What do you think?
The Brother Years: A Novel
From the acclaimed author of Black Flies and Into the Savage Country and co-creator of top-ten N e tflix hit Outer Banks , a powerful new novel of class striving and the precarious dynamics of brotherhood in the Chicago suburbs of the late 1970s.
"In our family, there was none of this crap about everyone being a winner," says Willie, the narrator, who looks back on his teen years--and his nearly mortal combat with his domineering older brother, Coyle. In the Brennan house four kids sleep in a single room, and are indoctrinated into "The Methods," a system of achievement and relentless striving, laced with a potent, sometimes violent version of sibling rivalry. The family is overseen by a raging bull of a father, a South Side tough guy who knocks them sideways when they don't perform well or follow his dictates. Rivals, enemies, and allies, the siblings contend with one another and their wealthy self-satisfied peers at New Trier, the famous upscale high school where the family has struggled to send them. Evoking their crucible of class struggle and peer pressures, Burke balances comedy, tragedy, and a fascinating cast of characters, delivering a book that reads like an instant classic--an unforgettable story of the intertwining of love and family violence, and of triumphant teen survival that echoes down through the years.
"In our family, there was none of this crap about everyone being a winner," says Willie, the narrator, who looks back on his teen years--and his nearly mortal combat with his domineering older brother, Coyle. In the Brennan house four kids sleep in a single room, and are indoctrinated into "The Methods," a system of achievement and relentless striving, laced with a potent, sometimes violent version of sibling rivalry. The family is overseen by a raging bull of a father, a South Side tough guy who knocks them sideways when they don't perform well or follow his dictates. Rivals, enemies, and allies, the siblings contend with one another and their wealthy self-satisfied peers at New Trier, the famous upscale high school where the family has struggled to send them. Evoking their crucible of class struggle and peer pressures, Burke balances comedy, tragedy, and a fascinating cast of characters, delivering a book that reads like an instant classic--an unforgettable story of the intertwining of love and family violence, and of triumphant teen survival that echoes down through the years.
288 pages, Hardcover
First published August 4, 2020
About the author
Shannon Burke
5 books53 followersShannon went to college at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill. He has published four novels: Safelight, Black Flies, Into the Savage Country, and The Brother Years. He has been involved in various film and TV projects, including work on the screenplay for the film Syriana, and he is the co-creator of the Netflix series Outer Banks. From the mid to late nineties he worked as a paramedic in Harlem for the New York City Fire Department. He now lives in Knoxville, Tennessee with his two sons.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 45 reviews
July 4, 2020
Shannon Burke's vibrant coming of age family drama exuberantly documents the lives of the in your face Brennan family of Illinois, with the blue collar Southside Chicago raging bull of a father, working all the hours god sends at various jobs, living on 3 hours of sleep a night. He has no intention of letting his 4 children be condemned to the lifetime of hardships he has endured. His ambitions for them have him implementing The Methods to toughen them up, working them as hard as he does himself, intolerant of failure, fiercely competitive, independent in spirit. Raising them on the religion of extreme hard work and diligence, demanding they are superior in every way, work, academically, and in sport, moving them to the wealthy suburb of Seneca, which they cannot afford, so they can attend the prestigious New Trier School.
Living in a tiny home, the spirited children, Coyle, Willie, Fergus and Maddy sleep in one bedroom, each of them forged by the intense fire and fury of their dominant father, amidst a volatile and explosive powder keg of violence and abuse, bitter sibling rivalry, and feuds. The story is narrated by Willie, the second eldest, in constant competition with his successful elder brother, Coyle. Willie is the great talker, the weaker brother, less confrontational, but has a bone deep stubborness that defines his character, as he locks horns with a Coyle who insists on violently taking out his frustrations in life on Willie, a battle their parents refuse to intervene in. The charismatic and so vitally alive Brennans have a reputation for being batshit crazy, standing out like sore thumbs but impossible to ignore, surrounded by the silent disapproval of the wealthy, with the possible exception of their complicated relationship with Robert Dainty and his family.
As through time, the family changes, Willie takes it upon himself to be the one who remembers the truth about the 'darkest years', the struggles, years of stick rather than carrot, that toughened him up, but exposes how much more difficult it was for him to move on later on, epitomised by the last supper for Coyle. He is loath to admit just how much like Coyle he is, learning how to interact with the world of privilege, thanks to Robert and school. He receives a much needed jolt to his system when he begins to appreciate the towering influence and mortality of his father, a scenario that brings more explicitly to the surface the love between them. The irrepressible, larger than life, Brennan family may appall many with the casual violence and abuse, but they are so much more than that, they give no quarter, they apologise for nothing, never complain or whine at the challenges that come their way, and are truly unforgettable. This is superb, immersive and utterly compelling storytelling with some wonderful touches of humour. Many thanks to Knopf Doubleday Publishing for an ARC.
Living in a tiny home, the spirited children, Coyle, Willie, Fergus and Maddy sleep in one bedroom, each of them forged by the intense fire and fury of their dominant father, amidst a volatile and explosive powder keg of violence and abuse, bitter sibling rivalry, and feuds. The story is narrated by Willie, the second eldest, in constant competition with his successful elder brother, Coyle. Willie is the great talker, the weaker brother, less confrontational, but has a bone deep stubborness that defines his character, as he locks horns with a Coyle who insists on violently taking out his frustrations in life on Willie, a battle their parents refuse to intervene in. The charismatic and so vitally alive Brennans have a reputation for being batshit crazy, standing out like sore thumbs but impossible to ignore, surrounded by the silent disapproval of the wealthy, with the possible exception of their complicated relationship with Robert Dainty and his family.
As through time, the family changes, Willie takes it upon himself to be the one who remembers the truth about the 'darkest years', the struggles, years of stick rather than carrot, that toughened him up, but exposes how much more difficult it was for him to move on later on, epitomised by the last supper for Coyle. He is loath to admit just how much like Coyle he is, learning how to interact with the world of privilege, thanks to Robert and school. He receives a much needed jolt to his system when he begins to appreciate the towering influence and mortality of his father, a scenario that brings more explicitly to the surface the love between them. The irrepressible, larger than life, Brennan family may appall many with the casual violence and abuse, but they are so much more than that, they give no quarter, they apologise for nothing, never complain or whine at the challenges that come their way, and are truly unforgettable. This is superb, immersive and utterly compelling storytelling with some wonderful touches of humour. Many thanks to Knopf Doubleday Publishing for an ARC.
July 28, 2020
A beautifully written novel about a hard-working but poor family growing up in the late '70s. Our protagonist, Willie is a sensitive teenager trying to survive his abusive older brother, and the snobby rich kids at school. The last two chapters made me tear up. Rich in emotion and surprisingly humorous. Willie was a multi-faceted character. I really felt his pain and indifference towards his family. So real it hurts. This book touches on violence, depression, and social hierarchy. The only negative thing I can say is the first half felt repetitive, but the plot definitely picked up after that. I really enjoyed "The Brother Years". An unexpected gem. Enjoy!
Thank you, Netgalley and Knopf for the digital ARC.
Release date: August 4, 2020
Thank you, Netgalley and Knopf for the digital ARC.
Release date: August 4, 2020
September 23, 2020
The Brother Years is my first book by this author, but I hope it won’t be the last. Big thanks go to Net Galley and Doubleday for the review copy. This book is for sale now, and if you treasure excellent, character-based fiction, you should get it and read it.
It’s tempting to call this a coming of age story, but the quality of the writing renders it unique and singular, defying categorization. The quiet authority and intimacy with which this story is told within the first person point of view led me to my desktop twice to make certain I was reading fiction, rather than memoir. In addition, I’m a sucker for any story that addresses social class, and class is the flesh and marrow of this tale.
Willie Brennan is the second born into a large family, and almost all of his siblings are boys. His parents are working class strivers, determined to rise, and particularly to help their children rise, through merit and hard work. In order to obtain the best possible education, they move into a substandard rental house in an otherwise upscale community. But social class shapes us, not only in terms of material trappings, but in more subtle ways having to do with culture. For example, when the boys get angry with each other, they are ordered to take it outside. The parents, who work multiple jobs in order to elevate their sons and daughter, are often not available to mediate disputes; moreover, the family is infused with a dog-eat-dog sort of Darwinism, and so sibling on sibling domestic abuse germinates and grows, along with genuine, abiding hatreds for protracted periods of time. This contrasts sharply with the more genteel, nuanced manner that more moneyed families deal with disputes and competition within their families, and between friends. And so, Willie and his older brother Coyle are set apart, not only by their house, family car, and clothing, but by the way they treat their classmates and each other. And we see much of how their classmates and neighbors regard them: “They knew of our family. Our reputation had grown as we’d gotten older. We were Brennans. We did crazy shit.”
As the story begins, Coyle, the eldest, is the apple of his father’s eye, the achiever in every possible arena. Willie feels the terrible weight of expectation; how does one follow an act like Coyle’s? But in adolescence, Coyle rebels, and nobody knows what to do. Willie, next in line, bears the brunt of his brother’s bottomless rage.
This could be a miserable read in the hands of a less capable writer. I have seen other writers tell stories of horrifying childhoods, both fictional and autobiographical, that simply made me want to put that book down and walk away. When pleasure reading is devoid of pleasure, what’s the percentage in forcing oneself through to the conclusion? But Burke is too skillful to let this happen. While there are a number of truly painful passages, the distance projected by the narrator, speaking down the long tunnel between his present adult life and that tortured childhood he recalls, provides me with enough of a buffer that my sorrow for this poor child is eclipsed to a degree by my eagerness to know what will happen next.
This reviewer was also a child of working class parents, and also attended an excellent public school where most of my classmates came from families with money, in some cases a lot of it. No doubt this further fueled my interest. I am riveted when, as a revenge ploy, Willie accepts a friendship overture from Coyle’s nemesis, Robert Dainty, whose family is among the wealthiest and most privileged in town. Robert was “the epitome of the New Trier student: competent, self-satisfied, crafty, and entitled.” The interactions that take place within this alliance are fascinating, and I believe them entirely. In fact, I believe every character in this story, from the father, whose judgement and impulse control is dreadful; to the mother, who smolders and tries to make the best of things; to the older brother, classmates, and of course, the protagonist, Willie.
The author—and this reviewer—grew up in the mid-twentieth century, and it was during a time, post-Sputnik, post-World War II, when the United States and its people were passionate advocates of competition and domination. For this reason, I suspect that those from or close to the Boomer generation will appreciate this story most. But it’s hard to pigeonhole writing that meets such a high standard, and everyone that appreciates brilliant fiction, particularly historical fiction, will find something to love here.
Because I was running behind and could tell this galley was one that I shouldn’t let fall by the wayside, I supplemented my usual reading with the audio version I obtained from Seattle Bibliocommons. Toward the end, because it is so impressive, I listened to it and followed along in the galley. George Newbern is the reader, and he does a wonderful job. You can’t go wrong, whether with print or audio.
Highly recommended.
It’s tempting to call this a coming of age story, but the quality of the writing renders it unique and singular, defying categorization. The quiet authority and intimacy with which this story is told within the first person point of view led me to my desktop twice to make certain I was reading fiction, rather than memoir. In addition, I’m a sucker for any story that addresses social class, and class is the flesh and marrow of this tale.
Willie Brennan is the second born into a large family, and almost all of his siblings are boys. His parents are working class strivers, determined to rise, and particularly to help their children rise, through merit and hard work. In order to obtain the best possible education, they move into a substandard rental house in an otherwise upscale community. But social class shapes us, not only in terms of material trappings, but in more subtle ways having to do with culture. For example, when the boys get angry with each other, they are ordered to take it outside. The parents, who work multiple jobs in order to elevate their sons and daughter, are often not available to mediate disputes; moreover, the family is infused with a dog-eat-dog sort of Darwinism, and so sibling on sibling domestic abuse germinates and grows, along with genuine, abiding hatreds for protracted periods of time. This contrasts sharply with the more genteel, nuanced manner that more moneyed families deal with disputes and competition within their families, and between friends. And so, Willie and his older brother Coyle are set apart, not only by their house, family car, and clothing, but by the way they treat their classmates and each other. And we see much of how their classmates and neighbors regard them: “They knew of our family. Our reputation had grown as we’d gotten older. We were Brennans. We did crazy shit.”
As the story begins, Coyle, the eldest, is the apple of his father’s eye, the achiever in every possible arena. Willie feels the terrible weight of expectation; how does one follow an act like Coyle’s? But in adolescence, Coyle rebels, and nobody knows what to do. Willie, next in line, bears the brunt of his brother’s bottomless rage.
This could be a miserable read in the hands of a less capable writer. I have seen other writers tell stories of horrifying childhoods, both fictional and autobiographical, that simply made me want to put that book down and walk away. When pleasure reading is devoid of pleasure, what’s the percentage in forcing oneself through to the conclusion? But Burke is too skillful to let this happen. While there are a number of truly painful passages, the distance projected by the narrator, speaking down the long tunnel between his present adult life and that tortured childhood he recalls, provides me with enough of a buffer that my sorrow for this poor child is eclipsed to a degree by my eagerness to know what will happen next.
This reviewer was also a child of working class parents, and also attended an excellent public school where most of my classmates came from families with money, in some cases a lot of it. No doubt this further fueled my interest. I am riveted when, as a revenge ploy, Willie accepts a friendship overture from Coyle’s nemesis, Robert Dainty, whose family is among the wealthiest and most privileged in town. Robert was “the epitome of the New Trier student: competent, self-satisfied, crafty, and entitled.” The interactions that take place within this alliance are fascinating, and I believe them entirely. In fact, I believe every character in this story, from the father, whose judgement and impulse control is dreadful; to the mother, who smolders and tries to make the best of things; to the older brother, classmates, and of course, the protagonist, Willie.
The author—and this reviewer—grew up in the mid-twentieth century, and it was during a time, post-Sputnik, post-World War II, when the United States and its people were passionate advocates of competition and domination. For this reason, I suspect that those from or close to the Boomer generation will appreciate this story most. But it’s hard to pigeonhole writing that meets such a high standard, and everyone that appreciates brilliant fiction, particularly historical fiction, will find something to love here.
Because I was running behind and could tell this galley was one that I shouldn’t let fall by the wayside, I supplemented my usual reading with the audio version I obtained from Seattle Bibliocommons. Toward the end, because it is so impressive, I listened to it and followed along in the galley. George Newbern is the reader, and he does a wonderful job. You can’t go wrong, whether with print or audio.
Highly recommended.
September 3, 2020
I have not been emotionally invested in a book like this in forever. A family drama that feels at times like a modern day Cheaper By The Dozen but not as well behaved. 4 brothers who fight, compete and help each other when needed. The family is dirt poor in a rich community and Dad instilled in them that they were every bit as good as the rich kids and they can excel and be even better at their fancy schools. I laughed out loud at smart alec Fergus. my heart felt for Coyle and just want to smack Willie, the narrator. Do yourself a favor and spend a nice Saturday with the Brennan family and their antics.
July 25, 2020
“I saw the other parents glance over to see who’d
come in and there was that familiar feeling of knowing there
was something wrong with us. Other adults wore trench coats and leather gloves
and black leather shoes. Mom and Dad wore old parkas and sneakers.
And there was also something wrong with the way we acted, some indefinable flaw in our expressions or maybe the defiant posture we took when we
came into a room, but whatever it was, adults seemed to pick
up on it instantly”
This to me was one of the most deeply affecting and poignant passages of this magnificently written book. The recognition that one is the other, different than what or who is deemed acceptable in society.
This is the story of the four Brennan siblings and their dad who moves them into a posh neighbourhood so they will be in a superior school district, as he wants them all to excel. To become superior beings as he put it. They are poor. They live in the worst house on the best street; a small shabby house compared with the mansions in which their school friends lived. They were ostentatiously different in every way than the rich kids they went to school with.
Their dad, Alex, instilled a strong work ethic in them from when they were very young. He would have them out delivering newspapers with him at 3am, even renovating houses and doing janitorial jobs like dry wall with him, etc.
The eldest, Coyle, was always the toughest and the most high achieving. Willie, the next one in age, was a dreamer, yet he was still fiercely competitive with Coyle. He wanted to do as well as him. He studied but didn’t study as hard as Coyle, yet he still inveigled himself into the academically gifted classes at school.
It was a violent household. Alex, a manual worker with a college degree hard fought for , was violent towards his sons. He set the kids impossibly high standards academically, pitting them against each other. The fights betwen Coyle and Willie were ferocious with Willie once even pulling a gun on Coyle. Fergus, the younger brother, was more the jester of the family, tryimg to dissipate the tension and the violence. Maddy, the youngest , found it all too much, fleeing the room when the inevitable rumbles would start. The mum, college educated, also pushed the children to excel, but she disapproved of the violence and tried, often in vain, to keep the peace. There was also a lot of constant emotional turmoil in the family.
Then there was Robert, the rich, spoilt, and supercilious school friend, who Coyle resented and punched out for merely touching his motorbike. Willie later ingratiated himself with Robert as he wanted to get on the tennis team, and Robert’s obscenely rich Dad would pay for the tennis courts. For a time to fit in with Robert and his mean but popular friends Willie would become Robert’s toadie. When push comes to shove though, he stands up to Robert and a schism is created.
This book felt like a memoir. The Brennan family seemed incredibly real. Willie's never ending fights with Coyle took a toll upon him and created a bitter divide between the brothers. The family faced many hardships and setbacks with the pragmatic Alex showing he had a dreamer side buying a boat, which he restored. Sadly, the boat project ended in a debacle. The family mainly remained stoic and resilient in the face of these setbacks . There is an interesting side character, a mean nan who bullies Alex and his kids, who is keen on poisoning birds!
During high school , Willie works part time at the school. He used to feel embarrassed when others were scathing and disdainful of skilled manual labour. He’s working with another young man, Deanney, who works at the school and one day watching him work comes to admire not only the craftsmanship Deanney engages in but also his strong sense of self; his refusal to be belittled by the snide comments the school’s rich kids make to him.
Alex suddenly collapses at his 42nd birthday party, which had contained both overtones and undertones of violence. It’s initially thought he suffered a heart attack. He lies in hospital undiagnosed for some days until an unlikely Good Samaritan comes to his rescue. Robert’s rich Dad has a cardiologist friend whom he arranges to see and treat Alex. The Dad expresses admiration for the Brennan boys’ strong work ethic, their strength of character, and their striving for and attainment of academic excellence. This greatly surprises Willie, as he always assumed the Dad had sneered at them as the poor people who didn’t fit in and considered them to be ridiculous and an embarrassment to the salubrious neighbourhood.
Coyle goes off the rails for a bit, but then knuckles down and gets offers from a few Ivy League schools. Alex is ecstatic, feeling that his methods with the kids have worked and borne fruit. Coyle gets an academic scholarship to the University of Virginia that is fully paid, and accepts that offer. Alex, though initially disappointed he didn’t hold out for the Ivy League, later constantly boasts to others about this, always adding that Coyle’s scholarship came with a “full ride”.
I will not forget the characters in this book for a long time. The writing and character descriptions is wonderful. The rivalry between the brothers reminded me in ways of the rivalry between the brothers in Douglas Kennedy’s The Great Wide Open.
This is an amazing book. At about 260 pages, it was a quick and absorbing read. I couldn’t put it down. .I highly recommend it to others.
Thank you to Matthew from Alfred A. Knopf and to Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
#TheBrotherYears #NetGalley
come in and there was that familiar feeling of knowing there
was something wrong with us. Other adults wore trench coats and leather gloves
and black leather shoes. Mom and Dad wore old parkas and sneakers.
And there was also something wrong with the way we acted, some indefinable flaw in our expressions or maybe the defiant posture we took when we
came into a room, but whatever it was, adults seemed to pick
up on it instantly”
This to me was one of the most deeply affecting and poignant passages of this magnificently written book. The recognition that one is the other, different than what or who is deemed acceptable in society.
This is the story of the four Brennan siblings and their dad who moves them into a posh neighbourhood so they will be in a superior school district, as he wants them all to excel. To become superior beings as he put it. They are poor. They live in the worst house on the best street; a small shabby house compared with the mansions in which their school friends lived. They were ostentatiously different in every way than the rich kids they went to school with.
Their dad, Alex, instilled a strong work ethic in them from when they were very young. He would have them out delivering newspapers with him at 3am, even renovating houses and doing janitorial jobs like dry wall with him, etc.
The eldest, Coyle, was always the toughest and the most high achieving. Willie, the next one in age, was a dreamer, yet he was still fiercely competitive with Coyle. He wanted to do as well as him. He studied but didn’t study as hard as Coyle, yet he still inveigled himself into the academically gifted classes at school.
It was a violent household. Alex, a manual worker with a college degree hard fought for , was violent towards his sons. He set the kids impossibly high standards academically, pitting them against each other. The fights betwen Coyle and Willie were ferocious with Willie once even pulling a gun on Coyle. Fergus, the younger brother, was more the jester of the family, tryimg to dissipate the tension and the violence. Maddy, the youngest , found it all too much, fleeing the room when the inevitable rumbles would start. The mum, college educated, also pushed the children to excel, but she disapproved of the violence and tried, often in vain, to keep the peace. There was also a lot of constant emotional turmoil in the family.
Then there was Robert, the rich, spoilt, and supercilious school friend, who Coyle resented and punched out for merely touching his motorbike. Willie later ingratiated himself with Robert as he wanted to get on the tennis team, and Robert’s obscenely rich Dad would pay for the tennis courts. For a time to fit in with Robert and his mean but popular friends Willie would become Robert’s toadie. When push comes to shove though, he stands up to Robert and a schism is created.
This book felt like a memoir. The Brennan family seemed incredibly real. Willie's never ending fights with Coyle took a toll upon him and created a bitter divide between the brothers. The family faced many hardships and setbacks with the pragmatic Alex showing he had a dreamer side buying a boat, which he restored. Sadly, the boat project ended in a debacle. The family mainly remained stoic and resilient in the face of these setbacks . There is an interesting side character, a mean nan who bullies Alex and his kids, who is keen on poisoning birds!
During high school , Willie works part time at the school. He used to feel embarrassed when others were scathing and disdainful of skilled manual labour. He’s working with another young man, Deanney, who works at the school and one day watching him work comes to admire not only the craftsmanship Deanney engages in but also his strong sense of self; his refusal to be belittled by the snide comments the school’s rich kids make to him.
Alex suddenly collapses at his 42nd birthday party, which had contained both overtones and undertones of violence. It’s initially thought he suffered a heart attack. He lies in hospital undiagnosed for some days until an unlikely Good Samaritan comes to his rescue. Robert’s rich Dad has a cardiologist friend whom he arranges to see and treat Alex. The Dad expresses admiration for the Brennan boys’ strong work ethic, their strength of character, and their striving for and attainment of academic excellence. This greatly surprises Willie, as he always assumed the Dad had sneered at them as the poor people who didn’t fit in and considered them to be ridiculous and an embarrassment to the salubrious neighbourhood.
Coyle goes off the rails for a bit, but then knuckles down and gets offers from a few Ivy League schools. Alex is ecstatic, feeling that his methods with the kids have worked and borne fruit. Coyle gets an academic scholarship to the University of Virginia that is fully paid, and accepts that offer. Alex, though initially disappointed he didn’t hold out for the Ivy League, later constantly boasts to others about this, always adding that Coyle’s scholarship came with a “full ride”.
I will not forget the characters in this book for a long time. The writing and character descriptions is wonderful. The rivalry between the brothers reminded me in ways of the rivalry between the brothers in Douglas Kennedy’s The Great Wide Open.
This is an amazing book. At about 260 pages, it was a quick and absorbing read. I couldn’t put it down. .I highly recommend it to others.
Thank you to Matthew from Alfred A. Knopf and to Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
#TheBrotherYears #NetGalley
June 13, 2020
Burke writes about "the weird, poor family in the rich neighborhood' and how their childhood was a crucible that molds and toughens them. Central are brothers Coyle and Willie Shannon and the competition that makes Willie's life hell.
The boys' father strives for success, working multiple jobs and studying for a teaching degree. He works the sons as hard as he works himself, employing The Methods to toughen them for the world. The stress gives him a short temper and violent outbursts. Their mother is a housewife with a college degree who ineffectually tries to keep the peace.
Coyle's academic and sports achievements were a testament to his father's Methods. But there was always the awareness of being the poorest family in the rich 'hood.
...there was that familiar feeling of knowing there was something wrong with us--with our clothes or haircuts of the way we talked. ~from The Brother Years by Shannon Burke
Coyle's antithesis is the wealthy Robert. Willie aligns with Robert in his bid to get on the tennis team. Coyle accuses his brother of being a suck-up. Robert and Willie use each other for their own purposes. If that pisses Coyle off, so much the better.
Memories of a friendship with a rich friend came back. Dad was a blue collar worker and mom a housewife. We had what we needed, but my clothes were from KMart and our special eating out treat was buying 15 cent burgers from a local chain. At fourteen, I wore mom's hand-me-down swing coat and dated bathing suit with boy pants.
When I was a freshman, a girl took me up as a project, much like Emma took up Harriet in Jane Austen's novel. My friend was wealthy, had been to Europe, and lived in a posh house that her father had designed. Her parents had college degrees. She encouraged me to lose weight, flirt with boys, and become 'cool.' At least, cooler. In the summer I went to her house to swim in her built-in pool. Mom bought me a new swimsuit to wear.
One day this friend told me her mother thought I was not the right sort for her because of our economic status. I don't know if her mom really said that or if it was the start of my friend pushing me away because she soon took up another 'project.'
The energy it takes to rise above one's born class! It takes the Brennan dad years to get that degree. The boys had to be the best in everything to get into a top-notch college and to get the needed scholarships to afford it. Their childhood was brutal, the competition violent.
I was immersed in the story and the characters. The Brennan family is unforgettable.
Burke has given us a powerful coming-of-age novel, a story of class divide and what it takes to achieve the proverbial pulling oneself up by one's bootstraps.
I received a free ebook from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for a fair and unbiased review.
The boys' father strives for success, working multiple jobs and studying for a teaching degree. He works the sons as hard as he works himself, employing The Methods to toughen them for the world. The stress gives him a short temper and violent outbursts. Their mother is a housewife with a college degree who ineffectually tries to keep the peace.
Coyle's academic and sports achievements were a testament to his father's Methods. But there was always the awareness of being the poorest family in the rich 'hood.
...there was that familiar feeling of knowing there was something wrong with us--with our clothes or haircuts of the way we talked. ~from The Brother Years by Shannon Burke
Coyle's antithesis is the wealthy Robert. Willie aligns with Robert in his bid to get on the tennis team. Coyle accuses his brother of being a suck-up. Robert and Willie use each other for their own purposes. If that pisses Coyle off, so much the better.
Memories of a friendship with a rich friend came back. Dad was a blue collar worker and mom a housewife. We had what we needed, but my clothes were from KMart and our special eating out treat was buying 15 cent burgers from a local chain. At fourteen, I wore mom's hand-me-down swing coat and dated bathing suit with boy pants.
When I was a freshman, a girl took me up as a project, much like Emma took up Harriet in Jane Austen's novel. My friend was wealthy, had been to Europe, and lived in a posh house that her father had designed. Her parents had college degrees. She encouraged me to lose weight, flirt with boys, and become 'cool.' At least, cooler. In the summer I went to her house to swim in her built-in pool. Mom bought me a new swimsuit to wear.
One day this friend told me her mother thought I was not the right sort for her because of our economic status. I don't know if her mom really said that or if it was the start of my friend pushing me away because she soon took up another 'project.'
The energy it takes to rise above one's born class! It takes the Brennan dad years to get that degree. The boys had to be the best in everything to get into a top-notch college and to get the needed scholarships to afford it. Their childhood was brutal, the competition violent.
I was immersed in the story and the characters. The Brennan family is unforgettable.
Burke has given us a powerful coming-of-age novel, a story of class divide and what it takes to achieve the proverbial pulling oneself up by one's bootstraps.
I received a free ebook from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for a fair and unbiased review.
April 18, 2020
I loved this book, but it is hard to say why. It's the story of four siblings growing up with a taskmaster of a father who was demanding and abusive. The father is very strategic in how he is bringing up his kids to have success in the world, but it takes a heavy toll on the kids, especially the second oldest who is narrating the story. But yet... they ARE tough and they DO make it through despite the cruelty they are exposed to each day. Call it tough love or anything else. It should come with a warning that says "Do not try this at home" but despite all of that you find yourself wanting to hang out with this family and be part of their gang.
Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book.
Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book.
December 3, 2020
This is an interesting combination of lovely and gritty. It’s a series of vignettes that make up his teen years and it reads like a memoir, I kept having to remind myself it’s a novel. The setting and family were really well-drawn, but I didn’t really *like* any of them, their terrible decisions got tedious instead of sympathetic. But it’s well written enough that it was easy to keep reading, and in the end I liked it but didn’t love it.
April 16, 2020
I can not recommend this book enough; absolutely fantastic. The characters are so real that you feel like you know them, that everyone has at sometime known them.
April 18, 2023
Ammetto che leggere della famiglia Brennan ha scatenato in me davvero tanti sentimenti contrastanti. All’inizio ero arrabbiata con i genitori, con Coyle e Willie per il loro atteggiamento. Mi sembravano più soldati che una famiglia. Con il tempo questo legame si è rafforzato, ma ho detestato la voragine che c’era tra Coyle e Wilie, perché per quanto si odiassero e si fossero fatti del male a vicenda, nessuno era più vicino e simile l’uno dell’altro. Willie, il narratore, a volte non lo sopportavo proprio, aveva questa personalità fastidiosa, testarda e orgogliosa, che rovinava tutto. È vero che le difficoltà nell’infanzia ci sono state a causa di Coyle, che era violento, ma anche lui faceva lo stesso. Era peggio, sì, ma era stato il modo distorto in cui erano cresciuti a provocare tutto questo. La colpa l’ho data al padre, e alla fine Coyle ha cercato di riavvicinarsi a lui. Da adulti si capisce dei proprio errori, ma proprio perché non avevano mai imparato a comunicare non sono riusciti a risolvere con le parole, ma col gesto della moto era chiaro l’intento. Quei dissapori si sono dissolti con gli anni, e alla fine vediamo dei fratelli uniti, che si vogliono bene, legati da un legame indissolubile.
Nota speciale per Fergus che mi faceva morire dal ridere ogni volta che era presente. Era schietto, una personalità allegra e spensierata. Ogni personaggio infatti l’ho trovato unico, molto reale.
Ho apprezzato questo libro, anche se avrei voluto vedere più momenti di sostegno e aiuto reciproco. È stato molto pesante da leggere e qualche momento in più senza l’ansia che succedesse qualcosa di irreversibile l’avrei preferito. È vero che non sapevano comunicare il loro affetto, ma se ci fossero stati più momenti in cui lo avessero dimostrato nel loro modo (se pur pochi ce ne sono stati) ne sarei stata più felice.
Nota speciale per Fergus che mi faceva morire dal ridere ogni volta che era presente. Era schietto, una personalità allegra e spensierata. Ogni personaggio infatti l’ho trovato unico, molto reale.
Ho apprezzato questo libro, anche se avrei voluto vedere più momenti di sostegno e aiuto reciproco. È stato molto pesante da leggere e qualche momento in più senza l’ansia che succedesse qualcosa di irreversibile l’avrei preferito. È vero che non sapevano comunicare il loro affetto, ma se ci fossero stati più momenti in cui lo avessero dimostrato nel loro modo (se pur pochi ce ne sono stati) ne sarei stata più felice.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 27, 2020
Accessed via NetGalley.
I've been trying to figure out how I feel about this book since finishing it a few days ago, but I think my final review is 3.5/5 stars.
The Brennan family felt so real in this story I found myself becoming more and more frustrated with them as I tore through the book. Characters and events took such a hold on the story that I began to question whether this novel was a memoir or a work of fiction. I think I would have rated it higher as a memoir; the story covers such a relentless onslaught of emotional and physical distress for Willie that I found myself dying for a resolution, but not wanting to read more of the constant family fights. I have to admit that it probably didn't help reading this in the same month I read Tara Westover's memoir, Educated.
Willie's constant struggle with his family relationships and the never ending fights with his brother mean that it's almost impossible not to side with the kid, but in siding with him, I naturally craved a resolution to the divide between Willie and Coyle.
The ending of this novel left so much to be desired that I could not rate it higher than I have, despite the fact that the novel had me hooked on the Brennan family. The hardships they faced and the frustration I felt reading this novel warrant a final resolution, one that focuses on the complex relationships in the novel. The novel feels so painfully real, with no respite, that I wanted it to be a memoir to be more enjoyable.
That being said, I cannot stop thinking about this family and their sense of unity, despite it being peppered with both petty and serious disagreements. The Brennans will stay living in my head for some time, whether I want them to or not.
I've been trying to figure out how I feel about this book since finishing it a few days ago, but I think my final review is 3.5/5 stars.
The Brennan family felt so real in this story I found myself becoming more and more frustrated with them as I tore through the book. Characters and events took such a hold on the story that I began to question whether this novel was a memoir or a work of fiction. I think I would have rated it higher as a memoir; the story covers such a relentless onslaught of emotional and physical distress for Willie that I found myself dying for a resolution, but not wanting to read more of the constant family fights. I have to admit that it probably didn't help reading this in the same month I read Tara Westover's memoir, Educated.
Willie's constant struggle with his family relationships and the never ending fights with his brother mean that it's almost impossible not to side with the kid, but in siding with him, I naturally craved a resolution to the divide between Willie and Coyle.
The ending of this novel left so much to be desired that I could not rate it higher than I have, despite the fact that the novel had me hooked on the Brennan family. The hardships they faced and the frustration I felt reading this novel warrant a final resolution, one that focuses on the complex relationships in the novel. The novel feels so painfully real, with no respite, that I wanted it to be a memoir to be more enjoyable.
That being said, I cannot stop thinking about this family and their sense of unity, despite it being peppered with both petty and serious disagreements. The Brennans will stay living in my head for some time, whether I want them to or not.
August 9, 2020
One of the best books I’ve read in a while. It tells the story of the Brennan family whose ambitious father is determined that his 4 children are going to rise above their poor and humble origins and make something of themselves – whatever it takes. He’s going to make sure they succeed even if that means moving them to a wealthy suburb, which they can’t afford, and getting them into a good school, where they are out of place, and forcing them to use every minute of their days towards his goal for them. If he has to be tough with them, then so be it. But this is not a book of cruelty and misery. The author cleverly avoids all the tropes of poor kids make good tales, by showing just how this family functions, how at the heart of them there is love, and he intelligently and with empathy and understanding explores this family dynamic so that this is a family the reader grows to care about in a really visceral way. What I particularly appreciated is that there is drama – but no melodrama, sadness - but no sentimentality, violence - but nothing extreme, snobbish and supercilious characters - but they are never wholly bad, bullying - but it never gets out of hand. This makes the novel all the more believable and convincing. It’s a powerful and moving story, extremely well-written with confidence and a sure hand; well-paced with cleverly maintained suspense and tension, and so compelling I read it in one sitting. Excellent.
August 4, 2020
Happy Release Day to The Brother Years - out TODAY Aug 4th!
This was great, don't get me wrong, but it just isn't MY style of book. However, there were so many incredible things that came with this that I think readers may like.
The family in this story is so incredibly dynamic and static at the same time... it's odd to say, I know. We see the most growth from Coyle and Willie. Coyle being the oldest of four, is kind of the golden child, so when things don't exactly stay golden (no pun intended), there's definite tension in the family. Willie is kind of a brat for quite some time, but his age is played up very well as the overshadowed middle child. Fergus is ABSOLUTELY hilarious, and Maddy is just trying to be such a lil peace keeper :')
I would've loved to see more from the younger siblings, but sadly, the story deals more with the older brothers, their relationship, and especially, their relationship with this father.
If you are a character driven reader, this book is definitely for you! I found myself a bit bored because I'm more plot driven, and it feels like this was kind of sporadic in the time jumps and more than I'd like. However, it is a quick read and a great character study and exploration of them!
Overall, a solid read.
This was great, don't get me wrong, but it just isn't MY style of book. However, there were so many incredible things that came with this that I think readers may like.
The family in this story is so incredibly dynamic and static at the same time... it's odd to say, I know. We see the most growth from Coyle and Willie. Coyle being the oldest of four, is kind of the golden child, so when things don't exactly stay golden (no pun intended), there's definite tension in the family. Willie is kind of a brat for quite some time, but his age is played up very well as the overshadowed middle child. Fergus is ABSOLUTELY hilarious, and Maddy is just trying to be such a lil peace keeper :')
I would've loved to see more from the younger siblings, but sadly, the story deals more with the older brothers, their relationship, and especially, their relationship with this father.
If you are a character driven reader, this book is definitely for you! I found myself a bit bored because I'm more plot driven, and it feels like this was kind of sporadic in the time jumps and more than I'd like. However, it is a quick read and a great character study and exploration of them!
Overall, a solid read.
February 5, 2022
I was so excited to read this book! Black Flies is one of my favorite books - I recommend it to people all the time, and I need to read it again myself someday, and I hadn't realized that a book by Shannon Burke had been published recently. This one was very intriguing to me, as I also went to high school near the North Shore (in Northfield) and was a few years younger than Willie in this book. New Trier was always talked about then as it is shown in this novel - its academic reputation was (and probably still is) stellar, so I had a good idea of the world described in Seneca (a fictional town name - or have I just never come across this particular suburb?). Anyway, this is the kind of book that isn't written that much anymore, very character driven without a flashy plot. It reminded me a bit of The Brothers K. The Brennans are A LOT - and while reading this, I often got stressed with the constant bickering, and fighting (sometimes quite violent/abusive) and rivalries (and was reminded why I always only wanted one child). The father's personality was a bit like The Great Santini but without the extreme sociopathy. But it was beautifully written and real and I did fall in love with the family a bit, even if I would have gone mad living with them!
May 4, 2020
Thanks to @netgalley & @penguinrandomhouse for the Arc
So I loved this book. It’s a coming of age tale surrounding the Brennan siblings, namely Willie Brennan, a young teen who lives in the Chicago suburbs. Set in the 1970s, Willie is growing up in a family where success through hard work and competitiveness with his older sibling, Coyle, dominates his everyday life.
The family live in an upper class area, go to a good school but are poor and Willie is very aware of this. Life at home is tumultuous where their father dominates with an iron fist, struggles to provide for the family and expects high standards. In trying to mould the boys into the best they can be, he inadvertently sets them against each other. What we get is a tale of class struggle, peer pressure, sibling rivalry intermixed with family love and violence.
This was such a great book. It was so well written. The characters were immediately identifiable and each had their own role. A younger brother was absolutely hilarious in dialogue where he riled his siblings with sarcastic comments in the midst of some serious going’s-one.
A solid 5 🌟 from me
So I loved this book. It’s a coming of age tale surrounding the Brennan siblings, namely Willie Brennan, a young teen who lives in the Chicago suburbs. Set in the 1970s, Willie is growing up in a family where success through hard work and competitiveness with his older sibling, Coyle, dominates his everyday life.
The family live in an upper class area, go to a good school but are poor and Willie is very aware of this. Life at home is tumultuous where their father dominates with an iron fist, struggles to provide for the family and expects high standards. In trying to mould the boys into the best they can be, he inadvertently sets them against each other. What we get is a tale of class struggle, peer pressure, sibling rivalry intermixed with family love and violence.
This was such a great book. It was so well written. The characters were immediately identifiable and each had their own role. A younger brother was absolutely hilarious in dialogue where he riled his siblings with sarcastic comments in the midst of some serious going’s-one.
A solid 5 🌟 from me
July 27, 2020
Willie, the second oldest brother, tells this coming of age story about a family of brothers whose tough guy father wants more for then than he has. Alex Brennan moved his wife and four boys- Coyle, Willie, Fergus, and Maddie- to a wealthy suburb in order to get the boys into a better school. They are the proverbial family in the smallest house in the best neighborhood; the boys share a room. Alex pits them against one another in a ill thought out notion that the competition will toughen them up and improve their chances in the world. There's an interesting touchpoint character in Robert- the rich boy. This is classic stuff in so many ways. The characters are well conceived and executed, the situation unique in the pantheon of tough dad stories, and you'll find yourself engaged. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. Burke's storytelling shines here. An excellent read.
March 23, 2021
The Brother Years by Shannon Burke is a family drama and coming of age story combined. If you grew up on the lower-middle class side of the scale, much of it will bring back memories.
Willie is the second oldest sibling of 4, who all share a room in their parents small home. Willie and his siblings are raised by a blue collar father who has come up with "The Method" to make his children attain what he thinks is the ideal life and climb out of the socioeconomic stratus they currently are in. Unfortunately, he also often resorts to brute force to make his points. There are several relationships focused on through the book, and love is right there behind them.
Overall, it's an engaging story with maybe a few sections that drag just a bit.
I enjoyed this ARC from NetGalley, and sharing my opinion.
Willie is the second oldest sibling of 4, who all share a room in their parents small home. Willie and his siblings are raised by a blue collar father who has come up with "The Method" to make his children attain what he thinks is the ideal life and climb out of the socioeconomic stratus they currently are in. Unfortunately, he also often resorts to brute force to make his points. There are several relationships focused on through the book, and love is right there behind them.
Overall, it's an engaging story with maybe a few sections that drag just a bit.
I enjoyed this ARC from NetGalley, and sharing my opinion.
August 27, 2020
I grew up in a large, boisterous clan as a sister, so this novel allowed me to glimpse the intricacies of the familial pecking order from a male perspective. I seek out books based in reality and which illuminate an author's authentic emotional life, and this novel satisfied me immensely. Burke's writing is subtly laced with poetic phrases and descriptions of natural beauty that contrast interestingly with the occasional depictions of physical violence, and Willie's adolescent unease is relatable for any reader. Burke's observations about the lifetime psychological impact one's family of origin and one's youthful peers can have on a person was, I thought, dead-on. I will definitely check out the author's other books.
August 12, 2020
A really fun novel that shows the life of a family in the late 1970’s in a suburb outside Chicago. A suburb that the family can’t really afford, but has moved there so that their four children can go to better schools and have a chance at a better life. The story is told by the second oldest child as he looks back on his childhood and the constant fights with his older brother, the violent eruptions from his father and the constant rules and work that he makes the whole family do. It’s fascinating, really funny and ultimately moving as the author comes to realize that this has made him the man he is today.
September 11, 2020
3-3.5
I like this book. The story of a family of 6 (4 kids) in Chicago in the late 70s early 80s. They are poor but their father has them in a nice neighborhood renting to take advantage of the school system. Everyone in the family has a big personality, the narrator is the 2nd oldest Willie. There's some brutal fights between them all but they love each other and function as a team. Occasionally the author is a bit long-winded and that keeps me from rating it a 4. I do want to be clear that it's a good book, it reads like a memoir.
I like this book. The story of a family of 6 (4 kids) in Chicago in the late 70s early 80s. They are poor but their father has them in a nice neighborhood renting to take advantage of the school system. Everyone in the family has a big personality, the narrator is the 2nd oldest Willie. There's some brutal fights between them all but they love each other and function as a team. Occasionally the author is a bit long-winded and that keeps me from rating it a 4. I do want to be clear that it's a good book, it reads like a memoir.
September 15, 2020
As its title indicates, this is primarily the story of Will versus his brother Coyle. There is a another brother, Fergus, and a younger sister, Maddy, but they are more peripheral characters, as is the mother. One year apart, Will and Coyle have a violent, combative relationship that is sometimes hard to read about. Alex, their pugilistic father, leads a hardscrabble, striving existing that permeates the family dynamic. This reads like a memoir and I can't help but think it may be a thinly veiled fictional attempt at one.
July 15, 2020
This book was not at all what I expected, but it was enjoyable as it was. This novel encapsulates the years that Willie Brennan, the narrator, lives at home with his siblings. It shows the depths of sibling rivalries, struggles of the working class, and the drive for perfection.
I had trouble liking some of the main characters. By the end of the novel I was pleased and had 'warm feelings,' I really struggled with a few events earlier in the novel.
Overall, 3.5 Stars
I had trouble liking some of the main characters. By the end of the novel I was pleased and had 'warm feelings,' I really struggled with a few events earlier in the novel.
Overall, 3.5 Stars
December 16, 2024
A heartfelt and humorous coming-of-age story that captures the messy, tender, and chaotic bond of brotherhood. Set in a suburban Chicago neighborhood, the novel follows the life of a middle brother navigating adolescence amidst family struggles, sibling rivalries, and moments of unexpected grace. Burke’s writing is sharp and deeply observant, blending laugh-out-loud moments with poignant reflections on growing up.
August 10, 2020
This familial drama centers around the relationships between 4 brothers that are living life based on their father's The Methods. This is a system the father created to toughen up his sons so that they are not forced to live a hard life with multiple jobs and little money like he has. The Method creates rivalry and is not tolerant of failures. This book was a great read.
November 12, 2020
A character driven family drama? What more could I want 6/7
“And there was also something wrong with the way we acted, some indefinable flaw in our expressions or maybe the defiant posture we took when we came into a room, but whatever it was, adults seemed to pick up on it instantly”
“And there was also something wrong with the way we acted, some indefinable flaw in our expressions or maybe the defiant posture we took when we came into a room, but whatever it was, adults seemed to pick up on it instantly”
November 21, 2020
The Brother Years is a coming of age story that follows four brothers growing up in a blue-collar family in Chicago. It's an enjoyable read that passes quickly, although I'm not sure that it will stick with me. 3.5 stars rounded down. Thanks to Netgalley and Pantheon for the ARC.
February 26, 2021
Chicago area. Poor, hard-working family in upperclass neighborhood. Instilling values to succeed but also sibling rivalry gone bad. I see a lot of my childhood in this book. They even ride through my home town of Cedar Rapids. The ending is a surprise.
April 15, 2021
3.5 probably.
I have very mixed feelings about this book.
I'm quite pissed I spent 20 euros for this, as it wasn't the great novel I thought it was going to be, but I still enjoyed it. There's something about the Brennans. These little fuckers have a place in my heart, somehow.
I have very mixed feelings about this book.
I'm quite pissed I spent 20 euros for this, as it wasn't the great novel I thought it was going to be, but I still enjoyed it. There's something about the Brennans. These little fuckers have a place in my heart, somehow.
October 25, 2023
This is such a good story. Dysfunctional, quirky, emotional, deep. It reminded me very much of my childhood experiences, siblings, and upbringing. I picked this book up used at my local library and I am so happy I did.
April 24, 2020
As the mom of 3 boys, I liked this book a lot. The way the author writes made it feel like a true story. It gave me a real feeling and understanding of their lives and their relationships. It was a pretty easy, quick read with a lot of depth.
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