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3.92 AVERAGE
3.92 AVERAGE
This novel deals with a very original concept and handles 4 distinct voices very well but it just wasn't my kind of book. For the right reader it would be a five star book but for me it was just a "take it or leave it" story.
*I receive a free copy of this book through a Goodreads giveaway, all opinions are my own.*
*I receive a free copy of this book through a Goodreads giveaway, all opinions are my own.*
Bruiser is a book that I really enjoyed. Brewster aka Bruiser was a character that I really had sympathy for. I can't imagine living in a world where my destiny was to be alone for fear that if I befriended someone I would suffer through all their pain. Shusterman did a really good job of blending fantasy into the realistic everyday problems. The characters were well developed and were easy to like,connect/relate with and have feelings for. Being told from the 4 POVs and the writing style allows the reader to fully get to know each character individually instead of just brushing the surface and moving on.
Overall, this was a really good read. It is full of questions, some of which are answered where others aren't. The book keeps you thinking about "what would you do?"
Overall, this was a really good read. It is full of questions, some of which are answered where others aren't. The book keeps you thinking about "what would you do?"
One of those "barely sci-fi" books, in which one character has a very interesting ability. In this case it's Brewster AKA Bruiser, who can take away other people's pain. There's more to it than that and though the end is a bit sappy, the exploration of what it would be like to be that kind of person or have them around is interesting and well-executed.
An amazing read. Now I shall go read more by Neal Shusterman.
I love Neal Shusterman's flair for interesting books!! They are soo original and emotional!! I loved Brew, not because he was a lost puppy (in Bronte's words) but because he was kindred! He was just an amazing character and this book is a definite A plus!
Shusterman is an amazing writer. I think that every single book that he has written I have liked and they are so really different. Everyone of them hits you in a different way and BRUISER is no exception. I had to keep putting this down because it was such an emotional rollercoaster - you know what is coming on some level and you don't want it to happen. And then you wonder how the author is going to get out of this in any reasonable way...and then he does it.
Full review [here].
As proven by Scythe and Thunderhead, Shusterman knows how to write a compelling story. Bruiser is no exception, and contains the multitude of psychological analyses and character perspectives I’ve come to love from Shusterman’s work.
I don't know if I'd hand this to someone to be their first foray into his work though, but reading it shows how much more Shusterman has developed as a writer.
As proven by Scythe and Thunderhead, Shusterman knows how to write a compelling story. Bruiser is no exception, and contains the multitude of psychological analyses and character perspectives I’ve come to love from Shusterman’s work.
I don't know if I'd hand this to someone to be their first foray into his work though, but reading it shows how much more Shusterman has developed as a writer.
What a fantastic book! As you can tell, I read this really quickly, just one sign of how good it was! I love the paranormal mystery surrounding Brewster's condition and even though its never fully explained, I easily accepted it as the truth. What I love even more though, is how this book wasn't centered around that mystery, as I thought it would be, it was about love and what we do for love. I don't mean that in a cliché way, because this book really wasn't about the love between Bronë and Brewster, it was about the love of a family and how Brewster's love for his new family and friends shaped all of their lives. This book was also surprisingly very funny! I especially loved Tennyson and seeing him grow throughout the novel! I can't wait to read more from Shusterman, his writing is amazing!
It truly pains me to give a Neal Shusterman book a low grade. His Unwind Dystology and Scythe series are among my favorites. But I find that this one just irked me. Maybe it was the characters named Bronte and Tennyson. Maybe it was my annoyance at Brewster aka Bruiser for some of his actions. Maybe it is the dialogue that sometimes felt extremely juvenile.
The last dozen chapters were the most interesting to me. And I feel it should have ended a different way.
The last dozen chapters were the most interesting to me. And I feel it should have ended a different way.
Ennn, not a book that held my interest. It had a great plot line but it didn't pick up enough in the middle for me.