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3.92 AVERAGE
3.92 AVERAGE
challenging
emotional
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Loved this book when I was younger and love this book now. I didn’t realize how much this book had impacted me when I was younger. There were things in there that I didn’t realize were things I had also read when I was young. Incredible book.
Emotional book with complex ethical issues. I've read Neal Shusterman books in the past and thought them okay, so I was skeptical going into this one, but I really enjoyed it! The abruptness of the ending caught me off guard, though, and I wished it had ended at a different point in the story--a little further into the future.
emotional
tense
medium-paced
Bruiser is narrated in turn by Tennyson, Bronte, Cody, and Brewster. Each voice is distinct and believable, particularly Brewster's which is written in poetry form. Not only is this unexpected, but it makes his entries so much more haunting.
The book is really about sacrifice and love: Would you sacrifice your own happiness if it meant that those you love would feel no pain? Is Brewster's power to take away the pain from those he loves a gift or a curse? How can a person be happy knowing that someone he or she loves must feel so much pain? By taking pain away from those you love because you can't bear to see them suffer, are you causing them to in turn suffer over your pain? It's a vicious circle in the way love so often is.
Bruiser is an intense, almost violently emotional experience. I can't remember a time where I cared so deeply about such an initially distant, almost unlikable, character. The last chapters are at once torturous and touching, anguished and hopeful. It literally hurt to read them. This book will stay with you long after you've read the final page.
The book is really about sacrifice and love: Would you sacrifice your own happiness if it meant that those you love would feel no pain? Is Brewster's power to take away the pain from those he loves a gift or a curse? How can a person be happy knowing that someone he or she loves must feel so much pain? By taking pain away from those you love because you can't bear to see them suffer, are you causing them to in turn suffer over your pain? It's a vicious circle in the way love so often is.
Bruiser is an intense, almost violently emotional experience. I can't remember a time where I cared so deeply about such an initially distant, almost unlikable, character. The last chapters are at once torturous and touching, anguished and hopeful. It literally hurt to read them. This book will stay with you long after you've read the final page.
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
I enjoyed it up until it got to Bruiser's sections. He writes in sort of a poetic way and it was just annoying to read. Then it got to his brother who was also sort of annoying to read from the POV of and I just decided I was done with it.
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I like recommending this book to people so I can watch their hearts slowly break.
The school loner, Brewster (or Bruiser as the bullies call him), has caught the eye of perfect Bronte. Tennyson, her brother, does not like the new relationship between the two and works to break them apart. However, as the twins Tennyson and Bronte get closer to Brewster they learn that there is more to him than they ever knew. Brewster is an empath, who takes the pains away from those he loves. The twins want to show the world how wonderful Brewster really is, but is this opening him up to more than he can handle?
I liked the multiple perspectives. I thought they were unique and compelling. I found the concept interesting and really felt for Brewster. I enjoyed this novel.
I liked the multiple perspectives. I thought they were unique and compelling. I found the concept interesting and really felt for Brewster. I enjoyed this novel.
dark
emotional
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Would I read it again? No
This was another revisit to a book I got at a book fair and loved the first time I read it in high school. It certainly does not hold up for me now. Again, I just don’t really enjoy young adult writing anymore but I’m going back to them to see if the meat of the stories work for me as an adult. This one didn’t lol. I mean, I do like the whole “you need to take accountability for your feelings” thing, but that was about it. Happy to get this one off my shelf.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Physical abuse
Moderate: Infidelity