Book Of The Year (2019) - Brother By Ania Ahlborn
This is a spoiler-free review!
“We don’t have hardly anything.”
“We gotta make do with what the land gives us.”
— Ania Ahlborn, Brother
It left me Hungry for more…
Okay, maybe not the best way to start out a review over a book that deals with many dark topics such as cannibalism, abuse, abduction, and (thoughts of) necrophilia, to name a few. I am probably as astounded as you are to know this was my book choice for my favorite book of 2019 —I don’t know whether or not this says anything good about me as a person, but I couldn’t put the book down. (Okay, in some parts, I HAD to put the book down, especially when some of the more messed up scenes got a little too detailed.)
Brother by Ania Ahlborn is a brutal, bloody, beast of a horror novel that leaves readers considering bleaching their eyes and brains out after reading about some of the dark topics present in the story. (Amazon User Gorilichis)
While the subject matter itself is pretty heavy, the story is really about the relationship between two brothers who through no fault of their own found their way into a family filled with darkness — and their twisted obsession with cannibalism, abduction, and physical abuse. This story is not for the faint of heart, but I have to agree with Publisher’s Weekly in saying that it was nearly impossible to put the book down.
The thriller takes place in the 60’s in the Appalachian woods and is centered around the Morrow family and their youngest son, Michael who never really felt part of his dysfunctional family and their dark, twisted, practices. He desires normalcy and one day he hopes to see what the rest of the world has to offer. He meets a girl named Alice at the local record shop and they hit it off immediately. He almost forgets about his messed-up family and the monster he is, but his older brother Reb, is always there to remind him of the darkness following him in West Virginia.
I too, felt like I needed to cleanse my mental palate after reading some of the passages of this novel, but it was a truly enthralling story. Ahlborn’s ability to share and hold back just the right amount of detail at just the right time is what makes her a phenomenal horror writer. She expertly crafts scenes that make you jump right out of your skin (be careful, Brother characters!) and for good reason. All the awful things that happen in the story are made even scarier by the fact that they’re all completely possible events that could actually happen in real life. Yikes!
I also read Seed by Ania Ahlborn and Lock Every Door by Riley Sager and although they were also pretty creepy in their own rights, neither rivaled the astounding amount of horror, gore, and twisted events present in Brother. I’ve read quite a few horror stories in my life, and so far, this one takes the cake—or rather —the carcass. Too soon?
I would recommend Brother by Ania Ahlborn to anyone who likes getting really scared, but like I said, it isn’t for the faint of heart. I can’t watch surgeries without fainting and this was a rough read in some parts. However, it really is a brilliant psychological thriller, and I have to agree with the general consensus that the twist at the end will leave you saying, whaaaaat?!
And that’s it for my pick of the year—Brother by Ania Ahlborn! What do you think? Have you read this book? Did you have a similar reaction? Did it make it into your top 10? Let me know in the comments below!
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