sjj169's review
5.0
WHY ARE MORE PEOPLE NOT READING THIS BOOK???!!!! Go get it now. It deserves the hype and so much more.
Even Hyde is the little brother. He loses part of his connection with his older brother Gabe when his parents divorce and Even goes to live with his dad. Gabe stays with their emotionally unstable mom.
Dad is super rich and very much in control. He has connections with the police and the boys know that they have a "get out of jail free" card when they mention their father's name.
(These boys characters come to life in this book. I wanted to just snatch up Even and let him live with us to get him away from the whole mess and Gabe? I wanted to stomp a mudhole in his ass.)
Gabe starts hanging out more at his dad's house. Because that's where the money is and there is very little supervision.
Gabe had received a video camera from his dad for a birthday and he uses it to make skateboarding videos of himself and his friends. But that's not the only thing that Gabe is interested in making films of.
Because on the few days surrounding the fourth of July these boys lives will change forever.
Gabe and his friends commit a horrible crime. The video tape they make of them committing the crime ends up in Even's hands. Does he go against his family and turn it in? Or do as he thinks his powerful dad would do and just destroy it?
Living and breathing and existing as a part of this crazy world, not understanding what anything meant. Trying to make sense, struggling. It felt as if I could shatter, and that then I'd be nothing.
This book puts you through every emotion known to man. You feel for Even as he struggles with guilt and that gut turning rage that I felt for what his brother did.
It makes you question yourself...
People love to be indignant. "If it had been me," they like to say, if they suspect that an acquaintance or family member might be a rapist, molester, drug dealer, thief, et cetera, I would've turned him or her in right away."
But they don't know what it's like. Or they're lying. It's far more comfortable and easy to remain stupid and silent. Like I would have.
This author gives you a glimpse of what it's like. And it's one of the most emotionally tormenting books that I've read. Could you turn in a family member? Think hard before you answer that question.
There is rape in this book for all of you that can't deal with that trigger and it's pretty graphic. But it's needed for this story..in which you see the guilt of the brother who believes himself as a Judas, traitor, jackass, rat, backstabber, double-crosser, tattletale, squealer, snitch.
It's needed to see how this poor girl is turned on by the very friends that she relied on to help her. Sixteen year old girls can be just as much the devil as the boys can.
It's needed to see how someone can be "tried in the court of public opinion."
It's needed to see how money can influence the law and the court system.
You will rage.
So go read this book and decide for yourselves..it's not always so easy.
Booksource: I did receive a copy of this book from the author. She did not ask for a review. I'm furnishing that because I want too. With an overall average rating of the books I've read at 3.15 stars..it's pretty safe to say that I'm not influenced by that in the least. These are my true feelings for this book.
This book came to my attention when my friend Deanna reviewed it. Then my friend Jennifer reviewed it and helped put the author in touch with me. Thank you ladies for turning me on to this wonderfully written book!
Even Hyde is the little brother. He loses part of his connection with his older brother Gabe when his parents divorce and Even goes to live with his dad. Gabe stays with their emotionally unstable mom.
Dad is super rich and very much in control. He has connections with the police and the boys know that they have a "get out of jail free" card when they mention their father's name.
(These boys characters come to life in this book. I wanted to just snatch up Even and let him live with us to get him away from the whole mess and Gabe? I wanted to stomp a mudhole in his ass.)
Gabe starts hanging out more at his dad's house. Because that's where the money is and there is very little supervision.
Gabe had received a video camera from his dad for a birthday and he uses it to make skateboarding videos of himself and his friends. But that's not the only thing that Gabe is interested in making films of.
Because on the few days surrounding the fourth of July these boys lives will change forever.
Gabe and his friends commit a horrible crime. The video tape they make of them committing the crime ends up in Even's hands. Does he go against his family and turn it in? Or do as he thinks his powerful dad would do and just destroy it?
Living and breathing and existing as a part of this crazy world, not understanding what anything meant. Trying to make sense, struggling. It felt as if I could shatter, and that then I'd be nothing.
This book puts you through every emotion known to man. You feel for Even as he struggles with guilt and that gut turning rage that I felt for what his brother did.
It makes you question yourself...
People love to be indignant. "If it had been me," they like to say, if they suspect that an acquaintance or family member might be a rapist, molester, drug dealer, thief, et cetera, I would've turned him or her in right away."
But they don't know what it's like. Or they're lying. It's far more comfortable and easy to remain stupid and silent. Like I would have.
This author gives you a glimpse of what it's like. And it's one of the most emotionally tormenting books that I've read. Could you turn in a family member? Think hard before you answer that question.
There is rape in this book for all of you that can't deal with that trigger and it's pretty graphic. But it's needed for this story..in which you see the guilt of the brother who believes himself as a Judas, traitor, jackass, rat, backstabber, double-crosser, tattletale, squealer, snitch.
It's needed to see how this poor girl is turned on by the very friends that she relied on to help her. Sixteen year old girls can be just as much the devil as the boys can.
It's needed to see how someone can be "tried in the court of public opinion."
It's needed to see how money can influence the law and the court system.
You will rage.
So go read this book and decide for yourselves..it's not always so easy.
Booksource: I did receive a copy of this book from the author. She did not ask for a review. I'm furnishing that because I want too. With an overall average rating of the books I've read at 3.15 stars..it's pretty safe to say that I'm not influenced by that in the least. These are my true feelings for this book.
This book came to my attention when my friend Deanna reviewed it. Then my friend Jennifer reviewed it and helped put the author in touch with me. Thank you ladies for turning me on to this wonderfully written book!
bjr2022's review
3.0
The Little Brother is a kind of adolescent tale of crime. By that I mean that the first-person narrator and characters are adolescent and sometimes the writing is as well; it alternates between fairly sophisticated retrospective writing (which is what kept me reading through the beginning) and dialogue that sounds like a kid trying to write what grownups say:
The times that the first-person narrator refers to his experience in retrospect—from an age distance—made me think he was much older (which turned out to be the case), but the dialogue felt awkward and mostly unbelievable to my ear, and although the overall plot was compelling, the plot points felt almost cut and pasted, as if the author thought a sudden revelation of a bad experience would fit well here, so let’s paste it in—with no emotional foundation or artistry of setup, undercurrent, and eventual exposure. Nevertheless, I kept reading to find out how the crime played out and who did what. Eventually the crime made me sick through repetition of it, and the researched messages integrated into the drama again felt cut and pasted. But I kept reading because by this time, I’d invested a lot of time in the book and really did want to know the conclusion.
I find myself thinking about another book with a parallel stilted style to this one: The Postman Always Rings Twice. Why did that one transcend the style and this one didn't for me? Better writing. I believed it, and something felt false here. Goodreaders who I respect like this book a lot. I wish I could agree with them.
Dad suggested that he and Jimenez talk in private in the kitchen, but the idea was promptly squelched by the lieutenant—“No way, nu-unh, not okay.”
The times that the first-person narrator refers to his experience in retrospect—from an age distance—made me think he was much older (which turned out to be the case), but the dialogue felt awkward and mostly unbelievable to my ear, and although the overall plot was compelling, the plot points felt almost cut and pasted, as if the author thought a sudden revelation of a bad experience would fit well here, so let’s paste it in—with no emotional foundation or artistry of setup, undercurrent, and eventual exposure. Nevertheless, I kept reading to find out how the crime played out and who did what. Eventually the crime made me sick through repetition of it, and the researched messages integrated into the drama again felt cut and pasted. But I kept reading because by this time, I’d invested a lot of time in the book and really did want to know the conclusion.
I find myself thinking about another book with a parallel stilted style to this one: The Postman Always Rings Twice. Why did that one transcend the style and this one didn't for me? Better writing. I believed it, and something felt false here. Goodreaders who I respect like this book a lot. I wish I could agree with them.
tiffybshelby's review
4.0
I received this book from a goodreads first reads giveaway. This is not a book I would normally read, but I found myself very interested and had trouble putting it down. It is the story of Even Hyde and his life after his parents' divorce. His brother Gabe commits a horrendous crime, and Even struggles with his role, and his relationship with his father and brother following the event. The book was a page turner that I would recommend to anyone looking for an interesting read.
rachaelanra's review against another edition
4.0
First off I would like to say: I wasn't a fan of the cover. The rubbery thing left so many smudges on it. I'm okay with rips and folded parts but smudges I'm not :(.
Anyway, I found this book entertaining and but slow at times. In fact, the first couple characters I really didn't care about because it all was just backstory. I was okay with the backstory but I just wanted to get to the plot! But when I did get to the plot I was surprised and sort of annoyed because I wanted things to work out for Even, who is the youngest son. I desperately wanted Even to do the right thing, which he kind of did but he wasn't confidence in what he did (which was turn his brother's camera phone in). I can understand how he felt conflicted but I wanted some source of justice to show itself and I was sort of happy when Justice had finally took it's stand.
Though, I really didn't like how the last chapters sort of ended. It felt as though everything was just presented with a nice bow and that felt unfair. I didn't like how every single girl was a "slut" or "crack addicted", it made the story seem unreal, so I'm glad that Patterson decided to focus more on the boys.
Overall, I felt a connection with Even and understood why he did certain things and I really like the book. There was good pacing between events, that it made it hard to stop reading because I wanted to find out what would happen next and the brotherly love was enjoyable. I also like how we are able to see how Even's life was affected after his parents divorce.
Anyway, I found this book entertaining and but slow at times. In fact, the first couple characters I really didn't care about because it all was just backstory. I was okay with the backstory but I just wanted to get to the plot! But when I did get to the plot I was surprised and sort of annoyed because I wanted things to work out for Even, who is the youngest son. I desperately wanted Even to do the right thing, which he kind of did but he wasn't confidence in what he did (which was turn his brother's camera phone in). I can understand how he felt conflicted but I wanted some source of justice to show itself and I was sort of happy when Justice had finally took it's stand.
Though, I really didn't like how the last chapters sort of ended. It felt as though everything was just presented with a nice bow and that felt unfair. I didn't like how every single girl was a "slut" or "crack addicted", it made the story seem unreal, so I'm glad that Patterson decided to focus more on the boys.
Overall, I felt a connection with Even and understood why he did certain things and I really like the book. There was good pacing between events, that it made it hard to stop reading because I wanted to find out what would happen next and the brotherly love was enjoyable. I also like how we are able to see how Even's life was affected after his parents divorce.
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