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The Intersect
Set against Arizona’s political and cultural vortex at the start of 2010, "The Intersect" explores the issues of the day by weaving together the lives of disparate characters striving to survive in a world where the strongest link, and most lasting connection, is made among strangers. When Dave and Charlie relocate from the Bay Area to Phoenix, tensions ratchet up in their relationship as Charlie insists on buying a house on the grounds of the Arizona Biltmore as Dave contemplates leaving his job. Daisy, a spry septuagenarian, shows up at their front door after a long convalescence, unaware that her greedy, Michigan relatives, Jack and Enid, have already sold her home. Charlie assumes the older woman is Dave’s distant aunt and happily ushers her into a guest room. Meanwhile, across town, Anna, a gifted psychic who channels the dead, is concerned about her neighborhood. She hires a handyman to install motion-detectors, unaware that Ernie has entered the United States illegally from Mexico as a child. When Henry, a homeless gay teen, attempts to rob Anna, Ernie intervenes and a melee ensues. The police mistakenly arrest Ernie, leading to his deportation. And so begins "The Intersect" as relationships unravel, secrets are revealed, love blossoms, and injustice leads to a thrilling climax.
460 pages, Paperback
Published September 1, 2016
72 people are currently reading
747 people want to read
About the author
Brad Graber
6 books30 followersBrad Graber writes novels because he grew up in a family where no one ever listened to him, so he made up stories about them.
He is the award-winning author of The Intersect, After the Fall, Boca by Moonlight, and a collection of essays, What’s That Growing in My Sour Cream? Friends for A Season is Brad's latest novel. He also writes a humor blog: There, I Said It! Brad lives in Phoenix with his husband, Jeff. For more information on Brad, check out his website at: www.bradgraber.com
He is the award-winning author of The Intersect, After the Fall, Boca by Moonlight, and a collection of essays, What’s That Growing in My Sour Cream? Friends for A Season is Brad's latest novel. He also writes a humor blog: There, I Said It! Brad lives in Phoenix with his husband, Jeff. For more information on Brad, check out his website at: www.bradgraber.com
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
December 23, 2016
All of my reviews can be found on www.novelgossip.com
A couple of months ago I had the pleasure of having Brad Graber here for a Q & A. Ever since, I’ve been eagerly awaiting the time when The Intersect would finally pop up in my TBR list. I loved the premise for this one, converging storylines always catch my interest and Graber did an outstanding job of weaving the lives of eight characters together here.
As I mentioned earlier, there are eight different people here that eventually cross paths. Some happened early on while others took some time and left me wondering just how these seemingly unrelated people would fit together. Dave and Charlie are a couple who have recently relocated to Phoenix from San Fransisco for a new career opportunity for Dave. Daisy is an elderly woman who has an accident that leaves her incapacitated and vulnerable. Jack and Enid move to Phoenix from Detroit and Jack is Daisy’s nephew. Anna is a psychic and Ernie is an illegal immigrant who does handyman work for Anna. Henry is a young homeless teenager who is coming to terms with his sexuality. All of these characters are deeply developed, and there were some I loved and cared for and others who I hated. My favorites were Daisy and Charlie. She’s spunky and sweet and I wanted to take her under my wing. Charlie is such a positive guy, I could definitely take a page from his book. The worst was Enid, she’s greedy and selfish but even though I couldn’t stand her, after her backstory was revealed I could understand why she behaved the way she did.
I LOVED reading a book that was set in my hometown of Phoenix, it was so fun being able to perfectly picture the locations Graber was describing and he absolutely nailed the setting. He also touched on many hot button topics, many that effect people nationally and some that are issues locally. With Dave and Charlie he showed the challenges that a gay couple face daily, with Daisy he shed light on the poor treatment of the elderly in our country. It was awful and heartbreaking to see how she was treated and it was even more sad knowing it’s a reality. Ernie is an undocumented illegal alien and his plight is one I’ve seen so many times in Arizona. Henry is homeless after his parents kick him out after revealing he is gay and this part hit me the hardest. I cannot imagine turning my back on my kids just because they want to be the person they truly are. I felt such strong connections to most of these beautifully crafted characters and was sad to say goodbye.
My one small issue was the ending, it was a bit abrupt for me. I had hoped for more closure with a couple of storylines but I’m hoping maybe there will be a sequel? There was a nice twist in the last part that I didn’t expect, which I always appreciate. I’m seriously impressed that this is Graber’s debut, his writing style is taut and he really writes wonderfully believable dialogue. His knowledge of a breadth of topics is apparent in the quality of his writing and I’m a fan.
A couple of months ago I had the pleasure of having Brad Graber here for a Q & A. Ever since, I’ve been eagerly awaiting the time when The Intersect would finally pop up in my TBR list. I loved the premise for this one, converging storylines always catch my interest and Graber did an outstanding job of weaving the lives of eight characters together here.
As I mentioned earlier, there are eight different people here that eventually cross paths. Some happened early on while others took some time and left me wondering just how these seemingly unrelated people would fit together. Dave and Charlie are a couple who have recently relocated to Phoenix from San Fransisco for a new career opportunity for Dave. Daisy is an elderly woman who has an accident that leaves her incapacitated and vulnerable. Jack and Enid move to Phoenix from Detroit and Jack is Daisy’s nephew. Anna is a psychic and Ernie is an illegal immigrant who does handyman work for Anna. Henry is a young homeless teenager who is coming to terms with his sexuality. All of these characters are deeply developed, and there were some I loved and cared for and others who I hated. My favorites were Daisy and Charlie. She’s spunky and sweet and I wanted to take her under my wing. Charlie is such a positive guy, I could definitely take a page from his book. The worst was Enid, she’s greedy and selfish but even though I couldn’t stand her, after her backstory was revealed I could understand why she behaved the way she did.
I LOVED reading a book that was set in my hometown of Phoenix, it was so fun being able to perfectly picture the locations Graber was describing and he absolutely nailed the setting. He also touched on many hot button topics, many that effect people nationally and some that are issues locally. With Dave and Charlie he showed the challenges that a gay couple face daily, with Daisy he shed light on the poor treatment of the elderly in our country. It was awful and heartbreaking to see how she was treated and it was even more sad knowing it’s a reality. Ernie is an undocumented illegal alien and his plight is one I’ve seen so many times in Arizona. Henry is homeless after his parents kick him out after revealing he is gay and this part hit me the hardest. I cannot imagine turning my back on my kids just because they want to be the person they truly are. I felt such strong connections to most of these beautifully crafted characters and was sad to say goodbye.
My one small issue was the ending, it was a bit abrupt for me. I had hoped for more closure with a couple of storylines but I’m hoping maybe there will be a sequel? There was a nice twist in the last part that I didn’t expect, which I always appreciate. I’m seriously impressed that this is Graber’s debut, his writing style is taut and he really writes wonderfully believable dialogue. His knowledge of a breadth of topics is apparent in the quality of his writing and I’m a fan.
September 9, 2017
The Intersect, written by Brad Graber, is a thoughtful portrayal of strangers whose lives intertwine in the most seemingly random and dramatic of ways. A cast of well-defined characters includes a worn out healthcare official, a lovable psychic, a precious and precocious elderly couple, a troubled teen, an immigrant family, and this reader’s favorite, a soulful and witty Charlie.
Graber captures many difficult truths, including the plight of the infirm elderly, the problems of aging, varying degrees of hatred, and above all, the trials of committing to a loving, long-term relationship.
But the power of the novel comes from the characters; they are crisply drawn and written with love, sincerity, and, passion. 4 stars for The Intersect.
Joseph Schwartz
Author of The Crossover Test and The Crossover Brand
Graber captures many difficult truths, including the plight of the infirm elderly, the problems of aging, varying degrees of hatred, and above all, the trials of committing to a loving, long-term relationship.
But the power of the novel comes from the characters; they are crisply drawn and written with love, sincerity, and, passion. 4 stars for The Intersect.
Joseph Schwartz
Author of The Crossover Test and The Crossover Brand
June 27, 2018
The Intersect intertwines the lives of disparate strangers against the backdrop of Phoenix AZ in unexpected ways. The book begins with Dave and Charlie, long-time partners establishing a new life together in Phoenix. As in life, things never go as expected and lots of stressors can erupt. Graber weaves in diverse, yet perfectly flawed characters of such variety, you don't see them coming. I read the book in three days, something I rarely find time to do. The stories are in short segments so it's easier to keep up with, or read intermittently, yet not lose the flow of the stories. He has an eye for detail and shrewd observation of people. How do family secrets, illegal immigration, fraud against seniors, a struggling gay teen and other issues come together? Read The Intersect. It's an exceptional debut novel.
September 13, 2020
Maybe a 3.5, but rounded down. A convoluted multi-character novel set in 2010 Phoenix (and Puerto Vallarta). Seemingly random chapter breaks, while each chapter will have several sections where further exposition takes place. The interjecting of a new character eventually ties into the story line, albeit what might be a plot. The conclusion is weak, leaving the reader unresolved with the cast of characters developed over the course of the story.
Read for a nicely scripted description of the Arizona capital, well developed characters, but don't expect a conclusion. As I am a gatherer of books, I collect books and ebooks from a variety of sources: Goodreads wins, Bookhub, BookFunnel, emails from authors and publishers, and others. I do lose track of their sources. But, as a reader, I feel I should give an honest, unencumbered review for all I read.
Read for a nicely scripted description of the Arizona capital, well developed characters, but don't expect a conclusion. As I am a gatherer of books, I collect books and ebooks from a variety of sources: Goodreads wins, Bookhub, BookFunnel, emails from authors and publishers, and others. I do lose track of their sources. But, as a reader, I feel I should give an honest, unencumbered review for all I read.
October 18, 2022
This is an ARC by a new author for me and its a different kind of book. Set in Phoenix around 2010, you meet several groups of people who meet and interact over the span of a year. Each person in this book is going thru a difficult time and by meeting each other they find new apsects of their lives. Daisy is one of the primary characters and she is in her 70's and a lot of the interactions surround her. All of them have problems and how meeting each other brings insight into their own lives. Dave and Charlie are a gay couple in their 50's who have moved to Phoenix and end up buying Daisy's home, not knowing that it was actually sold without Daisy's permission. This book looks at different lifestyles and age groups. It is truly an insightful book and well thought out. It not only entertains but gets you to thinking. Well worth the read
April 13, 2018
I received a copy of The Intersect through Goodreads Giveaways in exchange for an honest review. Pleasantly surprised by this book from a first-time author - don’t let the odd cover photo throw you off (still can’t quite figure it out honestly), the writing was captivating and the cast of characters well-developed. I loved the way Graber intertwined the various plots and represented the human experience with such a diverse collection of individuals.
Have to admit the ending was pretty underwhelming and felt unfinished to me. That was really the only part of the book I was unhappy with, otherwise it kept a good pace, stayed on-track and was a great read.
Have to admit the ending was pretty underwhelming and felt unfinished to me. That was really the only part of the book I was unhappy with, otherwise it kept a good pace, stayed on-track and was a great read.
September 11, 2022
Read through AXP. This book is about a large cast of characters whose lives ultimately "intersect". Overall I did enjoy the book. It was a little difficult to follow at first because the chapters were relatively short and just gave little tidbits of information about the main character of that chapter. It took quite a few chapters before you learned very much about the characters and a whole lot more before you began to see how their lives might intersect. But the biggest disappointment was the ending. It felt so unfinished. So will there be another book after this one to pick up where this one left off?
June 27, 2020
I loved the characters and character development. Some were wonderful, others confused and yet others lost. I won’t repeat the individual characters wonderfully explained in other reviews. My only problem was the quick windup at the end. After such character development I felt the end was rushed. I also felt that it changed from a fictional story to a non-fictional one in the final twist. I hope that there will be a sequel so we can complete the journey. Certainly kept my attention all the way through. More Mr. Graber, more!
April 22, 2021
Wonderful premise, bad writing and just a touch of racism/white supremacy. I can’t recommend this book to anyone.
December 12, 2022
Fantastic
What did I like? Almost everything. What did I not like? It was over way too soon! If there is a continuation of this story, sign me up.
What did I like? Almost everything. What did I not like? It was over way too soon! If there is a continuation of this story, sign me up.
March 5, 2017
i was the lucky winner of a copy of this novel through a goodreads win. i loved this story. it is a clever tale with many different character threads all woven together. the characters are very believable and human and have great depth. i gave this book an enthusiastic 5 stars right up till the end, which i was very disappointed in. syndi
September 15, 2016
The Intersect is such a great read! It's hard not to fall in love with the characters, especially Daisy, the senior woman who is spunky and upbeat even after everything that happens to her. Graber makes you feel like you are in the room listening to Charlie, Dave, and Daisy talk. I highly recommend this book - it's fun, fast-paced, and delightful.
January 3, 2017
Check out the full review at Kritters Ramblings
A very large book with many pages full of quite a few storylines. I would classify this book as an ensemble cast book where there are a few connections between some of the stories, but they all live in Phoenix, Arizona and are just trying to navigate life.
With every kind of relationship under the sun represented this book could easily move from book to tv form. I almost felt as if each chapter could be a full episode. I liked the obvious connections that some storylines had and then the slow burn of others where the reader gets an AH HA moment. I would have thought with the largest cast of characters that I have ever read that I would have easily gotten confused, but because their stories were so unique it was actually very easy to keep the characters straight.
A very large book with many pages full of quite a few storylines. I would classify this book as an ensemble cast book where there are a few connections between some of the stories, but they all live in Phoenix, Arizona and are just trying to navigate life.
With every kind of relationship under the sun represented this book could easily move from book to tv form. I almost felt as if each chapter could be a full episode. I liked the obvious connections that some storylines had and then the slow burn of others where the reader gets an AH HA moment. I would have thought with the largest cast of characters that I have ever read that I would have easily gotten confused, but because their stories were so unique it was actually very easy to keep the characters straight.
March 27, 2017
A friend lent me her copy of this book, and I'm glad she did. What a great book. There were moments I couldn't put it down (or couldn't wait to pick it up again), and there were moments I feared I knew what was coming next and almost wanted to put it down. Sometimes my hunches were correct; sometimes the author surprised me. I enjoyed how the author wove the relationships between the characters. He has a way of making the reader know and understand the characters; some you root for, others you hope karma will deliver them their due justice. I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and I highly recommend it to others. It would make a great film!
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews