Reviews

Brother & Sister Enter the Forest by Richard Mirabella

mollycarter7's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective sad tense slow-paced

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

4.0

zachnachazel's review against another edition

1.0

I was so excited to get this book after reading raving reviews and the synopsis. I can only assume that my personal opinions on the work are really just that it did not stylistically fit me.

I found this confusing at best. Often times I had to stop and think to determine where I was in the narrative despite it being a very small list of characters and settings.

Overall, I can see how others greatly enjoyed this, it just really didn’t read well for me.

jordanian_reads_'s review against another edition

4.0

I read Brother & Sister Enter the Forest in two days: one day in January and one day in March. The fact that 6 weeks passed between these two days is in part testament to my crazy schedule but also indicative of how much this novel affected me. I needed to be in a good headspace before I felt prepared dive back into this heartbreaking and moving story.

This litfic novel includes trauma and shocking acts of violence, but also explores the prosaic dysfunction between brother and sister, mother and son. Anyone who has a fraught relationship with a loved one will relate to the pained ties between Willa, Justin and their mother.

Mirabella skillfully weaves two timelines together, combining a queer coming of age tale with a story of adult siblings struggling to heal and actualize themselves - this second, "coming of adulthood" narrative really resonated with me as a millennial. Raw, poignant, and compelling- this is a story that will stick with me for a long time.

Thank you to Catapult and Edelweiss for the ARC. Brother & Sister Enter the Forest is out now.

efullante's review

dark emotional tense 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

3.75

baileylizhi's review

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• 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

leserdtke's review

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense

• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

marnold3305's review

challenging dark emotional sad medium-paced

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

3.25

halee926's review

1.0

I think I could’ve actually liked this book if the boyfriend didn’t remind me of a guy I know

aubreystrawberry's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

4.5

kaiweenie's review

dark emotional reflective sad slow-paced

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

3.75