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3.81 AVERAGE
3.81 AVERAGE
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
We Are the Brennans, by Tracey Lange
This book has a strong theme about the bond of family, both blood and chosen. All of the Brennan’s have made their fair share of bad decisions, but what they don’t realize is how interconnected those decisions are and how badly they affect the other members of the family. Each family member had some sort of storyline and was lovable in their own way, but the way they handled their issues when brought together is what really shined.
What I liked:
-multiple POVs
-interconnected storylines
-seamless lead-ins from the previous chapter
-the strength of the family bond, even after years apart
-unconditional love
What I didn’t like:
-I didn’t love the few instances of adultery
-the matriarch of the family gave me the ick with her views and opinions
⚠️ TW (list may not be exhaustive): adultery, assault, pregnancy loss, murder, death of a parent, cancer, parental neglect, alcoholism, driving under the influence, gun violence, sexism, mental illness, ableism
#booklover #bookaddict #booklove #booklovers #readersofinstagram #tbr #bookworms #booksofig #alwaysreading #bookrecommendation #bookaesthetic #bookishlife #readstagram #girlswhoread #readersofinsta #bookishpost #bookrec #booksbooksandmorebooks #bookreviewers #bookblogger #booklover #riotgrams #booksbooksbooks #booksonbooks #currentlyreading #goodreads #bookreview
We Are the Brennans, by Tracey Lange
This book has a strong theme about the bond of family, both blood and chosen. All of the Brennan’s have made their fair share of bad decisions, but what they don’t realize is how interconnected those decisions are and how badly they affect the other members of the family. Each family member had some sort of storyline and was lovable in their own way, but the way they handled their issues when brought together is what really shined.
What I liked:
-multiple POVs
-interconnected storylines
-seamless lead-ins from the previous chapter
-the strength of the family bond, even after years apart
-unconditional love
What I didn’t like:
-I didn’t love the few instances of adultery
-the matriarch of the family gave me the ick with her views and opinions
⚠️ TW (list may not be exhaustive): adultery, assault, pregnancy loss, murder, death of a parent, cancer, parental neglect, alcoholism, driving under the influence, gun violence, sexism, mental illness, ableism
#booklover #bookaddict #booklove #booklovers #readersofinstagram #tbr #bookworms #booksofig #alwaysreading #bookrecommendation #bookaesthetic #bookishlife #readstagram #girlswhoread #readersofinsta #bookishpost #bookrec #booksbooksandmorebooks #bookreviewers #bookblogger #booklover #riotgrams #booksbooksbooks #booksonbooks #currentlyreading #goodreads #bookreview
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I loved that each chapter ends with a conversation, and the next chapter starts with the same conversation from another perspective. This is such a creative way to tell a story with so many characters POV’s and it worked so well – it flowed seamlessly.
The deeply flawed characters were all well developed and while I may have got frustrated with their poor decision making, I was still rooting for them, and honestly I’m going to miss them.
The deeply flawed characters were all well developed and while I may have got frustrated with their poor decision making, I was still rooting for them, and honestly I’m going to miss them.
dark
emotional
tense
slow-paced
It took me a bit to get into but once it picked up, I was very invested in all of the dynamics of the family. I do think the Vivianne plot was so fucked up and I wished that they had split before they kissed. I also wish we got to have more Theresa! She seemed very sound and I feel like she could’ve been good for both kale and Sunday to talk to. Saw the dad as the murderer from a mile away
3.5 stars
3.5 stars.
This is a family drama that deals with loyalty, life choices, mistakes and the consequences of all those things. Sunday is a young woman from a close-knit Irish family in New York. Five years previously, she flees to Los Angeles because of an incident that causes her shame and leaves her grief-stricken. She's encouraged by her older brother Denny to come home where she is forced to face the rest of her family and the fiancé she had left behind. The story is told from multiple points of view, i.e. Sunday, Denny, Jackie (another brother), Mickey (her father), Kale (her ex-fiance) and Vivienne (Kale's wife). I love stories told from various POV's because the reader learns so much more about the characters without the author having to spell it out. I especially liked that when a new section (POV) starts, it begins with the last things that character said in the previous section. The story flows more smoothly that way, especially for audiobook listeners (like me).
There is an incident that happens in the last quarter of the story (I won't say what to avoid spoilers) that adds a little more drama. And I figured out who was directly responsible for that incident almost immediately, but given how the book ended I don't think it was meant to be that much of a mystery. While the ending seems open ended, I really enjoyed how, for the Brennan family, the major secrets that had been causing strife for so many years were exposed and resolved. In addition, I felt that the resolutions were realistic.
Each of the characters were given sufficient backstory (considering the relative shortness of the book), which made the decisions they made seem plausible. I do feel like an additional 50-75 pages would have been reasonable to add more depth. I was engaged with the characters but not wholly invested in them. I appreciated the writing; the author clearly has talent for character development and the cultural background of Irish Americans.
The audiobook narrator did a fantastic job, especially with the Irish brogue.
Expected publication: August 3, 2021
Thank you NetGalley for the audio version ARC.
3.5 stars.
This is a family drama that deals with loyalty, life choices, mistakes and the consequences of all those things. Sunday is a young woman from a close-knit Irish family in New York. Five years previously, she flees to Los Angeles because of an incident that causes her shame and leaves her grief-stricken. She's encouraged by her older brother Denny to come home where she is forced to face the rest of her family and the fiancé she had left behind. The story is told from multiple points of view, i.e. Sunday, Denny, Jackie (another brother), Mickey (her father), Kale (her ex-fiance) and Vivienne (Kale's wife). I love stories told from various POV's because the reader learns so much more about the characters without the author having to spell it out. I especially liked that when a new section (POV) starts, it begins with the last things that character said in the previous section. The story flows more smoothly that way, especially for audiobook listeners (like me).
There is an incident that happens in the last quarter of the story (I won't say what to avoid spoilers) that adds a little more drama. And I figured out who was directly responsible for that incident almost immediately, but given how the book ended I don't think it was meant to be that much of a mystery. While the ending seems open ended, I really enjoyed how, for the Brennan family, the major secrets that had been causing strife for so many years were exposed and resolved. In addition, I felt that the resolutions were realistic.
Each of the characters were given sufficient backstory (considering the relative shortness of the book), which made the decisions they made seem plausible. I do feel like an additional 50-75 pages would have been reasonable to add more depth. I was engaged with the characters but not wholly invested in them. I appreciated the writing; the author clearly has talent for character development and the cultural background of Irish Americans.
The audiobook narrator did a fantastic job, especially with the Irish brogue.
Expected publication: August 3, 2021
Thank you NetGalley for the audio version ARC.
3.5 stars! I found the plot of this book to be really good. It was interesting to learn the secrets of some of the family members. The story was a bit bland until the halfway point, however, I did find it was kind of slow moving and hard to get into at first. I did find myself rooting for Sunday and Kale! Hoping that everything would go right with them again. When it came to the “who did it?” part - I thought it was pretty obvious who it was! Right away I had the name in mind and I wasn’t wrong when it was revealed. I would have liked for there to be a little bit of a twist when it came to that. Overall, it’s a good book with some family drama and characters that I think many can relate to.
I thought this would be more of a psychological story but its mainly white family drama. It was fun to follow the characters and I liked the ending but at the same time, I wish it was less open ended.
