the_coycaterpillar_reads's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
To say I have a soft spot for horror stories that push against the boundaries of what is deemed acceptable in modern literature is an understatement. For this reason, I have been getting into extreme horror lately in a big way. It’s the kind of story that ends up like a sticky spiderweb – you turn and get trapped further, the spider a never-ending threat that pushes further on the edge of your peripheral vision. It stalks you slowly, ramping up the fear and the anticipation. That is exactly how I see extreme horror.
Brother is one such book that evoked all the emotions from me. As soon as I finished the book, I had considered throwing it across the room due to how it was left. I felt angry, shocked, annoyed, I felt it all. I will always rate a book 5 stars that is able to exude that kind of emotion from me as a reader. I felt destroyed. I was walking around the house aimlessly, not knowing what to do next. I knew I couldn’t have started another book, but I didn’t know what to do either. I read this as a buddy read with anna_reads_horror on tik Tok and I could barely wait for her to finish so we could talk about it. I felt unhinged!
So, Brother…out in the West Virginia sticks live the Morrow family. They are a family with secrets. Bloody ones. Micheal wants to break free of their bloody secrets. He isn’t like the rest. Maybe because he isn’t. The Morrow family took Micheal as a three-year-old boy and brought him up like their own. They taught him to hunt and prepare a carcass for butchering. The things that that prepared him for doing was diabolical.
One thing this book does incredibly well is the examination of Nurture vs. nature. Is a killer made or born? In Brother’s case it is certainly nurtured into one. Micheal was only a baby when he was taken from his family. He is surrounded by bloodlust predominately from his mother and his brother Reb.
Now, Reb is a different beast entirely. He is sadistic, calculated and hates his adoptive brother Micheal. He does things to Micheal that only a psychopath would be capable of. Adding someone of my comments during the buddy read to show just how this made me feel at different points –
‘Momma liked her girls young’ urgh, I’ve a really bad feeling 13%
‘Why do you think your family left you outside. They don’t want you no more’ 14%
‘OMG just imagine if that firework had gone off in his hands. 30%
‘He yearned to touch her, but the idea of doing it while she was breathing scared him.’ URGH 43%
‘a party aint a party without a splash of red’ OH NO 77%
Graphic: Death of parent, Body horror, Cannibalism, Child abuse, Child death, Animal death, Blood, and Death
abbyhough's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Stalking, Murder, and Violence
Moderate: Gore, Child abuse, Physical abuse, Kidnapping, and Rape
Minor: Animal cruelty, Incest, Animal death, Cannibalism, and Rape
killmoore_'s review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I went into Brother thinking that I had the big twist spoiled for me, and woo was I wrong. The characters are so well written that it made me physically uncomfortable at times - and the duel point of view is both disturbing and truly heart breaking. We have the birth of a serial killer on one side, explaining the world through his trauma and perception, then we have Michael and his battle against his own morality and the bonds of blood. Phenomenal writing, and an absolutely devastating story. I'm honestly glad that it didn't end with a pretty bow - it couldn't have ended in a better way.
While this is gruesome and pretty bloody at points, I would not consider it over the top or anywhere near splatterpunk territory. Check your trigger warnings and you should be fine. This is mainly a story of love and loss, and what it means to be family - kind of.
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal death, Death of parent, Incest, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Stalking, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Alcohol, Blood, Body horror, Bullying, Cannibalism, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Gore, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Mental illness, Murder, Pedophilia, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Toxic relationship, Violence, and Vomit
lori_j's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Graphic: Cannibalism and Murder
ids100's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Violence, Murder, Death, Gore, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Animal death, Stalking, Animal cruelty, Blood, Kidnapping, and Cannibalism
Minor: Alcohol, Rape, Alcoholism, and Incest
magic_multicolored_miracle's review against another edition
- 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? It's complicated
4.25
Not for the faint of heart, this book is frighteningly realistic, with suspense and tension keeping you hovering on the edge of your seat the whole time.
Probably the only reason I wouldn't call it 5 stars?
Spoiler
The absolutely infuriating and abrupt non-ending.</spoilers>Graphic: Incest, Abandonment, Blood, Cannibalism, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Grief, Gore, Murder, Torture, and Violence
Moderate: Vomit, Confinement, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual violence, Stalking, Alcoholism, Animal death, Animal cruelty, Bullying, Cursing, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Rape, and Injury/Injury detail
jul_dougherty's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Graphic: Kidnapping, Murder, Cannibalism, Blood, and Torture
Moderate: Incest
aevadedly's review against another edition
Graphic: Cannibalism, Animal cruelty, and Animal death
bethreadsnwrites's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Child abuse, Murder, Cannibalism, Incest, Child death, Alcoholism, Animal death, and Sexual assault
shysheepys's review against another edition
- 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
4.25
Spoiler
I feel so bad for Michael!! And Alice too!! I wanted nothing but the best for the two poor kids.Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Cannibalism, Mental illness, Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, Violence, Body horror, Sexual content, Slavery, Blood, Death of parent, Incest, and Rape
Moderate: Addiction, Alcohol, Alcoholism, and Abandonment