Reviews tagging 'Alcohol'

We Are the Brennans by Tracey Lange

35 reviews

iamnita's review against another edition

emotional funny reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

This was a deep family story. I found myself wanting to know them personally, their characters were written so consistently. The switching of perspectives between chapters was done really wonderfully. I enjoyed the way in which the story was told. Really heart warming.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent

Moderate: Alcohol

Minor: Death

kimveach's review against another edition

emotional hopeful reflective fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

I love this family and all their secrets and mistakes.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gun violence, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Blood, Medical content, Dementia, Grief, Medical trauma, Car accident, Pregnancy, Abandonment, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

sdunn13's review against another edition

emotional hopeful reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

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It is just very disappointing to still see the outdated mentality that somehow her actions excuse her attacker.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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Content Warnings

Graphic: Miscarriage, Violence, and Alcohol

Moderate: Ableism, Chronic illness, Blood, Car accident, Death of parent, Pregnancy, and Injury/Injury detail

aromarrie's review against another edition

challenging reflective fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Miscarriage, Blood, and Death of parent

Minor: Infidelity and Alcohol

bookishaddictions's review against another edition

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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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence and Alcohol

Minor: Miscarriage

amandalorianxo's review against another edition

emotional sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.75

This was heavily marketed as a comparison to the Shameless family but minus both of them being big and drama infused - I didn’t think the connection made too much sense. Regardless- there was a lot of tension and secrets that eventually were brought to light. The strong victim blaming, especially done by the mother, felt uncomfortable. I do wish we got to know Shane more as a person. I also wish authors would stop explaining and telling some of the important backstory. It felt a little like I dropped into a historical documentary at times. Minus that - this was a decent book. Some of it was a tad predictable but you can’t win them all.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Alcoholism, Death, Sexual assault, Death of parent, and Alcohol

Minor: Infidelity, Miscarriage, and Injury/Injury detail

erinhanso's review against another edition

emotional hopeful sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, and Car accident

Moderate: Infidelity, Mental illness, Blood, Dementia, Death of parent, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Murder

kloft1993's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful inspiring sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Miscarriage, Dementia, and Car accident

Moderate: Cancer, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Grief, Gaslighting, and Alcohol

Minor: Ableism, Gun violence, Sexual violence, Terminal illness, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Acephobia/Arophobia, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail

alimoo511's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny hopeful reflective relaxing sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.5

Okay so I loved this. Every part of this book was five stars...except the ending...and I will tell you why the ending killed EVERYTHING ELSE

So Kale leaves his stupid wife and is scared about Luke not thinking he loves him and that the Brennans might hate him

Sunday is figuring herself out and is healing WE LOVE A QUEEN

And Mickey killed the bastard Bill. 

It ends with Kale and Sunday talking and getting closer, and finding out the Dad used their autistic brother as an accessory for murder and that's it. We don't know how Sunday and Kale are going to recover their relationship IF they are going to recover their relationship. 

We don't know HOW the pub is going to stay afloat AND we don't know how they're going to keep their Father and Shane out of jail. 

Nothing important got resolved. It feels like I was given half a book and I NEED the other half more than everything. 


But seriously everything else was AMAZING the family dynamics? PHENOMENAL the plot? UNMATCHED the characters? I WANNA BE THIS FAMILY 

KALE IS A FUCKING SWEETHEART AND BABY I AM ROOTING FOR YOU 

This family isn't without its faults but that makes them realistic and lovable. I just wish the ending wasn't the ending.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Chronic illness, Emotional abuse, Miscarriage, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, Car accident, Death of parent, Murder, Gaslighting, Abandonment, and Alcohol

Victim blaming

abbiesb_read's review against another edition

emotional hopeful reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

I was ready to rate this a 3.5/4 but the third act got me sucked in! There are a few lose ends that I think needed a follow up or can definitely open the door for a second book. I would love to know what happens to the Brennans after the events of the final chapter!!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault and Alcohol

Moderate: Cancer, Cursing, Miscarriage, Car accident, and Death of parent