Tuesday, January 9, 2024

Book review - Between Two Brothers

 

Title: Between Two Brothers

Author: Crystal Allen

Genre: realistic fiction

Similar books: Ten Thousand Tries by Amy Makechnie

                      Daisy Wormwood Changes the World by Melissa Hart

Rating:

compelling

Summary (provided by publisher): Isaiah "Ice" Abernathy has always worshiped his older brother, Seth. For years they’ve been not just brothers but best friends—and as Seth starts his senior year, Ice is eager to spend as much time with his brother as he can, making memories before Seth goes to college.
But when Seth announces he’s leaving much earlier than expected, and then he misses an important event—one he'd promised to attend—it causes a major fight.
Filled with regret, Ice plans to apologize to Seth later the next day, but later never comes, as he finds out Seth was in an accident—one that leaves him in the hospital. And the doctors say he may never recover.
Racked by fear and guilt, Ice chooses to step up, defy the experts, and help Seth recover in a way only he can—by trusting in their bond and the undying love between two brothers.

My opinion: While some elements of this novel won't be relevant to the average reader, this is a solid read. It's an artfully written picture of a middle grade kid already shouldering a fair amount of responsibility. His sense of guilt and his brother's accident cause the situation to spiral nearly out of control. This becomes a story of a kid trying to do too much, to "fix" a tragedy all on his own. His efforts follow a believable pattern. The characters are strong and believable. And most importantly, the resolution is realistic. There are no miracle cures, just a sense of hope as the family adjusts to their new normal.

More information: Between Two Brothers releases January 23.

Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley

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