When their hard-drinking, but loving, father dies in a car accident, teenage brothers Kyle and Klint Hayes face a bleak prospect: leaving th... read full description
reviews
Dec 15, 2010
Deb
rated it: 
What an absolutely wonderful book. A pair of teenage brothers living in Western Pennsylvania's coal country, abandoned by their mother and living with their father, find themselves alone after their father's accident. Faced with having to move to Arizona with a mother who has already demonstrated that she wants nothing to do with them, they are eventually taken in by a wealthy elderly spinster whose heart is still captured by her past life in Spain and the love of her life, a matador gored to
More...
4 comments
like
(4 people liked it)
Dec 25, 2011
Tilden
rated it: 
Enjoyed the writing, the story, and the characters vey much. Told in chapters bu Kyle, a 15 year old boy, Candace, a 76 year old single, rich woman who lost her one true love, Manuel, a famous bull fighter, gored by a bull, and Luis, a Spanish man who was part of Manuel's cuadrilla (assistants), who moved to PA with Candance when she retuned to the US after Manuel's death.
I loved Kyle. he's so vulnerable, a budding artist when it's hard to be an artist where he comes from, a working More...
I loved Kyle. he's so vulnerable, a budding artist when it's hard to be an artist where he comes from, a working More...
Sep 24, 2010
Andrea
rated it:
WHAT A COMPELLING STORY..
THE NOVEL BEGINS WHEN THE FATHER OF TWO TEENAGE SONS IS KILLED IN A CAR ACCIDENT. THE FATHER IS ALONE AND DRUNK AND PLOWS INTO A TREE. THE MOTHER HAD TAKEN OFF WITH A YOUNGER DAUGHTER FOR THE WEST TWO YEARS PRIOR AND HAS HAD LITTLE CONTACT WITH THE FAMILY. SHE HAS A NEW LOVER.
NOW THERE IS A DECISION TO BE MADE - WHO WILL THE BOYS LIVE WITH. THE MOTHER RETURNS FOR THE FUNERAL AND THE OLDEST BOY, KLINT REFUSES TO EVEN SPEAK TO HER AND REFUSES TO More...
THE NOVEL BEGINS WHEN THE FATHER OF TWO TEENAGE SONS IS KILLED IN A CAR ACCIDENT. THE FATHER IS ALONE AND DRUNK AND PLOWS INTO A TREE. THE MOTHER HAD TAKEN OFF WITH A YOUNGER DAUGHTER FOR THE WEST TWO YEARS PRIOR AND HAS HAD LITTLE CONTACT WITH THE FAMILY. SHE HAS A NEW LOVER.
NOW THERE IS A DECISION TO BE MADE - WHO WILL THE BOYS LIVE WITH. THE MOTHER RETURNS FOR THE FUNERAL AND THE OLDEST BOY, KLINT REFUSES TO EVEN SPEAK TO HER AND REFUSES TO More...
Apr 08, 2011
JoAnne
rated it:
This riveting novel takes you on a journey from the bruised hills of Pennsylvania to the flamboyant bull rings of colorful Spain – two diverse landscapes. The focus is on two blue collar teenage boys and a wealthy, eccentric matriarch whose family owned coal mines in the Pennsylvania hills. When the two boys’ hard drinking father dies in an accident, they face the bleak prospect of having to leave their home town to live with a mother who abandoned them. Their lives change drastically when the w
More...
Nov 14, 2010
Jennifer
rated it:
I love stories about dysfunctional families, and this was one of the best I've read in a long time.
Fragile Beasts opens with the narration of Kyle Hayes, a 15 year-old boy who adores his older brother, Pennsylvania high-school baseball standout Klint, as well as his younger sister, Krystal. Kyle's attended every one of Klint's baseball games, and has drawn countless pictures for Krystal. Problem is, Krystal now lives far away in Arizona after their mom scooped her up and left their f More...
Fragile Beasts opens with the narration of Kyle Hayes, a 15 year-old boy who adores his older brother, Pennsylvania high-school baseball standout Klint, as well as his younger sister, Krystal. Kyle's attended every one of Klint's baseball games, and has drawn countless pictures for Krystal. Problem is, Krystal now lives far away in Arizona after their mom scooped her up and left their f More...
0 comments
like
(3 people liked it)
Aug 20, 2010
Tracings
rated it:
Yes, I'm lonesome for Western PA, and I find it comforting to read authors who understand the PA landscape. Yes, I know this is an Oprah kind of book (after all, O'Dell's BACK ROADS was an Oprah Book Club selection.) Still, I loved this tale of a pair of abandoned boys and an edgy, aging spinster. O'Dell nails the voices of her narrators, including the Spainard who has transplanted himself to W. PA. Somewhat amazing that my husband also enjoyed this one, though he found it difficult to suspe
More...
0 comments
like
(1 person liked it)
Oct 19, 2011
Graham
rated it:
This is a story that will have you chuckling amusedly as well as bring a lump to your throat. O'Dell has the ability to really make you care about her characters. She accomplishes this by using a variety of point of view. Throughout the novels she puts the reader inside the head of all of the major characters. At times this can be confusing as you begin a new chapter. However, it becomes quickly evident whose thoughts you are sharing as she manages to create different personas for all of these c
More...
Apr 10, 2010
Meghan
rated it: 
I would give this 3.5 stars.
Fragile Beasts by Tawni O’Dell was a great read. It begins with a harrowing bullfighting scene and then the reader is jerked back to 15 year-old Kyle in present-day Pennsylvania on the day his father dies in a drunken driving accident. It’s not clear initially how the two stories fit together, but O’Dell does a nice job of intertwining the narratives.
Klint and Kyle are teens who find themselves suddenly alone after their father’s untimely de More...
Fragile Beasts by Tawni O’Dell was a great read. It begins with a harrowing bullfighting scene and then the reader is jerked back to 15 year-old Kyle in present-day Pennsylvania on the day his father dies in a drunken driving accident. It’s not clear initially how the two stories fit together, but O’Dell does a nice job of intertwining the narratives.
Klint and Kyle are teens who find themselves suddenly alone after their father’s untimely de More...
Aug 30, 2010
Lee
rated it:
I almost didn't bring this book home from the library, simply because the author's name, Tawni, made me think of a romance novel and I try hard to avoid those unrealistic entertainments. But, I took it home and I loved the chracters........loved them.
Usually, I like books with convoluted and complicated plots and scads of characters all evolving in different directions but this was a light read. While it had a simple plot and one I found predictable, I enjoyed the author's descr More...
Usually, I like books with convoluted and complicated plots and scads of characters all evolving in different directions but this was a light read. While it had a simple plot and one I found predictable, I enjoyed the author's descr More...
Apr 13, 2010
Su
rated it:
Another fantastic novel from author O'Dell. This is the story of two teenage boys living in the coal area of western Pennsylvania. Monetarily they have little, but they have a father they both adore. Their mother had left them a few years back, taking their younger sister with her. She had little feeling for the boys. Their dad is killed in a car accident and they now have no one. A high school friend asks her elderly and rich aunt to take them into her mansion. What follows is a heartwar
More...
Dec 14, 2010
Courtney
rated it:
I've read novels from this author before, but remember not being too crazy about her. Upon reading my review of her novel Sister Mine, I'm glad that I didn't read what I had to say before picking up her latest novel. All of O'Dell's novels have been set in Pennsylvania coal mining towns, but this novel didn't wallow in that. It tells the story of 2 teenage brothers whose father dies, and they are taken in by a rich old spinster, one of the heirs to the town's mining industry. It was a wonderful
More...
Aug 15, 2010
Bethany
rated it:
When their father is killed in a drunk driving accident, brothers Kyle and Klint are both devastated. They find out that their father left them with almost nothing and that they will have to find a new place to live quickly. Most of the family friends in the small Pennsylvania coal mining town where they live are too poor to take on the responsibility of teenage mouths to feed. Then their mother surprises them both when she shows up for the funeral expecting them to move them back to Arizona
More...
Jun 19, 2010
Renee
rated it:
Fragile Beasts is a story of unexpected occurrences, the collision of different worlds and,self preservation and strength. Tawni O'Dell has created wonderfully rich, complicated characters that are both layered and flawed. The author has a gift of bring levity into a story to keep the flow going and the balance beautiful and her writing is crisp. Most interesting is the dual story that occurs in Spain a half century prior that delves deeply in the world of a matador, the bull and the fight. I
More...
0 comments
like
(1 person liked it)
May 07, 2010
Jennifer
rated it:
This is a hugely entertaining story of the unexpected turns life throws at us, good and bad, and how total strangers can become the most important people to each other.
Kyle and Klint are teenage brothers who just lost their loving father in a sudden car crash. Since their mother has run off with their little sister a couple of years earlier, they are left completely alone in the world. Enter Candace Jack, the eccentric and wealthy coal queen of their little Pennsylvania town. The way their More...
Kyle and Klint are teenage brothers who just lost their loving father in a sudden car crash. Since their mother has run off with their little sister a couple of years earlier, they are left completely alone in the world. Enter Candace Jack, the eccentric and wealthy coal queen of their little Pennsylvania town. The way their More...
Oct 27, 2011
Ellen
rated it: 
Actually, I never finished this book, so maybe you should try it for yourself. I loved O'Dell's other books, so I couldn't understand why I just wasn't getting into this one. Maybe it was because I couldn't identify with one of the main characters, the older woman and I couldn't see where the novel was going. Also, I found it unrealistic that this woman would take two boys into her home. But mostly it just didn't have the sense of place that is so strong in her other books. Sorry, Tawni! Maybe I
More...
Dec 29, 2010
Andrea
rated it:
If you can look beyond the overly-dramatic descriptions and forced writing to the intriguing and inventive story that lies beneath...A father's death leaves 2 brothers homeless - Klint is the stony-faced, introverted star baseball player and his artist brother is Kyle who craves love and attention. The mother -truly wicked - weaves in and out of their existence in a most disturbing way while the boys are forced to live with elderly millionaire (and stranger) Candace Jack. She has quite the pas
More...
Aug 22, 2011
Glenda
rated it:
When their hard-drinking, but loving, father dies in a car accident, teenage brothers Kyle and Klint Hayes face a bleak prospect: leaving their Pennsylvania hometown for an uncertain life in Arizona with the mother who ran out on them years ago. But in a strange twist of fate, an eccentric, wealthy old woman whose family once owned the county coal mines, hears the boys’ story. Candace Jack doesn’t have an ounce of maternal instinct, yet for reasons she does not even understand herself, she is c
More...
Apr 29, 2010
Jean
rated it:
The basic plot involves two teenage boys whose mother has previously abandoned them and whose father dies in an automobile accident. The two boys come to live with the affluent (but eccentric) aunt of one of their friends. Of course, these three very different people have much to learn from each other about life and love. The story is told through the alternating perspectives of the younger boy, the aunt and her Spanish cook/helpmate. The characters are vividly drawn and believable; the story i
More...
Jul 12, 2010
Deneen
rated it:
Despite other reviews, this was by far my favorite book by Tawni O'Dell, now a favorite author of mine. Without spoilers, this was well written and thought provoking. When I first read the reviews and description of the book, I truly thought it would not be that good, but was delightfully surprised.
The description doesn't do the book justice. Wonderful novel, compelling characters, just a plain good read. For those who want a book that will touch your soul, this is the one.
The description doesn't do the book justice. Wonderful novel, compelling characters, just a plain good read. For those who want a book that will touch your soul, this is the one.
0 comments
like
(1 person liked it)
Sep 14, 2011
Mary
rated it:
I like Tawni O'Dell's novels. I like the way she developes characters. We are introduced to a character and in a few chapters later we get his or her back story and relationship to the others in the novel. I also like her settings. Her stories take place in small coal mining towns in Pennsylvania where everybody knows each other. Characters from her other novels sometimes wander into the story, sometimes just to say hello. I recommend any of Tawni O'Dell's novels.
Jun 14, 2010
Paula
rated it:
Of all things, Tawni O'Dell is from Indiana, PA, which makes her ok in my book to start with. Recommended by a friend, I loved this book so much I rushed out to the library for "Back Roads" and "Coal Run"! But back to "Fragile Beasts." Tawni deals with consistent locale (western PA coal mining towns) and themes (adversity, becoming an adult) through all of her books and, into that mix, adds well-drawn characters. In "Fragile Beasts," two high school b
More...
0 comments
like
(1 person liked it)
May 30, 2011
Mary Jane
rated it:
I really enjoyed this book. Although a predictable ending, I found the plot to be riveting. The character development was strong - with both main and supporting characters. I grew to know and care for each of them. Of course, my favorite was Candace Jack - she made me laugh; she gave me thoughts to ponder; she brought tears to my eyes. I did not want the book to end.
I will definitely seek this author again.
I will definitely seek this author again.
Nov 08, 2010
Esther
rated it:
Miss Jack is a wealthy spinster who takes in two boys from the other side of the tracks when their father dies. Although the boys lives have been difficult, the story is positive and doesn't dwell on the tragedies for too long. The story is entertaining, weaving in subplots and characters' histories effortlessly and moves at a brisk pace, from art, to baseball, to bullfighting in Spain.
Oct 13, 2010
Shari
rated it:
I thought this was a very powerful book about two brothers Kyle and Klint who are offered a home with an eccentric and wealthy woman (Candace) after the death of their father and the abandonment of their mother. I thought the characters were extremely honest and intelligent. The story may have been a bit clichéd at times but it was still different enough in its setting to be very interesting.
Dec 27, 2010
Meg
rated it:
Fragile Beasts is the story of two brothers that go to live with a rich old woman after the death of their father. But it is really so much more than that. It is a book that asks you to think about art, child rearing, love, death, culture, capitalism, and the American Dream.
The entire time I was reading this book (all two days) I felt like I was reading it so slowly. And I wanted to. I wanted to savor each sentence, and sometimes I read them more than once. I ended up reading it real More...
The entire time I was reading this book (all two days) I felt like I was reading it so slowly. And I wanted to. I wanted to savor each sentence, and sometimes I read them more than once. I ended up reading it real More...
Apr 26, 2010
Helen
rated it:
I really enjoyed this book. I want to read the author's other books to see if they are as good as this one was.
Tawni O'Dell has a real talent to formulate memorable lines. And I loved the characters, especially Candace Jack. Her musings made me laugh out loud (two examples: how teenage boys smell and how teenage boys would make the best spies).
I loved the parallels between Spain and America, bullfighting and baseball. I would reccomend this book to all my friends.
Tawni O'Dell has a real talent to formulate memorable lines. And I loved the characters, especially Candace Jack. Her musings made me laugh out loud (two examples: how teenage boys smell and how teenage boys would make the best spies).
I loved the parallels between Spain and America, bullfighting and baseball. I would reccomend this book to all my friends.
Dec 28, 2011
Tami
rated it:
This was a wonderful read. Hard to believe that a mother could abandon her children, but unfortunately it happens. I loved how this book took the reader to another time in Spain and the life led by a famous matador. The young men living in the coal country of PA and mention if the Pittsburgh Pirates makes this a must read for friends in Pittsburgh
Mar 23, 2011
Ami
rated it:
I had read Backroads many years ago and liked it. Tawni O'Dell tells a good story. This is not literature but a good engrossing story with interesting characters. Her books take place in the coal mining area of Pennsylvania. This is a great book to read when you are home sick (or have a broken ankle).
Aug 15, 2010
Debs
rated it:
At first I was hesitant to read this novel because Back Roads left me extremely unsettled. Having just finished, I'm very glad I chose to give it a shot. While O'Dell definitely has plot devices she returns to again and again, her characters are always multi-dimensional and compelling. The plot of Fragile Beasts isn't necessarily predictable and I enjoyed the narrative style (multiple first person POVs).
Sep 05, 2011
Becky
rated it:
Love, love, love Tawni O'Dell! Her writing is so raw and real. This book especially, she draws such a unique, yet believable parallel between the two worlds of Spanish bull fighting and high school baseball. I know that sounds crazy, but she does it beautifully.
