Reviews

Brother by Ania Ahlborn

maleesi's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense fast-paced

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

3.5

Sigh. Okay this book made me depressed and anxious. The "twist" was obvious but I don't if it was supposed to be a twist with how obvious it was written. The ending was.... okay. I really was hoping for a satisfying ending to come out of it after reading depressing stuff for 290 pages, and I guess it was somewhat satisfying but also wasn't....

Very tragic story though.

gungirl's review against another edition

dark tense fast-paced

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

5.0

freshairbookworm's review against another edition

challenging dark tense fast-paced

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

5.0

alexandra_ninelives's review against another edition

2.0

The first 50% of the book was interesting but then it went downhill real fast. I saw the big twists a mile away and I’m not too happy about them.

vishnu_'s review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

• 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

3.25

stephreadsbooks's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense fast-paced

5.0

mbs30079's review against another edition

challenging dark sad fast-paced

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

3.75

cady_sass's review against another edition

 I cannot fathom any scenario in which this gets good enough to redeem how painfully boring it is 

oliviagwynne's review against another edition

dark emotional tense fast-paced

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

3.5

Been on my list for a while, finally getting to it. 

Right away it’s giving the Firefly family from Rob Zombie’s House of 1000 Corpses. 

It’s told from the perspective of Michael, a boy raised in a rough family and then flashback chapters that are his brother Reb’s perspective. Reb’s chapters really add to the depravity and depressing circumstances you see in Michael’s chapters. 

Such a broken, miserable home. The cannibalism was a surprise but also not. 

I feel like a lot of it was fairly predictable. the poor MC is not as smart as the reader so it takes him longer to put things together 

It’s definitely gory. And has animal cruelty, murder, sexual assaults. 

The end is a gut punch but I don’t know how it could have ended any other way. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Gore, Animal cruelty, Cannibalism, and Rape

emileebemilee's review against another edition

4.0

Dark. Melancholy. Horrific. Gory.
I loved it. This book had me an anxiety riddled mess by the end. Ania Ahlborn is either a genius or super f***ed up for this one, I can’t decide. But, forever on Michael’s side. He didn’t deserve this