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Booksnthreads (19 KP) rated The Things a Brother Knows in Books

Jun 5, 2018

I really wanted to love this book. The topic of returning veterans from Afghanistan deserves a place in young adult literature. Unfortunately, The Things a Brother Knows has some significant weaknesses that overshadowed what should have been the meat of the story.

Reinhardt seems to feel the need to cater to adolescent hormones by throwing in a few unnecessarily suggestive scenes that really lend nothing to the plot. Is she afraid that teenagers won’t read her work otherwise? (In defense of suggestive scenes, I don’t typically have anything against them when they are integral to the story line. One look at my past reading lists should hint at that.)

In this case, the romantic relationships that develop in the story not only come off as improbably and entirely sudden, but personally, I feel they detract from the main plot line of a young man trying to reconnect with and understand his brother who has recently returned home from the war.

I will say, however, that I really do like how Reinhardt has dealt not only with the effects of war on returning soldiers, but also with the family dynamic. Not having any personal experience with this, all I can say is that from an outsider’s standpoint, the portrayals feel authentic. I also really appreciate how she manages to skirt the political issues of the war in favor of focusing on the human aspect.

Kudos

Allison Knapp (118 KP) rated Public Secrets in Books

Jan 22, 2019

Public Secrets

Nora Roberts | 1990 | Fiction & Poetry

10.0

(1 Ratings)

Book Rating

Well written and complex characters (7 more)

Covers a broad range of social topics such as addiction, domestic violence, and homosexuality in a way which is both well written and accurate with the times

Strong character dynamics

Not nearly as cheesy as the romance novels of which she is known for writing

At times creepy or psychologically disturbing in a way which makes you care even more about the life of the main character

Strong ensemble cast

Great nostalgic look at music and cinema from the 60s up through the 90s

Excellent and unpredictable plot twists

Murder Mystery set in the world of the Music Industry

The illegitimate daughter of a young rock star witnesses the accidental murder of her baby brother when she is still very young, and due to a case of isolated amnesia, cannot identify the murderer. As she grows up under the public eye, amidst the tragedy and its effects on her family, struggling to let go of her nightmares of that fateful night while struggling to find her own identity aside from the shadow of her father and the legendary status of her family, she faces many struggles and challenges just to prove an identity of her own. Yet as she grows up into a mature young woman, she learns that there are some tragedies from her past which were worth suffering through if she were to finally help bring justice for her brother and their family.

Kudos

Christine A. (965 KP) rated Even If I Fall in Books

Jan 23, 2019

Even If I Fall

Abigail Johnson | 2018 | Contemporary, Young Adult (YA)

4.5

(2 Ratings)

Book Rating

Stand alone YA novel that focuses on how family members are affected by one person's crime

I was provided with a complimentary copy of this book so I could give an honest review.

In "Even If I Fall" by Abigail Johnson, Brooke's life is destroyed when her beloved brother confesses to killing his best friend, Calvin. Beginning about a year after the confession, the story focuses on Brooke, her family, and the struggles they have while trying continue with their lives.Brooke can not talk to her family so, because of a rainy day and a broken drown truck, she finds the one person she can talk to and who will understand, Calvin's brother.

I work in the criminal justice system and have seen how families are affected by one person's crime. They often can not talk to other family members because they are hurting just as much. One case sticks out among all of the others I have seen. At the beginning of the trial, two grandmothers, the defendant's and the victim's, sat as far away as possible from each other. By the end of the trial, when the verdict was read, they held each other up for support and said, "No one wins. Two young men's lives are ruined". The grandmothers left the courtroom still holding each other.

I have added both of Johnson's other book to my want to read list.