Reviews with content warning for Violence - We Are the Brennans

For the most part I enjoyed this book, but I was really disappointed to see the victim blaming against Sunday about when she was attacked. It wasn’t addressed and corrected the way it needed to be. There was always the caveat of she drank too much or she went willing to her attacker’s room; of course, none of that matters because she is allowed to say no to sex at any point, regardless of her actions up to that point. That’s how consent works.
It is just very disappointing to still see the outdated mentality that somehow her actions excuse her attacker. It really ruined the book for me.

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kayteacup's review against another edition

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dark emotional funny mysterious 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

4.75

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bookishaddictions's review against another edition

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challenging emotional mysterious reflective sad 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

Sunday Brennan finds herself finally returning home to her smaller Irish town in New York after getting a DUI in Los Angelos. Denny, Jackie, Shane, and Mickey Brennan welcome her home, but Sunday is still forced to confront everything (and everyone) she ran away from- including a fiancé, Kale Collins. An old fiancé would be easy to avoid if he wasn’t your brother’s best friend and essentially adopted into your family. Follow along as each of the Brennans and Collinses as they face their past and determine the best ways to correct their paths for the future. If you come from a family that holds the tight-knit clan mentality of “family is always first and strongest together,” then this is a book that will likely resonate with you. I know I found so much of my own family in the Brennans, even if we have not encountered the exact problems discussed. There is a certain respect to be owed to their loyalty and love for one another, and yet each character is still distinctly their own person

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serendipitysbooks's review against another edition

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emotional reflective 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

4.0

We Are The Brennans looks at what happens when a family member returns to the family fold and the reasons for the sudden departure become known. I liked the multiple points of view and the clever way in which the author transitioned from one to another. At several times during the story I expected the plot to go in a certain direction, one that would have added a layer of historical depth and nuance. The clues were there but it never happened which left me feeling a little shortchanged. I appreciated the depiction of one family member with an intellectual disability and the love and support most of his family provided. His mother’s difficulties in connecting with him and accepting him, while sad and disappointing also felt realistic, especially given the time period and general attitudes to such disabilities.

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