Scan barcode
A review by erinamazing
Brother by Ania Ahlborn
dark
sad
tense
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
0.25
I don’t remember who recommended this book to me but if they’re my friend on Goodreads they’re going to be really upset with my review. TL;DR— This book was bad. It was just bad. It was gross for the sake of being “shocking” and in a way that did not propel the story. I truly wish I could take back having read it.
Content Warning for this book:
SA, Incest, Cruelty to Animals, Cannibalism, necrophilia, Violence, Murder (the last two are kind of expected, I guess given the book’s description)
I… don’t even know where to begin. The writing was somehow unimaginative and predictable while being about the most grotesque of subjects. None of the major plot points were thoroughly explored or sussed out. I mean, we’re dropped into a bizarre backwoods family of serial killer cannibals and yet we know very little about how this came to be and how all of these people have seemed resigned to participate in it? There’s mention that “Mama” is brutal and we know that her husband, Wade, is complicit and seems afraid of her… but WHY?
We know that Michael was abducted as a child and told his family abandoned him and that the Morrows saved him… but we don’t explore his birth family at all other than to provide shock value when Michael learns about Rebel’s elaborate plan to destroy Michael and everything/everyone he might ever care about as retribution for something Michael did as a child that resulted in the death (unknown to Michael) of the elder sister that Rebel fixated on in a very unhealthy way. And we know almost NOTHING else about this birth family except what we learn from the brief mention of Alice’s family— because that’s right folks, Michael’s love interest is his biological sister. Which Rebel also orchestrated. But also his adoptive sister tried repeatedly to seduce him as well so there’s really just quite a variety of incest in this book.
And how, in a semi-modern time period, did you Morrows get away with never enrolling their kids in school or working outside of the home?
And why do we accept that because “Mama” had a shit childhood she’s a casual serial killer?
I just have… so many questions. I predicted every single twist and yet still feel I have no answers here. I’m honestly just completely disgusted by both the subject matter/plot and the quality of the writing itself. Like, if you’re going to explore taboo subjects and lean into the morally depraved and grotesque then at least do it well.
Content Warning for this book:
SA, Incest, Cruelty to Animals, Cannibalism, necrophilia, Violence, Murder (the last two are kind of expected, I guess given the book’s description)
I… don’t even know where to begin. The writing was somehow unimaginative and predictable while being about the most grotesque of subjects. None of the major plot points were thoroughly explored or sussed out. I mean, we’re dropped into a bizarre backwoods family of serial killer cannibals and yet we know very little about how this came to be and how all of these people have seemed resigned to participate in it? There’s mention that “Mama” is brutal and we know that her husband, Wade, is complicit and seems afraid of her… but WHY?
We know that Michael was abducted as a child and told his family abandoned him and that the Morrows saved him… but we don’t explore his birth family at all other than to provide shock value when Michael learns about Rebel’s elaborate plan to destroy Michael and everything/everyone he might ever care about as retribution for something Michael did as a child that resulted in the death (unknown to Michael) of the elder sister that Rebel fixated on in a very unhealthy way. And we know almost NOTHING else about this birth family except what we learn from the brief mention of Alice’s family— because that’s right folks, Michael’s love interest is his biological sister. Which Rebel also orchestrated. But also his adoptive sister tried repeatedly to seduce him as well so there’s really just quite a variety of incest in this book.
And how, in a semi-modern time period, did you Morrows get away with never enrolling their kids in school or working outside of the home?
And why do we accept that because “Mama” had a shit childhood she’s a casual serial killer?
I just have… so many questions. I predicted every single twist and yet still feel I have no answers here. I’m honestly just completely disgusted by both the subject matter/plot and the quality of the writing itself. Like, if you’re going to explore taboo subjects and lean into the morally depraved and grotesque then at least do it well.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Kidnapping, Death, Bullying, Animal death, Sexual harassment, Toxic friendship, Rape, Physical abuse, Animal cruelty, Emotional abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, and Incest