3.5/5
We Are the Brennans by Tracey Lange is a very slow-paced family drama that I highly recommend listening to on audio. I listened to it in one day because it is very short, and it really helped me with the slow pacing of the story. It is narrated by Barrie Kreinik and I thought she did such a great job considering how many character viewpoints there are in the book. At first, I was having a bit of a hard time keeping track of who everyone was, but as the story progressed it got into a groove, and then it was easy for me to differentiate between all of the different characters. I am a sucker for a good family drama, and there is a lot going on with the Brennans. Sunday has a big secret that she has been hiding from her entire family, plus there is just the small fact that her ex-fiancé Kale is still in love with her. Never mind that he is a large presence in the household and practically one of the family even after marrying someone else. Secrets and lies abound, and even though it was slow, things get interesting when the secrets start being revealed.
This is Lange's debut and she definitely wasn't afraid to dive into all the tough subjects. I loved the family solidarity, and how they all stood up for each other and came together when shit hits the fan. My heart hurt at some of the things that happen, and it was an emotional read for sure. We Are the Brennans is a story about an Irish Catholic family, and it was really interesting to read about things I am not familiar with, i.e. being Irish and Catholic. I would have loved a bit of humor to balance things out, but this is a very serious read and very character driven. If the pacing would have been a bit faster this probably would have been a 5-star read for me, but if you love literary fiction then you will probably love We Are the Brennans. I will still be reading Lange's next novel, and I am excited to see what she will write next.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
We Are the Brennans by Tracey Lange is a very slow-paced family drama that I highly recommend listening to on audio. I listened to it in one day because it is very short, and it really helped me with the slow pacing of the story. It is narrated by Barrie Kreinik and I thought she did such a great job considering how many character viewpoints there are in the book. At first, I was having a bit of a hard time keeping track of who everyone was, but as the story progressed it got into a groove, and then it was easy for me to differentiate between all of the different characters. I am a sucker for a good family drama, and there is a lot going on with the Brennans. Sunday has a big secret that she has been hiding from her entire family, plus there is just the small fact that her ex-fiancé Kale is still in love with her. Never mind that he is a large presence in the household and practically one of the family even after marrying someone else. Secrets and lies abound, and even though it was slow, things get interesting when the secrets start being revealed.
This is Lange's debut and she definitely wasn't afraid to dive into all the tough subjects. I loved the family solidarity, and how they all stood up for each other and came together when shit hits the fan. My heart hurt at some of the things that happen, and it was an emotional read for sure. We Are the Brennans is a story about an Irish Catholic family, and it was really interesting to read about things I am not familiar with, i.e. being Irish and Catholic. I would have loved a bit of humor to balance things out, but this is a very serious read and very character driven. If the pacing would have been a bit faster this probably would have been a 5-star read for me, but if you love literary fiction then you will probably love We Are the Brennans. I will still be reading Lange's next novel, and I am excited to see what she will write next.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.