A review by pattyfgd
Poet by A.M. Johnson

5.0

Every time I pick up am A.M. Johnson book, I know I am going to love it. Each one is so distinctive, I fall in love for a different reason. This book features the youngest of the O'Connell brothers, Kieran who is now struggling to figure out who he is since the death of his mother. Almost becoming a priest, taking care of his mother and running the business side of the tattoo parlor has shaped him into the man he is, but there is so much more to him. When he see Melissa Trujillo in church, he thinks his missing piece has been found. Melissa has her own demons and secrets she is dealing with and the addition of Kieran in her life is something she is not sure will work out. While their happiness seems evident, of course something will always get in the way. There is so much woven into this story. AM Johnson has a way of dealing with real life problems that makes the characters so true. Her way of giving the gift of poetry to Kieran is incredibly expressive and so beautiful. The addiction, dealing with death, and living day to day is something that so many live with and Johnson's portrayal of Melissa's journey is hard yet beautiful. The feeling of knowing all the characters and feeling their pain, making decisions with them and trying to figure out how to help them as the story continues. The investment is absolute and doesn't end until the culmination of the story. Bringing Declan, Paige, Liam and Kelly into the mix just makes it more like family, we know these characters so well. Loved seeing the twins too, the softness that the babies bring to these men is priceless.

Narration is spot on for this book. Teddy Hamilton has a way of creating his characters with such emotion and vulnerability, its easy to get lost in the character. His quiet, yet husky voice is exactly as I would have heard Kieran. Seraphine Valentine voicing Melissa was perfect, bringing the slight accent and angst necessary to make her character so imperfectly perfect.