A review by thebookwormscorner
Finding Bryan by Matthew Kesselman

adventurous challenging emotional funny tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

TW/CW: homophobic comments, death of a parent, cancer talk, micro aggressions 

Gosh, there's so much to say about this amazing and well-written contemporary. First of all I will warn you that you will not like Forrest Wilcox. He's grumpy, self-absorbed, and overall a chaotic person who spends all his time focusing on his failures and what he could've done better. Along the way of his chaotic life, Forrest lost his brother Bryan, but not to death. Bryan ran away at the age of 17 in search of a better life. Ever since then, Forrest has felt a little lost. That could be what some of his bitterness comes from.

Now, Forrest is married to his HS sweetheart and they have a daughter named Casey (whose spunky). He also works at his father's auto shop as a mechanic, but Forrest feels like something is still missing from his life. One day Forrest's father talks to him and tells him his mom's cancer is doing worse and she hasn't got much time to live. That's when his father says that his mom wants Forrest to find his brother...Bryan. Forrest doesn't hesitate to go and look for his brother, he even takes his daughter Casey with him despite what anyone was opposed to. As Forrest and Casey travel across the country they come across numerous characters and go through some serious things, but it's all in the name of Bryan. 

Let me just say that I absolutely loved this book and the southern twang that the author utilized. I loved how raw Kesselman portrayed Forrest. Yes, he was unbearable and a jackass, but at the same time he still was human under that hard exterior. Special thanks to Novel Novels, and the author for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

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