers， intensely bonded and We Were not Men focuses on the strength of that bond when both boys fall for the same girl。 It’s complicated。This is a fabulous story。 It has those elements that made Trent Dalton’s Boy Swallows Universe and Marcus Zusak’s Bridge of Clay so popular。 We have young men whose sensitive natures and vulnerabilities are celebrated。 Mattinson’s writing style reinforces the gaps， the just failing to make sense， the missing each other， of who the other is which lift this story out of melodrama。 This effect of not being understood or not being comprehensible mimics the self-consciousness， sometimes idiotic， sometimes obstinate， always uncertain thinking of the teenage mind。 There is a risk that stories of terrible trauma might collapse into sensationalism and this story runs the risk。 Mattinson rises to the challenge。 It has required device， contrivances in style of which I was at times aware but rarely to the detriment of the story。There is no doubt Campbell Mattinson can tell a good story。 He tells a bloody good story in a unique and wonderful voice。 A fabulous book club pick and one I highly recommend。 。。。more
Vikki Bullock
，
This book is a treasure， love jumps from every page in a superb storyline！ Twins Jon and Eden are nine years old as their journey commences with heartbreaking tragedy and upheaval。 A brilliant story unfolds， Jon and Eden are in the care of their step-grandmother Bobbie， she’s struggling herself with the loss of her husband Jack。Seen through the eyes of Jon， we follow the boys as they leave their home in Newport to live on Bobbie’s farm at Flowerdale， over an hour away。 Jon and Eden develop their This book is a treasure， love jumps from every page in a superb storyline！ Twins Jon and Eden are nine years old as their journey commences with heartbreaking tragedy and upheaval。 A brilliant story unfolds， Jon and Eden are in the care of their step-grandmother Bobbie， she’s struggling herself with the loss of her husband Jack。Seen through the eyes of Jon， we follow the boys as they leave their home in Newport to live on Bobbie’s farm at Flowerdale， over an hour away。 Jon and Eden develop their love of swimming， it’s their one constant and is relatable to their mum。 Hours are spent in the farm creek or canals， their talent could take them to the Olympic Games。Bobbie is unpredictable with a quirky side that covers her own battles， alcohol is her friend。 Bobbie’s neighbour Werner shows warmth and guidance， he’s an excellent male role model and cements himself as a reliable source of comfort and strength。 Jon and Eden rely heavily on each other as they grow emotionally and physically and learn to trust and know the difference between boyhood and adult love。 Jon develops feelings for his school friend Carmelina， but discovering her with Eden leaves a rift and their bond is broken， Jon escapes to be alone at the farmhouse。This is an intensely emotional debut novel from Campbell Mattinson， an intriguing journey that tugs at the heartstrings！ It’s fantastic that Mattinson has shared a bit of his own childhood and life events， woven into the story of Jon and Eden。I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book。 All thoughts and opinions are my own。 。。。more
Caroline Poole
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The relationship of twins is always fascinating and this novel really concentrated on this via one twins perspective。 The beginning of the novel is very raw and emotional as you follow these boys lives。 Sometimes less is more and I feel this the case with the back cover blurb。 I also am not sure early on that the thoughts of a young boy would be so deep and intellectual。 An enjoyable read， full of the emotion of life， and living， and finding yourself as young people navigate life。
Em__Jay
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I took my time reading WE WERE NOT MEN by Campbell Mattinson because the blurb made me think this was a story I’d want to savour and contemplate， and I was right。 This is a coming-of-age story about 9 year old twin brothers， Jon and Eden， who survive the accident that results in the death of their parents。 Told from Jon’s point of view， we begin the journey of trying to move on from physical and emotional trauma; there is no going back， but the future is uncertain。 There is much sorrow and sadne I took my time reading WE WERE NOT MEN by Campbell Mattinson because the blurb made me think this was a story I’d want to savour and contemplate， and I was right。 This is a coming-of-age story about 9 year old twin brothers， Jon and Eden， who survive the accident that results in the death of their parents。 Told from Jon’s point of view， we begin the journey of trying to move on from physical and emotional trauma; there is no going back， but the future is uncertain。 There is much sorrow and sadness and grief to be processed， and although there is a thread of humour running throughout， I still found myself crying over a book。 Gah！ I really enjoyed the writing。 I felt the story moved along well， and I appreciated that at times， I felt I was part of the action， and other times， just an observer。 If you’re up for an emotional read， give this one a go。 Review copy courtesy of Better Reading and Netgalley 。。。more
Juanita
，
We Were Not Men is an undeniably heartbreaking story as told through the eyes of 9-year-old Jon Hardacre – ‘The Other Half ‘， of his identical twin Eden。 The boys tragically lose both their parents in a horrific car accident at the start of the book， the loss of their mother ‘Our sun” is particularly keenly felt， although curiously， their father’s seems almost incidental in relation。 Both are injured， Eden more severely than Jon， but are eventually reunited under the care of their ill prepared s We Were Not Men is an undeniably heartbreaking story as told through the eyes of 9-year-old Jon Hardacre – ‘The Other Half ‘， of his identical twin Eden。 The boys tragically lose both their parents in a horrific car accident at the start of the book， the loss of their mother ‘Our sun” is particularly keenly felt， although curiously， their father’s seems almost incidental in relation。 Both are injured， Eden more severely than Jon， but are eventually reunited under the care of their ill prepared step-grandmother Bobbie， already dealing with her own grief after the death of her husband Jack。 Following Jon through their teen years， the novel has a strong sense of duality; twins Jon and Eden， love and grief， lives before and after， Newport and Flowerdale but also the sense of oneness， that each are two sides of the same coin， unable to exist without the other。 Talented swimmers， they compete in the pool， yet are reliant on each other for their success。 Their relationship is fractured when both fall in love with Carmelita， a girl with her own tragic past – can brotherly love overcome the pain of first love？Thought provoking， layered and moving- an exceptional read。Thank you to Better Reading and Harper Collins for my advance readers copy 。。。more
Jane Waqa-Hawea
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It starts off through the eyes of 9yr old Jon Hardacre。 Life for him and his twin brother Eden are packaged into a sunshine and honey jar - the pleasures of creeks and swimming， the love of Mum and Dad， the bliss of family and contentment of small joys of jelly beans， hot choc and Monte Carlo bikkies。 A horrible accident shatters the family existence and the boys grow up without their parents。 As they fill the vacuum they begin to compete with each in their passion for swimming and later in love It starts off through the eyes of 9yr old Jon Hardacre。 Life for him and his twin brother Eden are packaged into a sunshine and honey jar - the pleasures of creeks and swimming， the love of Mum and Dad， the bliss of family and contentment of small joys of jelly beans， hot choc and Monte Carlo bikkies。 A horrible accident shatters the family existence and the boys grow up without their parents。 As they fill the vacuum they begin to compete with each in their passion for swimming and later in love they fall for the same girl。 The complications of life will stretch them in ways they never imagined。 The beginning of the book you clearly hear the 9yr old voice， his words are few and staggered; breathing pain。 You feel the fracture in the unspoken。 80 odd pages in， their energies have shifted。 Pins rods and plates removed and there is a obvious different pace。 This is what I like about the book， you can actually feel the rhythm of the spaces they are in。 There is a deep and wide spectrum in character and colour。 The tension of the bonds grip you and I found myself catching my breath and tears。 I wanted to grab Bobbi - their grandmother and force her to hug the twins and I wanted to sit with her and twirl a glass of red。 As mentioned this book covers a few themes。 It is rich in all these veins。 Mattinson is detailed and deliberate。 The way the afternoon light pours into the room， sometimes warm-yellow， other times artificial or sepia on the skin， always a soothing light。 Flaws and ordinary on display but what you receive is the sublime。 Powerful in its style and depth that it moves you to be intentional， to savour ordinary moments of life with loved ones。 I am curious about what real honey tastes like， I am going to have a sip on a Pepperjack and rate it and as I close this review I am heading out to a outback gorge to dip my toes。 This is what I great book does it moves you in more ways than one。 I was granted a uncorrected proof copy by Better Reading Australia。 I was not required to provide a positive review。 This unbiased review is my own personal opinion。 。。。more
Nicole Maree Foster
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Thank you Better Reading Preview for this advanced copy to ready review。 Where do I start to describe the emotion that this book beholds？This novel certainly takes you on a journey into how life can change in a split second and flip the lives of these two small boys， twins， upside down。 Written from the lens of Jon， we experience his heartache of loss， his strength of resilience and the determination of survival， with or without his brother Eden。 What always grabs me in a good book are how well Thank you Better Reading Preview for this advanced copy to ready review。 Where do I start to describe the emotion that this book beholds？This novel certainly takes you on a journey into how life can change in a split second and flip the lives of these two small boys， twins， upside down。 Written from the lens of Jon， we experience his heartache of loss， his strength of resilience and the determination of survival， with or without his brother Eden。 What always grabs me in a good book are how well written and explored the complexities of relationships are through trauma and triumph。 We Were Not Men does not disappoint。 。。。more
Jennifer （JC-S）
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Imagine the heartbreak， the pain， the dislocation。 Nine-year-old twins， Jon and Eden Hardacre are orphaned in a terrible car accident in which they are both injured。 Jon tells us their story as they grow up with their step-grandma Bobbie， who is still grieving her own loss – the death of their grandfather。 The boys compete with each other at swimming， fall in love with the same girl， and negotiate the shoals of life。 The newly configured family moves between Bobbie’s farm at Flowerdale and the b Imagine the heartbreak， the pain， the dislocation。 Nine-year-old twins， Jon and Eden Hardacre are orphaned in a terrible car accident in which they are both injured。 Jon tells us their story as they grow up with their step-grandma Bobbie， who is still grieving her own loss – the death of their grandfather。 The boys compete with each other at swimming， fall in love with the same girl， and negotiate the shoals of life。 The newly configured family moves between Bobbie’s farm at Flowerdale and the boy’s suburban home in Newport， Victoria。 It is a challenging read， especially at the beginning because we are confined to Jon’s unfiltered nine-year-old view of what happens。 Jon’s view gradually expands， and he （and we） appreciate that life is more complex， that relationships are not always straightforward。I was drawn into this story， imagining a nine-year-old view of such a tragedy， and admiring the resilience of Jon， Eden， and Bobbie as they found a way ahead， through various challenges。 If we live， we learn。 Nothing stays the same。 Life goes on。Mr Mattinson brings his characters to life， especially Jon and Bobbie， and this is a story that will stay with me for a long time。Jennifer Cameron-Smith 。。。more
Alida
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Thanks to HarperCollinsAU for my advanced copy。Ostensibly， this is the story of nine-year-old twin brothers， Jon and Eden - growing up after the tragic death of their parents， their shared passion for swimming （and for the same girl） and the relationships they build with the adults around them。 Their fierce love and support for each other is reflected， and tangible， in every action， sequence and conversation throughout the novel。 But it’s the interactions and relationship they build with their s Thanks to HarperCollinsAU for my advanced copy。Ostensibly， this is the story of nine-year-old twin brothers， Jon and Eden - growing up after the tragic death of their parents， their shared passion for swimming （and for the same girl） and the relationships they build with the adults around them。 Their fierce love and support for each other is reflected， and tangible， in every action， sequence and conversation throughout the novel。 But it’s the interactions and relationship they build with their step-grandmother Bobbie， that is a highlight。 She too is grieving - the loss of her life partner （and the boys’ grandfather）， and taking on the role of their guardian， ferrying them weekly between Newport and Flowerdale， gives her life focus， and some purpose。 Her quips and platitudes are comforting， and sometimes annoying – but it’s through her that all three of them learn what it means to love， live in hope and heal。 Getting older and growing up are two different things， and Mattinson convincingly shows us this by effectively putting us into Jon （our narrator’s） shoes。 I felt him grieve and ache; and delighted in his happiness。 The story moves along quickly through its original， vignette-like writing style; and through these short， sharp episodes， the years pass by。 Definitely worth dipping in。 。。。more
Karen Bennett
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A particularly well written story of 9 year old twin brothers， Jon & Eden Hardacre， who find their world is turned upside down through a devastatingly tragic accident。 Both brothers have their own physical and emotional struggles in regaining some normality in life。Written through the eyes of the older twin， Jon， he shows us how he struggles with his own thoughts and feelings in growing up， while also looking out for his brother’s safety and success。 He tells of the pleasure they derive from bei A particularly well written story of 9 year old twin brothers， Jon & Eden Hardacre， who find their world is turned upside down through a devastatingly tragic accident。 Both brothers have their own physical and emotional struggles in regaining some normality in life。Written through the eyes of the older twin， Jon， he shows us how he struggles with his own thoughts and feelings in growing up， while also looking out for his brother’s safety and success。 He tells of the pleasure they derive from being together， always challenging each other to reach a higher level of excellence。 We Were Not Men is an exceptionally touching novel of the different ways love and being loved helps them to accept， forgive， grow， move forward and love in return。 A true love story， very thought provoking and insightful。 。。。more
Di
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3。5 stars - I enjoyed this book， but I couldn’t say that in the beginning。 It took me till almost halfway to get used to the writing style and for the story to really take off， I almost gave up， and I’m glad I didn’t。 This is a coming-of-age story of twin brothers following the death of their parents。 While there was a lot of heartbreak in this book， I did have some laugh out loud moments with the step grandmother Bobbie （I really liked her character）。 For me this book showed how life must go on 3。5 stars - I enjoyed this book， but I couldn’t say that in the beginning。 It took me till almost halfway to get used to the writing style and for the story to really take off， I almost gave up， and I’m glad I didn’t。 This is a coming-of-age story of twin brothers following the death of their parents。 While there was a lot of heartbreak in this book， I did have some laugh out loud moments with the step grandmother Bobbie （I really liked her character）。 For me this book showed how life must go on even through those difficult times。 The relationships between the characters were well written。 Be prepared for all the emotions。 You will be shocked， you will be angry with them， you will cry， and you will feel the love between them all。 Overall， it was a good book。 Thanks Better Reading for the opportunity to read and review this book。 4 stars， it’s worth pushing through。 。。。more
Sandra
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The tragedy at the opening of the book is quite daunting if you think about what Jon had to witness in the car。 I had problems liking the characters， especially after what they did to Hemi， that really made me feel quite negative about Jon， Eden and Bobbie。 Bobbie's unrelated comments left me baffled and the short sentences didn't work for me。 The descriptions of the people and Jon's information regarding the swimming races were very detailed but I believe it is my not being able to relate to th The tragedy at the opening of the book is quite daunting if you think about what Jon had to witness in the car。 I had problems liking the characters， especially after what they did to Hemi， that really made me feel quite negative about Jon， Eden and Bobbie。 Bobbie's unrelated comments left me baffled and the short sentences didn't work for me。 The descriptions of the people and Jon's information regarding the swimming races were very detailed but I believe it is my not being able to relate to these characters and not being fond of them that influenced my overall reading experience。 。。。more
Jodie Gerakelis
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I was not very sure about this book and it took me a long time to get stuck into it。 The writing is a very different style which I could not get used to for well over 150 pages。 I almost gave up。 But the story itself is a lovely story， and I thought about all the random comments or answers to questions that did not make sense。 To me it was the characters Eden， Jon and Bobbie going through the stages of grief of losing parents/children。 When you are stuck in your own thoughts and don't always hea I was not very sure about this book and it took me a long time to get stuck into it。 The writing is a very different style which I could not get used to for well over 150 pages。 I almost gave up。 But the story itself is a lovely story， and I thought about all the random comments or answers to questions that did not make sense。 To me it was the characters Eden， Jon and Bobbie going through the stages of grief of losing parents/children。 When you are stuck in your own thoughts and don't always hear what people are saying to you and you blurt out random comments。 Then it started to make sense。 I loved the relationship building with Bobbie which was new territory for all of them， and something totally unexpected with the loss of Eden and Jon's parents。 Overall not a bad book， but that is personal preference and I am sure others will love it。 Thank you to Better Reading for the opportunity to read and review this book。 。。。more
Reference
google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=We Were Not Men
hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=We Were Not Men&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft
The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,We Were Not Men&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0