Reviews tagging 'Dementia'

We Are the Brennans by Tracey Lange

20 reviews

kelly_e's review against another edition

mysterious tense 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

4.5

Title: We Are the Brennans
Author: Tracey Lange
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
Rating: 4.5
Pub Date: August 3, 2021

T H R E E • W O R D S

Suspenseful • Intriguing • Complex

📖 S Y N O P S I S

It's been five years since Sunday Brennan up and left her home in New York, leaving behind her family and fiancé with little explanation. In the wake of an drunk driving accident that left her in rough shape, she decides to return home with a little encouragement from her older brother, Denny. With her family rallied around her, she hopes to rebuild her life on the east coast. When a man from her past resurfaces, his actions put the family pub at risk, force Sunday to confront her past, and expose decades of family secrets. Now, the Brennans must band together to find a way forward.

💭 T H O U G H T S

We Are the Brennans was not the book I was anticipating, and I was shockingly surprised just how much I enjoyed it! The Brennans sucked me in from the very first page, and I was so intensely invested in how the story would unfold. Exploring the theme of family, there were so many secrets, lots of miscommunication, and so much heart. Each character had their strengths and their flaws, and the variety of perspectives allowed me to really get into their take on what was happening. Despite Sunday's shaky start, I couldn't help but root for her and get to the heart of why she left. Additionally, Kale seemed like such a down to earth and kindhearted person, as did Shane.

The pacing kept me turning the pages with just the right amount of mystery, and I definitely liked the slow reveal of the backstory. The alternating chapter structure worked perfectly for this narrative. And for reasons I cannot pinpoint exactly, the plot just felt like a realistic portrayal of family life, with secrets and high drama.

Overall, I was pleasantly surprised by Tracey Lange's debut novel and this messy, loveable family, especially appreciating the underlying message on the meaning of family and the importance of communication.

📚 R E C O M M E N D • T O
• readers who liked Ask Again, Yes and/or Little Fires Everywhere
• fans of domestic dramas
• bookclubs

🔖 F A V O U R I T E • Q U O T E S

"You were my emergency contact because if I ever got into trouble, you're the one I wanted them to call."

"What happened to Sunday wasn't an illness she could get over. It was part of her, part of who she'd become."

"But she was right. They would do everything they could to protect their father, and each other, because that's what family did. They all screwed up, made mistakes, and hurt one another. But in the end they came together." 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Miscarriage, Sexual assault, and Gaslighting

Moderate: Infidelity, Blood, Car accident, Murder, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Alcoholism, Death, Mental illness, Dementia, Death of parent, and Abandonment

drunk driving

shel_bay11's review against another edition

emotional hopeful mysterious reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Cancer, Chronic illness, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Dementia, Car accident, Death of parent, Murder, and Pregnancy

jmariereads's review against another edition

emotional mysterious tense fast-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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Miscarriage, Dementia, Grief, and Car accident

Moderate: Death, Blood, Murder, Abandonment, and Alcohol

cheye13's review

emotional mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

2.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Miscarriage, Blood, Car accident, and Sexual harassment

Moderate: Gun violence, Mental illness, Sexism, Violence, Dementia, Murder, and Alcohol

Minor: Death of parent

kimveach's review against another edition

emotional hopeful reflective fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

I love this family and all their secrets and mistakes.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gun violence, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Blood, Medical content, Dementia, Grief, Medical trauma, Car accident, Pregnancy, Abandonment, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

erinhanso's review against another edition

emotional hopeful sad medium-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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, and Car accident

Moderate: Infidelity, Mental illness, Blood, Dementia, Death of parent, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Murder

kloft1993's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful inspiring sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Miscarriage, Dementia, and Car accident

Moderate: Cancer, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Grief, Gaslighting, and Alcohol

Minor: Ableism, Gun violence, Sexual violence, Terminal illness, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Acephobia/Arophobia, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail

happiestwhenreading's review against another edition

emotional hopeful mysterious reflective sad 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

5.0

I absolutely loved everything about this book - a strong contender for my final Top 10 List at the end of the year!

Five years ago, the Brennan's are left hanging in confusion as the only daughter, Sunday, packs her bags and leaves for California with no explanation. She leaves behind her fiancé and familial responsiblities. When the phone rings one night, Denny heads to California to retrieve his sister after she has a drunk driving accident. Her return to New York sets the family ablaze and the long buried secrets begin to bubble to the surface. It's complicated and dramatic and the writing is outstanding. I loved the characters and all of their messiness. I loved the pacing and how the secrets brought all the pain and confusion of the past five years to full circle and, ultimately, the whole disaster had a totally satisfying ending for me.

The blurb mentions Ask Again, Yes vibes and I agree. I'd also add The Most Fun We Ever Had and Olympus, Texas.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Miscarriage, Physical abuse, and Alcohol

Moderate: Dementia

Minor: Chronic illness, Gun violence, Blood, Dementia, Car accident, and Death of parent

sarahholliday's review against another edition

challenging emotional funny hopeful mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

This book is not a traditional "page turner," and yet once I started reading I couldn't stop. I stayed up way too late to finish reading because I was so deeply enthralled by the messy yet lovable Brennans. 

So much of this story felt familiar and relatable. Having grown up in conservative religious culture, in a upper-middle class suburb close to a big city, and with a relationship that felt like it defined me for much of my young adult life...I could see versions of the events in this story occurring in my own life. Take that statement with a grain of salt, because this story is not lacking in melodrama, but that makes the relatability of the story all the more impressive. 

If you love family dramas, long-buried secrets, flawed characters, and stories that end on a note of hope...I really think you'll love We Are the Brennans.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cancer, Miscarriage, Sexual assault, Dementia, Death of parent, and Alcohol

Moderate: Murder

readingonthefly's review against another edition

emotional hopeful mysterious fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

When I first heard about this book, I was told it was similar to Ask Again, Yes. I loved that book, and I loved this one too. Even more so.

The Brennans are an Irish family living in New York, and one in LA. When Sunday gets into a car accident, the ER calls Denny, her older brother and emergency contact. Completely worried about Sunday, Denny convinces her to return home to New York to heal and help him with his business. Past relationships and family drama makes this an all but easy and relaxing trip home.

I loved how the last sentence said in one chapter was the first sentence said in the next. I thought that was so cool and connected each chapter together.

I also really liked how Tracey Lange showed what it’s like to be a person with early onset dementia. It makes me wonder if that’s how my Grandfather felt when he was still alive. “He had the feeling he’d already been told.”

Sunday shows signs of growth and strength throughout the entire novel. She has been through a lot during her entire life, I’m really proud of her for how she handles certain situations (not all of them). “The gun was pointed at him before she knew what she’d done.”

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Miscarriage

Minor: Dementia