We Are the Brennans is a thoughtful, emotionally taut portrayal of a family in crisis, and how far they'll go for the people they love.
This book surprised me in the very best way! I went into it knowing very little about it and hadn't read any reviews beforehand. I love family dramas--especially when they're about flawed characters that I can't help but love and root for. The Brennans give that in spades. Sunday (and her secret) kept me turning the pages nonstop.
After Sunday gets in a car accident, her brother Denny flies out to California to bring her home. She'd unexpectedly left home five years earlier, and has been lying to everyone about how wonderful and happy her life in California is. But coming home, she has to reckon with the consequences of her leaving, and how her actions hurt everyone. Lange writes Sunday's character with such thoughtful nuance--about the pressures Sunday was under and how there were things about her that no one knew. After the first few chapters, I was prepared to be angry at Sunday, but instead, I loved her and understood her on such a deep level.
Though this story goes into all the members of the Brennan's family's points of view, it is ultimately Sunday's story. I loved reading about how she interacted with all of her siblings, her father, and her first love, Kale. Sunday's coming home not only shows HER journey toward healing, but also her family's. I finished it with a sigh and a reminder of how important family is--whether its the one we're born into, or the found family who has become an integral part of who we are.
This book surprised me in the very best way! I went into it knowing very little about it and hadn't read any reviews beforehand. I love family dramas--especially when they're about flawed characters that I can't help but love and root for. The Brennans give that in spades. Sunday (and her secret) kept me turning the pages nonstop.
After Sunday gets in a car accident, her brother Denny flies out to California to bring her home. She'd unexpectedly left home five years earlier, and has been lying to everyone about how wonderful and happy her life in California is. But coming home, she has to reckon with the consequences of her leaving, and how her actions hurt everyone. Lange writes Sunday's character with such thoughtful nuance--about the pressures Sunday was under and how there were things about her that no one knew. After the first few chapters, I was prepared to be angry at Sunday, but instead, I loved her and understood her on such a deep level.
Though this story goes into all the members of the Brennan's family's points of view, it is ultimately Sunday's story. I loved reading about how she interacted with all of her siblings, her father, and her first love, Kale. Sunday's coming home not only shows HER journey toward healing, but also her family's. I finished it with a sigh and a reminder of how important family is--whether its the one we're born into, or the found family who has become an integral part of who we are.